It’s time to hit the Bear Creek trails on Westside Road, in exchange for trail clearing you get to ride for free for the day. Bring your chainsaw, handsaw or just bring some gloves to help chuck logs off the trails.
Our usual convoy leaves the Tim Horton’s on 58th Avenue across from Walmart Vernon at 8:30am for Terrace Mountain Road on the Westside. We will wait at the bottom of Terrace Mountain Road (just past the LaCasa Resort development) until 9:15am then will drive up until we find a suitable area to park and unload safely along the road, the preride safety meeting starts at 10:00am. Map of meeting location to Terrace Mountain Road.
Ride speed with reach up to 60kmh on Forest Service Roads, ride difficulty will be beginner to intermediate with assistance should we encounter difficult obstacles. We may pass recreation sites with outhouse facilities so plan accordingly.
Ride Recap
Thanks to Bear Creek trail trimmers (Angeline, Brad, David and Jeremy) who braved the morning deluge to get a couple hours cutting blowdown further off the trail before the heavy rain returned after lunch.
You can’t always fit in a weekend ride so evenings are a sneaky way of getting a ride in without losing an entire day.
The plan for this ride is to complete the planned loop to Beaver Lake from Saturday’s ride. Be ready to ride at 6:30pm Friday May 12 at the King Eddy staging area (9km east of Vernon on Highway 6).
Club riders are open to everyone, we encourage new riders to come to a couple of rides to see what the club is like before you join.
Ride Recap
It was an awesome turn out Friday night at King Eddy. 14 machines (5 ATV and 9 SXS) and all of them were full to the brim! There was even cluster of kids that tagged along and boy did they enjoy running around burning some energy.
There were some slushy and muddy bits and a whole lot of dust to go with the heat. The group headed out around 6:45pm and were back at the trucks a little after 11pm. The goal was to do the Beaver Lake Route but unfortunately some downed trees changed that plan.
The crew then turned around and headed back the way they came which ended up being a good thing as they crossed paths with a Kia Soul stuck in the snow. Everyone came together and after a little bit of rocking they were able to push the grateful driver out.
All in all it was the perfect way to finish the week and hope we get the same turn out for the next one!
Truck & Trailer Parking at Meeting – there are limited trailer parking spaces in the J-Ball parking lot so if you’re bringing your trailer to the meeting, here are some parking options (look for the green on the map below):
45th Ave near the Roof Centre
45th Ave Purolator parking lot
Along 28th Street
Along 44th Ave
In the corner of the BDM Motorsports parking lot (but you have to go in and buy something!)
Along the west side (train track side) of 31st St
King Eddy Club Ride – 2:00pm start Saturday May 6 Arrive at the King Eddy staging area (9kms east of Downtown Vernon) between 1:00-1:30pm.
Our Safety Crew will be going over loading/unloading safety so leave your machine in your truck or on your trailer until they’ve had a chance to check out how you’ve secured your machine and then they’ll watch you unload and offer feedback.
The ride starts at 2:00pm and will be done by 5:00pm.
Ride Recap
After a wet and nasty morning the clouds parted for the afternoon and big crowd of riders came out for the first ride of the year. The plan was to ride to Beaver Lake then ride a different way back to the scenic lookout but some snow and an unhappy belt ended the ride slightly early.
Thanks to Brad and Ginger for rocking their ride leader segments, great work downloading the route and leading the way!
The ride will be intermediate difficulty, covering approximately 80-100kms on FSR and trails. Riders will need to be able to travel 50-60kmh on FSR sections and there will be a few moderately technical sections.
The weather can change quickly at this elevation so come prepared for all conditions.
Bring a lunch and all the things you need to make it through a day of riding. There are a few recreation sites and outhouses passed during the day for rest stops.
All participants will be required to sign the ATVBC waiver to join 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.
A fun ride today that originally split off with half the group checking trails for snow and the other half looking for garbage dump sites. We used our Garmin inReach devices to decide where to meet for lunch at Damer Lake Rec Site then continued to Grizzly Lake to complete the loop after lunch.
10:00am Ride Start – Sunday May 29 – King Eddy FSR
Join the ride this Sunday morning to see what trails are snow free and assess the number of dump sites to plan for next weekend’s cleanup
Everyone in attendance must complete the ATVBC Waiver prior to riding so please complete the waiver ahead of time and bring your phone with the confirmation email so we can check you off. Once you’ve filled out the waiver you’re good the entire duration of your current membership.
When The pre-ride safety meeting starts at 9:45am and the ride heads out at 10:00am sharp. We should be done and back down at the parking area by 4:00pm.
Trail Difficulty Rating Beginner to Intermediate roads and trails will be ridden and we’ll probably encounter snow, ice and slippery trails.
Ride Speed Speeds will reach up to 60kmh on open Forest Service Roads and will be at a sustained 30-50kmh on trail sections.
Trailside Bathrooms We are riding past one or more recreation sites with outhouses.
Viewpoints and Breaks There will be a few breaks to take in the views, for snacks and a longer lunch break.
What to Bring
Food and drink for a day riding
Clothes for all weather conditions, we ride in all conditions!
Your standard ATV emergency supplies
A single tank of fuel will be adequate for the entire 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.
This is an intermediate level ride with how slippery the trails are and the additional snow. A single tank of fuel will be enough, bring your winter riding gear and snow extraction gear.
The plan is to be back down around dark so a total of approximately 4 hours of riding.
