Brice Shirbach
Underexposed
Okangan Valley, BC
With sagebrush-scattered foothills, lakeside resorts, rolling mountains and hillsides, and arid desert, the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia is a lush, lake-dotted region stretching north to south for over 250 kilometers. Famous for its world-class vineyards (over 80% of BC’s vineyard acreage), fresh fruit orchards, and sparkling lakes, the Okanagan Valley serves as a premier destination for outdoor recreation, lakeside living, and farm-to-table dining. It is indeed a sun-drenched dreamscape that offers up something for those of us who like to play outside all year long, with gobs of super dry powder in the winter, sparkling turquoise and deep blue lakes to paddle in the summer, and bikes to ride…well, whenever you want to really.
BC is at the top of the proverbial heap for many around the world when it comes to mountain bike destinations, but it’s a big space and the diversity of riding throughout Canada’s westernmost province is sometimes an overlooked characteristic. While many picture the rainforests and glowing green mossy landscape of the sea-to-sky corridor when mountain biking in BC comes up, the Okanagan Valley offers much more sunshine, warm temps, and wide open vistas just a few hours east of the coast range. It might not get quite as much attention from the outside, but for those who call this part of Canada home, a whole lot of love and energy is being put into these trails.
The Okanagan Valley comprises several communities, ranging from rural to metropolitan. For this episode we’re going to take a look at 4 in particular that are evenly spread throughout the region: Osoyoos, Penticton, Kelowna, and Vernon. Each of these communities has a very distinctive feel from the others, both on and off of the bike, but they also share a kinship that comes from calling this narrow slice of BC home. I was lucky enough to spend time with leaders from each community to discuss the challenges unique to their area, and how they view trails as a means to improve life for those who call the Okanagan Valley home.
What can I say about BC that hasn’t already been said? I mean, I grew up obsessing over this part of the world, and the film parts and articles that resonated so deeply with me for so many years are largely responsible for this career I feel so lucky to have built. They say you should never meet your heroes, but here’s the issue: I had no idea that so many from the Okanagan Valley were actually my heroes until after…I met them.
