(Photos from 2011 running of this route)
Photos: Roger Holt

Dam to Dam to Dam Pre-ride
with route notes for the May 10 interior 300 km
by Bob Goodison

I decided to jump on Colin's Fleche bandwagon and post a list of top ten reasons to ride the Dam to Dam to Dam 300:

10: Impossible to get lost.
9: Scenery to rival the Rocky Mountain 1200
8: Amazing wildlife viewing possibilities.
7: No traffic lights.
6: Only 300 km with drop bag service.
5: Work towards your Rambling Randonneur pin
4: Only Interior ride with all controls staffed.
3: Almost no traffic.
2: Excellent training for the northern portion of the VanIsle 1200.
1: It's AWESOME!

Randy, Peter and I rode the Dam to Dam to Dam 300 on April 26, despite adverse weather forecasts. The fact that we still managed to have fun speaks volumes for the ride. The road was in better condition than expected, with a few sections of new pavement. There was a section of really bad potholes from about 245 km to 260 km, but they were easy to miss in daylight. None were to the right of the fog line, so if riding this section in the dark, staying on the shoulder will keep you safe. Our wildlife viewing was limited to two bears and seven very large mule deer, plus a bald eagle and five grouse (grice?). We saw caribou tracks, but the caribou were probably holed up somewhere sheltered from the rain, genus rangifer being smarter than genus randonneur. We found that the cafeteria at Mica Village was closed and locked, but that was more of an inconvenience to the unsupported pre riders than it will be on ride day, as it's only ten km from the Mica Dam control. The finish control will be at the Frontier Motel where Susan and I will be staying, room number to be announced. It's very basic but cheap. Last time we stayed at the SameSun Hostel which was good and cheap, but less convenient. There are a Sandman Inn and a Super 8 within a couple of blocks of the start. The Frontier Restaurant opens at 7:00am, not 5:00 as the website states, but there is a 24 hr Denny's at the Sandman. Allow extra time, as we wound up starting 15 minutes late (but well fed). Go to the 2011 newsletter archives, read the reports (Richard's Pre-ride, Ali's Dam to Dam, Organizer's Report) and look at the pictures. Randopony is accepting pre registration, so please help us to know how many riders to expect. It's sort of a combination of "if you build it they will come" and " if you're coming, we will build it".

Go to: Route & Info Page

April 27, 2014