The ride safety meeting starts at a positively leisurely time of 1:30pm at the cattleguard which is 350m up Noble Canyon Road from Highway 6. Remember ATVs can’t unload before the cattleguard so drive up the road a bit and park along either side, there’s lots of parking for the first couple of kms.
It looks like snow may return by Sunday but it shouldn’t be enough to slow us down. Starting at 1:30pm is a bit different but allows folks to do what they want to do Sunday morning and go for a 3-4 hour ride in the afternoon.
The Fine Print:
Ride speed will be determined by who shows up.
A single tank of fuel will suffice.
Bring your all weather gear and emergency kit.
We’ll pass outhouses at Rec Sites along our route.
Invite a friend, this may be the end of the warm spell.
Vernon ATV Club rides are open to everyone. Attend a few rides to meet other riders, find new trails and find out why membership has its benefits!
11 quads and side x sides came out despite the weatherman’s warnings of a yucky day. The first destination was the top of Tuktakamin Mountain to enjoy the view but the mountaintop was shrouded in clouds and blowing snow.
After a few short minutes at 1775m atop ‘Tuk’ riders carefully worked their way down the slippery roads near the summit which were quickly replaced by some really fun roads and trails that were new to ride leader Allen.
A quick stop at the main rec site on Pinaus Lake before heading to Little Pinaus for lunch. A lone moose was browsing the far shoreline on Little Pinaus while we enjoyed our campfire lunch.
A great loop of the hillside south of Little Pinaus took riders on fun trails and up/down some challenging sections of trail where the hillside is slumping away. With the fun trail riding done it was time to head home. It was great to see some new faces and thank you ride leader Allen and tail gunner Claus for another fun day on the trails!
A friendly local rancher stopped as we were loading up to ensure we were staying out of the closure area. He also shared stories of the challenges of the summer fire season which included losing 15 head of cattle in the fires and having to pasture his cattle on his hay fields meaning the loss of 500+ bales that would normally come off the field.
The Pinaus Lake area was closed during/after the Whiterock Lake Fire so we were pleasantly surprised when reviewing the motor vehicle closure maps that we could legally ride to Pinaus Lake. In addition to Pinaus Lake we will visit Tuktakamin Mountain a number of smaller lakes and be able to see the fire damaged areas.
IMPORTANT – Ingram Creek FSR is also called Pinaus Lake Road but some maps also call another road Pinaus Lake Road. WE ARE NOT MEETING AT THE MEAT PROCESSING PLANT!!!! If you are at the meat processing plant get back on the highway for 2.5kms toward Westwold then turn left onto Ingram Creek/Pinaus Lake road.
Join the Vernon Convoy Leaving the Tim Horton’s on 58th Avenue in Vernon at 8:45am.
Trail Difficulty We will encounter intermediate level difficulty trails and speeds up to 60kmh on the FSR. A single tank of fuel will be sufficient.
What to Bring
It’s November in the mountains so come prepared for all conditions.
Food and drink for a day of riding.
Your standard ATV emergency kit.
A chainsaw or handsaw.
Lunch We’ll have a fire at our lunch break to warm up or roast your lunch goodies.
Bathroom Breaks We will stop at or pass by at least one recreation site during the ride.
Viewpoints and Breaks We will stop at viewpoints plus a couple of short breaks for snacks and a longer lunch break.
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.
Mara Mountain Lookout is always a great ride, 19 machines came out for the first ride back after the extended self-enforced shutdown during the extreme fire danger risk this summer.
The weather didn’t look great but the dark clouds held onto their contents and the temperature was warm enough for an extended stay atop the windy lookout.
After a quick safety meeting and discussion about the importance of staying on the trail in the alpine the group climbed to the 2,240m (7,350′) elevation at the old fire lookout. Thanks to David and Alex for placing the PLEASE STAY ON TRAIL signs to help spread the message of the importance of staying on the trail in the alpine.
NOTE FOR WIDE SIDE X SIDES If you ride a wider side x side you may need to do some trail trimming to fit the first section of trail. By starting on Beattie Road we cut out the first section of road riding and replace it with great trail but it is grown in some spots so if you’re 64″ plus bring a chainsaw.
RIDING OFF THE TRAIL There is zero tolerance for off trail riding on this ride. The area has seen an increase in off trail riders and is on the BC Government’s radar which means it is in danger of closure. The ride rules will be explained at the pre-ride meeting.
Trail Difficulty Rating – Intermediate The lower portions of the ride are on FSR, as we climb into the alpine the trail becomes much rougher due to exposed rocks. There is one point on the trail where there is a short rock ledge which most people climb over easily, there will be spotters in place to assist less experienced riders should they need assistance.
Come Prepared for All Conditions The Vernon ATV Club rides go ahead regardless of conditions so come ready for sun, wind, rain and at this elevation it may even snow. If it’s nasty and cold we likely won’t go up to the lookout and will explore the trails at the north end of Mabel Lake.
Detailed Driving Directions A convoy leaves the Vernon Tim Hortons on 58th Avenue opposite Walmart at 8:45am heading to Enderby.
Leaving the Enderby Chamber of Commerce on 700 Railway Avenue at 9:30am we head east on Enderby Mabel Lake Road for 34 kms where we turn right onto Beattie Road then continue another 3km to where it becomes a Forest Service Road where we can park.
Everyone is welcome, the Vernon ATV Club encourages quad and side x side riders to attend up to 3 rides to meet other riders, find new trails and get a sense of what the club is all about. We’re sure you’ll like the club and want to join!
