TourBC in 2006 will be taking a cycle along some of the major waterways in our province.  These waterways were the means but also presented obstacles for many miners trying to make their way north in search of gold in the mid to late 1800's.  We will pass through a region steeped in history, and filled with awesome scenery created by the mountains and these same waterways.

Click here for a summary of the Itinerary

Our waterways route starts out travelling north through the Fraser Canyon, following the Fraser River from Hope to just north of Lillooet.  From there, we turn east to Carquille where we join the Bonaparte River and head back south before turning east again to follow the Thompson River right into Kamloops.  After crossing over to the Nicola Valley, we follow the Nicola River into Merritt and then head due south along the Coldwater River and the Coquihalla River into Hope. 

Day One, we are starting our adventure in Hope, the gateway to the mighty Fraser Canyon.  Hope is known as the "Chainsaw Capital of Canada" because of the giant wooden sculptures carved by two local chainsaw artist.  Started as a community project in 1991, there are over 30 bigger-than-life carvings throughout Hope and the Fraser Canyon area.

Hope was first established as Fort Hope, a Hudson's Bay post, and a resting point for travellers on the Gold Rush Trail.  It is not know exactly how or when the BC gold rush started but it is known that it was the native Indians who first discovered gold on the Nicomen River.   The natives traded this gold to the Hudson's Bay Co. in Fort Hope, and when the HBC sent this treasure to the US to be minted, the word was out and miners, in the thousands, headed north.  This was in the spring of 1858.

During 1858 & 1859, miners worked several areas along the Fraser River.  Most miners returned south as the gold rush died, but some filtered through the upper Fraser and on into the Cariboo country.  The biggest strike in BC was made in Barkerville, north of Williams Lake.   Barkerville stands as a powerful reminder of those hectic days.

Starting from Hope, we follow highway 1, the TransCanada Highway to reach the start of the Fraser Canyon.  Most people think that the Fraser Canyon stretches from Hope to Cache Creek.  The true canyon is 38 km long and extends from Yale to Boston Bar.  The canyon was a major obstacle to transportation developers who needed to link interior locales with the rapidly urbanizing coastal settlements. 

Yale is also originally a HBC trading post and the first town to be incorporated on the BC mainland.  It is the furthest point north that the miners could travel by steamer.  As a result, Yale was the southern terminus of the Cariboo Wagon Road.  In its heyday, Yale boasted 13 saloons and was the largest town west of Chicago and north of San Francisco.  The community was also once a major work camp for the men building the Canadian Pacific Railway.  St. John the Divine Anglican Church is the oldest church on the BC Mainland and still stands in Yale right next to the Museum.

Yale is well-know for another historical event.  Yale was the location of a convention held in 1868 after the idea of British Columbia entering Canada had been voted against in Victoria.   The 'unionists' met in Yale and as a result of this convention, the idea was re-opened and BC joined confederation in 1871.

The Cariboo gold rush spurred the need for a road which could accommodate wagons to be built leading to the Cariboo region.  In 1862, Yale became the starting point of the new road being installed by the Royal Engineers.  The first 6 miles north of Yale was one of the most difficult sections of the road, and where the Royal Engineers began constructing the 5.4 m (18 ft) wide road.  The steep river canyon cliffs had to be blasted level, and wooden bridges were built over small gullies.  Today, there are seven tunnels along this original route. 

22 km north of Yale, is Alexandra Provincial Park, an interesting place to stop.  Since the Cariboo Gold Rush days, a strategically located bridge has spanned the Fraser at this point.  The first suspension bridge was built in 1862, replaced in 1887 and again in 1925.  The 1925 relic is still in place but was replaced in 1965 by the current bridge on a new alignment.  Look left as you cross the new bridge and you can still see the old suspension bridge. 

Approximately 10 km further up the Canyon we come to Hell's Gate,  Here the Fraser is flowing through the Canyon's narrowest and deepest point at a mean flow of 8,550 cubic metres per second.   At high water level, over 200 million gallons of water per minute flow through the gorge - twice the volume of Niagara Falls - travelling up to speeds of 32 kph (20 mph).  

