EN ROUTE TO THROTTLE WEST

Arrived in Nakusp mid-afternoon after a brief break for banana bread and coffee at the Cherryville Roadhouse. Banana bread was awesome!  It had pecans (because raisins don’t belong in anything).  While there, I met Pam and her friends who were also heading to Nakusp for the Throttle West event this weekend.  Highway 6 from Vernon to the Needles ferry in Farquier is another treat and lucky for me, all the traffic was headed in the other direction!  So Fury and I sailed along, leaning into the curves and feeling a peace with the world.  The scenery along that highway is also pretty special, ranging from ranchland to mountains to lakes.

I just missed the ferry, which gave me time to take some photos there.  The Needles ferry is a short back-and-forth cable ferry across the arrow lakes and connects the Okanagan to the Kootenays via Hwy 6.  It’s a very interesting and scenic ride.  Hwy 6 continues to deliver on the Nakusp side and the short ride to Rider’s Retreat was a pleasure.

Riders’s Retreat is the brainchild of Rebecca, who used to work for the Leland Hotel in Nakusp. She was routinely being a good Samaritan by letting riders camp in her yard and home when they would arrive in Nakusp to find no hotel availability.  Eventually, she created Rider’s Retreat – a motorcycle campground with everything you could want.  Tents already set up with cushy air mattresses in them. An onsite toilet and shower, motorcycle only parking, cookshack, gazebo for hanging out, and plenty of shade.  One could hardly ask for more and I’m a hardened non-camper!  Add to that the friendly greeting and camaraderie and she’s got a winner. 

Throttle West is an event created and organized by Sue Bossley of Adventure Pacific Motorcycle Tours and Events.  I’m preparing this story in anticipation of another potential 70 riders arriving in the next while. Over the weekend, we are looking forward to supper this evening, a band, door prizes over the weekend, a group ride, karaoke, and general shenanigans!