"The Many (Mis) Adventures of DR N": The Baja Veteran Mountain Trail and I unite once again.

John sold this to Joey's Only Penticton

In 1992, after having returned to Fort Mac following a marriage break-up, I was conned into Chief Instructing the National Motorcycle Training Program I had founded there in the late seventies. In reality, I was not totally unprepared for this as John at Four Seasons once again stepped up to the plate and provided bikes for training purposes.

The Mountain Trail

Among other bikes I brought aboard were 4 then new Yamaha XT 225 street trail bikes. Prior to my departure after several mores years of teaching, I had set two of the 225's aside which I bought for myself and then girlfriend Deb. They were numbers 643 and 645. Over the years, we rode them into many places including overland on the Gray Creek pass from Kimberly to the Kootenay lakes, over the defunct Elk pass right atop the Continental Divide, much of Alberta and BC back-roads and after breaking up with Deb I continued to ride them.

I even rode them in Baja California and one was featured in CDN Biker in an early 2005 story about riding the Sierra Giganta mountains.

When the difficult decision as to what to keep and what to let go of preceding our move to PEI came, I sold 643 to my youngest niece Cindy, the bike I was now looking at sitting in her living room. This same motorcycle had been a very trusted companion on that 2004 Baja ride, carrying me over some of the Score Baja 1000 race course.

Marg told me Saturday, while we were sitting at Joey's Only in Penticton, where I admired the Marlin John had caught many years prior during a fishing trip down south, that Cin would be back the following night. I decided I would wait for her arrival so we could spend some time together and while waiting I would take the Serow for a trail ride over some of the roads I'd ridden on my DT 50 during a 2003 visit to the valley while recovering from a nasty car/bike rear end collision the previous year.

That trip was also featured in an article published by CDN Biker early in 2004, titled "B.C. on 49cc a Day"

Because the weather was so hot (reaching low 40's) I set out early to take advantage of the shade offered by the mountains while things were cooler. By the time the temperature had reached the mid thirties I was high up crossing ranges and taking advantage of tree shade.

On this occasion I rode the east side road along Skaha's banks into OK Falls where I crossed the channel and headed up the Green Lake road into the Willowbrook Valley, where my sis once had a home and mushroom farm. Too bad the timing was wrong, as they could certainly have raised cannibis for medicinal purposes there now!

Wouldn't doubt it!

Ho hum scenery.

From there I dropped down into Oliver, fueled up (the Serow had delivered 104mpg on her first leg) and heading west on the Fairview road across to Keremeos. The road is now well oiled and smoothed by obvious heavy equipment contrary to what is was like 12 years before. By the time I descended into the Valley I was quite hot and in need of a cooling refreshment, so I dropped in on sister's once again, to surprise them all over. I left Keremeos on highway 3 for a brief time before taking the turnoff to Apex ski resort and from there heading back towards Penticton. The Apex access road is twisty and follows the lay of the land through deep canyons and gentle ponds, just the kind of place dual sport motorcycles thrive.

With plenty of ground clearance, light weight and enough power, the 20hp Serow was thrown round tight corners, over hill and down dale, with a pilot that was grinning ear to ear! Even though the bike is not fast per'se...
the corners at 60-80 kph were plenty thrilling!

A few miles west of the city I veered off on the Marron Valley road which follows the open range while surrounded by mountains, a ranchers paradise if I ever saw one.

Same pic in CB, different bike.

I wanted to complete all the roads leading into and out of the Willowbrook Valley and after turning off at Twin Lakes, traversing the pretty little village I kept my speed at around 80 kph and took advantage of the sun on my back while finishing of the various routes, only having to back track for a few kilometers to get them all in.

Hike that baby!

Nearly back in Penticton, approaching highway 97, I decided to head south instead and see what the old Kaleden road was like. Even though this unpaved, unmaintained narrow road was barely three kilometers of dirt, it reminds me so much of riding the Baja mountains with it's dry, desert like topography, vegetation, rocky promontories and isolated atmosphere. For twenty minutes following the old narrow cliff track with sheer drop offs and no guard rails in sight, you'd swear you were riding the Sierra's, the Superstitions or the Bradley mountains.

Looks much like the American SW

Of course one look to the east, where Skaha lake fills the valley, and you know you're not in Baja. In place of the blue green clear water lake, there would be a rocky and wide dry riverbed.

Old Kaleden Hotel KVR rail line

I snapped yet more photos of the old Kaleden Hotel, then stopped at the corner store for the obligatory Coke and a bag of chips.

I don't know why I decided to retrace the old trail I'd just covered, rather than just riding into the city on the highway but I am sure glad I did. Just prior to the trail, I came across a doe and fawn, which was no more than knee high.

Coming round the corner I immediately cut the engine as I have often done and coasted to a stop, afraid the knobby tires would startle the pair. Mom was very nervous while the little one just stood on the roadway 50 feet ahead. I went to video mode on my Olympus and was able to capture some 60 seconds of footage as finally mother walked warily within a foot of my throttle along the hill side and the frisky little fawn literally pranced by me, stopping right at my front axle to scope me out. They then disappeared up the hillsides and things were back to normal.

Surprise.

Who am I kidding... this is all quite normal in the Dr.s life!

Back through some of the back roads on the east side, stung for a second time during the day by an insect that went under my visor then got caught in my chin strap. I could hear the buzzing and not thinking, with glove less fingers I pulled it out and away but not before it stung my ring finger, which promptly and painfully swelled up before days end.