Though I’ve driven through Fernie, British Columbia, at least 100 times, I’d never before stopped as a tourist.
It’s fantastic.
A.I.
A year round outdoor recreation mecca.
Hiking. Mountain biking. Rafting. River tubing.
Not to mention world-class fly fishing on the Elk River for cutthroat and bull trout.
Fernie is most famous for Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding.
There are over 300 kilometers of multi-use recreational trails accessible directly out of town.
The owner of Edge of the World snowboard shop pointed out that he can hike or bike in any direction from town — and be on a fantastic trail in minutes. (He also had to deploy bear spray to dissuade a Black Bear on the day of my arrival. There is plenty of wildlife around Fernie.)
There are 4 dedicated bike and outdoor shops in a town of less than 6500 locals!
I stopped by Sun Country Cycle in Vernon to have them top up air in the tires and look over the bike for any potential problems.
The Okanagan Rail Trail leaving Vernon is fantastic. This is not part of the Trans Canada Trail.
As you get closer to Kelowna, the route is not nearly so good. I was hurting, as well, and could barely walk after only about 60km. I checked into the hostel in Kelowna wondering if I’d be able to continue. My muscles were cramping badly.
BUT I did make it to Penticton. Still hurting, but less and less.
AND was able to cycle up to the Myra Canon trailhead — though the 945-meter elevation gain at never more than 2% grade in the HEAT was tough!
I crashed that night.
Myra Canyon Trestles & Tunnels
The 18 trestles and 2 tunnels are one of the highlights of the entire Trans Canada Trail. This was my 3rd time here and I enjoyed them as much as ever.
Fantastic views — though the surface near Kelowna is very sandy & rocky. Those on eBikes were much happier than me. A good mountain bike would be better, as well, than my gravel bike.
On the other hand, I had the trail to myself most of every mile.
I stopped for coffee at Chute Lake, charging my electronics and filling up about 5 lites of water.
Up high on the trail, this was my brightest fire red sky at night. I was lucky to avoid any worse smokey air.
Columbia and Western Rail Trail
The KVR ends at Midway B.C.
I continued on towards the Columbia and Western Rail Trail. It’s about 162 km connecting Midway, Grand Forks, Christina Lake, and Castlegar.
Great sections, but not nearly as good as the KVR.
Highlights for me were sweeping views of the Granby Valley, Christina Lake, and Lower Arrow Lake.
And it offers ideal wild camping — though there are not all that many water sources.
I enjoyed dinner every night, rehydrating meals frozen by my niece. Much tastier than any commercial camping dinners I’ve ever tried.
NEW for me is using a toy drone automatically following my bicycle.
Also new for me while bikepacking, is carrying a portable camping chair.
I love it!
Though rehydrating meals is ideal …
… I eventually had an urge for solid food.
Here I am saying goodbye to the Columbia and Western Rail Trail.
To Nelson & Crawford Bay
As we had a house in Crawford Bay B.C., I was keen to continue on to Nelson and the old homestead. But I was forced on to highways and rural roadways with … HILLS.
Why didn’t someone warn me there were HILLS in British Columbia? 😀
After flat rail trails, almost every ascent seems daunting. And HOT.
I love Nelson and checked into the hostel for a night. Happily, my friend Tam happened to be in Nelson at the same time and we were able to catch up for coffee.
Rather than cycle the dangerous tourist highway out of Nelson, I put my bike on the local bus to the Kootenay Lake ferry.
In 2020 the house my Dad built was in rough shape. Six years later it looks even worse.
I’m wondering when anyone actually last lived here.
Like 2020, I stopped for lunch at the fantastic Kokanee Springs Golf Course.
Busy, Dangerous 2-lane Highways
The highway from Crawford Bay to Creston is a favourite of mine. To drive.
On the bicycle it’s dangerous with very narrow shoulders in places.
I stopped at the Gray Creek General Store to inquire whether or not cyclists were taking the Trans Canada Trail up and over the Gray Creek Pass — probably the most challenging section across the nation.
Not many, I was told.
Average of nearly 9% grade for 17 km from Kootenay Lake up to Gray Creek Pass
Average of nearly 6% grade for 12 km from Gray Creek Pass down to Parker’s Creek
No service
Rough surface
Not recommended
As I did in 2020, I chickened out and cycled the highway to Creston.
My first flat tire EVER on this bike. After trying to add air with my (crappy) hand pump, I saw there was a bike shop only 4km distant. Rolling my bike there, the street was shut down by police.
This was a crime scene. Stabbing, I was told. Possibly murder.
