The Roca Mine

After getting the inside scoop at the Bar we took a tour of the mine site. Lots of guys getting the job done. It appears that they will be ready for production in the fall. The tailings pond is nearing completion and they have moly on the ground ready for processing.

Hot Stock Tip - Roca Mines

We had to make a little side trip up to Trout Lake to check out a hot stock tip. We dropped into the Windsor Hotel to get a little inside information. We found the Roca Mines office next door after testing the local beverage and listening into the hot gossip in the bar. Lots of people working up at the mine site and they are gearing up for production in the fall.

Incomappleux Valley Road Closure

I first visited the Incomappleux valley fifteen years ago doing some exploring for ice climbing. The canyon has been paddled once for sure and looks like mostly class III with a short section of class IV. The upper and lower river seem to be nice class II with some sweepers and cold water. It is a cool entrance to a valley that extends 40 km north and widens considerably. CMH and Selkirk Tangiers ski up here. The road has been closed since February. No current plans to reopen.

Incomappleux valley

Jim and I had the good fortune to visit Patrick at the Mountain Hostel in the Incomappleux valley over the last couple of days. We heard that a rock fall had closed the road into the valley from the canyon so it sounded like the Incomappleux was remote once again. We drove through Nakusp and past the Galena Bay Ferry and turned off before reaching Trout Lake. 15km of flat mountain biking up the valley brought us to the Hostel. It sounds like Patrick had a few adventures building the beautiful lodge. The following day we got a ride up into the hills for a look around the surroundings. The Incomappleux valley was apparantly named after a french phrase for land of lots of rain.... The headwaters of the valley are the glaciers at Rogers Pass.

Desiderata

I found this interesting document in the summit register on Mt. Reco. See more about this ride. Have a read.

There was also a checkbook, very old headphones, a note of great things in life and a bunch of mangled pennies.

Lots of great views too.

Idaho Peak North Ridge

I thought that this would be one of the ultimate mountain bike rides and I was not dissappointed. I started riding at 6am from New Denver climbing to Sandon by 7am on the roads and then started up the Idaho Peak Road. Once again it took me about 1hr 45 minutes for the climb to parking lot. I did continue up to the peak and then walked down the north ridge to protect the fragile alpine environment. I joined the single track following the ridge and then continued down and left from the towers to join with the wagon road. Then it was right and some crazy road traversing incredibly steep slide paths and then into the bowl with the Alamo Mine. The trail below the mine joins the Queen Bess Rd and then taking the first left which is signposted "Alamo" and becomes a very cool singletrack for another couple of thousand feet before the "Choices" turn ( left for Alamo and right for "Choices" ). Down through sweeping wagon road turns and then onto the old Sandon Wagon Rd. Yahoo. Back before 11....