Friday Night Snow Ride Report

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It was raining at staging, only 2 riders and neither one was too keen on riding in the rain but they knew it would turn to snow eventually.

Headed up West Brewer first but couldn’t continue beyond the end of the plowed road. Went back and went up King Eddy and made it to 8.5km (1300m elevation) before it was too much of a slog to continue.

It rained up to about 6.5km (1100m elevation) then the snow started to accumulate. There was about 30cm of fresh snow on top of another 15cm of soft snow. If you stopped on a steep slope you had to back up to less slope to get going again.

Lots of fun riding on the slush on the plowed road, felt like a rally racer around every corner.

We should (***should***) be able to make it to Becker Lake on the Saturday ride because Becker Lake is at 1200m and there aren’t too many steep pitches on Becker main.

See you at Noble Canyon Saturday at 5:00pm!

Night Ride Doubleheader – Friday & Saturday!

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It’s a draw, voting resulted in a perfect 50/50 split so we’ll ride both Friday and Saturday so everyone can attend. Please note the times and locations below as they are different for Friday and Saturday.

Remember it’s winter out there so come prepared for cold conditions and be darn sure your lights are working!

Friday December 20 – 6:00pm at King Eddy

Meet at the bottom of King Edward Forest Service Road, 9kms east of Vernon on Highway 6 at 6:00pm, we’ll get riding by 6:30pm.

Saturday December 21 – 5:00pm at Noble Canyon

Meet at the bottom of Noble Canyon Road, 17kms east of Vernon on Highway 6 at 5:00pm, we’ll get riding by 5:30pm.

White Sunday Ride at King Eddy

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White Sunday ATV Ride at King Eddy

10:00am Sunday December 1

Meet at King Eddy Road, 9kms east of Vernon on Highway 6 at 10:00am Sunday, getting underway at 10:30am.

Once you’ve had your fill of Black Friday sales it’s time for a White Sunday on your machine. Did you know it National Apple Fritter Day, pack some pastries for break time.

This will be the first winter ride of the season so come prepared for cold and snowy conditions. We’ll have a lunch fire to warm up and cook lunch.

Rides 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.

The Vernon ATV Club promotes responsible all terrain vehicle use. Riders must must carry their driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of $200,000 liability insurance for riding on forest service roads. Quad riders must wear a helmet, side x side riders aren’t required by law to wear helmets but we recommend they do.

Winter Riding – It’s a Thing!

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Blessed by the ATV gods with the goldilocks of weather and terrain, the North Okanagan is rideable year round.

Unlike the sledder-heaven terrain to the north and east, the North Okanagan typically doesn’t get too much snow and with moderate slopes wheeled all terrain vehicles can either stay on top of the snow (with some slick throttle control) or blast on through with big tires and lots of RPMs.

Snow in the valley bottom doesn’t mean it’s time to park your quad or side x side, it means it’s time to throw on some long undies, grab your mitts and pack some extra clothes for the next ride.

Winter riding can be equal parts rewarding and frustrating, it depends on the day and the snow conditions. Inevitably someone gets stuck and some days everyone gets stuck, a lot!

There will be days when our tow truck comes along, it’s usually Marc and his RZR with tracks. Be sure you’re nice to Marc or he’ll pull you out of one spot and leave you further off the beaten trail, right Steve!

If you haven’t given winter riding a try, come out for a ride with the club. We always have a lunch campfire to warm up and come home with a few good stories after each ride. Get out of the Okanagan valley blaws, head to the hills for some fun and much needed midwinter vitamin D!

2019 Christmas Party

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The Greedy Santa Gift Exchange is one of the main attractions at the Christmas Party.

Register by Sunday, November 17 – Party is Sunday November 24

It’s time to register for this year’s club Christmas Party (scroll down for the registration form). This is a family friendly event with fun and games for kids, adults and those who can’t decide which they are.

We’re going potluck again for supper so bring your secret family recipe to the party. The club will be providing the staples (turkey, potatoes, etc.) so members will be asked to bring salads, casseroles and such. If we have too many of one thing we may ask if you can bring another dish, but we’ll be in touch either way.

Each year we ask members to bring cash or non-perishable food items for the Food Bank. We challenge everyone bring a minimum of $5 per person for the food bank, the more the better!

Bring a re-gift, new or gently used, wrapped for the Greedy Santa gift exchange game! The gift exchange goes for a couple of hours, the basic premise is an item can be stolen a maximum of three times and when you have an item stolen, you decide if you want to unwrap a new gift from under the tree or steal an open gift from the crowd. We suggest gifts under $20 value, novelty gifts or even re-gift that darn present you got last year you don’t want… it’s all in fun!

For children too young to enjoy having their gifts stolen, the club provides presents. We’ll be in touch to see what your little one would like to receive.