The bike shop owner happened to drive past, informing me it was still possible to enter the shop from the back. With no customers coming in the front door, they fixed the flat immediately and at low cost. Whew.
Creston to Cranbrook
Mostly highway. No photos.
Crawford Bay to Cranbook was the least interesting section.
Adventure Ends in Fernie
I got coffee in Cranbrook. And then tried to find the trail out of town.
It’s confusing. And I never found even one good navigation app for the Trans Canada Trail.
The end of my trip on day 11. My rear rack broke off completely going over one of those bumpy cattle guards a few hours after leaving Cranbrook.
GMoney, a ski shop owner in Fernie — who’s a punk musician in his spare time — picked me up while I was hitchhiking.
A big time hiker and cyclist, GMoney hosted me at his house and gave me advice on where I might get the bike fixed.
Turns out none of the 4 bike shops in Fernie had the kind of tools to repair the rear rack.
I stayed at the excellent Angry Elk Hostel, as well, for a couple of nights — enjoying Fernie for the 1st time — until my brother & his wife came to my rescue.
(Same day GMoney collected me, he and a girlfriend were 2 yards away from an angry Black Bear with cubs. Had to bear spray to stop her. That’s the closest bear encounter of anyone I’ve ever known. )
In the end, my cycling distance over the 11 days was around 750 km.
I Missed Fernie to Calgary
I broke down at the end of the worst highway sections, and the beginning of one of the best trail & gravel road parts of the entire Trans Canada Trail.
A shortened version of the trail over 4 days and 3 nights.
This backcountry trek is not for the first time hiker. The trail is in a remote area, and there are many opportunities to get hurt. Do your homework and make sure you are prepared. …
North Coast Trail is an adventure for the hard core.
A much easier itinerary — in our opinion — is starting at Cape Scott Trail parking lot (getting there by personal vehicle or Shuttle Van) -> hiking as far into the North Coast Trail as you wish -> then backtracking to the parking lot.
IF you insist on doing the full bushwhack, watch this video. 😀
Located just southeast of Kelowna, this flat, wide gravel path crosses 18 historic wooden trestle bridges and 2 cliffside rock tunnels over a 12-kilometer span.
I’m cycling the Trans Canada Trail to Calgary for the second time. But this was my 3rd time riding Myra Canyon. In fact, I did it both ways this time. Twice the fun.
Repost from 2014. The only time I ever visited Lesotho.
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
The landlocked mountain kingdom of Lesotho is an enclave completely surrounded by South Africa.
Population just over two million, about 40% of the population lives below the international poverty line of US $1.25 a day. It’s one of the poorest nations on Earth.
The easiest way to hike Lesotho is by guided day tour ($50) out of Amphitheater Backpackers in the northern Drakensberg.
Our first stop was at Mafika-Lisiu school, the only one for many miles. Amphitheater Backpackers built a classroom.
One of the teachers joined us as an assistant guide. Local information, first hand.
This teacher has been waiting nearly 2yrs for a visa that would allow him to visit South Africa as a tourist.
Lesotho once had the opportunity to join South Africa, but the leaders — considered very corrupt — declined.
Many families here are self-sufficient, not much using currency. Maize is the primary crop. 75% of the population is rural.
No electricity. No formal shops. The school does have a football field.
From the school we hiked up to see some of the famous cave paintings.
Sadly, many had been defaced.
Again we saw plentiful bird life, but no wildlife. This was the wildest creature en route.
From the caves our group had the option to extend the hike up on to a ridge.
Hans loved the tranquility of the valley.
There are “roads” in Lesotho, but most are awful.
Hans signed on for the tour because he wanted to see a traditional African healer.
She’s entirely self-taught. Her healing ability is a “gift” first revealed in dreams.
Here is her home.
I’m a skeptic of natural medicine. But most people in Lesotho do not have the money nor transportation to make the long trip to a clinic or hospital. She is all they’ve got.
Her bedside manner is excellent. Warm and charismatic.
One tidbit we learned is that the traditional round houses with thatched roofs are slowly being phased out. Thatch is expensive in 2014. And must be replaced regularly.
Children here do not have much. The healer married at age-20 and had had 8 children.
Kids seem to roam about unattended by parents. They are raised (and disciplined) by the village.
AIDS infects about ⅓ of the population. But we heard nothing of that on the tour.
Theft of animals is the most worrisome “crime” in Lesotho. Though the kids are ignored, valuable stock animals are watched closely.
One local man was trying to chase down a young cow while we were there. 🙂
Full disclosure: I had been booked on a serious 8hr mountain climb for this day. But opted out, switching to the Lesotho cultural tour instead. After only one day in the summer sun, I was too sunburned to risk a tough climb.
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