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Things we've done

Like actually done ourselves

A few things we've done, seen, and used. WE get out there as much as we can and tend to be picky and hard on stuff...

We Went here

Things and places we've seen with our own eyes.

We ate here

Places where we filled our bellies.

We stayed here

Places we've laid our heads.

We Drank here

Places we've quenched our thirst.

We used this

Gear and equipment we've put to good use.

We learnt this

Stuff that we've learnt along the way. Either about motorcycles or ourselves.

Get Lost – Find Yourself

“Get Lost…Find Yourself” Adventure and Dualsport Motorcycle camping weekend. Critter Moto is excited to announce the first annual “Get Lost…Find Yourself” Adventure & Dualsport Motorcycle campout, taking place September 15-17, 2023 on beautiful northern Vancouver Island. This event is a charity fundraiser for HeadsUpGuys.org.  https://headsupguys.org/ HeadsUpGuys, a program of the University of British Columbia (UBC), is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness

Read More »

Darkwoods

What is Darkwoods? Well, its 63,000 Hectares of Conservation land just outside of Nelson. It’s a MASSIVE hunk of preserved wilderness, but lucky for us, there’s still some roads that go through it. It’s also known for the tiny community of Tye, sitting on an empty streatch of Kootenay Lake. If you decide to go all the way to the

Read More »

S2S Gold Rush – Nelson

the Sea to Sky is coming to Nelson!! Thursday ride from Sunshine Coast to Osoyoos (possibly through WA), stay at Osoyoos Hotel & Suites.Friday & Saturday stay at Baker Street Inn in Nelson.Sunday stay at Premier Best Western in Vernon.Monday ride back to Sunshine Coast. Yup, this is my home turf! So, I’m pretty excited to show it off a

Read More »

Bulldogish

What’s Bulldogish? Well, for lack of a better name, it’s the network of roads and trails that wander around the Bulldog Tunnel. Encompassing a loose circle that includes Castlegar, Christina Lake, Grand Forks and Edgewood this area has a ton of riding on offer. The area includes the classic C&W Railbed from Castlegar to Christina Lake along with Bulldog and

Read More »

Yahk to Kikomun Rd

So you say you need a route to connect between Yack and Jaffery? Well, here it is! If you’re going between Creston and Fernie, or up into the Bull River, this is the way! The is a sneaky back way that skirts the US border and Koocanusa that is for sure the best way if you’re linking up other bits.

Read More »
Map of Radium Motorcycle Routes

Radium

Welcome to Radium! There is so much amazing riding here to be had, both on and off-road. Here’s a selection of things you can ride, destinations to visit, and places to eat/drink/shop. Everything is rideable in either direction, and with many points to hop on or off depending on what else you want to do. Towns in this neck of

Read More »
Tonik Distillery Logo

Tonik Distillery

A Bit About Them… Our mission at Tonik is to create beverages that remedy life’s most common ailments. These “Miracle Cures” were passed down from our forefathers many moons ago. Following their timeless recipes, we craft drinks that taste so great they might just be delivered straight from the heavens! Click here to visit Tonik learn more And Pizza! There’s

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Wild North Brewing

Wild North Brewing

A Bit About Them Our mission is to bring an authentic craft beer culture to our hometown of Creston, BC in a way that honors local tastes while offering a platform into a new, adventurous world of craft beer.  We’re a high-spirited group of friends who love our community, friends, and family, but we still and always will enjoy the

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kootenay cider works logo

Kootenay Cider Works

Farm-crafted cider the traditional way. A small, mountainside cidery located in Nelson BC. It’s a boutique cider house, if you will, making cider crafted from apples grown in the Nelson area, as well as from a small orchard in Kelowna. The founder and cidermaker, Chris Schmidt, started Tod Creek Craft Cider in Victoria, then handed those reins over in 2020 to be

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Tailout Brewing

Founded by friends with a shared love of outdoor activities, especially fly-fishing, Tailout Brewing has a comfortable tasting room that features its stylish fish logo prominently. Indeed, the name “Tailout” refers to a shallow part of a river where fish tend to gather — in other words, a great place to cast a fly.  The idea for the brewery came

