Bikepacking in BC's Interior - Part 1 (or, my confidence as a meteorologist is challenged.)

The Rocky Mountain Solo loaded with gear.

Sometime in mid-March a thought popped into my head; could I ride from my house in the Shuswap to Penticton exclusively on gravel? I plotted it out on Google Maps (yes, this was intentional, as it makes hilariously bad mistakes) and enlisted the company of my friend Kyle. I called him up.

"I think we will need space for a third water bottle. It doesn't look like there are a lot of places to fill up and it can get pretty hot in May." I neglected to mention the thousands of meters of elevation climb that would also tax our water supplies. With confidence I stated that it almost never rains in this area, words I would eat later.

Sometimes a paper map is all you need.

Flanked by more arid lands to the west and the south, the land around Shuswap Lake, BC is a patchwork of micro-climates. The average rainfall varies dramatically from one side of the lake to the other. We started our trip with rainstorms to the north while a blue patch sat overhead. As mentioned, the goal was to ride to Penticton on gravel roads, so the counter-intuitive pathway of heading east through Turtle Valley, south to China Valley, west to Chase Creek and southwest through Paxton Valley to Monte Lake seemed to be the only way to bypass the shorter albeit mostly-paved road that runs from Chase to Falkland. And so began the first of many hours of climbing.

Perhaps some of the motivation in doing a trip from my doorstep is that I am curious about where I live. Or perhaps I simply did not feel like driving anywhere on a long weekend. I was surprised by how much farmland there is. Each of the valleys is carpeted by hay and pasture with farmhouses sprinkled throughout. What would be an inconvenient detour by automobile becomes a sightseeing tour by bike. Fresh smells of rain, continual birdsong and multicoloured carpets of wildflowers create an exceptional riding experience.

Slowly, complex thought is replaced with primal instinct; move legs, eat, drink water. We fill our bottles in a creek littered with cow droppings that runs into Paxton Valley. We are distracted by a burger from a food truck in Monte Lake. We pedal across Highway 97 and begin climbing again just as the rain hits.

Although it is not recommended to cook in your tent, it beats getting wet.

Now, as much as I projected confidence in it not raining, I did indeed check the weather and know that it is meant to rain hard for about four hours. This means that it will rain steady until after dark. We hastily throw up the Durston X-Mid 2 and crawl inside to wait it out. The rain tapers and fades away or at least that is how I imagine it because I fall asleep long before that happened.

Sunshine quickly clears sleepy cobwebs from the mind, or at least it does for me, the morning person. Kyle is slower to rise but quicker to breakfast, as he doesn't drink coffee, so it works out in the end. Coffee cup in hand, I savour every drop of the elixer of life as the sunlight streams through the new leaves. By that point, Kyle is up, has had breakfast and packed. Time to catch up.

The uphill climb on the Douglas Lake Road.

Last night's downpours have left the road a muddy mess. With the mud and the continual uphill, the morning is an unproductive 5km/h slog. Eventually the warm sun dries the road to the point where it is passable again and we make better time. The decommissioned forestry road turns into one that is frequented by tree planters and we even come across their sprawling camp. We crawl our way onto the Douglas Lake Road which cuts through the sprawling Douglas Lake Ranch. Soon white tree planter's trucks are replaced with identical white Douglas Lake Cattle Co. trucks. The gravel dries up nicely and again we can get into the rhythm of the ride.

It is then we encounter a big problem. The road turns from gravel to pavement! Although it is a short section, it destroys any chance of having a catchy YouTube thumbnail. Secretly I am glad for the faster rolling speed. We zoom by various ranch buildings and livestock and wind our way downstream to Douglas Lake. The sun consumes our water supply and we fill our bottles in another pond littered with cow droppings. I comment to Kyle that I sure hope this water filter works considering how much poo-water we've had to drink. The small village of Douglas Lake comes into view and we pit-stop at the convenience store. All commitment to healthy eating goes by the wayside as we grab quick sugars and ice teas to restore the calories we are quickly burning. A sink and faucet reminds us that our bottles are still filled with poo-water and we beg the lady minding the shop to allow us to refill. And it feels so good to pour cold, trustworthy water down our throats!

The author in front of the Douglas Lake Canada Post office/convenience store.

Later, as we pause on the relentlessly muddy and uphill climb out of Douglas Lake, Kyle tears off a piece of a chocolate bar with his teeth and watches the greyish sheet of rain douse the rolling hills to the west.

"You know, you are the only person in my friend group who would do something like this." Compliment accepted.

5 Items I cannot Bikepack Without

1. Durston X-Mid 2

This lightweight tent from Golden, BC's own Durston Gear goes up quick in the event of a rainstorm. I've paired it with the carbon fiber Z-Flick poles which are sturdy enough to prop up my bike for photos.

2. Platypus Quickdraw Filter

When every water source on your trip is poisoned with poo, you are going to need a reliable filter. This filter is quick to use and I didn't get diarrhea. Bing! Full marks.

3. Rock 'n Roll Gold Chain Lube

This bike lube doesn't cake up and works great in all conditions.

4. Recreational Barrel Works - External Barrel Pouch

I picked up two of these before the trip (the yellow bags) and they were everything I hoped for. I ski strapped them on to the frame and seat bag and they were solid. The reason I like them so much is they are easy to remove and have a full length zipper which makes organization a breeze. They are sized to fit a canister of fuel. I only wish they made a variety of lengths.

5. Ski Straps

Considering my whole kit is held together with ski straps, this is truly the item I cannot bikepack without. I have the classic Voile, the out-of stock G3, and the limited edition (out-of-stock) Arc'teryx.