PACA Newsletters
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PACA Newsletters
Admin on Thu May 05, 2011 4:11 am
May 2012
Executive summary
The 2012 PACA executive held our first meeting on April 15th and our second on May 6th. Next meeting is June 17th. The executive is made up of:
President: Rowena Tansley
Vice-president: Laura Harp
Membership: Colleen Hodge
Secretary: Linda Downey
Communications: Aaron Barry
Mountain Bike/Trails: Andrew Drouin, Gary Gregg, John Borkwood
Road: Colleen Hodge, Aaron Barry, Anna Toon
Treasurer: Rowena Tansley
Members at large: Anna Toon, Lynn Porteous, Gary Gregg
Membership
Forms are available at both bike stores! Go in and fill one out today! A reminder that there are 3 levels of membership:
1. Full membership is $45 and insures you for Club rides
2. Couples membership $80 (same as above but we are giving a discount!)
3. “Supporter” is $20 and makes sure your voice is heard and your number counted, but no Club rides.
PACA Events Calendar
http://bikepenticton.com/PACA_calendar.html
Bike to Work Week
PACA is hosting Penticton’s 4th Bike to Work Week. This event runs from May 28th to June 1. Check out www.BikeToWork.ca/Penticton for more information.
Volunteers needed! Everything from putting up posters, to picking up prizes before the event, to helping out in the mornings during the week. Please contact janicejo@shaw.ca if you are interested in helping!!
Celebration Stations are brought to you by The Bike Barn and Freedom the Bike Shop! All events run from 7am – 9am. Coffee is donated by Cherry Hill!
Monday: Gyro Park Breakfast Burritos from the Bench!
Tuesday: First Baptist Church (Corner of Government and Carmi)
Wednesday: Perrin Orthodontics South of the Library
Thursday: 2964 Skaha Lake Rd @ Oasis United Church (south of Wal-Mart)
Friday: Nanaimo Square downtown
Stay tuned for how to get a sneak peak at the Cycling Network Plan that gets underway during BTWW!
Thanks to our financial sponsors: FortisBC, the BCGEU, the City of Penticton, the Province of BC, and ICBC.
Road Biking!
Starting in May, road rides will be Wednesdays at 5pm and Sundays at 9am from Smith & Co. Road ride leaders will be Aaron, Colleen and Anna. Distances early in the season will be 25 to 50km with an average speed of 20 to 25 km/h. Duration will be 1 to 3 hours. Check the Club Website or contact paca.penticton@gmail.com for more information
Mountain Biking!
Check out the calendar for up coming rides and trail days. Weekly rides are leaving from Smith & Co at 9am on Sundays.
Some PACA members worked to replace posts, fix barbed wire fences, decommission a small section of trail, and paint the fence at "Morgenstern's Gate" entry / exit to Campbell Mt. Though not officially a PACA event, this definitely went a long way to maintaining good relationships with different land users and keeping this access open for the future. Nice work for all those that helped out!!
Andrew is planning PACA's 2nd annual 'Road Trip' for June 8th, 9th, 10th (arriving after work on the 8th, departing on the afternoon of the 10th). Participants must book ahead in order to secure camping spots at Ellison Provincial Park through DISCOVER CAMPING https://secure.camis.com/Discovercamping Email paca.penticton@gmail.com for more information. We'll be riding both Ellison and Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park (Cosens) trails over two days of singletrack nirvana! If folks want to bring kayaks / canoes for the in-between times or family, that's also a great idea.
Movie Night – “From the Inside Out”
PACA is hosting a Movie Night at the College Theatre, Wednesday, May 30th at 7pm. Admission will be “by donation” to cover costs. This is a freeride mountain bike film by Anthill Films. Looks like a good one! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeMpA_yAwe8
Survey
We need feedback! Aaron Barry has put together this survey. We promise we will read the results! Fill out the Survey by May 25th for your chance to win a bottle of wine (White or Red, Your Choice). Complete Answers get Two Entries into the draw. Winners will be notified by email. http://kwiksurveys.com?s=LBOOGH_94e5f26b
Hot Tip
Smile! If you pass hikers on your mountain bike or motorists on your road bike, this small amount of effort will help improve relationships we cyclists have with other user groups. If they don’t smile back, well, at least we tried!
April 2012
The PACA newsletter
After a few false-starts, spring has (really) arrived! Check out all of the great bike-related gigs happening in the valley:
Shout-out to Mike and Lyndie at Hoodoo Adventures ( www.hoodooadventures.ca ) for all of their hard work and determination in presenting a very successful ELEVATOR race event this past weekend. Its altruistic thinking like this that makes the sporting community a better place; kudos to them and everyone who worked together in pulling it off!
Skaha Provincial Park has grown! Lands formerly under the jurisdiction of a trio of environmental groups have been handed over to BC Parks, thus creating a bigger, better public park system. The new Skaha Bluffs Prov. Park holds numerous singletrack trail networks, several of which PACA has reached management agreements with Parks BC on. “WARD1” and “Rock Oven” are the first, but if we show dedicated trail stewardship - perhaps others may follow in the future.
PACA has an Events Calendar! This year it’s easier than ever to keep up to date with PACA events and make plans to join us for some amazing riding. Check out www.bikepenticton.com and click on the EVENTS CALENDAR link to check it out. Thanks John B. for making this happen.
PACA’s fourth annual AGM went off without a hitch. We have a new president and vise-president, as well as a new executive member. Full details can be found at this link. The small effort required to support the club with your time is appreciated by all of those who ride in the valley. Do your part; join the club!