The Fraser River which we will be following north for over 2 days is perhaps best known as North America's greatest salmon stream.   The Fraser River has a total length of 1300 km and with its tributaries drains a total area of 233,000 square km.

Hell's Gate is well worth a visit and a ride on the tramway, 154 m. (500 ft) to the bottom, is a must.   First recorded and described by Simon Fraser in 1808 as an awesome gorge, the Gates of Hell, and a land where no human being should venture, the tramway which now spans the gorge was built in 1970 and opened in 1971.  Hell's Gate itself is the deepest and narrowest point on the Fraser River, being only 33 m (110 ft) wide. 

The International Fishways at the bottom slows the water considerably to improve the run of salmon to the spawning beds.  This was opened in 1945 and was a joint project of Canada and the US.   The survival of the young salmon has been greatly improved with the construction of this and other fishways along the Fraser.    

Midway between Yale and Lytton and about 10 km north of Hell's Gate we will pass through Boston Bar.   Many of the prospectors in this area were from the US and in particular from the east coast.  The local first nations people took to calling these prospectors Boston Men.  Boston Bar was named after these American residents and become a busy stop over for traders on the Gold Rush route.  Today, outdoor enthusiasts leave from here to hike the Nahatlach Valley.

Now leaving the Fraser Canyon, though still following the Fraser River, we will ride up and over Jackass Mountain.  This was a treacherous part of the Gold Rush Trail and got its name in commemoration of many hapless pack animals who toiled up the trail and the many who slipped and fell to their deaths. 

Just before entering Lytton, keep your eyes open for two spots of interest.  The first will be the Siska Art Gallery and Museum about 11 km south of town.  Here you will find a unique collection of native soapstone carvings and other traditional art.  The second is the Bridges at Siska.  Located about 6 km south of Lytton, it is at this spot that the CP and CN railways trade sides of the Fraser River.  Virtually all rail freight must cross these bridges.  It is a favourite photo op for rail fans.  The trick is to get a shot of both trains crossing at the same time. 

Located where the brown, silt-laden waters of the Fraser meet the green waters of the Thompson, Lytton is one of the oldest continuously settled communities in North America.  Also known as the hot spot of BC, Lytton often has the highest temperatures in the province.   Lytton was built on the site of a First Nations village known as Camchin, the meeting place;  the prospectors referred to it as The Forks; and, it was finally renamed Lytton after the British Colonial Secretary, Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

Lytton is where Simon Fraser landed and it is he who named the Thompson after his friend and fellow explorer, David Thompson.  During the gold rush, miners lined the rivers' edges panning and sluicing the gravel for gold.  It is the place where the Scuzzy, the only freighter to negotiate Hell's Gate Canyon, landed.  And it is the final resting place of the remains of a huge gold dredge built with thirty .6 cubic metre buckets on a moving chain to mine the sand bars of the Fraser.  Remnants of the dredge are still visible on the point between the two rivers at low water.

Lytton is perhaps best known as the Rafting Capital of Canada.  Many rafting companies operate in this area, guiding visitors through the white waters of these challenging river routes.   Our first and second nights will be spent with one of those companies at Kumsheen Rafting Resort, just 6 km north of Lytton.  Kumsheen describe themselves as a "friendly, up-scale, family-oriented, adventure resort.

Day Two, we will cycle north along the blue-green waters of the Thompson River with spectacular vistas on both sides of the river valley to Spence's Bridge.  This is rain-shadow country;  semi-desert plateaus shielded by Coast Mountains to the west and the Columbia Mountains to the east.  On our way, we will pass Goldpan Provincial Park, and excellent chance to stop and have a little dip.   Temperatures in this area are often the highest in Canada.  Our turn around point, the town of Spence's Bridge is famous for steelhead fishing and is the site of one of the oldest operating hotels in BC.  Have a look at the historic Nlak'pamux church right at the junction of highway 1 and 8.

