This is my favourite part of the tour. The Tulameen Canyon. Some tunnels, some trestles, some cliffs, its all good.

Hey Martin, look up will ya?

Lunch is at the Tulameenie Falls. We saw a bear just before this…well, Z, Thor, and I saw it anyway.

This is the tunnel you can see in the background of the last shot. The guys are looking over their shoulder there because Thor has just eaten it…on a railway grade. Too funny (OK, one of the other guys, maybe Z, hid in the dark and scared him, but still….).

The peloton got a bit more spread out after lunch.

..and then it was time to go swimming. Hows the water there bud?

Oh its cold you say? How cold?

Ohhh…..THAT cold. Check HERE for some video action.

This campsite sucks.

Totally.

The local residents came out to tell ghost stories. they’re not exactly scary or anything, but it’s a side of Canada that these guys would not ordinarily get to see, thats for sure.

Boo!

Wade Simmons Freeride Experience
July 9th to July 27th.
Click for details….

OK, OK, I know, I’ve been slack on updating. For those of you paying attention, I’ve had to do a little revamp on the site. Thanks Microsoft, for making life so easy on the little guy (Microsoft lost a lawsuit, and now I have to recode every site I do. Just buy them out next time, will ya?).

Anyway, on to the tour….

It looks like for the next couple of years I’ll be starting the season with St. Georges School. St. Georges is the premiere boys prep school in Western Canada, and every spring 150 Grade 10 boys have a wilderness experience. Things like backcountry skiing, kayaking the West Coast, hiking the Coast Mountains. Those of them who aren’t really into the outdoors come biking with yours truly on the old abandoned rail grade between Summerland and Otter Lake.

…sort of a mean joke, isn’t it?

Our first camp was pretty sweet, although a bit cold. We had snow flurries throughout the night, and then the temp dropped to a numbing -10C just before sunrise. All the guys were asking me what time we had to getup the night before. I just sort of laughed, figuring that they wouldn’t sleep at all. I was right.

Withthe cold, we got off to a good start. Here’s Mike Procaska, my loyal assistant, on the first part of the trail.

Our first stop was at this trestle.

Hi Chris.

Lunch was at a bluff overlooking the valley. David pulled out his trusty stove to heat up the chili. What a man.

Good views.

So, we only lost one guy at lunch. He turned up later, safe and sound. It’s pretty hard to get lost on a railway grade.

Just follow the gravel, man.

When we rolled into camp, we got into some more technical riding. Hey, you gotta make do with what you got.

Here’s a link to THOR!!! and his new skills on video.

The best part of this trip? We don’t have to cook. The guys are on their own. Looks tasty…

..and of course the obligatory camfire, complete with exploding lighters.

Wade Simmons Freeride Experience
July 9th to July 27th.
Click for details….

Semi rest and travel day today. The Okanagan Valley has left us tired, bruised, and satiated. On deck today is a little cruise down the Tulameen Canyon via the old Kettle Valley Railway. Here’s the crew on one of the many trestles in the canyon, about to enter the final tunnel.

Lots of great swimming spots made the day pretty slow and relaxed, except that Barry managed ot have his best wipeout of hte tour on the flat and level gravel trailbed while trying to race. That river water is really good for scrapes.

Hello Mr. Bear. Two in two days. Now that’s more like it. More wildlife on this tour than in months.