Vernon ATV Club

Staging Area Etiquette

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Staging area etiquette is important for safety and everyone's enjoyment today and in the future.

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

The Forest Service Road sign indicates where ATVs can legally start riding on the road.

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.

The Different Types of Insurance for ATVs

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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.

BC ORV Number Plates


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.

Basic Insurance allows ATVs to cross public roads/highways where a trail has a sign on either side of the road.

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

Basic Insurance does not cover ORV riding along roads
Basic Insurance does not allow ATVs to ride on or along public roads and highways.

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

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

Basic Insurance is indicated by the date decal applied to the ORV 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

How Far Do You Go with Your ATV?

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Oregon Dunes is a popular destination for club riders.

With COVID-19 restrictions looking like they’ll be eased to allow for more travel before long, it’s time to think about events you missed or implement plans you’ve made during the past year.

Previous rider surveys have told us how far you’ll go for a local day ride but do you ever vacation with your ATV? ATVBC and clubs host events around the province that many local riders attend and neighbouring provinces and states have poker rides, jamborees and campouts that attract riders from across North America.

British Columbia

There are so many amazing places to ride across BC, a great way of exploring many of these is through the annual ATVBC Jamboree. With all the COVID turmoil of 2020 there aren’t any solid plans for a 2021 Jamboree but keep an eye on the ATVBC website for news.

North Island 1000

The North Island 1000 features amazing scenery along the entire route.

Poised to become a world famous ATV tourist attraction, communities across northern Vancouver Island have created a 1000km loop through 11 communities. If you’re interested in doing this trip contact the North Island 1000 folks and they’ll let you know what you need to have in place to do the 1000.

Other BC Destinations
It’s impossible to mention all the amazing BC riding areas, some areas that I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy: Princeton, Merritt, Kamloops, Sicamous, Mission, Chilliwack, Harrison Lake, Greenwood, Creston, 100 Mile, Prince George, Barriere & Nakusp.

Western USA

The western US States have an amazing diversity of riding opportunities from rainforests in State Forests in Western Washington to the dry Okanogan conditions in Eastern Washington, dune riding in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and California and extensive trail networks of ATV trails like the Paiute Trail in Utah and the one of a kind slickrock in Moab Utah.

What’s on Your Travel List?
Let us know where you want to go and share photos from past adventures.

(Almost) Always in reach with inReach

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Garmin inReach satellite communicator provides 2 way communication far from cellular coverage.

We all love the fact that ATVs can take us a long way off the beaten path. It’s not uncommon for a ride to be 60, 80 or even 100+ kms which usually means a significant portion of the ride is spent outside cell coverage.

Garmin inReach (and other satellite communicators such as Zoleo, Spot and more) use satellites to  greatly increase where you can send/receive messages.

We’re taking a look at the pros and cons of the Garmin inReach SE+ device and its combination of reliability, features and fairly reasonable price ($499 CAD). 

Pros:

  • up to 100 hour battery life while in use or 30 days in power save mode
  • send messages without relying on a phone app
  • use the Garmin app to compose messages more quickly
  • two way communications, send & receive messages
  • unlimited sending of preset messages to cell phones, email addresses and other inReach devices
  • bluetooth to your phone to improve accuracy of mapping apps on your phone
  • a choice of subscription plans starting at $14.95/month (see table below)

Cons:

  • No mapping available on the inReach SE+. It’s possible to upgrade to the inReach Explorer+ which includes maps but beware these inReach devices aren’t really Garmin, they’re legacy DeLorme products so mapping doesn’t work like your other Garmin GPS.
  • The 3 preset messages must be composed and recipients assigned using the Sync & Update app on your computer, they can’t be modified on the inReach, they can only be sent.
  • $499 CAD isn’t cheap, but what’s the cost of peace of mind?

Many of the Vernon ATV Club Ride Leaders carry an inReach on rides. Most have chosen the inReach SE+ to function solely as an emergency communicator, we weren’t looking for integrated mapping because we use other devices as our navigation/mapping tool. A feature we really like is the ability to send messages to other inReach devices which means it’s possible to stay in touch with other backcountry groups.

inReach provides the ability to get an SOS, preset or custom message sent out in most locations and receive messages as well. SOS is obviously the ultimate feature on inReach to summon help when needed but more often we find we can reduce worry on the homefront by sending a message to let friends and family know we’ve been delayed a couple of hours.

Depending on local terrain (height of mountains, tree cover) messages typically send anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes and receiving messages can take up to another 10 minutes. It’s still possible to end up in a deep gulley or heavily wooded area where it may not be possible to send a message to satellites so we can never rely on our technology 100% of the time to save us.

