BC Backroads on a Quota

[JayDee24ca]

Yesterday being a fine day, I took the Quota on a few roads I had not been on before, doing a back country loop. Clear skies, about 22C (71F) degrees  or so when I left at 0900 and about 32C (90F) by the end of the day.  I left Grand Forks and headed west on the Crowsnest Hwy 3 over to highway 33 at Rock Creek, then  turned northeast up the Christian Valley Road, where I left all traffic behind. This road is a super lovely paved curvey road for about 35km, where it then turns to gravel. The road runs alongside the Kettle River and the valley is simply beautiful, with mainly bush with a bit of light agriculture here and there. I met a few loaded log trucks on the way up, but no other traffic at all. The trucks were entering the road from a spur at about km 59, where the roadI was on becomes known as the Kettle River FSR. It gets pretty rough there, and I met no other traffic till about a mile from the far end (about a hundred K or so). I did com across a Cat 235 hoe that had the road dug up at one place. He didn't notice me for a while, as I expect he thought he had the place to himself, but eventually he saw me and shut down, and I sidled by him in the loose fill.
Most of the way on the Kettle i was in first and second gear. The road is pretty boney, with lots of loose rock and outcrops, but it was a great ride. I hit a few of those outcrops and boy do they give the suspension a test!
The Kettle Riverl FSR ends up on Highway 6 that runs from Vernon/Cherryille/Lumby to the west, and Fauquier/Needles Ferry to the east. I headed east on a relatively empty highway that sees sporadic clots of traffic as each ferry arrival discharges its cargo. The road is a great twisty ride, with some really hairpin corners. Highway 6 is part of a favourite ride for many riders here, and from the looks of it half the ferry load was bikes. Just before I got down to the ferry I turned south for 10 miles down to Edgewood, a little village on the North Arrow Lake, where I took a break and had lunch.
To complete the loop home, I took another couple of bush roads up over the hills, mainly the Worthington and the Burrell Creek FSRs. This is a great ride I dd a couple of years ago, but believe me the road certainly didn't get any better in the intervening time. The climb up the Worthington is steep, with quite a bit of loose rock and erosion channels. I find that I have become a bit more comfortable with the Quota now though; when I did this trail two years ago i was new to the bike, and was petrified I was going to drop it.
This leg of bush road is about 65 kilometers, the first half of which is the exciting stuff. At about 30km in, I discovered that a grader had been working, and the road was about 3 inches deep in soft talcum powder consistency dirt interspersed with outcrops and boulders. I never found the grader, but thankfully I found where he stopped working, and it was smooth sailing, or at least hard pack, from there on, untill I hit the top end of the North Fork road and pavement, From there it was just 40 km of empty twisties back home to Grand Forks, where I arrived home around 1500hr. All in all a great ride, and the bike was outstanding both on the highway and in the bush.
















JD

[twowings]

Sounds like a fantastic ride! Thanks for pics!

[Lannis]

Thanks for the travelogue .... I'm not sure I could ride a Quota (or my Stelvio or any other 600-pound-ish half-liter+ motorcycle over those sorts of roads, loose construction dirt, etc).   I'm pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy it, although lots of people do!   It sounds like you've "gotten used to it" from 2 years ago, though.

I think my strategy for that sort of ride would be along the lines of an XT250 Yamaha or a DR350 Suzuki ...

Lannis

[yogidozer]

Next time bring a stowaway fly rod!

[nick949]

Thanks for the travelogue .... I'm not sure I could ride a Quota (or my Stelvio or any other 600-pound-ish half-liter+ motorcycle over those sorts of roads, loose construction dirt, etc).   I'm pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy it, although lots of people do!   It sounds like you've "gotten used to it" from 2 years ago, though.

I think my strategy for that sort of ride would be along the lines of an XT250 Yamaha or a DR350 Suzuki ...

Lannis

Great report and pics.  Looks about perfect for the Eldo. Must get to BC

Nick

[JayDee24ca]

Thanks for the travelogue .... I'm not sure I could ride a Quota (or my Stelvio or any other 600-pound-ish half-liter+ motorcycle over those sorts of roads, loose construction dirt, etc).   I'm pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy it, although lots of people do!   It sounds like you've "gotten used to it" from 2 years ago, though.

I think my strategy for that sort of ride would be along the lines of an XT250 Yamaha or a DR350 Suzuki ...

Lannis

Yes Lannis, there are times when I think a smaller bike would be great on those kind of roads, like the time last summer I dropped it, pulled my back out trying to lift it, and waiting several hours for someone to come along that could help me. But I just love the old girl. Its sweet on the highway, and I love its uniqueness.  There was a point a few weeks ago when I was frustrated with an electrical problem that KiwiRoy helped me fix (thinks Roy!!) that I was tempted to sell, but its a keeper for me.
I've done quite a few back roads around here, and I have learned to carefully pick ones I can handle and not get into a bind, as I am on my own.

JD