Planning the 2010 Telkwa Pass Trip

[bchunter]

All the previous ideas are great and we can keep it focused here. Let's list out our ideas and hash things out. Here is a summary to date:

2 start locations mentioned - Smithers and Lakelse Lake campground

3 routes - one day straight through the pass with some FSR tacked on (as Mika listed the FSR's), Day 2 can include either a hwy run back to start, returing to the start via the pass, or a mix of hwy, FSR, quad and single track while returning to start.

I can look after the Smithers end of things. Mainly securing a camping location. I know of a great spot off the beaten path that if we can crash in a field, it will be a nice addition to the trip. I can also have fuel and liver fuel at this location. :hb:

The dates of Aug 14/15 and 21/22 have been thrown out as trip dates. Either work for me.

Another day meeting in person to work out the details and pour some Plan B on some maps (and of course we are going to HAVE to WAIT until Richard takes the bus out here )

Let's get this puppy rolling and get'er'done :f:

 

[2Trider]

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Well I'm packing some of my stuff today Jim ...getting ready for the bus.

Greg might want to move all the Pass chat from the other thread over to here and we can have it all on the same page/thread.
Also post many pics as we go here...people like pics...good PR

Friday night camping at Smithers you say Jim :clap:
Sat camping around Terrace

 

[bchunter]

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Hey, I made a goof in the other post. There IS a trail that goes from the Suskwa to the Blunt, so it is possible to go from Smithers to 2 Mile on dirt. I chatted with one of my quadding buddies today and he informed me of the trail. He said that it is quaded every year. Here it is:

So with that being said, it is YET another route that we can take into account. That is why I love living here, there are more trails then people

Ya, I have a friend that has a farm (1400 acres) and I am sure that we can camp on his place. It is right on the river, as long as you don't mind getting some mud on the tires going through his farm :hb: It is great and private, and free, so we can be as crazy as we like and we won't make the neighbours mad.

It would also be nice to make the pass day a little longer as said before, it is not too long of a trip when you rip straight through. Of course the length of time will depend on how many riders, the skill level of riders, and how many lunch, photo, and repair stops we make. I would love to be able to extend it on the Terrace side like Mika is talking about. Since I blew your plans of bushwacking on the Suskwa side, maybe you can vent your trail busting power on the Terrace side Richard :clap:

Oh ya, by the way, it was 10 degrees here at 7:00 at night. The snow is leaving and the dirt is coming. When the sun was hitting the thermometer today it read 25

And thanks for helping make this trip a potential reality. I think it will be lots of fun with lots of people riding lots of different rides.

 

[2Trider]

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There you go Jim...That is the trial/connection I was talking about:hb:
thought it was a go and now confirmed.

Was taking with Mika via video conference so I'll let him post in the details but yes I'm impressed with the formulations coming together...and your right about extending the Sat ride beyond Terrace. Mika will explain the details as we go here(some checking he is doing)

Gee I wish all my trail rides I have done were this easy...have not even turned a wheel and the route is basically done.....just becomes a matter of filling in the details:clap:
You guy's rock:hb:

I posted into ADV rider about the ride prospects here
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=551698
this is what just got posted back.....

"Too bad the bridge is out on the summit of Mitten Main, it would be a cool loop from the Cranberry junction after the lava fields down the Kispiox Valley into Hazelton. At least the signs said it was last July, can any locals confirm?"

Is this a issue??

 

[bchunter]

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From what I have heard, the bridge is not out but that there was a slide on the Mitten FSR that blocked "truck" access. The sign was saying that the bridge was out, but I did not think it was that way. Some of my friends tried to go through from the Hwy 37 side and could not pass the slide in the truck, but they said it was totally doable on a bike. I will make some more calls tomorrow to confirm that the bridge is still OK :talk:

I will pm you with my contact # in case you want to chat during the day. I am also happy with the way that this is coming together. It will be fun.

