I’m a few days behind in posting this trip report but editing the video footage took a bit longer than originally intended.
Two buddies of mine and I set out on a five-hour drive from home to Kimberley BC last Saturday with the intent of riding some singletracks in and around the local ski area. With rain in the forecast, we were hopeful of at least a couple days of reasonably good weather to make the trip a worthwhile endeavour. Even though our trip was cut short by a day or two, we still managed to fit in a stellar day of riding on a couple of great trails.
We were totally stoked on riding the Kimberley West Loop which includes 14 linked singles including two interconnecting loops.
https://www.trailforks.com/route/kimberly-west-loop/
Everything went according to plan until we were stymied by some serious deadfall on a secondary loop called RTM (Round the Mountain) Twist. According to Trailforks, RTM Twist is unsanctioned and word is that it continues to be a work in progress. We were forced to head back onto the main trail and continued on from there.
With so many intersecting trails and some not clearly marked we lost our bearings but were still able to complete the route albeit omitting one key loop (Magic Line) towards the end the route. We made it back to home base and rode it once we discovered where we screwed up.
Most of the West Loop was in superb condition and our hats off to the Kimberley Trails Society for maintaining this wonderful spot of paradise in the East Kootenays. Hope to make it back another time when the weather is slightly more cooperative.
Ride #1 - Kimberley West Loop
The view from our digs.
The start to the ride and surroundings were somewhat mundane but once we entered the forested sections along the RTM (Round The Mountain Trail) the scenery changed.
There was plenty of opportunity to catch glimpses (albeit brief) of mountain backdrops every now and again. Most of the time I was too focused on the trail to notice what I was missing.
Much of the trails were rock strewn but the recent rains also kept the dust at bay. We were also a bit surprised at the little amount of mud we encountered along the way.
We came across this old cabin which apparently was built in the 1930s by locals as a shelter for XC skiers. The bugs were pretty nasty here so we didn’t hang around for very long.
You meet some of the nicest people along the trails. What a great spot for picnic!
Shot of the boys. We would have stayed longer to enjoy the view but it was a tad short on space up there with a congregation of hikers and bikers.
Along the RTM Trail, there were a couple of intriguing rock slides to cross which required a bit of careful maneuvering.
We saw no signs of bears or posted warnings to speak of but that didn’t mean we came unprepared. Kelvin keeps his close by disguised his bottle cage.
My clean pants were a sure sign that the ride was relatively mud free.
Footage of our first ride of the day along the Kimberley West Loop. It’s longer than what I usually bring to the table so be prepared with popcorn on hand or in
@kahn ‘s case, supersize that bowl of cereal.
Ride #2 - Magic Line
Our second ride wasn’t in the original plan but we knew that we couldn’t leave without completing the entire loop and finish up by riding Magic Line.
I’m glad that we did even though there were some tough climbs involved. The reward made for one entertaining downhill ride back to our base. Sweet!!
Sublime!
The footage includes a special musical tribute to a favorite singer of mine. Can you guess who that might be?