Vernon ATV Club

We continue our series on trail navigation and ride planning tools with a look at creating routes and finding public tracks to keep on the plotted course. 

Option 1 – Create a Routes
In GPS terminology a route is series of waypoints that when followed using your GPS guides you along the intended direction of travel. Most/all GPS apps and devices allow route creation so when riding you follow a coloured line along your predetermined set of directions rather than having to stop at each corner to check the map.

Option 2 – Find Public Tracks
If you prefer to follow a track saved by another rider, many of the online GPS services allow you to search existing trails then save or sync to your device. 

The existence of a track doesn’t mean you are allowed to or should ride that trail.

Following a track may take you across private land, sensitive terrain, areas closed to ATVs or on difficult trails. Always research where you are riding and be prepared to turn back!

Backroad Mapbooks
We ruled out using the paper Backroad Mapbooks for detailed ATV ride planning last week so we’re only looking at the GPS Maps and Web Map/App options this week from BRMB.

1. GPS Maps
   Every Garmin GPS made since the dawn of time has had Route creation hiding in the menu and the Backroad Mapbooks layers provide additional data on both your handheld GPS and in Basecamp when your GPS is connected to the computer. See the Garmin section below for more information on Route creation.
   
2. BRMB Web Map & App 
   Using a PRO account on the BRMB Web Map it’s possible to “Draw a Line” to create a route to follow later, this is then saved and available for download as a GPX or KML file.
   
   Two problems I encountered:
   a. I couldn’t find a way of importing or opening this route on the BRMB App on my phone.
   
   b. There is no way of “Drawing a Line” on the BRMB App which means route planning via the app is currently not an option.BRMB is pouring a lot of effort into the BRMB Web Map and App so I won’t be surprised to see many more features arriving in the coming months. BRMB is offering a 3 month free PRO trail to ATVBC members, to get your 3 month trial contact ATVBC by email.

Gaia GPS
Using a Free or Premium account at Gaia GPS lets you browse Public Tracks shared by others and create your own Routes. Looking at Tracks shared by others is a great way to explore new areas and fill in gaps in your trail database. 

It’s also possible to create Routes which are saved in your account and instantly available for use on other devices signed in to your Gaia GPS account.

Check out my video on how to Create a Route using Gaia GPS to customize layers and “Pan, Scan, Zoom and Click” to quickly create a Route for your next adventure.

Garmin
Route creation has always been an important feature in Garmin devices and Basecamp. A route can be created directly on your handheld GPS through the Routes menu or in Basecamp by clicking the Create a Route button under Creation Tools at the top of the screen. Once created in Basecamp the file must be sent to your handheld GPS for use.

As we saw last week, the amount of information available via Basecamp is dependent on having Garmin BirdsEye, Topo or Backroad Mapbooks data otherwise the default beige screen provides no navigational assistance.

Wikiloc
One of the main benefits of community contributed content is the ability to see, download and use files added by fellow riders. It’s also possible to create a route on the webmap by using the “Draw your trail by hand” feature found under the Upload Trails option.

Stay Tuned!
Next week we take public tracks or Routes we’ve created and load them onto our chosen chosen GPS device/app so you can navigate the intended route.

It takes years of experience to become a grizzled veteran trail rider that remembers all the roads, trails and intersections. A well kept secret of grizzled veteran trail riders is they are usually exceptionally good at using a GPS to track rides and have an abundance of previous ride tracks at hand when riding in the area again.

Exploring with no plan can be hugely rewarding and take you places most have never been, but it can also be fruitless and result and hours wandering forest service roads that dead end in cut blocks. Knowing how to find where trails are and then navigate those trails while riding can up your game from group ride follower to intrepid backcountry explorer.

Navigating new trails and riding areas can be broken into three steps:

• Ride Planning – how to find trails
• Ride Navigation – staying on the plotted course
• Ride Tracking – saving your track for future use

This week’s email starts with a look at Ride Planning tools. Check in over the next couple of weeks for parts 2 & 3 covering Ride Navigation and Ride Tracking.

Part 1 – Ride Planning
Until you’ve built a database of trails you’re either going to do a lot of riding to find trails or you can access trails shared or published by others.

Even just a few years ago your options were basically limited to purchasing a chip for your GPS which provided a layer showing roads and trails. With the explosion of online services and apps these same trails can are available from a variety of sources with most offering free access to a limited feature set with premium paid options and in app purchases.