Adopt a Trail PACA is keen to implement an adopt-a-trail program in the valley. Keeping in mind that the trails are only as good as the maintenance that we do on them - we’d really like to have a few dedicated individuals Cowboy Up! and show some trail love. At this point, we have the official “Ok” to maintain WARD1, Rock Oven and the Carmi trails, including the most excellent Canyon Rim Trail. Please contact me at andrewdrouin@gmail.com to learn how you can help.
PACA’s Vernon weekend campout. Last years’ trail adventures in the north Okanagan were amazing! Those folks have trail love down to a science! I would go so far as to refer to their efforts in trail legalization, maintenance and signage as groundbreaking (pun:-) and a high-mark that PACA can work toward. Join us as we explore both Ellison and Cosen’s Creek trail networks, ride with members of the Vernon club and do some lakeside camping (bring yer’ kayaks, we do!). The gig rolls June 8th and 9th. Bookings for Ellison http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/ellison can be made through https://secure.camis.com/Discovercamping Our group has booked campsites in the low thirties section - everyone attending has to make their own bookings!
We hope to ride with you soon - “Change your world - join a bike club!”
Hot Tip
Remember to check your tire and shock pressure before heading out this spring! Its all too easy to get carried away with the beautiful weather and pull a "grab n' ride"; only to find yourself with a pinch-flat and saggy shock miles from anywhere - and you forgot to pack a pump! Not that anything like this ever happened to me... yesterday :-)
March 2012
The PACA newsletter: Spring Edition
I know that all of you are chomping at the cable to ride - and the amazing weather that we’ve seen assures it; roadies are everywhere, with dirt riders soon to follow.
Just a heads-up to singletrackers; please use common sense with regards to riding when it’s muddy. Conditions at present are such that mud and snow still cover most low valley trails, and riding in muddy conditions is hard on the surface composition; especially when that mud sets up into erosion-enhancing ruts later on this spring.
Mark your calendars / phones etc. - PACA’s fourth annual AGM is being held this coming Thursday, March 15th. The event happens at the Penticton Lawn Bowling Club at 260 Brunswick St., at 6pm; bring your favorite dish and enthusiasm for all things ‘riding’. We’re celebrating with good food, good friends and the multiple award-winning trail documentary PEDAL DRIVEN; “A BIKEUMENTARY”
The club will vote on a new president and council during the AGM, as well as rally for membership in order to enhance our mission of supporting and promoting cycling in the valley. Application forms are posted online and will be available onsite during the AGM. As a sweetener, I’ll be offering a free, one-year subscription to the online trail-guide www.sweetsingletrack.ca to those who sign up with PACA for the 2012 riding season on or before the evening of the AGM!
As of last Friday, hikers and bikers are back to “Square 1” with the City of Penticton as far as reestablishing access to Campbell Mt.’s southeast flank. As frustrating as this is for all of us, we need to keep the pressure on council and staff. Thus far, it’s been pretty-much a one-horse show; me – and this needs to be greatly enhanced by your voices - or we will be forever without a [quality] legal southern rider’s route onto one of our favorite local trail networks; Speak up!
The goal is a commitment from council and staff to (once again) green-light a long-term fundraising campaign (we do the fundraising / they shuffle the necessary paperwork) to erect a footbridge over Penticton Cr. at its current terminus behind the water treatment plant, followed by a rugged stairway up an embankment and connection with a nearby two-track switchback road up Campbell's eastern flank.
We’ve lots more to share with you, so make a note of Thursday, March 15th at 6pm and sit down with us for an hour or two at this years' AGM/Potluck/Movie Night. We hope to see you there!
PACA
Nov. 2011
So the weather isn’t cooperating with us, but at least we have a great selection of winter sports at our doorsteps to keep us in shape until spring riding reappears! Remember; the best thing about winter is that it means spring is on its way :-) We do however have a few tidbits of more-or-less cycle related news for you to digest in the meantime:
Nickel Plate Nordic XC Ski & Snowshoe Expo’ - This Friday, Nov. 25th, the Best Damn Sports Bar in Penticton will be hosting the Nickel Plate Nordic XC Ski & Snowshoe Expo’. Doors open at 5pm. PACA will be on hand, along with numerous other outdoor sports and fitness related groups. Be there! What does that have to do with cycling? See note about fitness above.
Grrrrrreat! News about the proposed Campbell Mt. southeast access route - City of Penticton council have endorsed the bridge and stairway-with-viewpoints plan and started shuffling the appropriate paperwork to get the show on the road, er, the bridge over the creek and the stairway up the hill. See the planning maps and discuss it with a PACA member on Friday evening.
Winter Outdoor Groups - Many of PACA’s members are avid xc-ski, snowshoe, snowboard, dh-ski, backcountry skiers and winter hikers. To this end, I’ve created a new section in the PACA discussion forums titled ‘All things self-powered / winter-sport related’. Feel free to use it to communicate with like minded folk. See the link:
http://bike.7forum.info/t768-all-things-self-powered-winter-sport-related#1206
IMBA's Trail News, Fall Edition is out - Kick back with a favorite bevvy' and enjoy the latest off-road press, free of charge, care of the International Mountain Bike Association.
Life in a Day - Ok, so this is completely unrelated to cycling, but I thought you might like this; check out Google's Life in a Day movie, now freely available online -- Celebrate Life!!!
HOT Tip for a Cool day.
Ditch the plastic base layers! While almost every base-layer garment one sees these days is made of some form of polypropylene / plastic derivative, all of the fancy anti-microbial treatments in the world soon fail, and after a heavy session outdoors, you - and there is no way to put this nicely, will stink! Poly' layers really get 'the funk', but there is an alternative to the funkiness... Merino Wool! Its kinda' pricy, but with a little shopping around you will find yourself in long-sleeve / long-johns that will not only keep you toasty warm this winter, but will also find you smelling like a rose long after your polypropylene-clad friends are afraid to expose an under-arm. Show you care by shopping for 100% mulesing-free New Zealand merino wool.
