Penner: Kootenay Dirt offers multitude of mountain biking routes

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At some point in the middle of the night I woke up (I’ve got my reasons), flipped over, and opened the back curtain of my campervan. I was greeted with a breathtaking sight. The northern lights were exploding in a kaleidoscope of colour in the star-flecked sky. Wave after wave drifting and shifting overhead; a solar show gone wild. I stayed up, wide-eyed, for 20 minutes, or so, thrilled by the spectacle. And for the next three days, “thrills” – thanks to my “Kootenay Dirt” mountain biking adventure – were just par for the course. 

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I am, admittedly, a mountain-biking junkie. I live for loam. I’m a cyclopath. Ya, I’ll ride anything. But, most of all, I love the dirt. Specifically, Kootenay dirt. 

Mountain biking and the Kootenay Rockies go together like beer and wings, wine and cheese, cake and ice cream. You get the idea. It’s a perfect match. So good in fact, that nine of the best mountain biking communities in the region have banded together to form the “Kootenay Dirt” consortium. Not surprisingly, the organization is getting plenty of, ahem, traction. (Check out the various communities, trails, trip planning suggestions, etc. at www.kootenaydirt.com). 

“The Kootenay Rockies is one of the premier mountain biking destinations in North America,” says Christine Grimble, an avid cyclist and the media/travel trade manager of Tourism Fernie. “There are over 680 trails, and counting, within the region. There is incredible variety. Everything from epic ridgetop rides to family-friendly green trails that hug lakeshores. And every community, every region that comprises Kootenay Dirt is drenched in our amazing mountain culture. People come from all over the world to ride in the Kootenay Rockies. The mountain biking is that good.” 

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Other than the aforementioned “dirt” – rocks and roots are also perfectly acceptable, depending on your tastes – a great mountain biking trip into the Kootenay Rockies also requires a mode of transportation. And a place to hang your hat (and celebrate your ride with a cold one) at the end of the day. The best option, I’d say? A campervan. 

On my recent three-day “dirtfest” – I rode in Fernie, Cranbrook, Kimberley, and Invermere – I rambled down the road with a Karma Campervan. This fast-growing company provides fully-equipped campervans (with bike racks) that are, as I found out, ideal for a mountain biking adventure. 

Besides being cool, campervanning adds a unique element to the overall adventure. They’re easy (no set-up or tear-down), cozy (the heaters are amazing), and super convenient (park and, if you want, sleep at the trailhead). 

“Campervans are just a great way to road-trip,” says Dave Wald, CEO of Karma Campervans, which is based in Calgary but now has locations across the country. “They’re easy to drive, easy on the wallet, and the convenience of getting places, especially when hauling bikes, can’t be beat.”   

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Not surprisingly, given the quality of the Fernie RV Resort and the phenomenal web of trails that surround the town in every direction, the first leg of my journey in Fernie exceeded my expectations. (The eye-popping Aurora Borealis show was the cherry on top!)

Unquestionably, some of my favourite trails in the entire Kootenay Rockies region are in Fernie. Classic trails like Project 9, Swine Flu, Space Unicorn, and Red Sonja, where you can ride over a rusty car at the end of the trail, have been putting a smile on my face for years. 

As usual, I didn’t want to leave Fernie. But I had more dirt to discover. A couple of rides in Cranbrook (the vast trail network in the Cranbrook Community Forest is a personal favourite) and Kimberley (I just love the town and the trails in the Kimberley Nature Park) filled up the middle portion of my trip. 

Hitting up all nine riding regions in the vast Kootenay Dirt consortium on one trip isn’t easy to do. The best strategy, I’d say, is to tick them off sporadically over time. And, I guarantee you, you’ll discover some of the dreamiest dirt in existence. The Spirit Trail in Fairmont Hot Springs, The Mighty Quinn in Golden, Flowdown in Revelstoke, Rhythm and Blues in Nelson, these are just a few other “dirty” little thrills I’ve discovered on my many mountain biking trips to “The Koots.” 

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To cap things off, I rode two trails in Invermere – The Johnson and The Kloosifier – in the lovely Lillian Lake area, which is on the road to Panorama. This is yet another gem in the Kootenay Dirt consortium. It’s small, but it packs a punch. Rimming a spectacular gorge with hoodoos and serious dropoffs, the riding isn’t for the faint of heart at Lillian Lake. (Fear not, there are easy green trails here as well.) But I loved every thrilling second. 

On the way back home, nursing a few flesh wounds (not every ride goes exactly as planned), I pulled over for a quick gas and rest stop. In the mirror, I noticed the person I was looking at was, well, specked with mud and bark tattoos. Ah, yes, another “dirty” job well done.        

Andrew Penner is a Calgary freelance writer and photographer. You can follow him on Instagram @andrewpennerphotography    

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