My First Motorcycle Trip to British Columbia (Day 3)

After a nice morning in Nakusp we packed up and started our trip to Kamloops, my husband Dave wanted to meet up with his buddy Calvin and his wife Rhonda. Calvin was in Kamloops for a family wedding and wanted us to join them on their return trip back to Alberta.

We headed out on Hwy 6 to the tiny lakefront village of Fauquier, it is on the eastern shores of Lower Arrow Lake. When we arrived it was quiet and the road turns into the Needles Ferry Terminal. This is a small cable ferry but could easily accommodate the tourists and locals needing to cross. It doesn't take too much time to cross over to Needles, and I enjoyed going on another ferry ride that was free!

Waiting for the Needles Ferry at Fauquier

The riding in this rural area was a lot of fun. The twisty road was great and the traffic was really light, I didn't see too many other vehicles. We arrived in Cherryville and it was a really warm day, with the area having a cozy feel to it. It is in the foothills of the Monashee Mountains and I enjoyed the great views.

On our way to Lumby we had to stop for an accident, a truck and camper had tried to sneak under a power pole that had leaned over the road, well he didn't make it, the power line got caught up in his camper and both directions of lanes on Hwy 6 had to be temporarily closed (the driver stayed in the vehicle and called emergency services). We chatted with the locals and I received many complements on my Scorpion jacket I had bought for the trip, my husband kept teasing that I bought my TMAX to match my jacket, everyone laughed and thought I was a pretty lucky lady to have it all. I actually had a man take pictures of my jacket to show his wife who was considering getting a new tattoo and he loved the design, it was funny as I thought he was kidding, but he was serious. The fire department and power company helped free the camper and everyone was on their way. 

Waiting for the accident to be cleared, no one was hurt but the drivers ego was most likely bruised 

We stopped for a bite to eat at Alice's Restaurant in Lumby. We enjoyed the homemade lunch and chatted with the owner, she was very nice and I thought about how everyone we had met so far at the Hotels and Restaurants were fabulous and helpful.

We made our way through Vernon and travelled on Hwy 97, at Falkland we made a fuel stop. I was driving behind my husband as we pulled up to the pumps and noticed there was a white streak going up the middle of his back tire on his Concours. When we both checked it out we could tell the tire was now showing threads and was in pretty bad condition, he needed a new tire as soon as possible. We knew Kamloops would have a power sports dealer but today was Saturday and it was already close to 4:00 pm, now we were running the risk of them being closed before we could get there, and also the sick feeling of knowing they would be closed on Sunday as well. After a quick couple calls we located a Honda dealer that had a tire. We drove slowly and hoped it would hold together, poor hubby's Connie was most likely confused as she's not used to driving under the speed limit! ha-ha

Threads on a tire is not what you want to see on a bike trip

We arrived in Kamloops and quickly found the Honda dealership before they closed, but we received the bad news that there was no technicians there at the time that could put it on. I felt ill when he told us this but he quickly called the Kawasaki dealer to ask them if they could help us, the answer was no, they also had no way of doing it that late in the day. My husband just said "Ok, I guess I'm changing a tire", then I felt even more ill, was it possible he could do it without being in a garage full of tools? Well he bought the tire, also purchased a couple pry bars and then we went to Princess Auto for more tools, a hammer, wrench, and hacksaw.


Connie gets a new tire strapped on, and off we go to the local Princess Auto

We found the closest Hotel to stay at and asked permission to make a small part of their parking lot into an outdoor work area, they said no problem and the owners even found us an old piece of plywood for Dave to use. After 45 minutes and a couple slices of pizza,  Dave had the tire off and the new one on. I called a taxi to take Dave to a gas station so he could fill the new tire up with air. It was amusing to watch the taxi guy figure out where he wanted the tire to go in his small car, even more amusing was my 6' 4" husband finding a spot where he wanted to go. Oh this trip was turning into a comedy real fast.

This 2008 Kawasaki Concours seems to be missing something?? 

 Dave returned and everything worked out to my amazement, but I have to tell you I was glad it wasn't my bike, I still had a perfectly fine tire on mine, and that made me pretty happy! Well day 3 had turned into an adventure but not the type I was expecting, but still it was pretty cool that my husband can change a tire on his own ( I helped out as tool runner and taking his donations for the swear jar, tee-he). It isn't an easy job by any means but it can be done.

My First Motorcycle Trip to British Columbia (Day 2 completed)

The bikes enjoying a break on the Kootenay Bay Ferry

We boarded the Kootenay Bay Ferry and travelled across Kootenay Lake towards Balfour. The ferry ride was great and the views were beautiful. You can see the large homes along the shoreline and wonder if maybe the owners just consider them cottages, but in reality most of these are executive homes. The water is very cool and there was a nice breeze that moves through the open part of the ferry. We enjoyed the view from the railing and checked out the other motorcycles. The ferry takes about 45 minutes and the cost is free, so it makes it even more of a fun ride.



The beautiful scenery from the ferry of Kootenay Lake

After the ferry we headed towards Kaslo on Hwy 31, this is also a great area for riding and the town sits overlooking Kootenay Lake and offers a mountain view. The Kaslo Hotel is a great place to stop and have a meal. The view from the balcony is wonderful and the food was fantastic.


Villa Dome Quixote Lodge & Cottages in New Denver

From Kaslo we travelled on Hwy 31A to New Denver, another cute town with a very interesting and cool looking Villa Dome Quixote Lodge & Cottages. I have never seen anything like it, and hopefully someday I get a chance to stay overnight there.

