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Gray Creek Pass East of Kootenay Lake
- Thread starter Dr.Suzy
- Start date
offworlder
Moderator
Some quick searching found this: https://www.ridethekootenays.com/grey-creek-pass/
Bigbrownlabrador
New member
Piece of cake for a novice.
We rode over it last July and there was a Chrysler Mini Van in front of us doing the route.
The downhill portion (heading East towards Kimberly for us) had a few run off ruts, some loose rock, but definitely an easy ride.
It was 28C in the valley and 6C at the top. The cool ride feels good.
Enjoy...take your friend over it.
We rode over it last July and there was a Chrysler Mini Van in front of us doing the route.
The downhill portion (heading East towards Kimberly for us) had a few run off ruts, some loose rock, but definitely an easy ride.
It was 28C in the valley and 6C at the top. The cool ride feels good.
Enjoy...take your friend over it.
I tried coming over Redding Creek Pass (the name it had even before I first went over it in the mid 1960's until the Region's offices were moved to Nelson a couple of decades ago and it magically became Gray Creek Pass for the tenth of the trip that runs along that creek) about ten days ago. Trivia info: back then, the Rose Pass was the better road of the two for getting from Kimberley over to the Weird Kootenays. Much of the original road was to provide access for Cominco's linemen to check on and do work on Cominco's power line between their operations on both sides of the pass. Last time I talked to someone who went over the Rose Pass, they did it on a quad and that was gnarly enough.
Anyways, when I tried to get over a week and change ago, there were no closed signs up, nor were there any signs of plowing on the Weird Kootenays side of the pass. About forty feet from the crest, there was still snow, and no tire tracks of people attempting to get through. I briefly thought of putting my 2500 Diesel in 4x4 and trying to wade/spin my way through the last bit of snow. Then, as it was about 2200 hrs and getting dark, and I thought about spending the night stuck in the snow at the top, I turned around and went back down and ultimately returned home the really long way around.
On a bike, with some spinning, pushing, and grunting, I almost certainly could have gotten my WR250R through. Probably a supertanker dual sport as well. And by now, a week later and days of ferocious heat for the better part of a week, bikes at least have probably almost certainly made it over the top whether the government has done anything or not. I don't think the north facing treed curves near the top on the east side would have enough snow left to be a problem if the government didn't send a grader over.
Over the years, I regularly head over to Crawford Bay for brunch prior to returning home during the riding season. I've passed Harleys, sports cars, cars towing tent trailers, trucks towing big boats, etc on that road. The condition of the road surface changes year to year, probably depending on government budgets for road maintenance, but it is always easily passable, at least by dual sport motorcycle.
Once the snow at the top is off, whether novice or old timer, if the Redding Creek Pass is a bit of a challenge, then your dual sport riding days are numbered.
I self identify as a banged up old senior citizen rider who now has to stand on the peg to manage to get his other leg over the bike seat, BTW.
Anyways, when I tried to get over a week and change ago, there were no closed signs up, nor were there any signs of plowing on the Weird Kootenays side of the pass. About forty feet from the crest, there was still snow, and no tire tracks of people attempting to get through. I briefly thought of putting my 2500 Diesel in 4x4 and trying to wade/spin my way through the last bit of snow. Then, as it was about 2200 hrs and getting dark, and I thought about spending the night stuck in the snow at the top, I turned around and went back down and ultimately returned home the really long way around.
On a bike, with some spinning, pushing, and grunting, I almost certainly could have gotten my WR250R through. Probably a supertanker dual sport as well. And by now, a week later and days of ferocious heat for the better part of a week, bikes at least have probably almost certainly made it over the top whether the government has done anything or not. I don't think the north facing treed curves near the top on the east side would have enough snow left to be a problem if the government didn't send a grader over.
Over the years, I regularly head over to Crawford Bay for brunch prior to returning home during the riding season. I've passed Harleys, sports cars, cars towing tent trailers, trucks towing big boats, etc on that road. The condition of the road surface changes year to year, probably depending on government budgets for road maintenance, but it is always easily passable, at least by dual sport motorcycle.
Once the snow at the top is off, whether novice or old timer, if the Redding Creek Pass is a bit of a challenge, then your dual sport riding days are numbered.
I self identify as a banged up old senior citizen rider who now has to stand on the peg to manage to get his other leg over the bike seat, BTW.