Register by Sunday November 17 at 5:00pm

Halloween Spooktacular Ride

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20+ riders came out Sunday morning an enjoyed perfect weather while taking in the amazing views over Salmon Arm. 

The morning ride took the group north to Mt Ida where everyone enjoyed a view of the city, Shuswap Lake and and beyond.

Riders returned to the central staging area where the campfire was going, hotdogs and goodies brought by members were waiting for the hungry crowd.

After lunch it was time to award the prize for the best costume, the winner was Kent in his Duck Dynasty costume who chose the BDM Motorsports Gift Card. Random draws were held for the Banner Recreation Gift Card and Vernon Motorsports Gift Card.

Thanks to everyone who did a great job getting themselves and their machines dressed up for the ride!

A couple of groups headed off for more exploring in the afternoon which brought them back around dusk for more campfire hotdogs before heading home.

If you have photos from the ride and costume awards please post them to Facebook or email to info@vernonatvclub.ca.

Halloween Dress Up Ride

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Vernon ATV Club Halloween Dress Up Ride

10:00am Sunday October 27

Thanks to all who voted, it was a close contest but Sunday October 27 won the day. We’ve chosen Mt Ida because it has a staging area with ample parking, easy access to trails and we can have a campfire.

It takes roughly 40 minutes from the north end of Vernon to Mt Ida staging. If you’d like to join the convoy we’re leaving Tim Horton’s on 58th Avenue (across from WalMart) at 9:00am.

Now it’s time to get your outfit ready for the ride. Prizes for best costume, costume that survives the ride and more.

We’ll have a campfire at a central staging area for those more interested in hanging out and telling stories and rides for those who want to be out there.

Rides 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.

The Vernon ATV Club promotes responsible all terrain vehicle use. Riders must must carry their driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of $200,000 liability insurance for riding on forest service roads. Quad riders must wear a helmet, side x side riders aren’t required by law to wear helmets but we recommend they do.

Vernon ATV Club 2019 Annual General Meeting

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6:30pm Monday, October 21

It’s that time of year again, get your vote on in the Federal Election and have your say in the club AGM elections on the same day.

HEADS UP – we have a new AGM location!
J-Ball Electronics – Unit 5 4320 29th Street (in the alley behind Banner Recreation that runs to Canada Water Depot).

There are four positions up for election so come put your name in or just share your opinion on what the club should be doing in the year ahead.

In addition to election of directors we set our dates for 2020 rides and events and engage everyone in attendance for their take on how 2019 went and what to do in 2020.

The club provides food and drink but we need to know by 9:00pm Sunday October 20 if you’re coming (and want food) using the form below or email info@vernonatvclub.ca

Where the Dirt Meets the Snow Ride

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7:30am Saturday October 19

The Vernon Snowmobile Club has invited us to try some new trails in exchange for a little elbow grease working on trails and/or some facilities.

This is your chance to ride the Sovereign Lake/Silver Star snowmobile trails and help the Vernon Snowmobile Club as they get ready for the upcoming winter season.

It’s an early meetup at the A&W in Armstrong, from there we’ll head to the private staging area on Back Enderby Road then up to the snowmobile trails.

Ride Recap

An early start for a long day on the Vernon Snowmobile Club trails.

Bob, Colin and Kevin were installing the new outhouse building so we hung around and helped where possible until around lunch time when the smokies were thrown on the stove in the chalet.

We headed out to check that the trails were clear of downed trees in the afternoon, cleared some trees, rode some fun trail and saw some amazing views.

Come prepared for winter conditions, most of the snowmobile trails are at or above the snow line at this time of the year. Bring your hand saw, chainsaw or other trail clearing tool. You’ll also need your regular stuff consisting of extra clothes, camera, GPS, lunch and standard ATV safety gear.

Rides 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.

The Vernon ATV Club promotes responsible all terrain vehicle use. Riders must must carry their driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of $200,000 liability insurance for riding on forest service roads. Quad riders must wear a helmet, side x side riders aren’t required by law to wear helmets but we recommend they do.

Ride to the Dark Side of the Equinox

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10:00am Start – Sunday September 22

Be ready to ride at 10:00am at the bottom of Noble Canyon Road in Lavington on Sunday September 22. Days are getting shorter, this ride ventures into the fall equinox and the high lands to be rewarded with great views over the valley and the changing fall colours.

ATVs must be unloaded past the cattleguard on Noble Canyon road but please don’t park there, bring your vehicle back and park along the side of Noble Canyon Road. Remember this is a residential road so don’t block any driveways and be respectful (no littering and keep the noise down).

Come prepared for all weather, bring our camera to capture the views and something to enjoy over the lunch campfire.

Rides 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.

The Vernon ATV Club promotes responsible all terrain vehicle use. Riders must must carry their driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of $200,000 liability insurance for riding on forest service roads. Quad riders must wear a helmet, side x side riders aren’t required by law to wear helmets but we recommend they do.