Backroad Mapbooks
The homegrown success story, BRMB is based in BC and has been a popular option for ATV riders looking for trails for years. You’ve probably seen and/or used their paper mapbooks found in convenience stores, purchased a GPS chip for your Garmin or more recently accessed their information via smartphone GPS apps. 

Paper Mapbooks – $29.95 + up
The 5th edition of the Thompson Okanagan Backroad Mapbook provides 51 maps at 1:200,000 scale covering the region. A good backup if your GPS quits and an effective tool for overall route planning but often not enough detail for ATV level route planning.

Also available as an ePUB or PDF file for use on your favourite smartphone, tablet or eReader. Note the ePUB/PDF is not georeferenced meaning you don’t know your position on the map.

GPS Maps – $69.95 + up
The 2020 version of Backroad GPS Maps for BC provides province wide coverage to a 1:20,000 scale. Much more than just ATV roads and trails, other information types include: lake/river/stream data, private land, wildlife management units for hunters, oil and gas location data, railway corridor markers, searchable points of interest and trails for all types of recreation users.

Compatible with Garmin Basecamp when connected to your GPS device with the SD card installed for trip planning on your Mac or Windows computer.

BRMB Web Map & App – FREE + up
BRMB has come to the party with their web enabled map and app GPS solution. It’s possible to use the Web Map / App free of charge but all the features you want and need for ride planning are hidden within the paid PRO plans. Try a PRO account free for 30 days without providing a credit card.

Once logged in at the PRO account level the features spill forth from all sides. Satellite and Topo maps are available, Backroad, Fishing, Hunting, Paddling, Park, Recsite, Trail, ATV, Snowmobile, Wildlife and Winter Adventure buckets contain numerous options that can be toggled on the map.

Access the Web Map on your computer or tablet or download the app to your Android or Apple smartphone. 

Pricing is listed below or visit the BRMB website: 

• Free – unlimited basic platform access
• $3.50/month – month to month access to the PRO platform
• $35.00/year – year round PRO platform access
• $90.00/3 years – 3 year subscription to PRO platform

Gaia GPS
A webmap and app for all types of recreational activities, Gaia GPS has undergone extensive updates to both the website and the Android and Apple apps in the 5 years I’ve been subscribed.

After purchasing an iPhone 7 Plus in 2016 I decided to make the move away from traditional GPS devices to using a smartphone GPS app. After testing 10+ apps that were available then, Gaia was my winner based on cost and features. Each year I review competitors and I still haven’t found a better GPS app for my purposes.

Use the webmap on your computer or tablet for planning rides. A free account is required to access the map, this limits you to basic map layers but gives the ability to view and save tracks shared by others. 

Being able to search and save tracks shared by others means a nearly unlimited number of trails at your disposal.

Check out a few of my public tracks:

• Noble Canyon – 61km Loop Spring 2021
• Silver Creek Mt Ida – 38km Loop Fall 2020
• King Eddy/Harris Creek – 130km Loop Fall 2020

If after trying Gaia GPS you like it, get a discounted membership using my referral link.

Garmin
The dominant player in the consumer GPS market, Garmin leads the way in dedicated handheld and dash mounted GPS products for ATVs.

On the ride planning side BirdsEye and TOPO maps can be purchased to add details to your GPS device and will load onto Gamin Basecamp when your GPS is connected to your computer. Without BirdsEye and TOPO Maps Basecamp doesn’t provide much information to do ride planning.

Basecamp is used to download tracks and send routes/waypoints to your GPS.

• BirdsEye Satellite Imagery Subscription
• TOPO Canada: West

Garmin doesn’t currently have an online webmap or shared community trails database that I’m aware of. 

Wikiloc
Wikiloc is another excellent online community style webmap and app for all types of recreational activities.

A free Wikiloc account lets you search trails by name, activity type or location on the world map, download trails shared by others (tracks are simplified to 500 points for free accounts) track rides and upload your trails. It is possible to create a route on the webmap by using the “Draw your trail by hand” feature found under the Upload Trails option.

Download the Android and Apple apps to try Wikiloc for your next ride.

And all the others?
Oh ya, there are too many other options to list so we’ve stuck to the most popular tools used by ATVers for GPS navigation apps and planning tools. Let us know what you use so we can compare and share with others.