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Lions Head Pub

Not to be missed! A mandatory stop if you’re anywhere near Robson… The historical Lion’s Head focuses on quality food and beer. All the food is fresh and from scratch! The taps are reserved for BC Craft Beers. All of that in a warm and friendly traditional Tudor style pub. Situated right on the Columbia river; we have 2 outdoor

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Trail Beer Refinery

With a name that reflects Trail’s historic connection to mining, refining, and smelting, this brewery has a strong community focus. For the 13 local business partners who joined together to open Trail’s first craft brewery, it was an obvious choice to link its name to the city’s main industry. Trail is home to one of the world’s largest lead-zinc smelting

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Gaia map of the Kootenay Boundary motorcycle routes

Kootenay Boundary

It’s amazing how varied the terrain and communities are in the Kootenay Boundary region. You can travel through completely different environments all in the same day! And it’s all here to download in one PACK. Get the .gpx or .kml file via Gaia Gaia Tutorial on using files So, here’s how the maps works. Everything is based on the type

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West Kootenays

So much amazingness in the West Kootenays to explore! Smooth, twisty roads and stellar backcounty. It’s all here to download in one PACK. Get the .gpx or .kml file via Gaia Gaia Tutorial on using files So, here’s how the maps works. Everything is based on the type of riding surface. Colour-coded for your convenience! Green is paved, Blue is

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Kootenay Rockies North

There sure is a heck of a lot to explore in the Kootenay Rockies North area!  Sooooo many jagged peaks and mountain streams…. Get the .gpx or .kml file via Gaia Gaia Tutorial on using files This area is the real deal! OI literally stopped taking pictures because every amazingly stunning view just melted together… So much riding and camping

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kootenay map of the works

The WORKS

You want the works? Well, here it is! All the tracks, routes, and waypoints in one place. No better way to see the big picture, everything in one view. Way easier to plan that next ride, so get at it! Oh, and this one will be updated as new things get added, so keep checking for the newest version….. Download

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Vera @missvelocity sitting on a rock at Eagle Bay

Ride Report – West Kootenays Bottom to Top

Miss Velocity joined in on this most recent scouting mission. Sooooo nice to have my partner to help stay warm at night instead of shivering all by my lonesome! Eight days living off the bikes and fine tuning our systems. Still ticking off all the low-down bits since the snow is really hanging on this Spring… It’s all mapped!! So,

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View leaving Fernie

Ride Report – East Kootenay Exploration

Continuing in my mission to bring you’all the most current and detailed info about riding in the Kootenays, I again braved the cold and headed out. With 5 days this time, I went to see what was doable and what was still snowbound. It’s all mapped!! Click through on any map image if you want to see where all I

Read More »

Get Lost – Find Yourself

“Get Lost…Find Yourself” Adventure and Dualsport Motorcycle camping weekend. Critter Moto is excited to announce the first annual “Get Lost…Find Yourself” Adventure & Dualsport Motorcycle campout, taking place September 15-17, 2023 on beautiful northern Vancouver Island. This event is a charity fundraiser for HeadsUpGuys.org.  https://headsupguys.org/ HeadsUpGuys, a program of the University of British Columbia (UBC), is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness

Read More »

Darkwoods

What is Darkwoods? Well, its 63,000 Hectares of Conservation land just outside of Nelson. It’s a MASSIVE hunk of preserved wilderness, but lucky for us, there’s still some roads that go through it. It’s also known for the tiny community of Tye, sitting on an empty streatch of Kootenay Lake. If you decide to go all the way to the

Read More »

S2S Gold Rush – Nelson

the Sea to Sky is coming to Nelson!! Thursday ride from Sunshine Coast to Osoyoos (possibly through WA), stay at Osoyoos Hotel & Suites.Friday & Saturday stay at Baker Street Inn in Nelson.Sunday stay at Premier Best Western in Vernon.Monday ride back to Sunshine Coast. Yup, this is my home turf! So, I’m pretty excited to show it off a

Read More »

Bulldogish

What’s Bulldogish? Well, for lack of a better name, it’s the network of roads and trails that wander around the Bulldog Tunnel. Encompassing a loose circle that includes Castlegar, Christina Lake, Grand Forks and Edgewood this area has a ton of riding on offer. The area includes the classic C&W Railbed from Castlegar to Christina Lake along with Bulldog and

Read More »

Yahk to Kikomun Rd

So you say you need a route to connect between Yack and Jaffery? Well, here it is! If you’re going between Creston and Fernie, or up into the Bull River, this is the way! The is a sneaky back way that skirts the US border and Koocanusa that is for sure the best way if you’re linking up other bits.