Oct. 2011
Hi everyone, and welcome to the belated Oct. newsletter! We've a mix of news, views and events for you this time around:
Thanks to the many participants and volunteers, PACA's 2011 Bike Festival went off without a hitch and exceeded our expectations in every way. Since we flooded you with info' pre-event, and our website hosted a good deal of post-event information, I won't recap in-depth. Suffice to say, “it was a fantastic success because of you”! PS: Wicked MONSTER CX track Jeff :-)
Someone has been vandalizing the BC Parks signage Nitwits have apparently determined that spray-paint was required on the many new signs erected within the Skaha Bluffs climbing area by Parks staff. To date, this hasn't included the PACA signage for WARD1 / Rock Oven etc, but given time... If you have (any) information about these vandals, please pass it on to the Ministry of Environment office; ask for Mark or Sara. Boneheads like this need to face the consequences of their brain-dead actions!
Sophie is on the lam! Tina Hoeben's dog Sophie has been 'out there somewhere' for several weeks now; updates are available on Tina's Facebook site here; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=619187342&sk=wall - or contact us here at PACA and we'll pass the info onto Tina. . Since all of you receiving this are 'outdoorsy' folk, I figured that this newsletter might reach someone who has seen Soph' and can help.
Nearly-end-of-season !!Kudos!! to the dirt and road riders who attended PACA's many guided rides this year. Hats off to Ron H. for guidance and thumbs up to those who attended our many PACA Trail Days in 2011.
Development of Trails Master Plan (RDOS) Open House - October 25, 2011 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm at the Penticton Lakeside Resort, 21 Lakeshore Drive West Penticton. Contact Mark Woods, Community Services Manager Phone: 250-490-4132
HOT Tip
For all of you mountain bikers out there; ditch the skinnies! While moving to a wider, heavier tire is shunned in racing circles as "added unsprung weight, gyroscopic-effect | rotating mass, rolling resistance" etc., the truth is that recreational riders don't need to be concerned with shaving seconds off anything other than the time it takes between after-work to on-trail!
In the real world, a heavier/wider tire will help reduce sidewall cuts and pinch-flats while increasing traction due to a larger contact patch. It will also supply an extra half-inch or so of overall suspension.
Sept 2011
Welcome to one of the best months of the year for cycling in the Okanagan; cool, breezy days and fewer bugs! Another great thing about Sept. is that its fast becoming Penticton’s festival season; with the Skaha Climbing Festival this coming weekend, followed a few weeks later by PACA’ s Third Annual Bike Fest’!
The Skaha Climbing Festival
Many of the valley’s cyclists are rock climbers as well, so it only makes sense that PACA is participating in this Saturday’s Skaha Climbing Festival. PACA members will be leading intermediate rides up the Gillies Creek watershed (immediately east of the climbing area) at 10am, noon and 2pm. There is no fee, and we welcome everyone to join us for a look at the amazing - sanctioned - trails in this area! Check out the Skaha Climbing Festival website here: http://www.skahaclimbingfestival.com
PACA’s Third Annual Bike Festival
Join us September 22nd to September 25th; an array of events and festivities are on tap to be enjoyed by riders of all ages. Check out our new Bike Festival website at www.pentictonbikefestival.com (volunteers always welcome)
PACA Trailday; Sept 11th
Join us as we create a new, easier entrance / exit to the Ellis Canyon trail. This Ministry-authorized project will enhance the start / finish of one of the valley’s most scenic trails. Full details on PACA’s homepage under the ‘Trail Maintenance Schedule’ link at www.bikepenticton.com
HOT Tip
Go Greener; while riding your bike is a great way to do your bit for the environment, did you know that you can use bio-lubricants on your bike in place of mineral oil based lube'? Vegetable oil based lubricants actually out-perform their mineral based brethren in nearly every way, and when you wash your steed at the end of the day (with bio-soaps) you can feel guilt-free as you watch the grit drain into the gutter! Google ‘Bio-Lubricants’ for more information
Aug. 2011
Sticking with the “better late than never” mantra… welcome to your August newsletter!
While it may appear that PACA has been quiet of late, we do have many tasks at hand - a balanced mix of urban and rural bike projects.
Campbell Mt.'s Eastern Access. - Slowly but surely, Campbell Mt.’s eastern access issue is developing into a workable plan. The area has been thoroughly plodded upon, measured and discussed by city staff, the general public, contractors and engineers. It won’t happen overnight, but we will have an access route sooner than later.
Urban Paths - PACA members sitting on Penticton’s Transportation Demand Committee are working with city staff to expand the existing bike routes within the city. Plans are afoot for additional connections and corridors over the coming years. Projects under review include a Skaha Lake to Channel Parkway connector, an Okanagan College to Channel Parkway interface and additional painted bike routes.
PACA Info-sheets - Numerous locations around town now sport ‘tear and go’ information sheets which highlight all aspects of cycling in and around the city of Penticton. We feel that this will help tourists and locals alike to locate places and people to ride with more often.
Campbell Mt. Signage - PACA is working with the City of Penticton, BC Trails & Rec. Dept. and private land owners in an effort to allow us to place small but informative signage on the mountain. The concept is to indicate one circuitous route as well as one summit route.