Learn More – Garmin Video Resources

inReach Subscription Plans

Want More Info?
Get in touch with the club for a demonstration of the inReach SE+ and to get answers to your GPS & satellite communicator questions.

What Device Do You Use?
Do you have one of the previous generations of inReach, Zoleo, Spot or other satellite communicators? What sold you on your device, what do you like or dislike – let us know.

Winch Use Tips & Tricks

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It’s the time of year when the weather can’t decide if it’s going to melt or snow from day to day. The trend is warming from here out though so the snow will vary from frozen/icy conditions in the morning and shaded sites and progressing to sloppy wet snow in the afternoons which means you’re gonna get stuck and need your winch!

How well do you know your winch?

Good question right, the manual that came with your winch was one of the first casualties when you tore into the packaging to see your fancy new winch. You’re in luck though because most manufacturers make their manuals available for download via their website. Grab your manual or hop over to the manufacturer’s website and download it then give it a good read, there’s a surprising amount you’ll learn about your winch.

Download Warn’s Basic Guide to Winching Techniques – PDF

Winch Safety

Life saver or life taker, it’s all in how you use any tool. We seldom use our winch unless someone is stuck or in a precarious position so there’s always a heightened amount of risk when using a winch.

  1. Understanding how our winch works – we found the manual and read up on our winch so we know how the switch works, how to engage/disengage the clutch, and how long we can run the winch before we need to give it a break to cool before further use.
     
  2. Brought our bag of winch accessories – so we can connect to trees or other machines without damaging, gloves to protect our hands and extra rope/cable/strap because you’ll always be stuck exactly 6″ further than the nearest solid object your winch line can reach.
     
  3. Assess the situation – to determine if we need to act quickly to prevent a machine from rolling or if we have time to plan how to extract the machine from the prickly predicament you’ve positioned yourself in.
     
  4. Communicate the plan – if you’re riding alone or with others you want to think and talk through your plan to ensure it’s a good plan and that everyone understands how to proceed. 
     
  5. Time to rig up for the pull – employing all the gear you’ve brought get everything hooked up for the big moment. Remember to place a jacket, bag, tree branch over the cable to suppress the energy of the cable recoiling back at you should the cable break.
     
  6. Final checks – everyone reviews the plan and makes sure we’ve covered all the possible things that could go wrong. Now it’s time to get your wheeler back on the trail.
     
  7. Success!

Winch Horror Stories

Unfortunately we’ve all probably heard or seen our share of winching horror stories, here are a few so you can avoid them yourself:

  • Pinch Zone Danger! – winches exert amazing force and they love the taste of fingers. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS hold the strap, not the hook when reeling in your winch. Take it slow when you get near the fairlead and even just let it go, it’s not worth getting your finger or hand crushed.
     
  • People Pulling Midspan – we’ve seen people grab the cable just as tension is coming up resulting in the cable pulling the person to the ground or pinning them against an object. Just stay the heck out of the way when winching is underway.
     
  • Pulling the Wrong Direction – be aware of where your machine is going to go as it’s pulled out and avoid pulling on an angle because it can pull your machine on its side or roll it.
     
  • When the Cable Snaps – you’ve gone through all the work of getting your machine almost all the way back to the top then snap, it’s off on another adventure back down the hillside. Check your cables, look for obstacles that are going to create resistance in your pull and consider having a second strap securing your machine should the main pull cable break.

Videos

2021 Resilient Rider Challenge

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We’re challenging all riders to take the off season (for most riders) to become a more resilient rider for 2021. Being prepared every time we head out riding means being able to repair small break downs, navigating your way home after getting turned around, being able to get a message to family from far outside cell coverage and having the supplies necessary to stay warm and dry should you become stranded. 

Preparation

Many of us take the winter off to pursue other forms of recreation or just hunker down to stay warm. Winter is the perfect time to prepare our machine, safety gear and emergency supplies so when spring rolls around we’re ready to hit the trails.

  • Your Machine – no one wants to be towed home from a ride, or worse yet, stranded a long way from anywhere. Now’s the time to be giving your machine a good once over. It’s often possible to catch small problems before they become big issues by taking a good look ourselves or by have it checked over at our amazing local dealers. Don’t forget that trailside repairs are sometimes required, assemble a toolkit with the right size wrenches for your machine.
  • Riding Gear – a helmet, eye and face protection, gloves, long sleeve shirts or a jacket, long pants and good boots are going to improve your comfort on rides and provide extra protection should you be bucked off. Depending on your ability, terrain you ride and how you ride you may want to look at additional protection like a chest/back protector, knee and elbow pads

    If you’ve owned your helmet a long time or if it’s taken a spill or two it’s definitely time to look at a new lid. Helmet technology has progressed rapidly in the last decade as result of all the research into concussion and brain injury. Top end powersport helmets now feature an amazing array of technology to protect your grey matter in high speed, low speed and rotational impacts. It’s recommended you replace your helmet every five years or if it’s ever sustained a major impact. Visit your local shop and bring your helmet for a quick inspection.
  • Chainsaw or hand saw, what if you ride up a trail with no exit and find a freshly downed tree blocking the trail on your return? Without a saw you may be SOL. A good handsaw will get you through many of the trees we encounter on rides and a chainsaw will increase the size of trees you can deal with and speed the process. Remember to check fuel and oil levels, know how to start your saw and learn how to sharpen your chain or carry spare chains. 
     