Read More »
Map of Radium Motorcycle Routes

Radium

Welcome to Radium! There is so much amazing riding here to be had, both on and off-road. Here’s a selection of things you can ride, destinations to visit, and places to eat/drink/shop. Everything is rideable in either direction, and with many points to hop on or off depending on what else you want to do. Towns in this neck of

Read More »
ADV Adventure Motorcycle with Titan Straps

Titan Straps are Here!

Titan Straps are the incredible do everything strap you didn’t know you needed! Nothing new here, right? Haven’t there been things like these around for years? Well, sort of? Me, you and everyone else has used the classic ski strap for decades. And they work. As a ski strap. But what if you want something better? Stronger? Longer? And yes,

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Camping stove and mug and aeropress coffee maker on a table in the mountains

Gear Review – Aeropress GO Coffee Maker

Aeropress GO travel coffee maker. If you know me, you know I LOVE my coffee. And I’ve tried every coffee maker under the sun over the years. And I’ve always struggled with making a good cuppa while camping, but no longer! Been using the Areopress GO as my primary coffee making method at home and away ever since the GO

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Naturehike Cloud up tent next to a lake

Gear Review – Naturehike Cloud Up Tent

Naturehike Cloud Up 1, 2 & 3 Person Tent. More of a long-term review of the Cloud Up tent that I’ve had for 3 seasons now. Solo, I use the Vik 1, but this is a fantastic 2 person tent. It’s small and light, and I only upgraded to the Star River because of the 2 doors/vestibules and Sil-nylon fly.

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Camping stove and mug and aeropress coffee maker on a table in the mountains

Gear Review – Naturehike Titanium Mug

Naturehike Titanium Mug. There’s nothing quite like a little bit of titanium bling. It’s just one of those amazing materials that ticks all the boxes. Light, tough, inert, and it just makes me happy to hold in my hand. Mug Shot Tough and light: These pots are everything you’d expect from something made of titanium.  Just like a Russian fighter

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Gear Review – Naturehike Down Sleeping Bag

Naturehike Down Rectangular Sleeping Bag. If you go camping, you need a sleeping bag. Pretty simple right? But….which one do you need? There’s alot of options, down or synthetic fill. Mummy or rectangular. What temperature rating? The answers depend on you, and everyone is different. For me, my personal body temperature runs pretty warm, so I don’t normally need a

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Gear Review – Naturehike Inflatable Pillow

Naturehike inflatable Pillow. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. It’s a pillow. Big deal. But….it actually is. I’ve been using these little things for a few seasons now and couldn’t dream (pun intended) of camping without one! They weigh almost zero and pack down to almost nothing. But are alot easier to use than a bag stuffed full of clothing.

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motorcycle repair on the side of the road

Fixing a flat on the road

Nothing puts a damper on an awesome day on two wheels quicker than a flat tire. So, what do you do? Call BCAA? A buddy with a truck? Or are you prepared to tackle it yourself. Depending where you are, you may not have a choice! And yes, I still live in the medieval times and have tubes. If you’re

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motorcycle rider with neck brace and Garmin inreach

Backcountry Safety

The Kootenays are a beautiful and amazing place to explore! But how prepared are you when you’re out there enjoying everything nature has to offer? The mountains are a fantastic place to explore but there are things to consider that you may not normally think of.  Poor or no cell service In this day and age, the ability to communicate

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Ride Report – The Invermere Excursion

With the last week of August upon us, the summer was quickly disappearing. After almost 4 months, MissVelocity’s broken leg was finally strong enough to get back on the bike. Waahooo! That was the longest summer ever for her, so a-road-trippin we shall go! We dragged all the kit out and stuffed it all into the Enduristan bags. We try

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Places to Stay

Places to go

Routes

ridethekootenays is a labour of love. If it's useful, buy me a Beer!!!

Trip reports

5/5
Wait, what? We did that and didn't die? I guess that's a win!
Craig Luke
5/5
You're damn right we didn't die! Takes a lot more than that!
Vera Horsman