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The Kettle Valley Railway Trail Rises from its own Ashes In May, 2003 Linda and I spent 4 days cycling 220 km of the Kettle Valley Railway Trail from Midway to Penticton, British Columbia. The trestles and tunnels of Myra Canyon, the larch forests, and the joy of cycling in a car-free environment created an idyllic holiday. Tragically, 3 months after our trip, many of the trees and most of the trestles were destroyed by forest fires, so some of the sights shown in these pictures will not be seen again. The 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Fire from August to September 2003 resulted in 12 of the 18 trestles on the Myra Canyon section of the route being burned down. Additionally, the bridge decks of two of the metal trestles were destroyed in the fire. Soon after the 2003 forest fire, the B.C provincial government announced that it was rebuilding the damaged trestles. As a result of this support and a huge volunteer effort, public access to Myra Canyon on a bicycle is again available.
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| Mile 0 at Midway, British Columbia. The trail meets the Kettle River at Rock Creek and then follows the river to Beaverdell. | |
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At Rhone, along the way to Beaverdell, we visited Paul Lautard's "Cyclists' Rest." It began when Paul erected a war memorial. Since then he has built a picnic shelter and a delightful hostel that looks like a caboose. Paul greeted us, showed us around, and told us wonderful stories. He turned out to be the brother of a dear friend of mine. His dog did amazing tricks for us. |
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Two of the many trestles in Myra Canyon. Now, sadly, probably all gone. |
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| The trestles were built of wood soaked in creosote and when the railway workers replaced rotten or damaged beams, they just threw the old ones down the canyon, creating conditions for a bonfire beneath each trestle. Once a fire started, there was no hope of putting it out. | |
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Along with the trestle, there were tunnels. |
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| After Myra Canyon, the trail descended through forests and grasslands to the Okanagan Valley, then winding through the vinyards of Naramata to Penticton. | |