  • Emergency Supplies & Survival Gear – should you be stuck in the bush, whether it’s for a couple of hours or overnight, it’s important to have emergency supplies to improve your outcome. Rides often take us higher into the mountains where weather is more extreme and can change quickly. What started as a sunny ride can quickly turn into a dash to find shelter when a mountain storm erupts. Having good water and wind proof clothing, bug spray, fire starter, extra food & water, emergency blankets, warm clothing, sunscreen, a knife and a first aid kit can make an enforced night in the bush much more survivable.

Communication Devices

  • The cell phone, it’s changed so much in such a short time. It’s an amazing tool and can be a great resource in the backcountry but it also has severe limitations. Not far off the beaten path cell coverage typically disappears and in cold weather your phone’s battery may discharge at a much faster pace than you’re used to. Most of the places the club rides do not have cell coverage, relying on your cell phone in the backcountry isn’t a solid plan.
     
  • Satellite Communicators like SPOT, inReach and ZOLEO massively improve your chances of getting a message out when there is no cell coverage. It’s still possible to end up in a dead zone due to local geography but these devices give you a much better chance of being able to send a message to loved ones or send a SOS if you’re in trouble and some provide two way messaging. A monthly/annual subscription is required, for example Garmin inReach starts at $14.95 per month.
     
  • Radios like FRS, GMRS, HAM and others can play an important in safely navigating forest service roads and may help you reach others when in trouble. Check with local radio shops or the North Okanagan Radio Amateur Club to learn more about how to properly use a radio.

Navigational Aids

Whether you’re exploring new trails or have a preplanned ride, knowing where you started, being able to follow your track back or find an alternate route back to staging is critical. Preplanning your route on Google Earth or one of the many online trail tools can help you find new trails and make you aware of other routes around trail obstacles.

  • Paper maps have largely been supplanted by GPS navigation but a good map and knowledge of how to use it is still a great backup and in the right hands is still effective.
     
  • GPS devices from Garmin, Magellan and Lowrance are the most accurate, most reliable and most popular nav tools on most ATVs. A dedicated GPS device will provide accuracy and long battery life but many riders don’t know how to use most of the features. We suggest taking a few hours to familiarize yourself with the interface and how to start and stop tracks to record your rides, create waypoints, navigate to waypoints and create routes. 
     
  • GPS apps on smartphones are quickly gaining popularity due to the ease of use of the smartphone interface, overwhelming number of app choices and diverse feature set. Leading names in the app space include Backroad Mapbooks, Polaris Ride Command, Gaia GPS, Alltrails and Trailforks. Most apps have a free trail, it’s important you compare a few apps before signing up for premium subscriptions because the features vary greatly, coverage in Canada may be missing and not all GPS apps are created equal.
     
  • Clues on the trails, whether they be road signs, the amount of brush/blowdown across a trail, clear or muddy water in mud puddles and tracks on a trail (or a lack of tracks) are all there to help you. If you are trying to trace your track back from unknown territory but haven’t seen any tracks in or out of mud puddles on the road you’ve likely taken a wrong turn somewhere. 

Having a Plan & Sharing It

Having a plan and communicating it to someone will help people know when and where they should start looking for you if you don’t arrive home on time. Search and Rescue often starts their searches with very little information which means critical time is spent searching a large area, if you’ve had an accident this could be the difference between life and death.

Resources

Temporary Club Ride Suspension

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2020 supervillain COVID-19 strikes again!

The Vernon ATV Club has temporarily suspended organized club rides to comply with the current COVID-19 regulations in BC. We are monitoring updates from the BC Public Health Officer for when we can host organized rides again.

The current restrictions prohibit events and gatherings, we fall squarely under this category which is defined as “an in-person gathering of people in any place whether private or public, inside or outside”.

If you look back at the history of Vernon ATV Club rides they typically pick up in the fall and continue through the winter until it’s too deep for us to ride (but even then we typically ride) but this year we’ve come up against a formidable foe that is messing up absolutely everything.