Here participants have a choice of riding back to the resort, or rafting back (additional cost for this).   There are 18 major rapids in the stretch of river between Spence's Bridge and Lytton graded from 1 to 5.  The white water rafting in this area is some of the best in the world and not to be missed.  Your bike will be transported back to Kumsheen for you. 

On Day Three, we will head south to Lytton where we will cross over the Thompson and head out towards Lillooet on highway 12.  As we descend into Lytton, keep your eyes open for acacia trees planted along the village streets.  It was planted for its hardiness, its shade, and its suitability in constructing wagon wheels. 

A little park directly across from the information centre displays two historial aspects of Lytton - a railway caboose and the Lytton Jelly Roll.  Cabooses are no longer used on the railway but have been replaced by a small flashing light at the end of the last railway car of the train.  Lytton Jelly Roll is a large sand and silt structure that is mounted on the wall facing the park.  The original, a rolled layer of silt encased in coarser sands and gravels was uncovered in a gravel pit just south of Lytton.  11,000 -25,000 years ago, this area was originally a lake bottom.  The melting glaciers left water and sediment as they retreated.  These sediments were unstable, leading to frequent movement as slippage from the lake side to the centre in a turbid current.   A layer of fine sediment remained plastic and was rolled rather than broken up forming the Jelly Roll.  Also located in Lytton is the pioneer cemetery.  It is one of the few places in this area where native and non-native are buried side by side.

Highway 12 is one of the most beautiful roads in BC.  It has very low volumes of traffic because it is quite narrow, twisting, and in several places is virtually one lane.  But the scenery is amazing with the Coast Mountain Range on the west side of the river.  Several long valleys open up into the river valley we will be following.  Unfortunately, this area did not escape the dreadful forest fires over the last few summers.  We will pass through an area which was burned out, though the fires did not jump the valley to the wilderness on the west side. 

As we near Lillooet, we will see fields covered with black plastic.  These are farms growing ginseng, a major crop in this area.  Most of this ginseng is destined for the Oriental market.

Lillooet and its surrounding mountains and lakes is truly an undiscovered paradise.  Originally known as Cayoosh Flat because of the good grazing that Cayuses (Indian ponies) found here, Lillooet was renamed in the mid- 1860s in honour of the Lil'wat First Nations people who lived in the region.  Located on the sage and pine covered bench lands of the Fraser River, Lillooet is blessed with a semi-arid climate, and virtually no mosquitoes and other biting insects.

For those with some energy to spare when you reach Lillooet, we have several options for you - continue riding up to Seton Lake, just 5 km up the road.  This is a favourite swimming hole.  On the way up, take some time to visit the fish hatchery.  Another option is to go jet boating.  We have arranged a special jet boat excursion (additional charge for this), an exhilarating experience right from the campsite.  You will travel downriver and see many historical artifacts on the way.  If you missed out on the rafting, or just had so much fun you want more, here is another chance to get wet.

Lillooet itself has many historical spots to explore.  In addition to the Lillooet Museum, there is also a pioneer cemetery, Miyazaki Heritage House, and Anglican Church.  Main Street points due north and was built wide enough for traders to turn their 20 oxen carts.  The old Salt Box frame house, once ringed with porches, is the former home of the Bridge River - Lillooet News.  It was originally built as a rooming house and how houses several private apartments.  The Chinese Rock Piles provide a reminder of the search for gold by Chinese people.  Washing the sand and gravel for the elusive yellow metal, the Chinese neatly piled the washed rocks in long rows, more than 12 feet high in some places.   The rocks are found on both sides of the Fraser River.

Hangman's Tree, located on the benchland overlooking Lillooet was allegedly used as a gallows during the 1880s by the hanging judge, Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie.  The offending branch has long since gone, but the gnarly old pine remains.  You can also find the Bridge of 23 Camels, a memorial to a failed experiment of trying to use camels as pack animals during the Gold Rush.  Their tender feet, foul odour, and bad tempers led to this scheme's demise.

