A journey more fun than its destination

Expectations were running high as I unloaded my quad onto a muddy, gravel road 20 kilometres south of Revelstoke, B.C. Waiting there for me in the rain were three members of the Revelstoke ATV Club: Ron LaRoy, Tom Dickson and Lloyd Foisy.

I’d informed them a month earlier that I’d be coming to Revelstoke in August with the intent to ride, and LaRoy had kindly made all the arrangements to guide me up the Sproat Mountain Trail. Unfortunately, the weather doesn’t always cooperate, but rain or shine, I was determined to make my five-hour drive from Cranbrook worth every minute.

Dressed from head to toe in waterproof gear, we headed up the Akolkolex Forest Service Road. The first stop was at Echo Lake.

Here, the club has an agreement with Recreation Sites and Trails BC to look after the small day-use area that is on the front shore of Echo Lake—which is very pretty by the way. Once I knew that, it didn’t seem at all odd to see Dickson carrying rolls of toilet paper to the outhouse or LaRoy picking up garbage around the picnic tables.

It was there that LaRoy also gave me some history about our destination. Years ago, when forestry officials no longer had need of the fire lookout tower on top of Sproat Mountain, a decision was made to destroy it, along with the trail leading up to it. The ATV club couldn’t let that happen. Concern was voiced and an agreement was eventually made to leave the tower and the trail, as long as the club maintained them.

Not for the faint at heart

From where we staged, it is about a 39-kilometre ride on active logging roads (keep this in mind if you’re riding during the week), to the Sproat Mountain trailhead. A sign at the trailhead indicates that the trail is only open after July 15; the biggest reason for this being snow and exposure to large avalanche paths.

Before we started up the trail, my compadres asked me whether I would be comfortable with the ride or not. The trail up Sproat Mountain is rated for expert riders only, and although I assured them that my riding experience dates back to childhood (I wouldn’t say I’m an expert though), I could tell they were still a bit skeptical. Nevertheless, we switched into 4WD and tackled the first section of trail.

It was rocky, steep and technical, and I was loving it—finally, some riding that required a bit of body english! After snaking its way through some dense old growth forest, the trail eventually opened up to where we could sort of see what was below us, way below us. The rain had stopped, which gave us some optimism, but a damp fog still hung in the air.

About two-thirds of the way up is where the trail really started to climb. Eventually, we made it above the treeline and into the alpine. Navigating the rocky shale and tight switchbacks took some skill and confidence, but LaRoy made it a point to stop and check on me every now and then. Only one rather gnarly switchback gave me butterflies, but if he could do it, I could, too.

At the top, our quads finally came to rest beside the lookout tower. At 2,238 metres, the panoramic views of Upper Arrow Lake from this spot are simply incredible—or so I was told. Unfortunately, we hadn’t escaped the fog, and it was really starting to close in on us. So we left after a few sandwiches and a good chat.

I felt a little trepidation on the ride down. Not being able to see 10 feet in front of me and knowing one wrong move could send me freefalling down the mountain could’ve had something to do with it.

A worthy side trip

Back on the logging road, we regrouped and decided to take a side trip to the Akolkolex Falls. The falls, which are located about 18 kilometres up the Akolkolex Forest Service Road, are definitely worth a visit. The river plunges through a narrow canyon on its way to Upper Arrow Lake with so much force that you can actually feel the spray from the fenced-in lookout area.

By 5 p.m., we were back at the trucks. It had been a great day and one I’d love to repeat, rain and all. I wasn’t able to enjoy the view that this ride is known for, but it was more about the journey than the destination, anyhow.

A big thank you to the guys from the Revelstoke ATV Club for guiding me on this ride.

Where I stayed

Glacier House Resort was my home away from home for this adventure. The resort, which is situated at the base of Boulder Mountain (and by base, I mean within walking distance to the trailhead) features 16 hotel-style rooms and 10 private cabins. Amenities include a licensed restaurant, an indoor pool, a hot tub and a sauna.

The property, which is stunning, also plays hosts to a mountain bike park, a kids' play park and a snowmobile rental and guiding outfit. High-octane fuel is even made available for guests with dirt bikes, ATVs or snowmobiles.

In the lower level of the lodge is the sledder’s pub, which fills up in the winter with thirsty snowmobilers who are looking to unwind after an action-packed day in the mountains. Sledding movies are always playing, and the fireplace is usually lit.

Although snowmobiling is the resort’s obvious raison d’etre, Glacier House has many summer visitors, too. In fact, the weekend I was there, it was fully booked. From hardcore mountain bikers and kayakers to couples seeking peace and relaxation, the guest list that weekend was quite diverse.

Being a party of one, I assumed that Glacier House would have put me up in its smallest room, but no, I was granted the Deluxe King Room—which is located at the very top of the main lodge. With a balcony, fireplace and a huge bathroom all to myself, it was quite luxurious.

A big thank you to the owner, Daniel Kellie, and his staff for providing such a wonderful place to stay while I saw what Revelstoke has to offer.