kettle valley railtrail

[dave.rogoski]

I have been following these two guys from Portland, Oregon riding to Ushuaia, Argentina for the past several weeks who are using Spot. It is a gas as you can zoom way in and switch to Satellite or Hybrid mode and really see the terrain, buildings, etc where they are. They are currently just outside of La Paz, Bolivia. Here is the link: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0OLVB59nq33G9NTg4JgR8dRiIQAvX6Ch6

[LDHunter]

I found a pretty comprehensive review of SPOT and thought I'd share it. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. http://www.gpsmagazine.com/2008/01/spot ... _perso.php $bob$ I have been following these two guys from Portland, Oregon riding to Ushuaia, Argentina for the past several weeks who are using Spot. It is a gas as you can zoom way in and switch to Satellite or Hybrid mode and really see the terrain, buildings, etc where they are. They are currently just outside of La Paz, Bolivia. Here is the link: http://share. http://share.findmespot.com/shared/face ... 59nq33G9NT g4JgR8dRiIQAvX6Ch6> findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0OLVB59nq33G9NTg4JgR8dRiIQAvX 6Ch6 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[LDHunter]

KLRistas, I missed the latest sale on spot due to being out of state without computer access when the sale ended. If anyone sees a new sale on them where they are free with a year's service I'd appreciate a head's up. Or if they come out with a "new improved" satellite tracking SPOT I'd be interested. I just checked the website and neither was indicated. Thanks, $bob$ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Mike Huber]

I've seen a few auctions on E-bay for the Spot and they have been going for under $100...I lucked out and ordered the freebee offer a few weeks ago and so far I've been pleased with the performance of it....I put about 300 miles on it last weekend in the Guadalupe Mts. and it didn't miss a beat .... I'de also advise getting the GEOS search and rescue insurance for an additional $7.95 a year for a $100,000 policy....It's normally $150 a year. Mike (Guadzilla) Huber To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com From: LDHunter@... Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:43:11 -0400 Subject: RE: [DSN_KLR650] Spot - Satellite Tracker KLRistas, I missed the latest sale on spot due to being out of state without computer access when the sale ended. If anyone sees a new sale on them where they are free with a year's service I'd appreciate a head's up. Or if they come out with a "new improved" satellite tracking SPOT I'd be interested. I just checked the website and neither was indicated. Thanks, $bob$ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[LDHunter]

Thanks Mike... I'll take that advice if I can get a good deal on one. $bob$ I've seen a few auctions on E-bay for the Spot and they have been going for under $100...I lucked out and ordered the freebee offer a few weeks ago and so far I've been pleased with the performance of it....I put about 300 miles on it last weekend in the Guadalupe Mts. and it didn't miss a beat .... I'de also advise getting the GEOS search and rescue insurance for an additional $7.95 a year for a $100,000 policy....It's normally $150 a year. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[LDHunter]

I just found a disturbing piece of information on the SPOT website in the FAQ's. Q: My spot device does not work properly near airports or when I have another GPS device closeby A: SPOT accepts interference from other electronic devices and should not be used in proximity to anything that generates strong electrical fields such as airports, radio towers, other GPS devices, etc. I found this to be a bit worrisome and called customer support and the lady told me that SPOT shouldn't be operated within 12 feet of a GPS device. This might make it tough to use a SPOT because I almost ALWAYS have my Garmin Zumo 550 on my handlebars when I travel. $bob$ _____ From: Dave Rogoski [mailto:dave.rogoski@...] Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 10:07 PM To: LDHunter Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Spot - Satellite Tracker I pretty much agree with most of the review. The unit worked well in the top zippered pocket of my tank bag. It only rarely missed an update/track point. Also, they don't mention that the unit is not guaranteed to work all the way to the tip of South America. Coverage was not guaranteed to work the last 500 miles or so. I got mine to work in both Ushuaia and Bahia Lapataia but satellite overfly would not occur every 20 minutes. I would have to send 2 or 3 messages to get one through that far south. See my Spot from Bahia Lapataia: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&g ... 65&ie=UTF8& z=12&om=1> &hl=en&geocode=&q=-54.8553,-68.5765&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1 Rgds dave http://rogorides.com _____ From: LDHunter To: dave.rogoski ; DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 2:25:55 PM Subject: RE: [DSN_KLR650] Spot - Satellite Tracker I found a pretty comprehensive review of SPOT and thought I'd share it. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. http://www.gpsmagazine.com/2008/01/spot ... _perso.php $bob$ I have been following these two guys from Portland , Oregon riding to Ushuaia , Argentina for the past several weeks who are using Spot. It is a gas as you can zoom way in and switch to Satellite or Hybrid mode and really see the terrain, buildings, etc where they are. They are currently just outside of La Paz , Bolivia . Here is the link: http://share. findmespot. com/shared/ faces/viewspots. http://share.findmespot.com/shared/face ... 59nq33G9NT g4JgR8dRiIQAvX6Ch6> jsp?glId= 0OLVB59nq33G9NTg 4JgR8dRiIQAvX6Ch 6 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Quantum placet]

That's strange, I have Spot & a Garmin Nuvi 250W mounted side by side and haven't noticed a problem.