Gillies Cr. Signage - PACA has been digging in posts and erecting signage for the Rock Oven and WARD1 trails in the Gillies watershed. This is a spinoff from our access agreements with the various environmental groups involved in that area. If anyone wants to help out, please contact Andrew at 250.486.2443
Trails BC - has asked us to put our two cents worth into the motorized vs. non-motorized discussions over the KVR in this valley. I suggest that you read the link under NEWS atop www.bikepenticton.com for more information. This is a cause worth getting yourself up to speed on.
Sunday rides - are rockin’! Join us each Sunday morning, 9am at Smith & Co. for coffee and kickoff. This Sunday’s roadies are heading out for a 60k ride while the mountain bikers are heading up to Apex Resort for some sweet singletrack.
Hope to see all of you ‘out there’
Hot Tip
This one is aimed at mountain-bikers, but may apply to roadies as well. All too soon we must renew our drive-trains; new chain, cassette, chain-rings etc. Since we live in a valley, and everything fun is 'up' consider purchasing rear cassettes with additional cogs (teeth). The difference between an 11x32 cassette vs. a 12x36 cassette is [massive] when it comes to climbing!
PACA
July 2011
SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE and PACA has been busy as usual, working on all things BIKE. Check out this month’s list of ‘things that make Okanagan cycling better’.
New Trails - We’ve been hard at work on a small section of singletrack trail on the east face of Campbell Mt. The new re-route will make the Canyon Trail a little more enjoyable. Expect a trail opening later this week! UPDATE: Here it is
The July Ride Schedule - Check out PACA’s guided ride schedule atop our homepage. We encourage riders of all skill levels to join us in discovering the Okanagan. New riding friends, new trails, new experiences!
Trails to the North - Join us on July 31st as we travel to Kelowna to ride their excellent trail networks! Both dirt and road riders will enjoy a day of south slope trails and quiet back-roads, followed by swimming; in the H2o centre if the weather is grey / Okanagan Lake if the sun is beaming. Check out our homepage for times, days and trail maps.
Bike Festival Coming Together - PACA’s executive is closing in on the final details of the 2011 Penticton Bike Festival. This years’ event will include a Lake to Lake Family Ride with burgers-by-donation, followed by a live band (One 2 Many) at the Parrot on Friday the 23rd, a Cyclocross event on Saturday the 24th and the charity Test of Humanity Enduro on Sunday the 25th. We always welcome volunteers to contact us and make this great annual event even better!
‘Off The Record’ trail in Gillies Cr. Watershed - BC Parks, The Nature Conservancy and The Land Conservancy have generously agreed to keep a Gillies Cr. watershed trail open that they had previously considered closing and reseeding. While we can’t publicize or sign it, we can legally enjoy it! Join us for a club tour of this amazingly flowy ‘K-Trail’!
Ride with Da’ Man! - Join World renowned cycling coach Ron Hayman on a small-group learn n’ ride expedition to Painted Rock on July 21st at 6pm. This educational experience is free to PACA members, $40.00 to non-members. Only 10 positions are available, so contact us soon!
Donation Button - We’ve decided that it might be nice to enjoy the philanthropic groove of all of you who support the many initiatives that the club promotes for urban and rural, on and off-road riding in the valley. As someone very wise once said; “the greatest joy is in giving” :-)
Twitter - We’ve joined the Twitterverse! This joins our Facebook page in helping to communicate rides and topics of interest to the cycling community. Check us out on Twitter ( @pacapenticton ) or just ‘follow’ us. Here is a quick tutorial on Twitter ‘Following’ http://support.twitter.com/articles/162981-how-to-follow-others
First Aid Classes - As we’ve done in previous years, PACA is organizing another one-day member-only first-aid class. Learn valuable skills that may one day help friends, family or even yourself. Contact us to express interest in this class (or to sign up for PACA membership :-)
Ride Hard! PACA
Hot Tip
A bath / shower with your helmet and gloves after every ride keeps things fresh and ready to flow. If you need an explanation, push yourself away from the computer screen right now and go have a sniff of your gear... back so soon?, see what I mean?
June 2011
Summer is kicking into high gear and so is PACA! “Come ride with us”!
Bike to Work Week 2011
Unless you’ve been under a slab of rock on the Mice, then you’re aware that its Bike To Work Week! Rowena is doing an amazing job of steering the event this year and wants everyone to know that it’s not too late to join in the fun. Check out details here: http://bike.7forum.info/t565-bike-to-work-week-2011
PACA Rides Vernon
Join us June 3rd to 5th as we explore Ellison and Kalamalka Provincial Parks. The Vernon bike club has invited us to enjoy their singletrack forests and help them ring in the BC Parks 100 festivities. Learn about this excellent event here: http://okcycling.com/347/parks-100-multi-sport-event-at-ellsion-park and here: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/BCParks100
It’s going to be a great trip! Check campsite availability here: https://secure.camis.com/Discovercamping
June Ride Schedule
PACA’s planned routes for June 2011 are posted on our club’s main site at www.bikepenticton.com Check out the rides; I guarantee that you will find something for nearly every level of off-road rider.
Trail Maintenance
PACA is deeply committed to maintaining, and when necessary, rerouting or decommissioning singletrack trail networks. Last Sunday we began work on a reroute of a steep, washed-out section of Campbell Mt.’s eastside trails. The task is yet to be completed, but we’d like to see it so by mid-June. If you are of like spirit, contact us to help out at paca.penticton@gmail.com. Lets Git er’ Done and ride!
Hot Tip
When storing your camelback water bladder for the day, rinse and empty [all] of the water from bag, including the hose and bite-valve. Roll it up, wrap an elastic band around it and throw it in the freezer. You will never have to worry about nasties growing in the bag / hose / bite-valve, as nothing will survive the freeze / thaw cycle. I’ve been using this technique for years, without any negative effect on the material.
