KVR Through Coquihalla Summits (BC)
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- The KVR (kettle valley railway) construction and maintenance through the Coquihalla Summits was a huge undertaking. After a washout in 1959 the line through the summits was abandoned. We're off on a exploratory walk along the old line to see what remains 50 years on.
Highly unstable area , amazing they even built this line thru here. Nice vid boys !
KVR goes to Castlegar and there are more tunnels and even a steel trestle on the way up the mountain from Grand Forks. When they built the Kennelyside dam in the 50's they had to raise the rail bed so there is a tunnel that is underwater when the lake is up. At certain times you can drive a boat thru the tunnel that is close to the pulp mill in Castlegar.
I have had a chance to ride the C&WR through to Castlegar - highly recommended! Also, when the lake level was very low, I kayaked through the Labarthe tunnel that you mention. A fantastic experience! ruclips.net/video/n-Cl6NIqANg/видео.html
Thank you for this, well done! I could have watched fir hours!
You are too kind. But thank you.
Beautiful video! Please continue to do more if possible! Thank you.
Thanks! There is more here - ruclips.net/p/PLz62RaYFN_qj7UBDhnW6F9S0deDvRSQN2
I was just here... well not quite... yesterday (May 13), and the gate was closed (from toll area). A sign was posted on the gate which read, closed due to slide. It was dated Sept. 2023. I headed back to Ladner Creek trestle. I hadn't been there since 2011. I was surprised at how much that area had changed... tree falls on the trail, more active slide area near the north portal of tunnel. Trestle is fenced off.
It sure does feel like this leg of the KVR is degrading at an awfully fast rate.
Been wanting to go back to that area. In the late /70's we explored a short section just north of Hope and I remember looking down to the valley bottom at a rail line. There was a "water shoot" beside us. there was a funnel in the sand stone up the hill from us then a "portal" beside us we could see the water running through then way down towards the valley bottom the water came shooting out of the hill side, would really like to find that place again.
Sounds like an interesting spot
That is near the 10 km mark called Hole in the wall by locals . All tunnels were constructed with wood timbers then faced with concrete when they had available funds to do the work. Lots of rock walls ( Italian built ) that you do not see as you ride or walk the road area.
It's an interesting coincidence that only a few months after posting this amazing video, the Coquihalla Highway has been smashed almost as badly as that trestle was. Nature sure is vicious in that part of BC.
No doubt! I think it's going to take them months to get that route open again.
real cool buddy thanks
Tunnel portals are dated for when the concrete was done. Which was there attempt to fortify the route years after it was opened.
That part I can understand. It was the range of dates - within a km it could be anywhere from 1941-51. That seems strange. I figured they would at least be in chronological order from north to south for example or perhaps all the concrete work in an area done about the same time.
@@LifeIsAdventureChannel I’d imagine they did them in order of what they thought needed them most.
I had intended to get up there this year myself and continue my exploration of the old kvr but alas it hasn’t been meant to be.
@@LifeIsAdventureChannel The tunnels were provided with extended concrete portals in priority to the importance of a particular spot needing protection from falling rock in this very geologically unstable canyon. Section men were forever patroling the line and prying fallen rock off the rails. Progression of concrete upgrades proceeded in order of priority, order of mileage was not a factor. The rail line was built to be opened for service and functional, and it was improved as necessary from that time forward. The worst parts got improvement attention first.
Retaining walls also got a date stamp for the year of their construction.
As for doing all the upgrades 'at once' that would not only be prohibitively expensive but would require multiple crews at different locations doing concrete forming, mixing, finishing, as well as all the concrete mixing equipment and materials duplicated at each location, a very expensive and logistically nightmarish scenario!
The upgrades were done as finances and necessity allowed. Thus we get a variety of date stamps in different spots with no obvious reason. :).
@@EqualizerPG Ahh.. makes sense, thanks!
Been through by MTB, first time 1985 ! You can even see rock ramps that the old cattle drives used to get through ! The expansion of the pipeline will do further change !
