Selkirk Loop 2019

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

Enjoy 14 days riding the popular International Selkirk Loop ride through northeastern Washington, southern British Columbia and the Idaho panhandle. This area is incredible for cycling! Quiet roads, charming mountain towns, stunning lake and mountain views, and lots of great fresh food and drink. We meet at the downtown Holiday Inn Express in Spokane Washington where after an opening group dinner our adventure starts the next day with a ride through rolling agricultural countryside to our first nights stop at Newport WA on the Pend Oreille River. Then we ride a quiet country road along the east side of the Pend Oreille River to the small town of Ione, WA where we will enjoy a great river view.

The next day we continue northward along the river valley to the Canada-US border crossing at Nelway to enter beautiful British Columbia Canada’s famously funky West Kootenay country. Old and abandoned towns from the late 1800’s silver boom will be in evidence as well as lots of colorful little cafes and ice cream stops. We will overnight in downtown Nelson, a good sized town well known for its hippy vibe and heritage buildings. The next day it’s off to the heart of the Slocan Valley with towering mountains of the Selkirk range and Valhalla Provincial Park surrounding us as we follow the mostly rolling Slocan Lake valley to New Denver for the night. The next day is a short but steep climb followed by a thrilling downhill ride alongside a rushing river to our historic hotel in Kaslo where we should have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the town and its wonderful view of Kootenay Lake. We celebrate Canada Day today (July 1st) with another short day riding south along Kootenay Lake with a stop at the not to be missed Ainsworth Hotsprings before a scenic 45 minute ferry crossing to our overnight at Kokanee Springs Resort. Next day we ride south down the east side of Kootenay Lake to the lovely waterfowl reserve valley of Creston BC. Next day we re-enter the US at Porthill headed for the big lake country of the north Idaho Panhandle, with an overnight spa casino in Bonners Ferry. We then continue our southbound ride along the Kootenay river valley to the scenic lakefront town of Sandpoint ID where we will enjoy two waterfront nights on Pend Oreille Lake with a front row view of their big 4th of July Fireworks celebration. We continue on down the Kootenay River to another scenic lakefront town of Coeur D’Alene where we will have another rest day and a chance to explore some of the famous rails to trails network. Our final day we will ride back to Spokane along the Centennial Trail to our hotel before a final group dinner and departure the next day having filled our minds and hearts with magnificent mountain, lake and river scenery.

ITINERARY: Day 0 meet in Spokane

Day 1: Spokane to Newport 54 miles 2446 feet

Day 2: Newport to Ione 51 miles 1069 feet

Day 3: Ione to Nelson, BC 62 miles 3556 feet

Day 4: Nelson to New Denver 62 miles 5014 feet

Day 5: New Denver to Kaslo 30 miles 2339 feet

Day 6: Kaslo to Crawford Bay 28 miles 2863 feet

Day 7: Crawford Bay to Creston 49 miles 3129 feet

Day 8: Creston to Bonners Ferry 40 miles 1690 feet

Day 9: Bonners Ferry to Sandpoint 42 miles 1034 feet

Day 10: Sandpoint layover

Day 11: Sandpoint to Coeur D’Alene 59 miles 2000 feet

Day 12: Coeur D’Alene layover

Day 13: Coeur D’Alene to Spokane 36 miles 1000 feet

Day 14: Departure

RIDE RATING 3B

We will have 11 riding days and 2 layover days. While the average distance is 47 miles, we will have 5 days where distances are over 50 miles with our 2 longest days at 62 miles each. Our average climb is just under 2400 ‘ but we have rated this as a “3” as we have 4 days at over 2500 feet of climbing, one of which is 5014‘ and a number of the shorter climb days have steep pitches of up to 8%.

Road shoulders very in width and while this is a relatively remote area with mostly light traffic there will be some stretches with narrow shoulders so riders must be comfortable riding close to passing traffic on occasion.

WEATHER

While we can expect warm sunny days, we are riding in mountainous terrain where weather could change quickly so riders should be prepared for cool weather and the potential for some rain.

LODGING AND LUGGAGE

14 nights lodging are included: see trip itinerary for a detailed hotels list. Bike box storage will be available at no charge. Luggage will be strictly limited to a maximum weight of 35 lbs. per piece and luggage will be weighed

FOOD
Trip fees will cover the two dinners, 7 breakfasts, all lunches and a “Happy Hour” each day.
* Note: Although the food and supplies for lunches and Happy Hours will be provided by the ride leader, all participants will be asked to assist with preparing the lunch buffet area, laying out the lunch supplies and clean up. This will be done on a rotational basis in teams of four. The same procedure will be used for Happy Hours.

LOGISTICS
We will meet on Tuesday June 25th, 2019 at the Downtown Holiday Inn Express in Spokane WA. Airlines flying into Spokane airport GEG are Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest, and United, and there is a free hotel shuttle to and from the airport. Parking is limited at the Downtown Holiday Inn Express however vehicles may be left at a sister property 6 miles away for no charge. We will return to the Downtown Holiday Inn Express on Monday July 8th, 2019 for a final group dinner and departure the following day.

Bicycle rentals are available at : Spokane Bike Hub http://thebikehub.com, Spoke n’ Sport http://spokensportinc.net and as well there is an REI store for bike supplies near the hotel.

Riders must have and carry passports with at least 6 months remaining validity prior to the passport expiration date for crossing the Canada-US border. 

Emergency support will be provided if necessary.

COST & ADMINISTRATION
The estimated cost for this tour is $2,400. This covers 14 nights lodging, 7 breakfasts, 13 lunches ( see note above), 2 dinners, and all Happy Hours (see note above), navigation aids (GPS files and Ride with GPS maps , cue sheets and elevations) and luggage transfer by van. The trip cost is based upon an exchange rate of $1 = $1.25 CDN but the trip cost could be adjusted up or down in the second payment if there is a significant change in the currency exchange rate.

SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY
Singles are welcome! It is recommended that singles who want a roommate, try to find their own. However, after receipt of the initial deposit, a single without a roommate will be placed on the ride and given until Dec. 1, 2018 to find a roommate. If they are unable to find a roommate, they will have the option to receive a full refund (minus the BAC fee and credit card fees) or pay the $ 1,178 single supplement and stay on the ride. Payment by check for the single supplement should be sent to the BAC office and is due by Dec 15, 2018.   If a single pays the supplement, they may continue to seek a roommate, but must plan to participate without a roommate if necessary. The ride leader will assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride. 

CANCELLATION POLICY
The BAC ride registration fee and credit card fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations. If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report is completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY
Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you might have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

SIGN-UP
To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally sign the Release of Liability (ROL), and pay the non-refundable BAC fee ($50) and tour deposit ($1,200) by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. The second payment of $ 1,200 will be due by Dec.1, 2018. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Leader by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description, or by emailing Sue Bunten at sue@bunten.ca or by calling her at (760) 698-9215.