Trestle Tourism 2017

Trestle tourism seems to be becoming a habit for Jeff and me. For several years now we've packed the panniers and set out on bicycle adventures, riding the rails so to speak on former BC railbeds that are now re-purposed for cycle-tourism. We started with the Kettle Valley system, first Kelowna to Penticton, then Kelowna to Midway. More recently, last year in fact, we ventured across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to traverse the Lochside Trail, which blends seamlessly into the Galloping Goose.

This year we thought about doing Kettle Valley again, but didn't for two reasons: the prevalence of brush fires and the fact that reasonably soon I understand another section will connect Kelowna to Vernon. I haven't seen or read any specifics, but I've seen that the rails have been removed at the crossing that runs parallel to the Kelowna Airport. Hopefully a new trail will be added to the system soon.

I'd heard of another trestle on the Island near Shawnigan Lake and did a little research. From scaling some distances on a map and factoring in a Mill Bay ferry round-trip crossing I figured a same-day trip to see the Kinsol Trestle was entirely possible to add some new material to the adventure we'd had last year.

After already passing through the town of Mill Bay I thought we'd have been
closer...but as Jeff points out we still had 12 km to go.

It's no wonder I hadn't heard about the Kinsol trestle until recently; it only re-opened as a re-purposed tourist destination and park in 2011.

"Move along people; nothing to see here."

Not trying to take anything away from it; it's a pretty impressive structure.
Just wanted to try out a new (for me) photography technique.

Jeff cycled end to end while I messed around with camera settings.

According to Wikipedia, the Kinsol Trestle is the
largest such structure in the Commonwealth of Nations.

The next trestles we encountered were on Day Two, in Sooke Potholes Park. The Charters Creek span was no problem, but just as signs we'd seen earlier indicated, there was a detour set up around the Todd Creek trestle due to structural timber replacements.

We're not getting the bikes over that fence.

A map indicated the route up the adjacent hill. It started out tame enough, although some bike-pushing was involved until the top portion flattened out.

It would appear that the replacements of timbers might take a while as there
is evidence of construction of a reasonably long-term re-routing taking place
involving concrete supports for a timber-planked bridge over the creek.

I hafta say, this is as steep a slope as I could push a bicycle
up with 50 lbs of gear packed in the panniers. I was 
starting to lose shoe grip in the dry soil.

The long wood checks marked with orange tape make it pretty plain that
repairs are required. 

The upshot of the hillside detour is that we got to see a family of four deer. I think both parties, them and us, were equally startled to see each other. But they soon settled down to munching on branches while I photographed them.