 

[sparklr]

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Some new thoughts today, so I'll share them for your input. Firstly, we need to maintain a loop with the focus being on the priority of showcasing the area while at the same time offering diversity in the rides to cater to peoples needs and differing skill levels.

Keeping that in mind, logistically it makes sense to start the ride as close to Telkwa as possible, and completely remove the Lakelse Lake camping or start point. The Pass is the highlight and the most demanding portion and should be tackled on Day 1. From Telkwa to Terrace with stops for the intermediate rider should be about 3-4 hours, 6 at most for a beginner. With an early start that puts you into Terrace anywhere from noon to 2:00 PM. Fuel in Terrace and continue up Kalum Lake Rd to the Lava Beds. Fuel in New Aiyansh and continue on in to Kitsault.

http://www.kitsault.com/

Kitsault? You hopefully would be arriving around or before sunset at the Alice Arm, ready for nourishment and camaraderie. The current owner of Kitsault is promoting it as "Heaven On Earth" and what likely is to be a spa resort destination. It's a perfect place for a layover and a great opportunity for Kitsault to gather some notoriety. I will facilitate discussion with the owner as to the intent and what options would or could be available, such as camping and/or rental of homes. A chase vehicle would bring your gear, extra fuel, etc from the start point to Kitsault. From here the route would take you back to the start destination via the long appointed route, or if you had time constraints a highway option would hurry you home.

What is currently required to proceed? The August dates currently seem fine, with that as a general reference, it is essential for this venture to start off well that we get as much participation from our local area riders as is humanly possible. Any DSBC member or lurker is more than welcome. The more the merrier! Please give it some deep thought and respond in the next two weeks. And yes, as usual this would be a rain or shine extravaganza. There may be some costs to deal with, that has yet to be ascertained. PM me if you are interested and any date preferences so I can gather a feel.

At this time I could offer the thought that the Kitsault layover could be a family affair also. In addition I would like to also put in a request for volunteers to help with the extra curricular portions. More importantly now until April 1st is to get some feedback from you.

It has been noticeable that getting the ball rolling over the forum is somewhat tedious and confusing at times. As we are located all over, I suggest anyone who wants to provide more input and participation notify me and hopefully as a group we can chat and get this event to fruition!

 

[bchunter]

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I agree with your idea's Mika. I never even thought of pushing through to Kitsault. What a beautiful place to camp for the night, with an easy ride to get there after going through the pass.

Here is what I can offer:

Staging for Day -1. I can plan to have a place for all to meet before the Pass trip. Basically, I can take care of this end of the show. I can find a place to meet the night before, I guess it will be the Friday night and have it good to go for camping and meeting and an early start the next AM. I can find something that is close to the pass. That will not be a problem. Depending on the size of the event, I can canvas local business for support. Again, depending on size of the events, I will see what we should do for breakfast, meeting plans, rolling out route maps, ect, ect. These details will be worked out closer to the date, but I just wanted to let you guys know that I am open minded as to what you want for a start. I have planned many a event, but not a ride, so I am open to help with the starting procedure, but I am committed to making the start a great fun start. After all, we don't want people to leave and be disgruntled right at the beginning.

I can also help plan a route, or routes back to Smithers. Some thought will be needed as to how many routes, difficulty, ect. I will leave this part to the folks that have set up these events before, and will march and find routes when asked to march.

Depending on my work and family schedule, I can help out as much as possible laying routes. Of course it will be easier for me to help out in the Smithers - Hazelton areas since it is close to home and I can steal a couple of hours from work here or there.

Also, I think we should nail the date ASAP so people can plan. I know I will need to tell my boss when I want off as that is our busy season and the sooner I know the better as people are already requesting days off.

So Mika and Richard, count me in. If anyone out there has any questions about the pass itself or any questions about the area or how long it takes to get to Smithers, ect, ect, then please feel free to post up your questions or pm myself.

Also, just as info for others, the nearest KTM dealer is PG, with a Honda dealer in Smithers an another locally owned bike shop, a Suzuki dealer in Houston, and a Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawasaki dealer in Terrace.

