The Kettle Valley Railway from Castlegar to Midway:

The Kettle Valley Railway is in everybody’s mind these days as the historic trestles in the Myra Canyon are becoming victim to the terrible forest fire raging south-east of Kelowna.

A relatively lesser known stretch of the KVR system is the line from Castlegar to Midway. Originally chartered in 1896 as the “Columbia & Western Railway” by Fritz Heinze with the idea to push the railway to the coast to connect his smelter in Trail to the world markets, he sold the charter to CPR in 1898, which built the line as far as Midway and beyond.

Cycling the C&W Railway is a spectacular experience with endless views over the Lower Arrow Lake and Christina Lake. A 2% climb starting at the Kinleyside Dam north of Castlegar takes the rider up the slopes along a Monashee Mountain range more than 800 m above the level of the Lower Arrow Lake, ending the uphill ride in the almost1,000m long Bulldog Tunnel, listed as one of the longer tunnels in North America.

The crossing of the mountain through the tunnel is a story in itself. It is not for the faint hearted. Traversing from east to west means about 850 meters of complete darkness. As the tunnel has a slight curve about 150 meters close to the western exit, the literal “light at the end of the tunnel” is only visible at the end of the traverse, leaving the rider in the complete and total darkness except for flashlights that are highly recommended. However, due to years of coal residue deposits on the wall and ceiling of the tunnel, even a flashlight looks pathetic in the dark as the black walls absorb most of the light. I used two flashlights, one pointing at the floor and the other to prevent me from hitting the walls. Most riders crossing from east to west push their bike through the tunnel. By and large the tunnel experience is powerful and a good training ground to deal with one’s claustrophobic tendencies. Take a companion along or wait for a party to join through the tunnel. Alternatively cross it from west to east, it’s much easier..

The ride from Farron (the peak) to Cascadia on Christina Lake is worth all the “suffering” through the tunnel. Gentle down slopes up to 2.2% make the ride easy and thoroughly enjoyable.

1.5km south of Farron you will find a small monument commemorating a bomb planted on a passenger train in 1924. On its explosion it killed 9 passengers including Peter Verigin, leader of the Doukhobors. Hard to believe that terrorism was alive and well in Canada long before they flew airplanes into buildings.

South of Poulson a spectacular highway overpass crosses the old railroad a few 100 feet above. The engineering marvel lends itself for a good photo opportunity in the early morning sun.

A large wooden ore bin from a lime quarry at Fife (Christina Lake) serves as a impressive monument to the past. It is a beautiful example of a utility building design where form follows function.

Continuing downhill beyond Christina Lake the rider crosses the Kettle River the first time on a trestle converted into a “safe” bridge with railings and decking over the railway ties. While I understand the need for safety it is never the less the titillation of the dangerous, crossing a trestle high over a canyon looking between railway ties 6 inches apart, that makes traveling this rail bed so attractive.

Now the rider can enjoy a level ride to the City of Grand Forks along the Kettle River on a meandering trail with opportunities to dip in the river. I even met an old timer living in a small trailer at the edge of the river. He invited me to sit down with him and after 5 minutes told me his life’s story how his wife threw him out of the house and he has to now live in this little trailer although he never really beat his wife, etc. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get hold of the other side of the story.

From the first Trestle to Grand Forks B.C. Gas installed a pipe line and replaced the historic rail bed in its approximate alignment with a crushed gravel trail. Although I found this trail quite pleasant, the trail mostly led through open grass land and I found the summer heat tiring after a long ride, the arrival in Grand Forks was welcomed.

The City camp ground in Grand Forks is quite cosmopolitan where one can meet other riders from North America and Europe. The KVR is truly an internationally recognized tourist attraction and as such will eventually be much more frequented by riders as it is now.

That was my trip.

Submited by: Thomas Meyer