Dazed

Dazed
Distance: 6.24 km (3.88 mi).
Route type: One way (vehicle drop)
Suitable for: Biking
Elevation change: 10 metres up, 585 metres down

Technical difficulty rating:  
Navigational difficulty rating:  

This is a mostly non-technical single-track bike route. It begins above Sandon off the Queen Bess Road. Drop a vehicle at the Galena Trail parking area where the Sandon Road turns off Highway 31A. Continue on with your bikes through Sandon, crossing the bridge as you arrive. Leave Sandon  past the museum by following the well-signed forestry road towards Idaho Peak.

About 4 km along, just on the far side of a wide open meadow of fireweed, the Queen Bess Road is the lower (right) fork. Follow this for almost another half kilometer until you see a pull-out on the right sufficient for two or three vehicles in a pinch. If you've driven, this is where you leave your vehicle. Backtrack about 150 metres and look carefully for the trailhead. It's unmarked, heading down into the forest off the lower side of the road. The trail you're looking for is smooth steep dirt; there are no ramps or bridges. Just downward dirt.

The trail is moderately technical at first with a couple of steep little bits after about 500 metres. After that you're dumped out on a saner grade trail. There are plenty of switchbacks, and it's hard to find a wrong turn to take. You just keep heading steadily down at roughly the same 7% grade to the end. You'll pass the Queen Bess (Victor) mine site about half way along, then continue on down. Enjoy the ride.

You'll arrive at the junction with the Galena Trail a hundred and fifty metres from its upper trailhead. Turn right and head back to the parking area to retrieve your first vehicle.

Alternatively you can drop the first vehicle at Denver Siding, turn left at the junction of the Galena and enjoy a gentle pedal down the Upper Galena Trail, across the cable care and back down to Denver Siding.


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