Vancouver-Kelowna Hwy 1/3/97 (DH44) - Whistler / Gold Rush Trail
In the spring, speed tax collectors emerge from hibernation, and, if donuts are scarce, can be seen foraging along the extended straight and sweepy sections of this westernmost section of the Crowsnest. Once considered one of B.C.’s most treacherous pieces of highway-- and therefore one of the province’s best motorcycle roads-- it has been straightened to a mere shadow of its former self. This wide, smoothly paved DH climbs evenly on a series of long, gentle sweepers out of the Fraser Valley into the Cascade Mountains. Then, it traverses a long straight through Manning Park before winding down into the Similkameen River valley. Now a leisurely ride, it’s still the best road in the province if you want to experience the striking transition from B.C.’s cool, wet, green coast to its warm, dry, golden interior. Although most of the traffic has been lured to the neighbouring hunting ground of the Coquihalla (Hwy 5), this highway is still a major STC habitat. So be sure to watch for wildlife.