Thanks guys. This is going to be fun.

 

[2Trider]

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Let's nail the date as Aug 14 and 15th.....There is a extreme Enduro in Alberta the following weekend which will be on the world stage.....so maybe we could feed off of that as well and tempt some riders to trek a bit further north prior(future consideration here) even pull in some Ontario guys who will be treking out that way either to watch or race.
Plus I'll figure the weather as to be warmer and better than later into August...but that is always a crap shoot

Put some start location ideas together Jim and we can filter through the possibilities. We should have a breaky place/motel/hotel near by for those that hate to cook and hate to camp in a tent or trailer. Again future considerations.
Friday Night will be the pre-event social

I think we have the main loop down so any hero loops we can find off of that is worth checking as time permits

I would like to see 20+ riders the first year and build it out from there.
Hype and talk is everything.

Anyone else PLEASE jump in and throw your thoughts into the pool here....good and bad:clap:

 

[sparklr]

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I will be firing off a formal request to the owner of Kitsault this afternoon and see where that takes us. I will also touch base with the local Kitsault contact and try to determine when they think they will plow the top pass.

So far I think the Telkwa Pass Route back to Kitsault needs nothing more than giving it a test run with a GPS to lay the official track down. I don't have a good enough unit to facilitate this. Perhaps I'll go shopping. I'm sure that will be a long day, but a few sidetracks may be added if there would be enough time in the day. I'm hoping someone can be coaxed to give it a whirl with me.:shock:

Jim, you could indeed get things rolling around there for a start point staging area. It's probably a bit early to start exploring the routes, but if you have a GPS I suppose you could start gathering any of the route track that is possible.

 

[bchunter]

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Consider it done. Thank you guys for letting me help out and be the Smithers end dude.

I have some great ideas for breakfast locations that all the riders can go to. I also have a great idea for cabins for those that do not want to camp.

With that in mind, I will start to plan a camping spot for those that want to, a cabin spot for those that want to and a breakfast location, most likley for all as the place that I am thinking of has a gas station and we can all fuel or bikes and our stomachs at the same time. So I will hash out a time and place to meet on the Friday night for a social, lodging for that night, grub in the am and the coordinates for the pass as the thaw comes. I will most likely be doing some runs up there before this date anyways.

August 14 - 15 are the dates then. These are great dates.

I will post ideas as I come up with them after I have been talking with some of my friends, since we now have dates that I can go to them with. I think that the business I am thinking of supporting would be more then happy to have us show up at their location. Nothing like a horde of bikes infront of a restuart to atract business.

I am stoked and ready to go. I was ripping around town on the Doc today. Nothing like going for coffee on a bike

Talk to you soon.

Jim

 

[sparklr]

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The letter was just fired off to Chandra Krishnan Kitsault with that August period in mind.:cross:

 

[sparklr]

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Hey Jim, what about that Fort Telkwa RV place for those that may be bringing up rigs?

 

[bchunter]

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Sure Mika, steal my thunder

I was going to talk to them tomorrow.

 

[KTM-Bryon]

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bchunter wrote:

August 14 - 15 are the dates then. These are great dates.

Hmm, I see the Loose Screw in Kamloops is that weekend too. And I had already checked the cost of the Inside Passage BC Ferry to Prince Rupert.

 

[sparklr]

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bchunter wrote:

Sure Mika, steal my thunder

I was going to talk to them tomorrow.

:gaah:Sorry about that!

 

[sparklr]

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KTM-Bryon wrote:

bchunter wrote:

August 14 - 15 are the dates then. These are great dates.

Hmm, I see the Loose Screw in Kamloops is that weekend too. And I had already checked the cost of the Inside Passage BC Ferry to Prince Rupert.

Decisions, decisions. However it is beneficial that you expressed interest, so thanks:tup:

 

[2Trider]

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KTM-Bryon wrote:

bchunter wrote:

August 14 - 15 are the dates then. These are great dates.

