11-12 July: For our bike ride in British Columbia, we chose the Myra Canyon section of the Kettle Valley Railway trail. As we drove toward our camping destination at Bear Creek Provincial Park, we traveled through thick haze from scores of active wildfires in interior B.C. (between the Cascades and the Rockies). Signs warned of highway closures to our north. There were campfire bans and some towns were even under a ban to sell or refill propane canisters to campers. From our campsite on the shore of Lake Okanagan, we could barely see across to the other side. Fortunately, the air cleared considerably overnight for our ride the next day.
The Kettle Valley Railway was constructed during 1910-1916 to transport silver, copper, and agricultural products to the coast. The railway declined in the 1960s and the rails were removed in the 1970s. In the early 1990s, through the efforts of the Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration Society, the route was turned into a popular rail trail for bikers, hikers, and equestrians. The section through steep-sided Myra Canyon includes 18 trestles, two tunnels, and breathtaking scenery. In 2003, just a few months after this section was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada, a large wildfire devastated the forest and destroyed 14 of the 18 trestles. Thanks to national and provincial funding, this popular trail was completely restored under the direction of the founding volunteer organization, the MCTRS. Trailside signs explain many interesting historical structures and natural history features along the route. We felt that our 22 km (round trip) ride through the canyon was perhaps the most dramatic section of rail trail that we have biked on yet.