Stay Tuned!
Next week we will look at how to download tracks or create routes and transferring them to your chosen GPS device/app so you can navigate the intended route.

Safety is one of the key drivers of the ATV Club. We all share a love of the backcountry and want to ensure everyone makes it home safely after every ride.

This past weekend a Saturday evening ride started out perfectly with the small group enjoying the clear skies and warm evening temperatures. As the ride ventured up Bardolph Road it turned onto an old logging road that was new to the group. It was a postcard trail, the old roadbed was smooth and in great condition and followed a creek draw at a moderate incline through the cedar forest.

Enjoyment quickly turned to apprehension however because shortly after crossing the creek the trail narrowed and became steep and rutted. This section of trail was still passable though which encouraged riders to continue up the steep slope. The point of no return appeared after riders committed to continue upslope where a large exposed tree root created a 12″ vertical ledge on the already steep trail.

The side x sides and 2 up quads cautiously navigated the vertical ledge but the front end on single seater quad wouldn’t stay down without help from other riders in the group. This group was fortunate because the other riders were experienced, spotted the hazard and held the single seater quad to prevent it from flipping backward down the hill.

Inexperienced riders or someone riding by themselves would have been forced to make a split-second decision to try climbing the ledge or get stopped on the steep incline then somehow back down.

Identifying & Reporting Hazards
In the example above the ATV Club is going to place a sign warning riders of the steep hillclimb ahead so they have the opportunity to turn around in a safe area rather than being stuck in a dangerous situation on the steep hillside.

We want your assistance identifying potentially dangerous trails and hazards so they can be assessed and mitigated through signage, trail work and education.

Please share what you see while out riding by taking photos and providing a description of the location or send a GPS waypoint (if possible) to the Vernon ATV Club by email info@vernonatvclub.ca, via our website or Facebook.

A handful of Vernon ATV Club members have tracks on their quad or side x side, if you’re on the ATV Trail Riders Group you’ve seen photos and stories throughout the winter.

Inevitably the tracked rider ends up doing tow truck duty at various times when wheeled machines find the limits of how far they can go in the fluffy stuff.

Rescuing wheeled ATVers in the winter is only part of the gig, what are some of the pros and cons of ATV tracks?

Pros

• Turns your quad, side x side or dirtbike into a 4 season toy. 
• You only need to maintain/store/accessorize/insure 1 vehicle.
• Tracks are less expensive and more reliable than many (most?) similarly priced sleds.
• Allows access terrain unreachable or prohibited to wheeled machines (Vernon Snowmobile Association trails in Silver Star Provincial Park for example).
• Gets you out on the mountains to be above the low valley cloud so common through Okanagan winters.

Cons

• New tracks range in price from $3500-8500 so they’re definitely not cheap but you can often find deals on lightly used track kits in the classifieds.
• Not terribly fast and not for steep slopes, you’ll never beat a sled here.
• If you get a track machine stuck you’ve discovered what a 2000lb anchor looks like. 
• Rough riding on hardpacked surfaces.
• Tracks gear your machine down and pushing through snow creates a lot of resistance so you’ll use 25-50% more fuel to go the same distance.

Get in touch with the club by email if you have questions about tracks and watch upcoming emails for more stories about tracks before they’re safely stored away for the summer.

With thoughts turning to the trails we see a surge in new and renewing memberships at this time of the year. It’s time to park the sled, skis or snowboard and what better way to avoid yardwork than heading out riding with your ATV buddies.

If you’re new to ATVing or the area you’ve found the right club. Our members love riding, sharing their favourite trails, and protecting the backcountry we all enjoy so much. As soon as this COVID thing is figured out we’ll be back to hosting regular club rides too.

You can keep up with the club through these weekly emails, look back through past articles on our website at www.vernonatvclub.ca, or our Facebook Page.

We also encourage you to join the Vernon ATV Trail Riders Facebook Group where you’ll find people interested in riding, get answers to questions and see photos and ride stories.

If you have any questions get in touch with the club by email info@vernonatvclub.ca.

Welcome to the club, we’ll see you on the trails soon!

Safety, parking, littler, noise, dust, hours of operation… there’s a lot to think about when pulling up at your favourite trailhead staging area.

All ATVers need to remember that we’re judged by the tracks we leave behind and that starts with how and where we park. If a local resident, rancher or hiker drives by and sees piles of garbage, burnout marks on the road or an abandoned campfire it sure doesn’t look good for us.