Hmm, I see the Loose Screw in Kamloops is that weekend too. And I had already checked the cost of the Inside Passage BC Ferry to Prince Rupert.

Remember it is 2 days worth of riding here...and you will get your worth...and or stick around a extra day and I'm sure we can fill in some more ride time on Monday

 

[bchunter]

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sparklr wrote:

bchunter wrote:

Sure Mika, steal my thunder

I was going to talk to them tomorrow.

:gaah:Sorry about that!

No prob my friend. Just being a smart butt

Oh ya, did I forget to mention that the chinook's will be in thick (and I am talking Skeena chinook - 60 lbs), the sockeye will be in, coho will start to be nosing in, along with steelhead and pinks? Bring a rod and make a festivity of it, northern style.

 

[KTM-Bryon]

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sparklr wrote:

KTM-Bryon wrote:

bchunter wrote:

August 14 - 15 are the dates then. These are great dates.

Hmm, I see the Loose Screw in Kamloops is that weekend too. And I had already checked the cost of the Inside Passage BC Ferry to Prince Rupert.

Decisions, decisions. However it is beneficial that you expressed interest, so thanks:tup:

Don't plan your ride around me but I thought I would letyou know. I hope to do a businesstrip to Rio Tinto Alcan this summer and I would try to tie it in but no guarantees.

 

[bchunter]

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OK Ladies and Gentlemen, here we go (insert drum roll here)

The preliminary plans so far:

Afternoon of Friday, August 13

Meet at Tyee Lake Campground in Telkwa. I have reserved the group site. This is an amazing spot for a large gathering (such as my daughters 4 yr birthday party last year). There is a large covered area with tables to eat and meet if it is raining. There is a LARGE grassy field, approx 1.5 acres, for people to spread out tents on for those that want to camp right there. I am working on getting a BBQ dinner for that night, with the possibility of door prizes thrown in by local sponsers. We will meet and great at a time to be determined, have a bbq, lay down the track and the plans, and crash for the night. For those that do not want to camp, I have contacted a local bed and breakfast, a beautiful new place, that has 6 rooms and offers a contential breakfast. There is also a resort that offers cabin rentals. All of this is in Telkwa. Seeing how this is the TELKWA pass, I am planning the staging in Telkwa. The local business are really happy with this.

Saturday, August 14

I contacted a local resturant in Telkwa with the idea that they would make us some breakfast on the Saturday AM. They are usually closed on Saturdays but said that they would be happy to open for us and fill our bellies. I also asked them about bag lunches and they said that they can put something together for us so we will be able to stop at a lake in the pass and have a nice wholesome lunch. The restruant is also a gas station, so we will fuel up here before heading into the pass.

Things are coming togther nicely from my end. Alot of Telkwa folk are VERY happy with the idea of having an offroad ride staging in the Village. They are looking forward to seeing a ton of dirt bikes heading off to enjoy the beautiful north. Kinda like a Telkar 2010

Here are some links to wet your appetites:

http://www.telkwa.com/

http://www.elp.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/tyhee_lk/

http://www.bbcanada.com/12442.html

http://www.tworiverslodge.ca/

Please, anyone, feel free to contact me for any preliminary info. It looks like this will be a go. There are a ton of awesome trails to ride. Basicly day 1 is looking like a straight shot through the pass and spending the night in the Terrace / Nass area, hopefully at Kitsault. On day 2, there are tons of possibilities. We are working out the idea of having a straight shot on the hwy for those that want to get going, a shot on the highway with a detour on some trails of different skill, one of them leading right to the alpine, and a route that is all dirt back to Telkwa with a total of about 20 kms of pavement. Again, these are all in the works, nothing concrete yet, but the ideas are flowing.

Also remember that the salmon will be in thick and there is a ton of other things to do in the North, so this ride might just be the start of your vacation. You could also justify to the finical institution the need to upgrade to a KTM 990 Adventurer to carry the 60 lb salmon back home.

Thanks everyone for looking and talking the time to read. Take care and talk to you soon.