Passing through the southern Rockies and through Okanagan valley; Canada’s Arizona. Iffy weather and dogs forced some changes of plan sadly. Better than losing fingers! Ended the week in Calgary, where it was still pretty damn cold, 6-7c at night.

Very touristy wine country scene here. Karenland.

West Kelowna and Kelowna have several regions with huge vineyards and orchards.

They make all sorts of booze here in the dry climate of the Okanagan valley.

Big change of scenery from the coast. The moss covered hills are replaced with dry dirt and grass.

Just some bollywood stuff going on. They were dancing swear.

Nice views from across Lake Okanagan

A real picture of them. The females scurry about with their chicks while the make squeals at you from a perch.

I think this is called a Rocky Mountain Marmot. Their flesh is tender and juicy.

The entire lake is dotted with parks and boardwalks. Feels like a rich town.

RIP

Stopped at Forbidden Orchards to buy some gifts and taste liquor. They just let anyone walk in and drink, suckers.

Views up the hill in Kelowna, overlooking vineyards.

Cool statue near the beach.

This one is called "Beached Boomers".

Oh yeah I guess some monster must live in the lake or some BS, like always. The world is infested with these invisible monsters only drunks can see.

Wait how rich is this city...

This is 100% elephant tusk ivory. Only left tusks, they throw away the right.

The Okanagan valley is infested with these goofy little California quails.

This should have been one of the more epic days but sadly was turned around well before the top by two large dogs just roaming about. I don’t fuck around with dogs barking loudly and going straight for me. Luckily I could turn around fast enough and go downhill but they chased me a good 500m going 50kph. Don’t wish harm on the dogs because they’re just dogs but owners who do that shit: You’re idiots. Just leaving your dogs unleashed unsupervised on your property. If there’s a road, watch your dogs. Just going to assume you don’t care if it gets run over.

Passing through Summerland on the way there. Another beautiful little town on the hills next to lake Okanagan. Everyone there is drunk all the time, probably.

This is what the valley is all about.

This isn't the mountain. This is basically a 200m high hill. Just so you understand what elevation represents and how high a 1000m thing actually is.

It's a very rural area with these gigantic cattle guards that would completely wreck your bike if you went over them at speed.

I was turned from the top by two dogs chasing me, so this is back on the downhill. Nice majestic BC lake scene.

Passed by a ranch with ducks and goats...

Then this majestic Guard Llama crested the hill and started giving me the stink eye as I took pictures of baby goats.

Out of the mountains and along the river back to town. Every road is beautiful in BC somehow.

A Beach near Oliver.

Love these guys. We are the same.

The same beach, but 20 seconds later. Woah.

Just gonna say it: E-Bikes aren't bikes, they're motorcycles. They should at least strap your feet to the pedals and make the motor turn them so it looks like you're doing SOMETHING.

I couldn't find a spot to sleep that night so I just went to this camping. RIP 50$ for a parking spot.

This duck showed up within seconds of me arriving. I started to feed him oats.

When I turned around he had multiplied ( thanks to the oats ).

Ok that's enough ducks, no more oats.

When I woke up the next morning this little guy was starring at me through the driver side window.

Anarchist Pass is really quite the sight, rising above the Okanagan valley for unparalleled views. Baldy Mountain… eh…. not so much. It’s a tough climb with 4 of these giant deadly cattle guards you just cannot bike over at speed. There’s no view on top to speak of. Anarchist Pass has a Sasquatch statue. So. Clear winner.

I didn't think he was a real guy.

Sometimes when I'm driving, I'll spot a lake with some birds.

Then use binoculars to watch the birds. That's the story. There's different birds in different provinces, it's like collecting pokemon.

Osoyoos, where Anarchist Pass begins. Really beautiful little town.

This town is also Quail infested. My best picture yet...

This is in Osoyoos. Lot of western-theme things in the Okanagan and prairies.

The beginning of the climb out of Osoyoos.

This is less than halfway up, after a few switchback. One of the most stunning views in BC so far.

The entire river is flanked by these gorgeous vineyards and orchards Quite a unique sight in Canada.

The base of the mountain in the Sonora desert. Very Arizona-like. Nothing else like this in Canada.

Grassy ranches and farmland characterize the more remote areas at elevation in BC.

Afterwards I made my way up to Oliver to do Baldy Mountain.

This is the top...

The climb has more of these gnarly cattle guards so you need to be very careful when descending. These would explode your frame and wheels.

Going back to Osoyoos in the evening, along more vineyards.

Baldy Mountain is in a somewhat remote area on an Indian Reserve. There's not that great views...

Canada's Italy.

Same lookout. After that you just enter a more inland forested area with not much to see.

The top of the climb is officially marked by this anatomically correct Sasquatch statue.

This is the view from the top on the other side of Anarchist Pass. Not as impressive...