Safety
Almost every staging area is near or on a Forest Service Road (FSR) so in addition to other recreational users whether they be fellow ATVers, fisherman, hunters, firewooders, a bunch of young folks heading out with a pickup load of pallets to party or commercial and industrial traffic, there can be a lot of vehicles passing the staging area.

Legal Parking Areas

FSR signs are posted at the start of an FSR system where there is potential for public or multiple industrial users.

You’ll usually see these at or near where the pavement ends or on dirt roads where it switches from municipal/private roads to the FSR. 

The FSR sign indicates ATVs are allowed to ride on the road beyond this point.

ATVs should only unload before this sign if there is a clearly identified parking/unloading area for ATVs and be aware that you may need the ICBC Basic Autoplan if you’re unloading in a parking lot that is part of the public highway system.

Parking

If you’re not familiar with a staging area or if appears to be a popular spot for parties it may be wise to pull over and inspect the parking area for broken glass and campfire nails before you drive in.

Many staging areas have limited parking or areas that are better left for trucks and trailers. Take a look around before you park, if you have a pickup try to find a place where you can safely unload while leaving larger spots and turnaround areas for trucks and trailers.

Observe how other people have unloaded and if they load off the side or back and leave enough room so they can get their machine on their ramps if parking behind other vehicles that have already unloaded.

When parking pull as far as safely possible off the FSR so vehicles can pass and don’t park anywhere that’s going to put you or oncoming traffic at risk. Never park anywhere that may interfere with commercial or industrial traffic, we’re out playing but they’re out making a living.

Don’t block the road and keep all little people and pets under control at all times.

Litter
No matter where an ATV travels they should never be littering and the staging area is often one of the most visible signs of all-terrain vehicle activity. If you spot garbage near your vehicle pick it up, we’ll all look better and you’ve done a good deed for the day.

Be a Good Neighbour: Noise, Dust & Hours of Operation

NOISE: In areas with neighbours remember to keep noise to an absolute minimum at all hours of the day by keeping your music turned down, driving slowly and avoid running your ATV engine as much as possible.

A nearby home may be a shift worker or someone who just doesn’t like the sounds of ATVs interrupting their Sunday get together.

DUST: Avoid making dust, drive and ride slowly, limit your riding around the staging area and NEVER NEVER NEVER do bonehead burnouts and donuts in the parking lot.

HOURS OF OPERATION: a group of residents can put pressure on their local government to close riding or staging areas. Do your part by keeping noise and dust down and if you must pass residential areas early or late, keep your speed and noise as low as possible. 

Consideration and respect for others can go a long way to help keep riding areas open so we can all enjoy our favourite trails for years to come.

You just purchased an ATV and you’ve heard you need to insure it to ride legally.

OK, what’s that mean?

We get a lot of insurance related questions, and not just from people new to ATVing. This article will attempt to explain the different types of insurance and what you must have vs the optional insurance products and what each covers.

DISCLAIMER – We’re not pretending to be experts, below we’ve provided simplified answers to complex questions. Our intent is to provide ballpark costs and a general idea of what each insurance type does and whether you need it or if it’s optional coverage.

We’ve heard far too many stories of people paying many hundreds of dollars for insurance they didn’t need and sometimes not even ending up with the correct coverage for riding on Forest Service Roads.

Terminology

ICBC and the Provincial Government use specific terminology when referring to ATVs (ORVs as we see below), we will identify these terms and use them for the rest of this article.

• ORV = Off-Road Vehicle – eligible ORV types include:
  • Golf carts
  • Snow vehicles
  • Snowmobiles
  • All-terrain vehicles (ATV)
  • Trucksters
  • Restricted use motorcycles (RUMs)
• Number plate = aka license plate like on your car/truck but it may also be a sticker that looks like a license plate
• Crown Land = land that is owned by the provincial government
• Resource Roads (RR) = roads built for industrial purposes to access natural resources. There are over 62,000kms of RR in BC, Forest Service Roads (FSR) is one type of RR. 
• Public Roads/Highways =  roads and highways (administered by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure), municipal roads, rural side roads and roads on private or federally managed land are not considered resource roads.

Registration

In BC your ORV must be registered for use on crown land and must display a number plate. The one-time combined number plate and registration fee is $48. Just like automobiles, if you sell your ORV the next person must go pay the $48 registration and number plate fee to register the vehicle in their name.

