10/11/2008

Life After Fire Words and Photos by Marc Arellano

In 2003 severe forest fires raged through the hills above Kelowna. Following months of drought a lightning strike started one of the worst fires in B.C. history. Most of the city was put on evacuation alert and residents living near the Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park were forced to flee their homes. By the time the fires were put out 234 homes were destroyed, dozens of heritage trestles along the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) were ruined or damaged and hundreds of kilometres of trails were made impassible.

Over the past two years the community, cycling activists and government agencies have worked together to get the Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park back on track and accessible to outdoor enthusiasts. Along the KVR (one of the hardest hit areas - the Little White FS Rd to the Myra FS Rd) a 15km ride-around has been constructed to keep the KVR open to hikers and bikers.

The last time I rode in the park, a couple of months before the fires, I enjoyed one of the best rides of my life - a shuttle drop off the KVR that flowed down a wicked trail network offering an amazing mix of shore-style ladders and log rides, natural rock drops and steep slickrock sections. Back then the park was not yet an official park with full provincial status. Everyone just referred to the area as Crawford. It was lush and green, and also the best place to ride when the thermometer pushed 30 plus.

Loading up Ron's shuttle rocket

So when I returned this summer to ride my favourite trails in the park, I was pretty anxious because I was expecting to see a lunar landscape pocked with the charred remains of an old growth Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir forest. I had heard so many reports in the media suggesting the area was ruined and would never be the same.

Back in 2003 I hit a network of trails by chance so this time around I hooked up with Ron Van den Elzen and his knowledgeable staff at Kelowna Cycles, a local shop that's been part of the riding community for over 20 years. Every Wednesday night the boys organize a shop ride and hit the trails in the park or the nearby Gillard trail network (Gillard is a another story) so I knew I would have some great guides.

As we climb up the Little White FS Rd (thanks for the ride Ron) I'm relieved to see both sides of the gravel road thick with trees and vegetation. Stoires I had heard painted a picture of complete destruction. After about 15 more minutes we pop out at the entry to the Outhouse trail - a level trail that traverses a newly made firebreak and leads to the lower portion of the Vapour trail.

Note to self: Bring TP next time cause there really is an old outhouse at the beginning of the trail.

We start the ride under cloudy and wet skies - so much for Okanagan sunshine - but my guides, Shane Jensen and Adam Elliot point out that the moisture keeps the dust down and the trails open. Hey, you gotta look on the bright side of things - it's an attitude also shared by many locals when you ask them about life after the fires. No one wallows in self-pity, even after losing a house or business; instead folks talk excitedly about moving forward and about how they've rebuilt. It's truly inspiring.

I start to pedal and feel my muscles warm up. Out of the corner of my eye I spy an ominous pile of berry-digested turd - a rather large pile. I quickly catch up to the guys and ask, "did you see what I saw?" Both confirm my suspicion and suggest that we don't stick around. It's kind of ironic to find bear scat on a trail named Outhouse.

Another Note to self: Bring bear spray on next ride, or someone who isn't as fast as I am.

After about 15-20 minutes of pedaling and weaving through the stump-strewn firebreak Shane and Adam stop at a fork and point out the entrance to Lower Vapour. The boys give me the heads up on what to expect and then let'er rip. Whoever planned and built this trail deserves huge kudos. It's all about single-track flow and natural obstacles. Don't expect to find hemorrhage inducing drops like Digger's Rock on the Shore or man-made stunts because the trails are bound by provincial park guidelines. Nonetheless, there are rocky, rooty, tight lines down unforgiving rock ledges that you can either launch or roll. It's just incredible to ride in an area of the Okanagan that feels as lush as a coastal forest. It's a small miracle that this part of the park was spared by the 2003 inferno.

For the next 10-15 minutes, Shane and Adam lead me down an incredible trail punctuated by fun kickers and steep, off-camber switchbacks. I was so happy that I opted for my Fluid instead of my hardtail - a 2001 Torrent. Don't get me wrong - I love riding my hardtail - but with my dualli I can just sit back and enjoy the ride and let my mind wander into the zone. Then it hits me; Vapour has the same feel as The Powerhouse Plunge in Squamish. They're both about flowing technical lines and lots of natural obstacles.

The top section of Lower Vapour

As we drop elevation the light showers turn to the odd drop and the vegetation changes from ferns,conifers and deciduous trees to tall grasses that sway like a fields of wheat. I come around a corner and Shane and Adam are stopped at the top of a rock ledge. Down below is the most incredible view. A meadow of yellow grasses littered with the charred remains of pine and fir.

"The re-growth mixed with the burnt old growth makes for a surreal landscape," says Shane. Adam grins and adds, "now you can see the valley and Kelowna below." They're both right; it's a spectacular view.

A reminder of the 2003 fires

The next section of trail takes us along the old XC race course and onto the Connector trail. I remember riding these back in 2000 when I spent about 4 months in the area, but I can't recognize a thing. The fires obliterated all the original vegetation. One of my favourite old rides climbed through Crawford Estates, past the waterfall at the western edge of the park, before rolling over the Connector trail and eventually to The Pink Highway. With the forest canopy and creek side trails, it was the perfect loop to do on a sweltering summer's day. Now that western side is a bare landscape thanks to the fires and bulldozers.

Adam leading Shane into a new landscape

The Connector trail is all about speed. Stay off your brakes and lean into the corners and you'll have a blast. There is a bit of up and down but no real big climbs. The warmer air tells me that we must be close to the parking lot which marks the end of the ride. Adam and Shane stop and prep me for the Lower Bench section and warn me about a set of rollers. Apparently they've seen a few riders do unintentional nose-wheelies after getting bucked from the first or second whoop. I've had a healthy respect for whoop-de-dos since I saw a good bud dislocate his shoulder on a set at Whistler.

Shane and Adam split off and take different lines into the roller section. Shane chooses a 20-30 ft section of steep slickrock; remember that everything is wet, so now it's really "slick" rock. Shane's back wheel starts to get away from him, but he holds it together and flashes a quick smile at us as he heads for the last section of trail. Adam hops on Shane's back wheel and I follow up behind. The two hit the rollers and make it look like there's nothing there. I hit the first roller and realize my speed and timing are off. I just pull up as hard as I can and hope to hit the top of the next one. I know if I land short I'll auger into the back of the next mound and really eat it. My landing isn't perfect but I don't bite it. I back off the next set and just coast into the parking lot.

Shane grabbing a little air time

It's awesome to finish such a great ride with a grin and a head full of incredible memories. I can't thank the boys at Kelowna Cycle enough. They took me on such a stellar ride, and I can't wait to return so I can explore more of the trails we cut across during our descent.

Shane stylin' through the new growth

When I think about it now, fire is an opportunity for renewal. I hope this doesn't sound cliché, but even though the park has changed, and some of my favourite trails no longer exist, life after the fire is ok. Everyone is working hard to rebuild lives, homes, businesses and trails. It's encouraging to see local riders and shops continuing with what we're all passionate about - enjoying the outdoors and embracing the ride.

Shane and Adam cruising lower Vapour

Want to know more: http://kelownacycle.ca/
(KC site has pdf downloadable maps and directions)

Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park
(Some good history and culture info)

- Marc Arellano

Marc Arellano is a freelance writer and an Assistant Professor of Professional Communication at the new Okanagan College in Kelowna, BC.
Shane Jensen works at Kelowna Cycle and gives a shout out to Friends of the South Slopes (FOSS).Favourite park trail: The Connector
Adam Elliot also works at Kelowna Cycle. He prefers Hill Billie in the park and appreciates rolling single-track with rocks to break things up.