The old bridge which we will use to leave Lillooet on Day 4 is located where the original bridge spanned the Fraser.  The current suspension bridge of steel cables and wood is limited to pedestrians and cyclists.  It replaced a trussed bridge first built where the reaction ferry originally allowed for a crossing of the Fraser.  Heading north out of town, we will start to follow highway 99.  Once again we will be rewarded with fantastic views after climbing far up above the river and then turning east to head through Marble Canyon. The limestone canyon is a rather rare geological formation in British Columbia;  the white, chalk-faced slopes are certainly not composed of granite, as are the nearby Coast Mountains. And the weathered peaks, surmounted by the remarkable Chimney Rock, have the appearance of a crumbling castle wall.

Our stopping place for the night will be Hat Creek Ranch.  Built in 1861 on the wide open plain, Hat Creek Ranch sat at the junction of the Lillooet and Fort Kamloops trails, an excellent location for a roadhouse.  The Ranch catered to miners, pack-train operators, stagecoaches, and wagon trains for 50 years before the introduction of the automobile to the Cariboo.  A restored historical site, many of the original crafts are still being demonstrated.  On site is a model of a Shuswap Nation village and an actual kekuli pit house. 

Bright and early the next morning we will commence Day 5 with a short ride south into Cache Creek before turning east to continue on highway 97/1.   There are a number of popular stories of how this town got its unique name.   Some have told tales of gold miners caching or hiding provisions here, while others have recounted mysteries of plunder, murder and hidden gold.  The most likely theory is that Cache Creek was the collection site for fur traders travelling east and the furs were cached or stored at this junction.  Cache Creek is the midway point between BC's lower mainland and Cariboo country. 

Following the Thompson River, we will travel through this arid countryside along the Trans-Canada Highway.  Stunning views await us at every bend.  Nestled on the west end of Kamloops Lake, we will pass through Savona.  Originally located on the north side of the lake, Savona was the drop off point of the stagecoach.  Passengers wishing to travel further east caught a steamboat to Kamloops.  In 1885 when CP Rail came to the region, some of the buildings were pulled across the lake on the ice and the community was relocated. 

The rest area to the east of Savona at the top of Savona Hill offers a spectacular view of Kamloops Lake.   The balancing rock can be seen by looking to the west from the lookout.  This huge boulder sits on the top of a large clay hoodoo pillar that has been eroded by thousands of years of wind.  Our route takes us beside fields of ginseng.  Once we reach the outskirts of Kamloops, we will use the bike route to descend into the heart of Kamloops.

Known for dry, hot summers, and dry, cold winters, Kamloops is popular for both summer and winter sports (the Tournament Capital of BC), is large enough to support an airport and a university, but small enough to make it an ideal overnight spot for TourBC.  Fur traders have been active in this area since the early 1800's and before the gold rush, fur trading and horse breeding were the main activities in this region.  During the gold rush, farms were established to feed the hoardes of miners heading north. 

When BC became part of Canada in 1871, a railway was promised to join the country east to west.  Surveys started promptly and construction reached this area in 1883.  At that time, there was only a small village and many ranches in the area.  Once the railway was completed three years later, the community mushroomed and Kamloops was incorporated as a city in 1893.  Lumber and sawmills became a vital industry.  Mining also crept into the area as a major employer.  A hub city, Kamloops sits on the junction of the TransCanada Highway and the Yellowhead Highway both completed between 1962 and 1970.    

Leaving Kamloops, on Day 6, we will climb up and over a ridge and immediately find ourselves in countryside filled with grasslands, rolling hills, historic ranches, and shimmering lakes.  Like many of the other regions we have cycled through, the Nicola Valley is steeped in history, mining, railways, western lifestyle, First Nations culture.  The range of wildlife and vegetation in the valley varies dramatically with terrain and elevation, and the entire Nicola Valley is filled with amazing natural attractions.   Wind erosion has created unique formations in the walls of Windy Canyon near Merritt and ancient glacial shorelines of 10,000 year old glacial lakes are visible in the grasslands on our route into Merritt. 

