Hi everyone, I'm planning a trip in southern BC and I am thinking of doing the KVR, anyone have any information on the route conditions for this year, is it still open to MC, what is the best protion of the route, etc. Any information will help and welcomed Thanks Garry
Garry, Might want to post this question in the Canada Regional Forum - you'll probably get better answers from the BC guys there. The KVR is a great ride, but I'm not up to speed on the latest conditions or possible closures. This is between Princeton and Brookmere...
All of what Lycan 1 said He helped me find my way on it. Read Lycan's story--read my story---watch the video and most of your questions if not all will be answered. Also I rode it last year on my way to Alaska---that ride report is here: http://www.bigdogadventures.com/1Alaska.htm And-------I just found this-----this is way awesome---a you tube video. http://youtu.be/pU1_xK-5T6Y BigDog
Hi Garry, we did it a few years ago and it was fantastic, we are doing it again in late august, we only seen one washout but no problem getting thru, i don't think anything has changed. When are you planning to do the KVR?
Hi everyone had to change my Log name, here is the RR which showcases the KVR and other great places, enjoy. http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=808349
It looks like a bunch of it has been closed off to motorized travel this year. The BC dual sport forum has some info on it, but most of the rules have all ready been put in on the closer. Nov 2012. I think it happened last month. More info will come out on it, but the BC trail groups want it for foot traffic only. From jeathrow Bowdean in Western Canada. PS: We still have 1.5 million long roads to drive on out there. Ha Ha.
I have been doing some research now trying to figure out what is going on and why. There seems to be two major problems: - erosion of the trails surface, causing deep sandy sections. Mainly caused by ATVs. I also recall long sections of washboard from my bicycle trip 10 years ago, which are caused most likely by cars. So the main problem seems to be the heavy ATV and car traffic, less the lighter motorcycle traffic (as long as not any race activities are destroying the trail, which were mentioned somewhere in the internet). What I don't get is, that nobody is complaining seriously about horses, because if they come in sufficient numbers they can really chew up a trail surface and make it unusable for cyclists! - driving habits of folks on ATVs and motorcycles - too fast, making too much noise, causing dust cloulds. This is again is a problem that could easily be avoided if we keep speeds down, keep original exhaust system and don't missuse the trail as a race track. And as always: most of us for sure have a certain amount of common sense, but some idiots destroy it for us all! So honestly: I am a feeling a bit split right now! At the one hand I like to ride such trails myself on a dualsport mc, at the other hand (as a longtime cyclist) I can understand those voices which want to exclude the idiots at the price of excluding all responsible motorized traffic! The erosion problem could only be solved by regular maintanace of the trail, but who should pay for that? I am now checking out other options (TCAT) for my trip, but I will for sure rent a bicycle and do the Myra Canyon - unmotorized! However I hope that it is possible to find a compromise which serves all!
Tell me about it! I have a friend who has 3 horses. He had it made, till he bought a small farm with a barn and stables. Now he can't even afford to insure his motorcycle!
Horses really aren't that green when you think about it. All you have to do is take a ride anywhere in rural Southern Ontario and you can see how much forested land had to be stripped to allow for pastures for horses and for hay to feed them, and horses really serve no purpose other than for recreation! My motorcycle only needs a 6 x 8 space to live in and probably pollutes less, and costs peanuts to own, compared to a horse. My dirt bike uses trails that are a foot to three feet wide at the most, and generally are on those trails only when they're dry. I can show you horse trails in my area that are fifteen to thirty feet wide with foot deep potholes, and full of shit, and they ride all year, rain or shine! I have a Provincial Park near me called Short Hills, very popular for hiking, mtbiking, and horseback riding.This park is surrounded by horse farms. I was hiking out there last week and was commenting to my buddy about a new trail that the MNR built last year. They stripped all the grass and top layer off, and it has to be six feet wide. It's nice trail, but if left to the natural soil, it will be eroded in a few years, especially if horses get on it. We hiked on another trail that was a generally used by mtb'rs and is still holding up well even after twenty years. Most mtb'rs don't even ride there much anymore. Trails have been built closer to the city that are better and no horses get at them.
I can tell you from my own experience here in Sweden that horses ARE a real problem! I have a number gravel roads near the place I live, which are frequently used by horses. Problems come in times, when it is very wet, but also now in winter. There is an increased number of people who are cycling from home to their job and used those same roads, but now in winter, when hard packed snow forms on those roads, it's very hard with a standard bike (without full suspension) to cycle on it. Why can't the riders simply stay on one side and keep the middle lane for others? But this is just a minor problem. The major problem is that horse riders take their animals out on public roads, without training the horses before to tolerate motorized traffic. I have many times experienced, that horses get easily frightend and once this ended nearly in a catastrophy when a horse drawing a carriage started getting mad. Fortunately this happened on a wider road, I was on the far left - and the horse started kicking agains me! And no: I am not excessivly loud, my 690 still has the standard exhaust mounted! What makes me angry in such a case is, that people take out their horses even if they are not suitable to be in public traffic. Every car, every motorcycle, even my bicycle needs to fullfill certain safety spec, cars & bikes are tested frequently which is required by law. but most horses would not pass such a test! But in the end it's the guy on the motorcycle, who will get blamed if an accident happens. But to get back to the KVR: I will probably skip it completely (besides of a bicycle day trip in the Myra Canyon ) and do some parts of the TransCanadaAdvTrail instead.
