Back

Riding the Trans Canadian Trail

A little background on this morning’s ride: Canada has been converting old railroad right-of-ways to public access trails. The unusual aspect of this conversion is that the trails are open to all users: hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders, ATVs and motorcycles. Many user groups voluntarily take care of sections of the trail and it is used with respect to other users so as to keep the access open to all. The rail beds themselves have been cleared of the old rails and the trestles have been retrofitted with solid planking and rails. I was really impressed with the condition of the trails that I rode that morning.

Our group was about a dozen motorcycles of all different kinds. The sidecar rig was joining us, as well as a couple of true “dirt bikes”. Then there was the dual sport range from KLR 650s to GS1150s – it was a good assortment of machinery. We took off from Jim’s house and headed down along Arrow Lake to a logging yard. I don’t think I could have found this trail on my own, as the rail bed was raised above the yard, hidden in the tree line and partially blocked off by a chain link fence. Dave was leading the group and bopped up and over the rails, the center portion filled with loosely packed gravel, and then down the other side. A quick turn to the right around the fence allowed him to pop back up on to the rails on the other side of the fence. Unfortunately he didn’t go very far when he stopped to wait for the rest of us. By the time it was my turn to “pop up over the rails and around the fence” all of the bikes that had gone in front of me had stopped, blocking the path just passed the turn around the fence. I couldn’t see this when it was my turn and the blockage surprised me when I turned the corner. I applied my brakes in mid turn, which of course set me off balance – the heavy GS slowly leaned over despite my efforts to keep it upright and it landed with a soft thud on the rocks. With some help I got it upright and gingerly rode it up the now-clear path to the rail bed. So much for an easy start to the day.

The first few yards of the trail still had the iron rails on it, the space in between packed tightly with gravel. It was easy riding and I could catch glimpses of Arrow Lake through the trees off to the right. Like any good railroad, the elevation gain was gradual. In fact, I didn’t even notice it as the trail took leisurely loops in and out of the trees, admiring the skill that it must have taken to engineer the smooth, even corners despite the rocks, trees, gullies and cliffs. And all of it was done by hand, including the three tunnels we passed through along the way. One tunnel is 1km long, complete with a slight bend to it so that you can’t see the end of the tunnel until you’re at it.
It took us two hours to traverse about 30 miles of rail bed. Of course we stopped frequently for photos and, well, more photos. The pace was quick while we were moving though, as the smooth and predictable route took away any surprises. There were some bicyclists and we slowed down considerably for them as they stood to one side to allow us to pass. Recent rains kept the dust level down, something that was greatly appreciated by anyone not in the lead.