Visit the ICBC website for more information, including all the documents you’ll need to bring to register your ORV.

Third Party Liability Insurance

This is the mandatory insurance you’ve heard you need if you’re going to be riding on Resource Roads. You must have a minimum of $200,000 third party liability insurance for your ORV and you must carry proof if it while riding (and you must have a valid driver’s license).

Is it mandatory for riding on Resource Roads?
Yes

What does it cover?
Third party liability insurance provides the policy holder with protection against claims resulting from injury or damage to other people or property.

How much does it cost?
$50-$75 per year for $200,000 third party liability.

As members of ATVBC we receive a discount on third party liability insurance through Oasis Insurance. Get a Free Online Quote on the Insure Toys website, prices will vary depending on your age, driving history and if you have taken an ORV safety course.

Insurance can be confusing, we recommend visiting your local insurance agent for assistance. Find your local Oasis Insurance brokerage on the Got Toys website.

ICBC Basic Autoplan

If you operate your ORV on or across public roads and highways, you’re required to obtain ICBC’s Basic Insurance. Basic Insurance is mandatory when operating on public roads and highways and ensures all motorists are protected by a basic level of coverage.

Many people are sold this insurance but currently in the North Okanagan/Shuswap there are very few places (if any?) where there are trails crossing public roads/highways that have stop signs on both sides of the road.

Is it mandatory for riding on Resource Roads?
No

What does it cover?
ORVs with Basic Insurance may cross a public road/highway when a trail (not a road) has stop signs on either side of the road/highway.

What it does not cover!
ORVs with Basic Insurance may not ride on or along a public road/highway.

How much does it cost?
$75-100 per year.

Basic Insurance is indicated by the dated decal applied to your number plate.

Optional Coverage: Accident Benefits, Physical Damage, Replacement Cost, etc.

These are all the coverages that provide you the rider and ORV owner with protection and coverage for yourself and your machine – these are completely optional overages. They may include coverage for medical care, loss of wages, injury or death, damage to your machine due to fire, theft, collision, etc.

Is it mandatory for riding on Resource Roads?
No

What does it cover?
Injury, medical costs, machine damage, loss of wages, etc.

How much does it cost?
Varies greatly, talk to your friendly local insurance broker.

Special cases and important notes

The examples above were all simplified to assist in identifying the correct product. Unfortunately there are often technicalities and special cases, read on to learn more.

1. Crown Land & Resource Roads
   Crown Land is all the land owned by the Province of British Columbia and includes Resource Roads. To legally ride on Resource Roads you must carry $200,000 third party liability insurance, BUT you don’t need third party liability insurance to ride on Crown Land.
   
   For example: If you transport your ORV in a truck or on a trailer to an open piece of Crown Land, that is not a Resource Road, you may ride without third party liability. The ICBC website says “If you operate an ORV on forest service roads, you’ll need $200,000 in third party liability insurance. This may be obtained from ICBC or other insurers. On all other Crown land, liability insurance is voluntary but recommended.”
   
   Do yourself a favour, don’t spend all that time trying to find “crown land”, just buy the third party liability insurance so you can ride on RR.
    
2. Parking Lots, Neighbourhood Roads are Public Roads/Highways
   Most parking lots and neighbourhood roads are part of the public road/highway network so require Basic Insurance, BUT ORVs are not allowed to operate along a public road/highway. Purchasing ICBC Basic Insurance does not make it legal to use your ORV to drive up and down your road to plow in the winter.
    
3. Municipalities can allow ORVs on their roads
   Municipalities can enact bylaws to allow ORVs on roads under their jurisdiction, this excludes provincial/federal highways. 11 communities on north Vancouver Island have done this to form the North Island 1000, Sicamous has been working on an ORV bylaw and a number of other communities are working with ATVBC on similar bylaws. See ATVBC attends UBCM in support of Resolution B121 and the Provincial Response to Resolution B121.
    
4. Operating Permits can be obtained for ORV use on roads/highways
   RCMP or municipal police may issue an operating permit to allow ORV use on public roads/highways for a number of reasons. See the MV1815 Operating Permit Information Sheet for details.

Links and More Information

• Resource Roads
• Using ORVs on Resource Roads – PDF
• Resource Road User Guide – PDF
• ORV Act FAQ – PDF
• Improved Road Access for ORVs