British Columbia is home to some of the best riding on the planet. It doesn’t matter whether you ride on-road, off-road or somewhere in between, an amazing ride is usually just a few minutes away. Add in the fact that the southern portions of the province enjoy some of the longest riding seasons in the country and it makes perfect sense that BC is a frequent destination for motorcyclists from all over Canada and around the globe.
Having been fortunate to participate in several rides in BC, I was confident that these experiences encapsulated what the province had to offer, but it turns out that I was wrong. While walking through the Vancouver Motorcycle Show, the Travel Penticton booth caught my eye and led to the opportunity to meet the association’s Executive Director, Thom Tischik. As avid motorcyclist Thom described some of his favourite roads and trails in the Penticton area, it quickly became obvious that just passing through on the way to track days in nearby Osoyoos or trips to the US, does not do this area justice.
With this oversight acknowledged, plans were made to get out to Penticton as soon as possible to check out the area first-hand. Despite the best laid plans, travelling in the west the last couple of years has not been easy, between forest fires that left much of BC and Alberta in a fog of smoke throughout the 2018 riding season and the unusual levels of precipitation in 2019. Finally, after multiple false starts and cancelled trips, this fall I met up with IM’s Bruce Thomas in Calgary and we headed out for Penticton.
Travelling in September can be both a good and a bad thing. On the positive side, the armadas of recreational vehicles that clog highways have been returned to storage, however temperatures at this time of year can catch you off guard. Departing Calgary in 9 degree Celsius weather made me grateful for the heated grips and seat on the Gold Wing that Honda Canada graciously provided for this trip. As we summited Rogers Pass on the Trans-Canada Highway where temperatures had dropped to just above freezing, I couldn’t imagine how this trip would have been possible without these amenities.
Arriving at our planned meeting spot with Thom in Sicamous, BC, the first order of business was to remove extra layers, switch gloves and acclimatize to the warmer temperature that was already above 20 degrees. A quick lunch stop later, we were on our way south to Penticton. Along the way, Thom’s local knowledge made sure that we were able to take advantage of a few side roads that offered the chance to leave the main highway traffic behind. Included among these alternate routes was Westside Road, which follows the west side of Lake Okanagan and avoids the traffic congestion of Vernon and Kelowna. I have ridden this road several times before and the combination of elevation changes, tight corners and an amazing view make it a road that you need to ride every chance you get.
Arriving in Penticton and riding along the city streets towards our hotel, while we were only 60 kilometres south of Kelowna it was as though we had travelled back in time, reminding me of when I used to work in Kelowna before the skyline became dominated by large condo towers and hotels. While Penticton offers the same level of amenities, the development of the city seems to have been more focused on retaining the character of the lakeside vacation towns of my childhood.
With bikes safely parked at the hotel it was time for dinner and an introduction to one of the emerging industries in the Penticton area. While the area remains known for its wineries and orchards, craft beer is the new drawing card in town. The opportunity to sample the offerings from a few of the six craft breweries currently operating in the area left me planning a return trip to follow the Penticton Ale Trail.
Drawing on Thom’s enthusiasm for riding and the Penticton area, he and his team at Travel Penticton have created the Let’s Ride Motorcycle Guide, which lays out loops with both cruiser and dual sport options, ranging from as short as 85 km up to almost 400 km. Looking through the guide, Thom’s vision of Penticton serving as a base from which motorcycle riders can do several days of riding made perfect sense. A copy of the guidebook is available for free download by visiting www.visitpenticton.com/motorcycle-touring/.
Waking up to clear skies and temperatures that were already warm enough to erase the memories of the cool weather we experienced in Calgary less than 24 hours before, Thom greeted us in the parking lot anxious to show us the calibre of riding that awaits riders in the Penticton area. With a plan that would allow us to experience several of the routes from the Let’s Ride guide, we left Penticton heading west on Green Mountain Road, eventually joining up to Hwy 3A, which would take us south towards Hwy 3 and Osoyoos. In addition to the excellent road condition with corners taken from a rider’s dreams and the lack of other traffic, the ever-changing landscape was fascinating. In less than 100 km we travelled through the lush forests to canyons and arid desert before climbing Richter Pass and descending into Osoyoos.
Heading north from Osoyoos on Hwy 97, Thom led us on a detour along the winding Black Sage Road before crossing over the main highway and onto White Lake Road. Continuing along this great stretch of asphalt, we came upon Federal Government signage instructing that all electronic devices need to be turned off. After stopping to comply with this requirement we resumed our ride and three kilometres later, we arrived at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory. Established in 1960, this facility houses multiple radio telescopes, including the massive 26-metre single-dish John A. Galt telescope. The grounds of the facility are open to the public making it a must-stop location for anyone travelling through.
Back in Penticton, we weren’t quite ready to call it a day so Thom led us along the Naramata Bench road. Home to more than 40 wineries and tasting rooms, it is easy to become conflicted between enjoying the ride or taking a chauffeured tour to check out some of the best wines in North America. If we had more time the perfect solution would have been to do both – take the ride one day and go back for a wine tour the second. Something to keep in mind for next time. For the purpose of this trip the ride was the way to go and it did not disappoint. In addition to the amazing road that featured non-stop corners, Thom’s local knowledge was once again on display as he took us along the little travelled, sandstone lined Old Town Road into the village of Naramata.
That night, as we reflected on our amazing day of riding, the realization that we had only scratched the surface of what the Penticton area has to offer ensured that I would be returning. Heading back to the hotel along the lakeside boardwalk the perfectly lit silhouette of the SS Sicamous paddlewheeler served as a reminder that in addition to its amazing roads, Penticton is an amazing destination all by itself and that a return trip would need to include additional time just to explore the city.
With our time in Penticton over, it was time to talk about riding back to Calgary the next day. Somewhere along the line, I must have forgotten that I was riding with IM’s top travel writer, who racks up more miles in a month than most people do in a season. That reality came crashing back as he casually mentioned that he had planned a 500-kilometre cannonball ride for us the next morning as a warm-up, before we made our way back to Calgary, but that, as they say, is a story for another time.
This story originally appeared in the pages of the January 2020 issue of Inside Motorcycles magazine.
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