As a club we must abide by the regulations set down by the PHO so we can’t organize rides until the regulations and restrictions are lifted.

Rest assured, the second we can safely interact in organized groups again, the Vernon ATV Club will have events scheduled for everyone to enjoy. Until then warm up your favourite YouTube channel, work on your machine or take up knitting(?).

National Philanthropy Day Ride

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Ride Recap: A spectacular day on the trails of the west side of Mt Ida. Starting from the Silver Creek Community Park due to how treacherous the Deep Creek access would be with the amount of snow.

A big group, 28 riders in 24 machines clambered the hillside to enjoy the panoramic view of the Salmon River valley and Fly Hills and the winding trails.

Allen led the group up to the viewpoint then past Lost Lake then along some fun deactivated trails before heading back down through the slippery zone on the way back to staging.

10:00am Sunday November 15, 2020

The votes are in and Mt Ida was the winning ride location. The ride safety meeting starts at 10:00am.

We’re challenging everyone to give us much as they can when they attend this ride, whether it’s food or cash for the food bank or a gift for Santa’s Anonymous.

COVID-19 is our new reality so if you’re not feeling well don’t attend. If you do attend you must maintain social distancing throughout the day.

Ride safety meeting starts at 10:00am at Silver Creek Community Park off Salmon River Road. Join the convoy leaving the Tim Horton’s on 58th Avenue (across from WalMart) at 9:00am sharp!

The ride will feature a variety of trails from forest service roads to technical trails with difficulty reaching upper intermediate for short sections. The club will have spotters at difficult sections or get your machine around or through. The trails will accommodate quads and side x sides up to approximately 68″ wide.

Bring a lunch, we will try to have a campfire to warm up by at lunch but don’t plan on being able to cook lunch over the fire. Outhouse options are limited at Mt Ida so be prepared for bush business.

Vernon ATV Club rides go rain, snow, sleet and even sun. If you’re up for a ride someone will be there to join you!

Vernon ATV Club and events are open to everyone, we encourage new riders to come out for a couple of rides to meet club members, find new trails and get a sense of the club before joining.

Noble Canyon Cactus Ridge Ride

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Ride Recap: Good fun on the snowy trails this past Sunday. It was great to have Steve back leading rides after a busy summer away, his first ride back started a bit later after a few machines experienced dead batteries and low tires after a summer of neglect. 

11 riders in 10 machines started out in brisk conditions that didn’t warm up much until late in the afternoon. Perfect early winter riding with up to 10″ of snow in places making for smooth trails and fun factor without danger of getting stuck.

10:00am Start Sunday October 25 Noble Canyon

Ready to ride at 10:00am at the bottom of Noble Canyon Road in Lavington. Remember to unload past the cattleguard then park your vehicle back alongside the road toward the highway.

This is a leisurely ride with approximately 6 or 7 stops throughout the day. The goal is to head up to Cactus Ridge, the hang glider launch and then hopefully make it back to Becker Lake and back down by 5:00pm.

Ride speeds will range from 30kmh on trails to 50kmh on roads will be suitable for upper beginner/intermediate level riders and up. A single tank of fuel will be adequate for the entire ride.

We’ll have a campfire at lunch so bring something to cook over the fire. The ride will go past one or more recreation sites for outhouse stops during the ride.

Vernon ATV Club and events are open to everyone, we encourage new riders to come out for a couple of rides to meet club members, find new trails and get a sense of the club before joining.

Ride Leader Training Session 2

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10:00am Sunday October 25 – Mt Ida

Meet at Mt Ida staging off Deep Creek Road at 10:00am. If you’re coming from Vernon the convoy leaves the Tim Hortons on 58th Avenue at 9:00am.

The first hour or two will be theory and discussion then we’ll hop on the ATVs and apply what we’ve learned and have each trainee lead the group for a while.

What to bring:

  1. Food & drink for a day on the trails (the club brings coffee and donuts for the morning)
  2. A GPS isn’t required but is strongly recommended
  3. A pen and paper to take notes
  4. Clothing for all weather conditions
  5. Your “oh poop” supplies including: emergency gear/first aid kit/repair kit

Please register by email to info@vernonatvclub.ca by 5:00pm Friday, reference materials will be emailed to participants Friday evening.

Ride difficulty will range from FSR to technical trails rated up to intermediate difficulty. One tank of fuel will be more than enough for the amount of riding done during the day. We may not ride by an outhouse so come prepared to do your business in the bushes.

Weather never stops the Vernon ATV Club, even if it’s raining or snowing the event goes on. Once we’ve posted a ride/event it’s going to happen so come prepared for a good time!

Contact the Vernon ATV Club at 250-550-5290 or email info@vernonatvclub.ca to register or if you have any questions.