There are plenty of peaceful places to stop and rest


Finally we were on our way to Nakusp. Travelling on Hwy 6 gave me a smile that lasted a long time until I noticed the sun was starting to settle behind the mountain ranges and the sky was turning dark with rain clouds. With every km I could feel the temperature getting cooler. As we pulled into the Kuskanax Hotel (now called K2 Rotor Lodge) it was dark with rain clouds hovering above us, we quickly got our things off the bikes and headed indoors. Within moments of entering the Hotel the clouds released their heavy rain! The timing was perfect, and my happiness from experiencing a great day could not be taken away by some rain and cold. This had been an awesome riding day and the scenery was beautiful, there is nothing better than travelling along lakes and then later the road travels with the meandering curves of a river. These roads have lots of character, and I have never rode on anything like them. So far this trip had been everything I had hoped for and much more.


Next morning sunshine and breakfast at the Leland Hotel

My first motorcycle trip to British Columbia (Day 1 & 2)

My very first motorcycle trip to B.C. was with my husband Dave in 2012 right after I bought my Yamaha TMAX. With only 850 km on my bike, a quick oil change and check over at my dealer, I was ready to go. I was a bit nervous as I was still learning about my new ride and how it handled but I was eager to see the beautiful area in B.C. that all bikers gravitate to that has awesome twisty roads and surrounded by lakes and rivers, the wonderful town of Nakusp. My husband had gone on many bike trips out there but all of them were what we referred to as "Man-trips". And on the last two B.C. man-trips someone had always ended up in the hospital after a motorcycle accident, so this also was on my mind as we started out, would I end up wrecking my new scoot and spending my vacation in a hospital bed?

We began from Carstairs, Alberta and drove through the Banff National Park, this was just awesome and at some points I had tears in my eyes at the true beauty of the mountains and seeing elk on the side of the road, so big that if they wanted to take me out they could do so in one hit of their huge antlers, which when sitting on a bike you feel pretty small! From Banff we spent our first night in Invermere B.C. at the Super 8 that has a very convenient access at Hwy 95/93, you can't miss it.



Super 8 Hotel, Invermere B.C.

Kootenay Bay Ferry Terminal, B.C. (it's free, no cost)

Our second day we headed out from Invermere and on to Creston. We drove on Hwy 95A to Kimberley instead of through Cranbrook as my husband knows I love travelling on country roads with less traffic and hopefully nicer scenery than semi trucks and holiday trailers. This turned out to be awesome and Kimberley is a busy place in the winter for their skiing, but in the summer it is quieter and a great time to check out the area, if you have a sweet tooth make sure you stop for a break at their bakery, very yummy!

Kootenay Bay Ferry going to Balfour

We made it to Creston, stopped for a bite to eat and fuel. My husband was excited because we were now entering the twisty zone, and this of course is one of the many highlights of this area. Head out on highway 3A towards Kootenay Bay Ferry Terminal, you won't be disappointed. Amazing corners that I was not prepared for, as driving in my riding areas in Alberta do not give you that much experience in counter steering and how to tackle this many tight corners one after another! My husband led the way on his 2008 Kawasaki Concours and of course his bike was made for this environment, he was one happy biker. My TMAX was wonderful and sporty but I lacked the experience to keep up to my husband and I accepted that, there was no point in trying as the dreaded thought of a hospital bed still lingered in the back of my mind. Once in a while he would slow down let me catch up and we continued on, the traffic was really light so I didn't hold anyone up, which made me happy. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin another biker's ride or a sport car driver's fun.

We made it to the ferry terminal and waited 30 minutes for the ferry to return, it was a sunny day, with a slight breeze. Absolutely perfect for my first day riding in this area.  Nakusp was now closer and later today we would be there. Woohoo, I'm almost there!

Beautiful day spent with my husband Dave

My Yamaha TMAX

When deciding on a new touring motorcycle my options were limited. First off, being a female with a height of 5' 5" was causing me great difficulties every time I tried to sit on a Sport Touring motorcycle. My options became limited as my 29" inseam was going to be a problem, and holding up a motorcycle on my tippy toes was not something I was interested in doing. When I sat on a Yamaha TMAX back in 2009 at a motorcycle show I had really liked the seating position and I remember the height had been a pretty good fit.


Picking up my 2012 Yamaha TMAX

When I had decided that the TMAX should be my next motorcycle there was one very big problem I ran into, no Yamaha dealerships in my area had one on their showroom floor. I was left with making the decision based on not sitting on a new model that had been upgraded to a 530cc and also had a few cosmetic changes done. Oh well, I decided, the reviews were great and I felt that this sport scooter could easily handle touring long distances. With a trip to Nakusp coming up in the near future I decided to call a local dealer in Sundre, Alberta and ask if they could order me in one. The answer was "YES" they could get one shipped in. This was great news and in less than a week, my new touring scooter was sitting in their shop. Woohoo! 


The console bag is great!

When we went to pick him up I was so impressed with the Bluish White colour, it looked so clean and different. The instrumentation panel looked great, and was full of information that a traveller would need to have. The outside air temp I have found to be quite useful on those very cold days going through the mountains and you run into a mix of snow and rain, one quick glance tells me if it's cold enough to cause the rain to freeze on the road. Always great information to help you arrive safely to your destination. It also has a dual trip meter, clock, temp gauge, fuel gauge and fuel tripmeter. There is also an oil and a V-Belt trip function.

Here I am on my first trip to B.C. waiting for the ferry.

The underseat storage is awesome and I bought a console bag to put my maps and drinks in, very convenient! The windshield is great too, so far I am very happy with my TMAX. We have gone on many rides together and there has never been any problems. I look forward to our 2015 summer adventure through Northern British Columbia and into the Yukon. I have ordered a Yamaha top case to hold all my cold weather gear when we go. I am looking forward to this trip and many more.