Vernon (Ellison and Kalamalka Parks)

A group of ten of us headed for Vernon this Friday with a goal (for some) of riding both of Vernon's main singletrack areas, and getting in a little paddling for the rest of our group.

Vernon is not the uneventful place that I had been led to believe it was, in fact, I really liked that section of the valley! Ellison and Kalamalka Prov. Parks are top notch riding centers, and we especially enjoyed the fact that Ellison park sports lake-access, an amazing park to stay in, and immediate access to the local trail network.

Kalamalka Park trails, while perhaps not as conveniently laid out as Ellison, hosts a great many excellent trails and hints of numerous ‘off the record’ trail networks. Though within park lands for the most part, both of the trail networks that we rode are fully sanctioned and well maintained.

Kudos to the many kind and helpful locals that we met each day. We were lucky enough to get a free tour on Saturday, and found ourselves riding the local bike club’s poker-derby course Sunday. We enjoyed meeting many of their members and found the hospitality of everyone, including Cynthia, the club president, to be warm and friendly!

A.