Very nicely done! If you keep walking further south there is another tunnel you actually drive threw, but that would be a bit of a long walk also there is a concrete snow shed
Yes I would like to do this. Perhaps cycling north from Portia station
I rode from the Coq to Summerland last June on the KVR, I can guarantee parts of the trail that I rode are now gone. Glad I got out when I did!
Interesting! I'd like to try again this summer too. Where did you start at the Coq?
@@LifeIsAdventureChannel I started in Brookmere. Never saw any of the tunnels you showed! I'll be releasing a video of the trip at some point.
The tunnels are all the other direction from Brookmere. I highly recommend heading the other direction (the trail is passible for about 50km towards Hope)
dates of tunnels are different as one year they had money to upgrade and a year or more later they upgraded the other end of the tunnel . Odd that they would have a wood barrier between the rock face and the concrete ? I have camped at various locations up there in the peace and quiet of that river far below.
it is a nice bike trip from Summit to Shylock. just make sure you have car to get back up the hill back to start place.
We'll have to try the full trip sometime. I've hiked south of Coquihalla 20km and north of Portia 15km but agreed it is entirely bikeable.
This railway is a testament to the ingenuity of man. However, Mother Nature is more ingenuousness.
Maybe the old KVR goes right to Othello Tunnels in the Sumas Valley? Maybe they do. You should look into it.
Yep, it does! But most of it is under the highway coming down the mountain from Coquihalla Summit to Othello Tunnels (so not much to see)
Nice.
You can see the date on the tunnel at 1:07. 1951. How do you get here.
You can travel along Coquihalla Lakes Road and see much of these KVR remains on the nearby slopes
@@LifeIsAdventureChannel Have you ever been to the Ladner Creek Bridge
@@LifeIsAdventureChannel What condition is the road in? Can you take a street bike on it?
@@BADBIKERBENNY The road is pretty uneven and rocky. A mountain bike for sure no problem. Street bike probably ok.
@@BADBIKERBENNY Funny you should ask! I was just there. AMAZING little adventure. ruclips.net/video/3OvZ2kDLvgM/видео.html
Where exactly is this along the KVR?
The old KVR runs under what is now Coquihalla Lakes Road (trans-mountain pipeline route also). I suggest parking at the Britton Creek Rest area and biking (or walking) south past Coquihalla Lakes Lodge. Around 4km past Britton Creek you will see the first tunnel and then can follow what's left of the KVR from there.
@@LifeIsAdventureChannel will be headed north out of Hope so will look for those.
Those historic clips are realy interesting, is more available somewhere?
a bit more here: ruclips.net/video/RiONq7ktj80/видео.html
Where does a guy go to do this hike
Best to refer to a map of the old KVR route. Take the Britton Creek exit off the Coq highway. The route follows south from there on the east side of Coquihalla Lodge. If I did it again, I would bring a mountain bike. The tunnels section is all up the hill from the trans mountain pipeline service road.
Wish I could riden this line but I wasn't born then.
All the tunnels you went through were intentionally collapsed except for the tunnel with the bypass road beside it at the same level as the railroad. Instead of repairing that tunnel the CPR just built a bypass around it.
Very interesting. It's strange that some tunnels would be only partially collapsed on purpose if the intent was dissuade use of the tunnels.
@@LifeIsAdventureChannel
Yes, I agree, but that was all the CPR was required to do, at that time, after the abandonment to prevent people from entering these structure and possibly getting hurt.
Use tondeive this route after they took the rails out but I don't rember how to get back downnthere
Where abouts did u walk down to line
From the Britton Creek rest area follow Coquihalla Lakes Rd past the lodge and the trail starts after the yellow gate. Alternatively you can follow the Tulameen FSR on the other side of the lake and cut onto the trail after the Coquihalla lakes
@@LifeIsAdventureChannel great video love it and thx for the info
Often wondered what it looked like on that side of the mountain. Many years ago I tried unsuccessfully to access it from the low end, but have never tried from the lakes end. Thanks for the video.
Your last shot - is that the Dry Gulch?
@@jacksonmacd One of these days I'm going to give it a try from the lower end. Hmm.. I'm not sure if the last shot is Dry Gulch.
They must have removed all the tracks
Yes, years ago. Probably some looted as well!