The bottom part of this pass, from Trail to Rossland, is really steep and then it levels off and keeps climbing for what seems like an eternity until it connects back to the highway back down to Castlegar. I got caught in a huge downpour in Trail and was drizzled on the entire way up the pass. Thankfully the downhill side was dry. Just a cold, tough, long miserable day but at least it was doable.

This ride begins in the small mountain town of Castlegar.

Promising start of the day...

Deer vandalism in the sidewalk concrete.

Beaver dam. I think.

Quite nice views as you follow the river from Castlegar to Trail. No more desert and vineyards though.

As I made it to Trail it started pouring like mad. The not fun part of the day was starting.

I think I tried to take a picture of the rolling cold fog sweeping across the pass. It was ominous as hell.

One of the views approaching the top.

This is why you don't want to screw around with rain on these mountains. The snow banks make it much colder then the weather forecast says.

The entire climb was in the wet and cold, but didn't get snowed on at least.

Fortunately the way down to Castlegar was dry, although extremely windy to the point I had to pedal the entire way down. Still a win.

Recovery because bad weather on Kootenay Pass

Fatigue levels were very high that day but I still planned to bike Kootenay Pass relatively easy. However it rained all day. I stayed at the bottom of the pass for a few hours hoping for the weather to clear but it wasn’t to be.
13 degree and raining at the base and 3 degrees and heavy downpour on top. Huge snow banks on the sides. That’s how you lose fingers. The pass is over 20km long with 1100m of gradually steeper elevation gain. Might have to come back some day to do this one and Apex again…

Misty morning in Nelson, BC.

View from the Wal-Mart parking. Not bad.

Started to rain early on. Was going to do Kootenay pass that day. I parked at the bottom and waited...

This guy came to say hi. Just zoomed passed me.

After waiting 2 hours and the rain not letting up, I just decided to skip it.

A view going up.

Must be nice when it's not stormy.

Closer to the top. 3 degree, heavy rain, snow banks.... Noooooope

By the time I made it to Crankbrook, it was dry, so I went for a little recovery spin.

My fatigue levels were getting pretty high anyway, but bummer. Nice little town that's half BC, half prairies.

There’s no more large mountain passes between you and Alberta at this point. This gigantic valley really feels more like the prairies than BC already. Even has a frontier town ( Fort Steele ) for you to visit.

Medium loop planned that day around this remote valley before making it to Alberta.

Starting to have that Gold Rush midwest town feel now. Lot of these in the USA.

This is how they clipped their toenails back in the day.

World's smallest train to bring the children to the mines.

Wider view of the Fort. I didn't go in, they never let you in when you have a bike and I ain't leaving that outside.

The route meanders around Kootenay River and St-Mary's River, creating this BC/Alberta hybrid landscape.

Make it to Kimberley and you can enjoy this little path with a waterfall yay.

Yay

The road snakes back down to Cranbrook and crosses St-Mary's river.

Lot of driving now. This is looking back at the Rockies from Fernie, BC. Beautiful town.

This is Mount Hosmer, rising to almost 2500m, seen from Fernie.

Still in BC you will pass by the World's Largest Tandem Axle truck in Sparwood. I think they just leave it there because it costs 6000$ to fill up now.

Coming out of CrowsNest pass highway and into Alberta. You can only look back at the Rockies now as you enter Flatland.

Welcome.

Boasting hundreds of kilometers of bike paths…. let me just stop you there. Bike paths suck. They’re all exploded, they meander randomly all over the place, mostly connect nothing to nothing else and force slow speeds as they twist and turn through woods and urban areas, usually overrun with people walking their flocks of dogs.
It’s tolerable if you want to do an EZ day but that’s about it.

The day was gray, windy and cold, which didn’t help. Planned to do a touristy meander ride at slow pace but there isn’t all that much to see. But that’s city biking of course, it’s not meant to be training. Montreal isn’t any better.

Spent the day in Calgary. Unfortunately it was Sunday and everything closed at like 5 because reasons.

Calgary, as seen from Calgary.

Magpie. I wish my phone could take better pictures than this :(

This is "selfie bridge".

Many parts of town are overrun with herds of Geese.

The Calgary Marathon was going on that day along much of my route. Lot of music and high fives.

Part of a huge lifesize statue called "The Calgary Stampede" near the stadium downtown.

Not the whole thing.

Look at em' go. No wheels at all.

Found a place called a "rock garden". Turns out it's not rocks, just plants.

The bike path snakes along Glenmore Reservoir. You can take this steamboat cruise along the river apparently.

Saw a deer just hiding, waiting for night time to leap in front of a car.

There's a dozen of these bridges that just go back and forth over the Elbow River.

The view going back up North towards the city.

The outskirks of Calgary are dotted with endless wetland space.

Yep

View from the top of Nose Hill park. Only dirt trails there, and swarming with dogs. Like the entire bike path network.

Now start a few days with lots of driving to zoom through the prairies and get to Ontario.

If you made it this far, feel free to join my Instagram and/or Strava!

Touring Canada Week 2- Rockies and Wineries