:-)
Executive summary
The 2012 PACA executive held our first meeting on April 15th and our second on May 6th. Next meeting is June 17th. The executive is made up of:
President: Rowena Tansley
Vice-president: Laura Harp
Membership: Colleen Hodge
Secretary: Linda Downey
Communications: Aaron Barry
Mountain Bike/Trails: Andrew Drouin, Gary Gregg, John Borkwood
Road: Colleen Hodge, Aaron Barry, Anna Toon
Treasurer: Rowena Tansley
Members at large: Anna Toon, Lynn Porteous, Gary Gregg
Membership
Forms are available at both bike stores! Go in and fill one out today! A reminder that there are 3 levels of membership:
1. Full membership is $45 and insures you for Club rides
2. Couples membership $80 (same as above but we are giving a discount!)
3. “Supporter” is $20 and makes sure your voice is heard and your number counted, but no Club rides.
PACA Events Calendar
http://bikepenticton.com/PACA_calendar.html
Bike to Work Week
PACA is hosting Penticton’s 4th Bike to Work Week. This event runs from May 28th to June 1. Check out www.BikeToWork.ca/Penticton for more information.
Volunteers needed! Everything from putting up posters, to picking up prizes before the event, to helping out in the mornings during the week. Please contact janicejo@shaw.ca if you are interested in helping!!
Celebration Stations are brought to you by The Bike Barn and Freedom the Bike Shop! All events run from 7am – 9am. Coffee is donated by Cherry Hill!
Monday: Gyro Park Breakfast Burritos from the Bench!
Tuesday: First Baptist Church (Corner of Government and Carmi)
Wednesday: Perrin Orthodontics South of the Library
Thursday: 2964 Skaha Lake Rd @ Oasis United Church (south of Wal-Mart)
Friday: Nanaimo Square downtown
Stay tuned for how to get a sneak peak at the Cycling Network Plan that gets underway during BTWW!
Thanks to our financial sponsors: FortisBC, the BCGEU, the City of Penticton, the Province of BC, and ICBC.
Road Biking!
Starting in May, road rides will be Wednesdays at 5pm and Sundays at 9am from Smith & Co. Road ride leaders will be Aaron, Colleen and Anna. Distances early in the season will be 25 to 50km with an average speed of 20 to 25 km/h. Duration will be 1 to 3 hours. Check the Club Website or contact paca.penticton@gmail.com for more information
Mountain Biking!
Check out the calendar for up coming rides and trail days. Weekly rides are leaving from Smith & Co at 9am on Sundays.
Some PACA members worked to replace posts, fix barbed wire fences, decommission a small section of trail, and paint the fence at "Morgenstern's Gate" entry / exit to Campbell Mt. Though not officially a PACA event, this definitely went a long way to maintaining good relationships with different land users and keeping this access open for the future. Nice work for all those that helped out!!
Andrew is planning PACA's 2nd annual 'Road Trip' for June 8th, 9th, 10th (arriving after work on the 8th, departing on the afternoon of the 10th). Participants must book ahead in order to secure camping spots at Ellison Provincial Park through DISCOVER CAMPING https://secure.camis.com/Discovercamping Email paca.penticton@gmail.com for more information. We'll be riding both Ellison and Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park (Cosens) trails over two days of singletrack nirvana! If folks want to bring kayaks / canoes for the in-between times or family, that's also a great idea.
Movie Night – “From the Inside Out”
PACA is hosting a Movie Night at the College Theatre, Wednesday, May 30th at 7pm. Admission will be “by donation” to cover costs. This is a freeride mountain bike film by Anthill Films. Looks like a good one! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeMpA_yAwe8
Survey
We need feedback! Aaron Barry has put together this survey. We promise we will read the results! Fill out the Survey by May 25th for your chance to win a bottle of wine (White or Red, Your Choice). Complete Answers get Two Entries into the draw. Winners will be notified by email. http://kwiksurveys.com?s=LBOOGH_94e5f26b
Hot Tip
Smile! If you pass hikers on your mountain bike or motorists on your road bike, this small amount of effort will help improve relationships we cyclists have with other user groups. If they don’t smile back, well, at least we tried!
April 2012
The PACA newsletter
After a few false-starts, spring has (really) arrived! Check out all of the great bike-related gigs happening in the valley:
Shout-out to Mike and Lyndie at Hoodoo Adventures ( www.hoodooadventures.ca ) for all of their hard work and determination in presenting a very successful ELEVATOR race event this past weekend. Its altruistic thinking like this that makes the sporting community a better place; kudos to them and everyone who worked together in pulling it off!
Skaha Provincial Park has grown! Lands formerly under the jurisdiction of a trio of environmental groups have been handed over to BC Parks, thus creating a bigger, better public park system. The new Skaha Bluffs Prov. Park holds numerous singletrack trail networks, several of which PACA has reached management agreements with Parks BC on. “WARD1” and “Rock Oven” are the first, but if we show dedicated trail stewardship - perhaps others may follow in the future.
PACA has an Events Calendar! This year it’s easier than ever to keep up to date with PACA events and make plans to join us for some amazing riding. Check out www.bikepenticton.com and click on the EVENTS CALENDAR link to check it out. Thanks John B. for making this happen.
PACA’s fourth annual AGM went off without a hitch. We have a new president and vise-president, as well as a new executive member. Full details can be found at this link. The small effort required to support the club with your time is appreciated by all of those who ride in the valley. Do your part; join the club!
