Trails BC - Trans Canada Trail in the BC Southwest Region

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Metro Trail Loop Cycle Challenges 2010
Five Golden Rings

For this year we are replacing our regular Trans Canada Trail Challenges with trail loop cycling challenges in the Metro Vancouver area.

We had to cancel a planned TCT Challenge from Tsawwassen to Fort Langley because of new trail construction that will not be completed in time.

For a report on the first three rides click here

For more information Click Here

This year we offered two Trans Canada Trail challenge events

2009 Challenges

Due to the increased uncontrolled ATV and dirt bike activities on the KVR it was not prudent to organize an event that involves cycling on this venue this year. The rail surface is becoming much too laborious for cyclists to make this a pleasant event. While the KVR is designated for non-motorized trail users, regulations are not in place to enforce this at this time. Hopefully, by 2010 this will have been remedied allowing the surface to be repaired on a substantial section of the KVR so that an event could once again be considered on this portion of the Trans Canada Trail.

At this time we are offered two TCT Challenge events in the Lower Mainland or Fraser Valley.

Both were fun oriented non-competitive personally challenging events

Golden Ears Bridge TCT Challenge 2009 - October 4

Cyclists - Walkers - Runners (200 participants)

We organized this event in conjunction with the opening of the new Golden Ears Bridge which caused a re-routing of the Trans Canada Trail. It is a 50 km course from Rocky Point, Port Moody to Fort Langley. Once, again it was an exciting and featured course.

Try it on your own! For more information, the Route Guide and Map.

For Photos on Facebook

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Destination Maillardville Challenge 2009 - Sunday, July 12

At the occasion of the 100^th Anniversary of Maillardville.

Cyclists - Walkers - Runners - Voyageur Canoeists (200 participants)

Destination Maillardville’ was an event planned for the Maillardville Centennial (1909-2009). The activity highlighted the discovery of Maillardville’s heritage while walking, cycling, and paddling Voyageur canoes from points outside this French community. The cyclists and walkers started from points along the Trans Canada Trail. Those in Voyageur canoes started from Fort Langley a 23 km paddle and 6 km walk. Cyclists and walkers had options of up to 34 km from Port Moody, Port Coquitlam or Colony Farm.

Everyone was invited to register and participate in this 'challenge' event organized in conjunction with the “Fair in the Square” event at Place des Arts.

Try it on your own! - Guide booklet used for Destination Maillardville. --Map-

Trans Canada Trail Challenge 2008
Myra Station to Penticton

A non-competitive and personally challenging event for cyclists, walkers, runner, and equestrians.

A KVR Experience at the occasion of:

The re-opening of the Myra Canyon with its rebuilt trestles and the Penticton Centennial.

Date: July 6, 2008 - Successfully completed. See below for doing it on your own.

This was an 80 km spectacular course featuring:

Rail trail in a mountain terrain (Mainly flat for the first 36 km and mainly downhill for the last 44 km)
Train trestles/bridges, tunnels
Canyons, creeks, cliffs
Spectacular views can be had almost throughout the journey – some thanks to the 2003 forest fire
Effects of forest fires
Small lakes
Amenities and interpretive signage in the second half
Artefacts – rock ovens in particular
Wildlife
Interesting and changing vegetation

Try it on your own!

Map describing how to get there
After crossing the new bridge to Kelowna turn immediately right on Pandosy, then left on KLO, then right on McCullogh. Eventually the road really narrows (don’t be alarmed). After crossing a single lane bridge watch for a road to your right that has a sign indicating the Myra Trestles. It is an 8.5 km gravel, twisty, fairly steep road but it is in reasonable condition.

Trail Guide - Describes the features along the trail.
Quick route map

Interactive Map Provided by Virtual Outdoor Adventures or Get the DVD

	Photos taken by Joseph Lin - May 2, 2006
Chui-Long Huang is donating $1000 to Trails BC towards our work on the Trans Canada Trail. That's approximately .50/km of his completed walk on the Trans Canada Trail across B.C and into Canmore, Alberta (1,900 km). He may be the first to accomplish this since the TCT has been defined in B.C.	Léon Lebrun signs Mr. Huang's tent fly along with others to wish him a safe journey at the Granville Island TCT Pavilion before he heads out on foot from Canmore Alberta towards Ontario May 5, 2006.	Jack Harder, Brian Olsen (Mr. Huang's English teacher), and Léon Lebrun holding the TCT tent fly indicating that he intends to walk his dream, the entire 18,000 km of the Trans Canada Trail. He is doing this solo and without support. We are looking forward to sharing his diary of adventures.

Trail Building:
Learn more about volunteering and check out volunteer photos . More Volunteer photos .

Visiting Irish Military Cadets Put in 4 Days of Trail Work on the North Shore

In the photo below is the Irish Military Cadet crew who helped us with the Eagle Creek and Skyline Trail sections of the Trans Canada Trail in West Vancouver August 13, 14, 15, and 16. The work included building two bridges, re-routing of trail, and upgrading.

All 18 of them are University students in officer training. They came to British Columbia from Belfast, Ireland for adventure that must include community service. What a great idea! For the time they were trail building here they camped at Camp Brick Scout Camp in the Seymour Conservation Area and had access to a new aquatic centre in West Vancouver. We are grateful that these facilities were provided free of charge.

Identifying BC trees:

Ministry of Forest or BC Adventure site

Identifying Plants

Identifying BC animals

Identifying BC Salmon

Identifying BC Birds

The Trans Canada Trail is one of his hobbies.

Jean Drapeau Bureau from Hope, an enthusiastic supporter of the Trans Canada Trail. He has become an official member of the Trans Canada Trail and has decorated this former school bus with Trans Canada Trail Logos. Not clear in the photo, is a TCT Activity logo the full length of the bus. He is doing this in his backyard just for fun of it, completely on on his own until discovered by us.

Hiking the Trans Canada Trail.

Patrick Saunders from Calgary and Gergely Hegadus from Red Deer, after finishing their year at UVIC decided to take two months to hike the Trans Canada Trail across British Columbia. We found them hiking just past the Othello Tunnels out of Hope, May 2, 2003. Without our knowledge, these two intrepid young men decided to do this on their own. In the next 24 hours we learned that they had hiked more than 40 km some of it over snow in the Coquihalla Summit. They are hoping to hike all the way home. At this rate they will certainly make it. Do you think their parents wouldn't supply them the money to go back home on a bus, train, or plane?

Bill Archibald receives a Certificate at the Trails BC AGM.

Trailboss, Bill Archibald, is no longer a director of Trails BC but will continue as Vice-President of Trails BC Southwest, and the BC Representative for the Canadian Trails Federation. Bill has been a director of Trails BC from before we even had a constitution in 1993. He remains our encyclopedia of trails of BC Trails. The certificate acknowledges the invaluable services he has provided the BC trail community over the last 10 years or so. Without Bill Trails BC probably would not exist today.

Certificate presented by Murphy Shewchuk, president (on right) to Bill on the left.

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