TCAT

Chapter: The Mountains


Current Route Filename:  Mount01


Created By: Ross Glover


Length: Approximately 3500 kilometers

Unless otherwise stated all photos are by Ross Glover

Introduction

The B.C. mainland section of the TCAT takes a very indirect route from Radium Hot Springs to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, just north of Vancouver.  The route had to meet certain criteria such as being suitable for a big dual sport bike loaded with everything needed for a 45 day cross-country expedition, to stay off paved roads as much as possible, be scenic and offer a look into B.C.’s historical and cultural past.  It passes through seven regions of the province;  Kootenays, Boundary, Okanagan, Shuswap, Cariboo, Chilcotin and the Coastal Mountains.  Each region offers a distinctively different experience and scenery.

In order to keep the desired “off the beaten path” feeling expected on the TCAT, larger communities have been deliberately avoided.  Accordingly, the route goes through small towns and villages which will serve as service and supply centres for the route.

The very thing that makes B.C. so beautiful, the mountain ranges, are also the one thing that makes it difficult to find routes that will be consistently open.  Heavy snow loads in the mountains each winter usually mean the high possibility of melting snow overfilling creeks and rivers damaging bridges and roads in the spring.  The repairs can be slow at best and will likely mean the loss of damaged roads for the entire summer or even longer.  It is quite possible that some of the TCAT routes will be unavailable due to this.  It is recommended to have a good B.C. map to find detours around problem areas you might encounter and pick up the route again as soon as possible.

The B.C. mainland section of the TCAT should take about 7 days from start to finish.  With a total distance of approximately 3,500 km, the average days ride is about 500 km’s in length.  This will mean long days on certain sections, especially in bad weather.  Factoring in the time to stop and enjoy the amazing scenery and experience the many historical sites, it is a challenging undertaking.

The best time of year to experience the entire route would be from mid-July to the end of September.


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