Adopt a Trail PACA is keen to implement an adopt-a-trail program in the valley. Keeping in mind that the trails are only as good as the maintenance that we do on them - we’d really like to have a few dedicated individuals Cowboy Up! and show some trail love. At this point, we have the official “Ok” to maintain WARD1, Rock Oven and the Carmi trails, including the most excellent Canyon Rim Trail. Please contact me at andrewdrouin@gmail.com to learn how you can help.
PACA’s Vernon weekend campout. Last years’ trail adventures in the north Okanagan were amazing! Those folks have trail love down to a science! I would go so far as to refer to their efforts in trail legalization, maintenance and signage as groundbreaking (pun:-) and a high-mark that PACA can work toward. Join us as we explore both Ellison and Cosen’s Creek trail networks, ride with members of the Vernon club and do some lakeside camping (bring yer’ kayaks, we do!). The gig rolls June 8th and 9th. Bookings for Ellison http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/ellison can be made through https://secure.camis.com/Discovercamping Our group has booked campsites in the low thirties section - everyone attending has to make their own bookings!
We hope to ride with you soon - “Change your world - join a bike club!”
Hot Tip
Remember to check your tire and shock pressure before heading out this spring! Its all too easy to get carried away with the beautiful weather and pull a "grab n' ride"; only to find yourself with a pinch-flat and saggy shock miles from anywhere - and you forgot to pack a pump! Not that anything like this ever happened to me... yesterday :-)
March 2012
The PACA newsletter: Spring Edition
I know that all of you are chomping at the cable to ride - and the amazing weather that we’ve seen assures it; roadies are everywhere, with dirt riders soon to follow.
Just a heads-up to singletrackers; please use common sense with regards to riding when it’s muddy. Conditions at present are such that mud and snow still cover most low valley trails, and riding in muddy conditions is hard on the surface composition; especially when that mud sets up into erosion-enhancing ruts later on this spring.
Mark your calendars / phones etc. - PACA’s fourth annual AGM is being held this coming Thursday, March 15th. The event happens at the Penticton Lawn Bowling Club at 260 Brunswick St., at 6pm; bring your favorite dish and enthusiasm for all things ‘riding’. We’re celebrating with good food, good friends and the multiple award-winning trail documentary PEDAL DRIVEN; “A BIKEUMENTARY”
The club will vote on a new president and council during the AGM, as well as rally for membership in order to enhance our mission of supporting and promoting cycling in the valley. Application forms are posted online and will be available onsite during the AGM. As a sweetener, I’ll be offering a free, one-year subscription to the online trail-guide www.sweetsingletrack.ca to those who sign up with PACA for the 2012 riding season on or before the evening of the AGM!
As of last Friday, hikers and bikers are back to “Square 1” with the City of Penticton as far as reestablishing access to Campbell Mt.’s southeast flank. As frustrating as this is for all of us, we need to keep the pressure on council and staff. Thus far, it’s been pretty-much a one-horse show; me – and this needs to be greatly enhanced by your voices - or we will be forever without a [quality] legal southern rider’s route onto one of our favorite local trail networks; Speak up!
The goal is a commitment from council and staff to (once again) green-light a long-term fundraising campaign (we do the fundraising / they shuffle the necessary paperwork) to erect a footbridge over Penticton Cr. at its current terminus behind the water treatment plant, followed by a rugged stairway up an embankment and connection with a nearby two-track switchback road up Campbell's eastern flank.
We’ve lots more to share with you, so make a note of Thursday, March 15th at 6pm and sit down with us for an hour or two at this years' AGM/Potluck/Movie Night. We hope to see you there!
PACA
Nov. 2011
So the weather isn’t cooperating with us, but at least we have a great selection of winter sports at our doorsteps to keep us in shape until spring riding reappears! Remember; the best thing about winter is that it means spring is on its way :-) We do however have a few tidbits of more-or-less cycle related news for you to digest in the meantime:
Nickel Plate Nordic XC Ski & Snowshoe Expo’ - This Friday, Nov. 25th, the Best Damn Sports Bar in Penticton will be hosting the Nickel Plate Nordic XC Ski & Snowshoe Expo’. Doors open at 5pm. PACA will be on hand, along with numerous other outdoor sports and fitness related groups. Be there! What does that have to do with cycling? See note about fitness above.
Grrrrrreat! News about the proposed Campbell Mt. southeast access route - City of Penticton council have endorsed the bridge and stairway-with-viewpoints plan and started shuffling the appropriate paperwork to get the show on the road, er, the bridge over the creek and the stairway up the hill. See the planning maps and discuss it with a PACA member on Friday evening.
Winter Outdoor Groups - Many of PACA’s members are avid xc-ski, snowshoe, snowboard, dh-ski, backcountry skiers and winter hikers. To this end, I’ve created a new section in the PACA discussion forums titled ‘All things self-powered / winter-sport related’. Feel free to use it to communicate with like minded folk. See the link:
http://bike.7forum.info/t768-all-things-self-powered-winter-sport-related#1206
IMBA's Trail News, Fall Edition is out - Kick back with a favorite bevvy' and enjoy the latest off-road press, free of charge, care of the International Mountain Bike Association.
Life in a Day - Ok, so this is completely unrelated to cycling, but I thought you might like this; check out Google's Life in a Day movie, now freely available online -- Celebrate Life!!!
HOT Tip for a Cool day.
Ditch the plastic base layers! While almost every base-layer garment one sees these days is made of some form of polypropylene / plastic derivative, all of the fancy anti-microbial treatments in the world soon fail, and after a heavy session outdoors, you - and there is no way to put this nicely, will stink! Poly' layers really get 'the funk', but there is an alternative to the funkiness... Merino Wool! Its kinda' pricy, but with a little shopping around you will find yourself in long-sleeve / long-johns that will not only keep you toasty warm this winter, but will also find you smelling like a rose long after your polypropylene-clad friends are afraid to expose an under-arm. Show you care by shopping for 100% mulesing-free New Zealand merino wool.
