Nimpo Lake

The Nimpomaniac
A look Ahead to the Interior 600, June 7 & 8
by Richard Blair

What follows is a submission with respect to the Southern Interior 600km brevet scheduled for Saturday June 7 and Sunday June 8, 2014. Christine Kraayvanger and I are organizing the ride which involves a new route, starting in Williams Lake and heading some 300km west on Highway 20 to Nimpo Lake and then returning on the same 300km back to Williams Lake.

Because of the novelty of the route we thought an outline would give club members with a description of the route and what it involved to provide them with the basis upon which they could decide whether to take part in a ride which for many cyclists would be a new experience.

In addition we have made some arrangements for riders to book accommodation both in Williams Lake and at Tatla Lake, the latter being some 220km from Williams Lake, a reasonable location for those who might want a few hours sleep before riding the distance remaining to the ride’s finish.

The ride will start at 5 a.m. on Saturday June 7 from the Sandman Hotel at 664 Oliver Street in Williams Lake and will finish at the same location. The early start will maximize the daylight hours available to riders and it is facilitated by the presence of the Sandman’s Denny’s Restaurant which is open 24 hours a day.

Soon after the ride starts, the cyclists will find themselves travelling west on Hwy #20, a two-lane paved road which ends at Bella Coola on the coast although the riders will turn around after some 300km when they reach the resort community of Nimpo Lake, a destination which led to calling the brevet the Interior’s Nimpomaniac 600k brevet.

The brevet in crossing the Chilcotin Plateau offers a rich variety of scenery from mountains, river gorges, cattle ranches, farms, an abundance of deer, and many small communities including those providing homes for various First Nations peoples who have lived for centuries on the plateau. The communities scattered provide cyclists with the food and accommodation necessary to support the ride.

In Williams Lake, the Sandman Hotel’s manager, Frank Bourdon, has offered a Group Block to members of the B.C. Randonneur Cycling Club, involving the rental of eight rooms with two double beds in each room at the rate of $89 a night plus taxes. Cyclists wishing to take advantage of this offer should contact the Sandman Hotel directly at 1 250 392 6557 and refer to the club’s name, the B.C. Randonneur Cycling Club or refer to Confirmation #17684 to book their accommodations.

The deadline to book the accommodations is May 22, 2014. Mr. Bourdon further advised that the Sandman has a secure storage facility for our bicycles and access to the bicycles is available 24 hours a day the assistance of the hotel’s front desk employee. .

For those riders wanting to take a sleep break about 380 km through the 600k brevet, rooms are available at the Tatla Lake Manor Motel in Tatla Lake. It is operated by Gerald and Johanna Kirby and they can be contacted at telephone 1 250 476 1339, email at johannakirby@hotmail.com and website www.visitthewestchilcotin.com. The various rooms in the motel differed in size although all were clean and comfortable. In addition, Johanna Kirby if asked will for a price arrange to have breakfast available for cyclists.

We look forward to seeing you at Williams Lake for this 600km brevet.

Go to: Route & Info Page

April 22, 2014