Photos: Bob Goodison

Dam to Dam to Dam 300
Preride Report - Rider information
by Richard Blair

The Interior 300k brevet is set for Saturday May 14, 2011 and what a fascinating and challenging ride it ought to be as an in and out ride from Revelstoke past the Revelstoke dam and turning around at the Mica Dam some 150.4km later. The road – all paved, but some parts smoother than others -- parallels the reservoir between the two dams with wonder water views and stunning snow capped peaks of the Monashee mountain range in sight throughout the ride. And riders will have time to take in the views as the motor vehicle traffic appears particularly light.

In the 300k pre-ride on Saturday (April 30) which took organizers Bob Goodison and Richard Blair some 15 hours and 25 minutes to complete they were passed by no more than 24 motor vehicles. One concern which ought to draw a rider’s attention to the road is the rich variety of wild life encountered: lots of ospreys and bald-head eagles, herds of mule deer, two black bears, a moose which slowed us a tad as it crossed the road, and to top it all was a herd of some 25 mountain caribou who waited until we had a close sight of them before they scampered back into the forest. The challenge to the ride lies in the hills of which there are quite a number. And that should not surprise any randonneur as this is BC after all.

The ride starts and finishes where Highway #23 North takes off from the Trans Canada Highway #1, that intersection being located about 500 metres east of the main turnoff into the city of Revelstoke. This is also a ride in which there is very little commercial activity, the only facility where food and drinks are obtainable is the Hydro cafeteria at Mica Creek, some 140 km into the ride. It sells sandwiches, fruit, soft drinks, and other miscellaneous items which they sell at a reasonable cost. Riders will have to pay for their purchases with Karen or Kerri at the office next to the cafeteria. Riders are best advised to carry some food with them. The controls at Wallis Road (75 and 225km) and Mica Dam (150km) will also have some food and water supplies available and the volunteers, Susan and Bob Goodison at Wallis Road and Richard Blair at Mica Dam will carry riders’ bags to those points.

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May 2, 2011