Oct. 2011
Hi everyone, and welcome to the belated Oct. newsletter! We've a mix of news, views and events for you this time around:
Thanks to the many participants and volunteers, PACA's 2011 Bike Festival went off without a hitch and exceeded our expectations in every way. Since we flooded you with info' pre-event, and our website hosted a good deal of post-event information, I won't recap in-depth. Suffice to say, “it was a fantastic success because of you”! PS: Wicked MONSTER CX track Jeff :-)
Someone has been vandalizing the BC Parks signage Nitwits have apparently determined that spray-paint was required on the many new signs erected within the Skaha Bluffs climbing area by Parks staff. To date, this hasn't included the PACA signage for WARD1 / Rock Oven etc, but given time... If you have (any) information about these vandals, please pass it on to the Ministry of Environment office; ask for Mark or Sara. Boneheads like this need to face the consequences of their brain-dead actions!
Sophie is on the lam! Tina Hoeben's dog Sophie has been 'out there somewhere' for several weeks now; updates are available on Tina's Facebook site here; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=619187342&sk=wall - or contact us here at PACA and we'll pass the info onto Tina. . Since all of you receiving this are 'outdoorsy' folk, I figured that this newsletter might reach someone who has seen Soph' and can help.
Nearly-end-of-season !!Kudos!! to the dirt and road riders who attended PACA's many guided rides this year. Hats off to Ron H. for guidance and thumbs up to those who attended our many PACA Trail Days in 2011.
Development of Trails Master Plan (RDOS) Open House - October 25, 2011 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm at the Penticton Lakeside Resort, 21 Lakeshore Drive West Penticton. Contact Mark Woods, Community Services Manager Phone: 250-490-4132
HOT Tip
For all of you mountain bikers out there; ditch the skinnies! While moving to a wider, heavier tire is shunned in racing circles as "added unsprung weight, gyroscopic-effect | rotating mass, rolling resistance" etc., the truth is that recreational riders don't need to be concerned with shaving seconds off anything other than the time it takes between after-work to on-trail!
In the real world, a heavier/wider tire will help reduce sidewall cuts and pinch-flats while increasing traction due to a larger contact patch. It will also supply an extra half-inch or so of overall suspension.
Sept 2011
Welcome to one of the best months of the year for cycling in the Okanagan; cool, breezy days and fewer bugs! Another great thing about Sept. is that its fast becoming Penticton’s festival season; with the Skaha Climbing Festival this coming weekend, followed a few weeks later by PACA’ s Third Annual Bike Fest’!
The Skaha Climbing Festival
Many of the valley’s cyclists are rock climbers as well, so it only makes sense that PACA is participating in this Saturday’s Skaha Climbing Festival. PACA members will be leading intermediate rides up the Gillies Creek watershed (immediately east of the climbing area) at 10am, noon and 2pm. There is no fee, and we welcome everyone to join us for a look at the amazing - sanctioned - trails in this area! Check out the Skaha Climbing Festival website here: http://www.skahaclimbingfestival.com
PACA’s Third Annual Bike Festival
Join us September 22nd to September 25th; an array of events and festivities are on tap to be enjoyed by riders of all ages. Check out our new Bike Festival website at www.pentictonbikefestival.com (volunteers always welcome)
PACA Trailday; Sept 11th
Join us as we create a new, easier entrance / exit to the Ellis Canyon trail. This Ministry-authorized project will enhance the start / finish of one of the valley’s most scenic trails. Full details on PACA’s homepage under the ‘Trail Maintenance Schedule’ link at www.bikepenticton.com
HOT Tip
Go Greener; while riding your bike is a great way to do your bit for the environment, did you know that you can use bio-lubricants on your bike in place of mineral oil based lube'? Vegetable oil based lubricants actually out-perform their mineral based brethren in nearly every way, and when you wash your steed at the end of the day (with bio-soaps) you can feel guilt-free as you watch the grit drain into the gutter! Google ‘Bio-Lubricants’ for more information
Aug. 2011
Sticking with the “better late than never” mantra… welcome to your August newsletter!
While it may appear that PACA has been quiet of late, we do have many tasks at hand - a balanced mix of urban and rural bike projects.
Campbell Mt.'s Eastern Access. - Slowly but surely, Campbell Mt.’s eastern access issue is developing into a workable plan. The area has been thoroughly plodded upon, measured and discussed by city staff, the general public, contractors and engineers. It won’t happen overnight, but we will have an access route sooner than later.
Urban Paths - PACA members sitting on Penticton’s Transportation Demand Committee are working with city staff to expand the existing bike routes within the city. Plans are afoot for additional connections and corridors over the coming years. Projects under review include a Skaha Lake to Channel Parkway connector, an Okanagan College to Channel Parkway interface and additional painted bike routes.
PACA Info-sheets - Numerous locations around town now sport ‘tear and go’ information sheets which highlight all aspects of cycling in and around the city of Penticton. We feel that this will help tourists and locals alike to locate places and people to ride with more often.
Campbell Mt. Signage - PACA is working with the City of Penticton, BC Trails & Rec. Dept. and private land owners in an effort to allow us to place small but informative signage on the mountain. The concept is to indicate one circuitous route as well as one summit route.