----- Original Message ----- From: "LDHunter" To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 10:11 AM Subject: RE: [DSN_KLR650] Spot - Satellite Tracker >I just found a disturbing piece of information on the SPOT website in the > FAQ's. > > > > > Q: My spot device does not work properly near airports or when I have > another GPS device closeby > > > > > A: SPOT accepts interference from other electronic devices and should not > be > used in proximity to anything that generates strong electrical fields such > as airports, radio towers, other GPS devices, etc. > > > > I found this to be a bit worrisome and called customer support and the > lady > told me that SPOT shouldn't be operated within 12 feet of a GPS device. > > > > This might make it tough to use a SPOT because I almost ALWAYS have my > Garmin Zumo 550 on my handlebars when I travel. > > > > $bob$ > > > > _____ > > From: Dave Rogoski [mailto:dave.rogoski@...] > Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 10:07 PM > To: LDHunter > Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Spot - Satellite Tracker > > > > I pretty much agree with most of the review. The unit worked well in the > top zippered pocket of my tank bag. It only rarely missed an update/track > point. Also, they don't mention that the unit is not guaranteed to work > all > the way to the tip of South America. Coverage was not guaranteed to work > the last 500 miles or so. I got mine to work in both Ushuaia and Bahia > Lapataia but satellite overfly would not occur every 20 minutes. I would > have to send 2 or 3 messages to get one through that far south. See my > Spot > from Bahia Lapataia: > > http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q > http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&g ... 65&ie=UTF8& > z=12&om=1> &hl=en&geocode=&q=-54.8553,-68.5765&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1 > > Rgds > dave > http://rogorides.com > > _____ > > From: LDHunter > To: dave.rogoski ; DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 2:25:55 PM > Subject: RE: [DSN_KLR650] Spot - Satellite Tracker > > I found a pretty comprehensive review of SPOT and thought I'd share it. > The > Good, The Bad and The Ugly. > > http://www.gpsmagazine.com/2008/01/spot ... _perso.php > > > > $bob$ > > > > I have been following these two guys from Portland , Oregon riding to > Ushuaia , Argentina for the past several weeks who are using Spot. It is a > gas as you can zoom way in and switch to Satellite or Hybrid mode and > really > see the terrain, buildings, etc where they are. They are currently just > outside of La Paz , Bolivia . > > Here is the link: > > http://share. findmespot. com/shared/ faces/viewspots. > http://share.findmespot.com/shared/face ... 59nq33G9NT > g4JgR8dRiIQAvX6Ch6> jsp?glId= 0OLVB59nq33G9NTg 4JgR8dRiIQAvX6Ch 6 > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Member Map at: http://www.frappr.com/dsnklr650Yahoo! Groups Links > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.0.238 / Virus Database: 270.11.54/2056 - Release Date: 04/13/09 05:51:00

[John Biccum]

I'd avoid the westernmost portions. They are frequently gated with gates designed to keep out everything but bicycles and pedestrians. Not much to see there anyway. I'd start in Tulameen and go east from there. Keep your speed down. Limited sign radius in most areas means anything over 25 mph is reckless. You WILL see 5 year olds wobbling around on bicycles and older people walking 4 and 5 abreast. We started seeing new federal signs that might be construed as prohibiting motorized traffic. The locals assured us that we should ignore those "signs from Ottawa". As I recall the signs said this trail is intended for bicycles and pedestrians (green background) and not intended for motorcycles and quads (red background). I don't know if this was intended as a prohibition; it was certainly widely ignored by locals. Still I was expecting someone to tell me to get off. It's a challenge navigating all the closed sections. Bypasses are not intuitive and you are never really sure where you can get back on after the blocked area. Watch for cross-trail berms, especially in sets of three. We were wicking it up a bit in one of the few long sight radius areas when I hit a berm big enough to catch some air. That was fun! I accelerated up and over the second berm and caught a LOT of air. When I saw the third berm I thought "I wonder if they are trying to tell me something." I braked hard for the third berm and was glad I did when I noticed the abyss in front of me. A bridge had been burned out and it was a long, long way to the bottom, the fall would have certainly been fatal. There was no sign indicating the bridge was missing nor was there any sign of an official detour but we backtracked a mile or so and found a well worn trail down to the bottom of the canyon and back up the other side. Chain Lake has a great campground. McCullough Lake (aka Hydraulic Lake) has another nice campground. Don't travel alone. During one solo trip launched my bike into a mud hole in one of the "burned bridge bypass sections" that was so deep I could not get the bike out my myself, even with a 20 foot long lever. I was rescued by some locals that just happened to come by, the only people I had seen in hours. Much of the eastern portion is very remote country, very close to wilderness. I was avoiding a bear when I got stuck in the mudhole. The section near Carmi and Beaverdell was my favorite. The trailed ended for me near Beaverdell when a rancher blocked the trail crossing "his" land even though the feds owned the right of way. He used a well casing and a huge boulder to block it and locals told me that he had shot over the heads of "trespassers". Carry a lot of water and offer to "tanker" bicyclists in the remote areas. Be an ambassador for motorcycling, try to keep the trail open to us. I saw two yahoos on dual sports roost an older couple (pedestrians) and scare them out of their wits with a stupid-close high speed pass. I bet that couple became two advocating for banning motorized traffic. Pics here: http://johnbiccum.smugmug.com/gallery/642071_EQLi2#P-1-12 From: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of davseidman Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 06:31 To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Subject: [DSN_KLR650] kettle valley railtrail Can anyone suggest the most scenic route to take or where I can get up to date info on this trail? I have a book on it that is 7 years old and I'm told there have a lot of changes since then. Dave New York [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]