EXPLORING THE KOOTENAYS
 | The Kootenays hold a special place in my heart because I was raised in Nelson. On this trip I found a great balance of all aspects to mountain biking that I love. Not only were the trails amazing, fun, and flowy but we also experienced steep singletrack, up and down! The communities were as incredible as the food and beer they offered. -Kelli Sherbinin, Endless Biking |
Take six people, some of whom have never met, and put them on the road for a week of big 'Kootenay' rides, close living quarters, and beer sampling at every stop, what happens? They form a travelling family that is full of laughs even when the going gets tough, the sun gets hot, and the tires go flat (over and over). Our trip took us, along with the Mountain Biking BC contest winner, Jason Wright, to Rossland, Kimberly, Fernie, Nelson and Retallack. We played with foxes in the woods, drove through thunder storms, drank margaritas, and stayed off the grid. We braved the rapids of the Slocan Valley and got some of the earliest tracks on the Peak to Creek trail, not to mention that we almost won at 80's music trivia in Nelson. There is a good chance we also bought too much homemade candy in Kimberly, but that was really an unavoidable inevitability.
The photos below capture just some of the highlights from an area that is rich in history, mountain bike culture, and community. As a group we feel lucky to have experienced the balance of the warm welcoming people and rugged, natural trails. And of course we can't wait to go back!
| I think the highlight of the trip for me was meeting the contest winner, Jason. He is a great guy, very intelligent and a very capable rider. We could take him anywhere and he was cool with it! -Darren Butler, Endless Biking |
| There were many highlights for me; from the instant family that we created from a group of relative strangers to the welcoming hospitality we received part from the amazing riding communities we visited. -Martin Littlejohn, Mountain Biking BC |
| Local mountain biking advocates in each community lead us on tours that showcased the variety of riding in their town. Every location offered a different flavor of riding, but all of them had something for every style of riders. -Kelli Sherbinin, Endless Biking |
| I loved having locals join us each day, they helped share the vibe and style of each community. We are all one big happy family in the biking scene in British Columbia, so it was great to connect the dots and bring even more people together. -Darren Butler, Endless Biking |
| This trip had an awesome variety of mountain biking; some serious climbing, sweet shuttles, giggly and flowy stuff, and giggly rickety stuff too! Each ride was unique and unlike the next. -Darren Butler, Endless Biking |
| Having the opportunity to meet super cool people all over the province, who were all so passionate about their local trails, and then to rip with them was such a great part of the trip. Meeting the locals gave me a broader perspective each town. -Jason Wright, Contest Winner |
| The variety of trails and locations was perfect, especially for a 8 day trip, it had enough of all types of riding that it gave us some down time from pedaling when necessary, yet still was still super fun. -Jason Wright, Contest Winner |
| There is something wild about the Kootenays, it is raw and authentic, steeped in rugged history and mountain culture. It's not the easiest place to get to, but it's a hard place to leave! -Martin Littlejohn, Mountain Biking BC |
Photo Credit: Ben Gavelda / bengavelda.com
But I agree with leelau, Bc looks heavenly