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Brunette
Brunette

Category
Difficult
Surface
Gravel
Distance
76km
Elevation
1480m
Tag
Cloudy
Kelowna 19ºC
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Map Strava | GPX | TCX

Maximum
1461m
Minimum
435m
Selected
-m

Summary

Similar to OKRoute #23, this route unlocks another ride after ascending to Postill Lake Lodge.

Starting from YLW Airport, the route climbs 16km to Postill Lake. Visit the lodge to complete the full segment, then head back downhill 500-600m and turn north on Brunette FSR. A full description description of Postill Lake gravel climb can be found on OKRoute #23, and along with watching the descent video of Postill Lake road on YouTube, you’ll have an OK idea of the surface and gradient.

Once on Brunette, you can connect to Ideal Lake / Belgo Dam as in #23, but this route continues to head north to Flyfish, Doreen, and Dee lakes. Brunette climbs for the first 5km and then rolls up and down until reaching Flyfish Lake before turning onto Dee Lake Rd after passing Doreen Lake. Postill Lake to Doreen Lake on Brunette road is just over 20km in length, and will take about an hour. The gravel surface varies from rough & rocky ATV track, to wide hard-packed, loose, and fine gravel sections. Expect to see very little traffic on this stretch of road, and check out the Brunette FSR video if you’re a visual learner.

After turning onto Dee Lake Rd around 40km, the road is wider, faster, and more hard-packed. From this point it’s 15km SW to reach Beaver Lake Mountain Resort — a perfect stop for an espresso, snack, and a refreshing swim in the lake. The descent from Beaver Lake to Lake Country is fast and about 14km in length. The first ⅔ of the descent is wide, hard-packed gravel, finishing with a pothole filled moon-surface-resembling pavement section (following the 2nd cattle-gaurd) into the industrial area in south Lake Country. Descent times around 15 minutes are exceptional, with most riders taking 20-30 minutes to descend. Check out a rain-soaked Beaver Lake descent video, or if that’s not for you, check out this sunnier descent.

Once back in Lake Country, the route follows the undeveloped portion of the Rail Trail along Ellison Lake (use at your own risk). Alternatively, you can ride Highway 97 south for a faster but more traffic-filled finale to the start/finish point at YLW Airport.

Cyclocross, gravel, and hardtail mountain bikes are all 👌 choices for this route. Any tire choice larger than 33mm will suffice, but the wider the better if you’re out to shred!

Surfaces & Traffic

~80% gravel with light traffic. Expect to see a few ATVs, cows, and maybe 4-5 cars while on the gravel portions of this route. Plan and prepare for any mechanical issues and bonks that could occur #fondoresponsibly.

Refuelling

While this ride can be done completely without stopping (3× bottles + snacks recommended), Postill Lake Lodge offers a small camp store with an outdoor water refill station — although this is subject to boil-water advisories. Alternatively, Beaver Lake has a well stocked camp store, espresso machine, comfortable seating, and is an oasis on a ride like this!

Key Segments

  • Postill Lake Lodge Climb @ 4km. 15½km @ 5%, the first ⅔ are rough, winding, and challenging, while the last 5km isn’t as steep. Fast times are just under 1 hour. The FULL climb (including 1km pavement section at the base) is another version of this segment to attend to, at 16.3km long and 5.6%. Fast times are under 1 hour.

  • Brunette FSR — Philpott to Dee Lake @ 20km. 21km rolling gravel segment connecting Postill Lake to Dee Lake, Doreen Lake, and Beaver Lake. This segment steadily climbs for the first 5km, then rolls for the remainder. The surface varies greatly from rocky ATV track, to hard-packed, loose & fine gravel.

  • Beaver Lake Descent @ 56km. 13½km @ -6.8% descent from Beaver Lake to Lake Country. The last ~5km is rough pavement with tons of pot holes. The upper gravel portion of the descent is hard-packed and fast — line choice through the pot holes is crucial once you reach tree cover and pavement. Fast times are under 20 minutes.

Points of Interest

Options

Options to extend from Kelowna, Vernon, Lake Country, and beyond are all possible via the Rail Trail and other low-traffic roads. Incorporate this route into a gravel ride with an additional climb up to Oyama Lake to make this a 👑 👑 gravel epic.

Enjoy!

And please be sure to…

  • ride safely,
  • let us know what you think about this route, and
  • follow us on the grams & tag us along with #okroute24!