Hey Canucks
Hey Canucks
I'm planning my annual 5 day (go where the front wheel takes me" trip next week. I was thinking about heading up to BC (cross at the Sumas border crossing) and then taking highway 3 East. Maybe come back into the States in Montana. Question for you is; have you ridden Highway 3 and how is it. Looking at Google Earth it looks like I would be riding through some really nice country. Do you think it would be a good route to take? Thanks in advance for your input.
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 29
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BC is an amazing place to ride. Here's an idea from experience, from Sumas head east on 3 until highway 6, go north to New Denver, then west on #31A to Kaslo, head south on 31. If you are camping stay at Toad Rock MC Campground great place just north of Balfour. At balfour jump on the free ferry and cross over to Crawford Bay, from there head south to the number 3 again, now that is a great loop!
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 361
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tough to go wrong with highway 3. The scenery is beautiful, and you've got a ton of options for day trips branching off from it. If you get into Alberta, you can also head south through Waterton National park, which is the Canadian side and sister park to Glacier. If you drop back into the States around St. Mary's Montana, you cannot miss riding the going to the sun road. It is a fantastic trip
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 647
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From: Snohomish WA
tough to go wrong with highway 3. The scenery is beautiful, and you've got a ton of options for day trips branching off from it. If you get into Alberta, you can also head south through Waterton National park, which is the Canadian side and sister park to Glacier. If you drop back into the States around St. Mary's Montana, you cannot miss riding the going to the sun road. It is a fantastic trip
Last edited by skydrifter; Sep 3, 2009 at 09:58 AM.
Thanks guys. Here is the trip I've mapped out as a general guideline. Slickrock, do you know how often the ferry runs from Balfour to Crawford Bay?
Last edited by FXDXTSport; Sep 3, 2009 at 10:30 AM.
I guess mycut an paste from mapquest didn't work that well so, taking your suggestions, here's the route. I now can't leave until Tuesday so it has become a 4 day ride.
Day 1: Mill Creek to the Sumas border crossing then East on 3 to Castlegar, BC - 437 miles
Day 2: Castlegar to New Denver to Kaslo to Babb, MT - 427 miles
Day 3: Babb, MT. to Spokane, WA. going through Glacier Park on the Riding to the Sun road and then up through Bonners Ferry, ID. Have dinner with Friends in Spokane - 362 Miles
Day 4: Spokane to Mill Creek going through Chelan and then over the North Cascades Highway. Lunch in Chelan with my sister and her family - 366 Miles
My objective is to avoid Freeways whenever possible. On this route I spend 33 miles on I90 into and ourtof Spokane and that's all the freeway in a 1600 mile trip.
Thanks again for all the tips.
Day 1: Mill Creek to the Sumas border crossing then East on 3 to Castlegar, BC - 437 miles
Day 2: Castlegar to New Denver to Kaslo to Babb, MT - 427 miles
Day 3: Babb, MT. to Spokane, WA. going through Glacier Park on the Riding to the Sun road and then up through Bonners Ferry, ID. Have dinner with Friends in Spokane - 362 Miles
Day 4: Spokane to Mill Creek going through Chelan and then over the North Cascades Highway. Lunch in Chelan with my sister and her family - 366 Miles
My objective is to avoid Freeways whenever possible. On this route I spend 33 miles on I90 into and ourtof Spokane and that's all the freeway in a 1600 mile trip.
Thanks again for all the tips.
Last edited by FXDXTSport; Sep 3, 2009 at 10:30 AM.
Road Master
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Tourer
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From: North Okanagan, BC
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Had a great trip
Just finished my 4 day loop through BC to Alberta, down to Montana and back through Glacier Park. Rode the Crowsnest from Hope, BC to Cardston, AB with a side trip North through New Denver, Kaslo, down to Balfour aand took the ferry across the lake as suggested by Slickrock. That was by far the best part of the trip in Canada but the entire ride in Canada was great. Only "mishap" was going through Waterton to the border I found out that the good old United States of America was closed. Seems the border crossing is only open 9 to 6. I thought I had arrived at 5:20 but forgot I had passed into the Mountain Time zone and it was 6:20
Had to backtrack to highway 3 and then ride to Cardston and take the border crossing there. Ended up with a 520 mile day. Get to St Mary, Montana and the only place to stay is the Lodge for a smooth $249 a night (plus tax). It was 8:30 PM and I was beat so I stayed there rather than ride anothe 30+ miles to the next place with rooms.
The ride through Glacier Park on the going to the sun road was awesome. Had a bighorn sheep cross the road in front of me, saw lots of deer and one bear.
The final leg of my trip was over the North Cascades highway. I've ridden that several times and it is still my favorite ride.
All in all it was a great trip. Covered 1686 miles of beautiful country. Found it interesting that in over 800 mile in Canada I never saw one cop. Got back to the States and it seemed like there was a cop every 8 miles.
Thanks again to everyone that gave me suggestions for the trip.
Had to backtrack to highway 3 and then ride to Cardston and take the border crossing there. Ended up with a 520 mile day. Get to St Mary, Montana and the only place to stay is the Lodge for a smooth $249 a night (plus tax). It was 8:30 PM and I was beat so I stayed there rather than ride anothe 30+ miles to the next place with rooms.The ride through Glacier Park on the going to the sun road was awesome. Had a bighorn sheep cross the road in front of me, saw lots of deer and one bear.
The final leg of my trip was over the North Cascades highway. I've ridden that several times and it is still my favorite ride.
All in all it was a great trip. Covered 1686 miles of beautiful country. Found it interesting that in over 800 mile in Canada I never saw one cop. Got back to the States and it seemed like there was a cop every 8 miles.
Thanks again to everyone that gave me suggestions for the trip.