As we make our way along highway 5A, you will notice several wetland areas and many varieties of indigenous birds.  Also along this route, we will pass by the remote Quilchena Hotel.   Guests are treated to a taste of life as it was.  The hotel was built in anticipation of the railway to Princeton being built along the Quilchena Creek, which it was not, but the hotel opened anyway.  Forced to close during Prohibition, it was re-opened in the late 50's and is run by descendants of the same family who built the hotel. 

Merritt, our last overnight stop of the Tour is a service centre for the ranch country of the Nicola Valley.   Initially discovered by explorers looking for a route between the coast and the interior, the valley was used as a brigade trail in the 1850s.  A settlement formed at the junction of the Nicola and Coldwater Rivers.  Hosting the Nicola Valley Museum, and beautiful Baillie House, Merritt's history, setting, and sunshine make it a wonderful place to enjoy our last evening this trip.   Watch for the copper dome of the Coldwater Hotel as we come into town. 

Merritt is famous for the Mountain Music Festival (July 13-16, 2006) and you will notice a definite western theme as you travel through town towards our campground at the Claybanks RV Park, right in the centre of town and on the banks of the Coldwater River.

On Day 7, we will follow the Coldwater Road south out of town, following the Kettle Valley Railway Route.  This road links us with highway 5, the Coquihalla Highway, the only toll highway in BC (tolls do not apply to cyclists).  Opened with a bicycle race in 1986 in time for Vancouver's World Fair, focussed on transportation, the Coquihalla Highway joins Hope, Merritt, and Kamloops.  Avalanche chutes scar the mountainside and are a visible reminder of the steep terrain. 

From the Coldwater exit, we will cross the Coldwater river again several times before making our way up Larson Hill and onto the Thompson Plateau.  Shortly after the toll booth, we will crest the summit of Coquihalla Pass at 1240 m (4068 ft), the high point of our Tour and descend passed the Great Bear Snow Shed on our way into Hope.  Several markers exist on the highway identifying stations on the Kettle Valley Railway, all with Shakespearean names.

Just outside of Hope, we will exit the Coquihalla on Kawkawa Lake Road to visit the Othello or Quintette Tunnels, and engineering feat in the building of the Kettle Valley Railway.  There are five tunnels in all and participants will have the choice of walking through the tunnels and then following the railway grade back into Hope or continuing on Kawkawa Lake after they have toured the tunnels.  Both routes end up at the same spot approximately two kilometres from the finish of our Tour.

Click here for a locator map of the general area.

Click here for overall & daily profiles of the route.

TourBC not only offers you great scenery, but great support also.  We have an exceptional on-route team.  Ambulance Al provides medical support to take care of you, and Pete, the Bike Guy, provides mechanical support to take care of your bicycle.  Our tour leaders ride with you and are a font of information about the area as well as capable mechanics and first aid support.  The entire route is signed for you, so that you will always know that you are on track. 

On the road, we provide catered cyclist-sized meals with staffed water and lunch stops.  Our luggage vehicle travels ahead of the group to make sure that your tent and gear arrives at the next stop before you do.  For those who choose to stay in motels instead of camping, we will deliver and collect your luggage for you.  It is your responsibility to make sure that our truck driver is given a list of which days you will be using motels and which motel you are using.  Our massage therapy staff are on hand after the day's ride to aid with your recovery.  And our photographer makes sure we capture the great time you are having and the wonderful scenery.

Our group is small in comparison to other mass bike rides - we limit ourselves to 120 participants.  We have a very high participant return rate and a high participant to staff ratio.  You are never just a participant number, but part of the TourBC family.  We endeavour to make sure that your trip meets your expectations.  Please read this website thoroughly so that you know what we are offering and what you can expect.

TourBC offers seven days of fun, fun, and more fun, for experienced cyclists and cyclo-tourists.