Gillies Cr. Signage - PACA has been digging in posts and erecting signage for the Rock Oven and WARD1 trails in the Gillies watershed. This is a spinoff from our access agreements with the various environmental groups involved in that area. If anyone wants to help out, please contact Andrew at 250.486.2443
Trails BC - has asked us to put our two cents worth into the motorized vs. non-motorized discussions over the KVR in this valley. I suggest that you read the link under NEWS atop www.bikepenticton.com for more information. This is a cause worth getting yourself up to speed on.
Sunday rides - are rockin’! Join us each Sunday morning, 9am at Smith & Co. for coffee and kickoff. This Sunday’s roadies are heading out for a 60k ride while the mountain bikers are heading up to Apex Resort for some sweet singletrack.
Hope to see all of you ‘out there’
Hot Tip
This one is aimed at mountain-bikers, but may apply to roadies as well. All too soon we must renew our drive-trains; new chain, cassette, chain-rings etc. Since we live in a valley, and everything fun is 'up' consider purchasing rear cassettes with additional cogs (teeth). The difference between an 11x32 cassette vs. a 12x36 cassette is [massive] when it comes to climbing!
PACA
July 2011
SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE and PACA has been busy as usual, working on all things BIKE. Check out this month’s list of ‘things that make Okanagan cycling better’.
New Trails - We’ve been hard at work on a small section of singletrack trail on the east face of Campbell Mt. The new re-route will make the Canyon Trail a little more enjoyable. Expect a trail opening later this week! UPDATE: Here it is
The July Ride Schedule - Check out PACA’s guided ride schedule atop our homepage. We encourage riders of all skill levels to join us in discovering the Okanagan. New riding friends, new trails, new experiences!
Trails to the North - Join us on July 31st as we travel to Kelowna to ride their excellent trail networks! Both dirt and road riders will enjoy a day of south slope trails and quiet back-roads, followed by swimming; in the H2o centre if the weather is grey / Okanagan Lake if the sun is beaming. Check out our homepage for times, days and trail maps.
Bike Festival Coming Together - PACA’s executive is closing in on the final details of the 2011 Penticton Bike Festival. This years’ event will include a Lake to Lake Family Ride with burgers-by-donation, followed by a live band (One 2 Many) at the Parrot on Friday the 23rd, a Cyclocross event on Saturday the 24th and the charity Test of Humanity Enduro on Sunday the 25th. We always welcome volunteers to contact us and make this great annual event even better!
‘Off The Record’ trail in Gillies Cr. Watershed - BC Parks, The Nature Conservancy and The Land Conservancy have generously agreed to keep a Gillies Cr. watershed trail open that they had previously considered closing and reseeding. While we can’t publicize or sign it, we can legally enjoy it! Join us for a club tour of this amazingly flowy ‘K-Trail’!
Ride with Da’ Man! - Join World renowned cycling coach Ron Hayman on a small-group learn n’ ride expedition to Painted Rock on July 21st at 6pm. This educational experience is free to PACA members, $40.00 to non-members. Only 10 positions are available, so contact us soon!
Donation Button - We’ve decided that it might be nice to enjoy the philanthropic groove of all of you who support the many initiatives that the club promotes for urban and rural, on and off-road riding in the valley. As someone very wise once said; “the greatest joy is in giving” :-)
Twitter - We’ve joined the Twitterverse! This joins our Facebook page in helping to communicate rides and topics of interest to the cycling community. Check us out on Twitter ( @pacapenticton ) or just ‘follow’ us. Here is a quick tutorial on Twitter ‘Following’ http://support.twitter.com/articles/162981-how-to-follow-others
First Aid Classes - As we’ve done in previous years, PACA is organizing another one-day member-only first-aid class. Learn valuable skills that may one day help friends, family or even yourself. Contact us to express interest in this class (or to sign up for PACA membership :-)
Ride Hard! PACA
Hot Tip
A bath / shower with your helmet and gloves after every ride keeps things fresh and ready to flow. If you need an explanation, push yourself away from the computer screen right now and go have a sniff of your gear... back so soon?, see what I mean?
June 2011
Summer is kicking into high gear and so is PACA! “Come ride with us”!
Bike to Work Week 2011
Unless you’ve been under a slab of rock on the Mice, then you’re aware that its Bike To Work Week! Rowena is doing an amazing job of steering the event this year and wants everyone to know that it’s not too late to join in the fun. Check out details here: http://bike.7forum.info/t565-bike-to-work-week-2011
PACA Rides Vernon
Join us June 3rd to 5th as we explore Ellison and Kalamalka Provincial Parks. The Vernon bike club has invited us to enjoy their singletrack forests and help them ring in the BC Parks 100 festivities. Learn about this excellent event here: http://okcycling.com/347/parks-100-multi-sport-event-at-ellsion-park and here: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/BCParks100
It’s going to be a great trip! Check campsite availability here: https://secure.camis.com/Discovercamping
June Ride Schedule
PACA’s planned routes for June 2011 are posted on our club’s main site at www.bikepenticton.com Check out the rides; I guarantee that you will find something for nearly every level of off-road rider.
Trail Maintenance
PACA is deeply committed to maintaining, and when necessary, rerouting or decommissioning singletrack trail networks. Last Sunday we began work on a reroute of a steep, washed-out section of Campbell Mt.’s eastside trails. The task is yet to be completed, but we’d like to see it so by mid-June. If you are of like spirit, contact us to help out at paca.penticton@gmail.com. Lets Git er’ Done and ride!
Hot Tip
When storing your camelback water bladder for the day, rinse and empty [all] of the water from bag, including the hose and bite-valve. Roll it up, wrap an elastic band around it and throw it in the freezer. You will never have to worry about nasties growing in the bag / hose / bite-valve, as nothing will survive the freeze / thaw cycle. I’ve been using this technique for years, without any negative effect on the material.
:-)
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