June 2023 President’s Report – Chris D’Silva

Well, summer is almost upon us, and with it the best part of the riding season. But before I get to that, I want to give another huge shoutout to Dave Mackintosh and his team for the upcoming Poker Ride that is taking place in Princeton June 28 to July 3, 2023.

The Poker Ride this year sounds like it is going to be an amazing event with well over 200 people registered to attend. This includes a pig roast and a turkey roast with over 150 people signed up for this was well! Along with this, are a number of rides set for the occasion that will take us out to Coalmont, Osprey Lake and other places along the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, which as you know is the theme of this year’s Poker Ride. Registration ends on June 15, but for those who still want to attend, you will be able to register on site as well.

As you also know, this year ATVBC has chosen to tie the Annual General Meeting in with the Poker Ride, sort of a two for one deal. We have also had a good registration for the AGM with well over 100 people registered for this affair. Don’t forget that pizza and beer will be available after the AGM. Club presidents in attendance will get the opportunity to meet face to face with the new Board on the morning on July 03, 2023. We hope to see many of you there.

Back to summer; on a positive note, as I said in my last report, some of the trails that were closed due to wildfire from 2021 have been reopened. What we all need to do is be very careful when we go riding this year as this is projected to be a very dry and busy wildfire season. Here are some recommendations that ATVBC has for riders:

Ensure that you machine has a spark arrestor, it is the law, some older models may not have them, so it is worth a check that you are so equipped;
Carry a fire extinguisher with you, even the small ones are quite effective in a fire situation, take along a collapsible bucket for water, and perhaps a small shovel;
Stay on the trails at all times as there is less chance of hitting something that might cause sparks;
Discourage smoking while out on rides;
Check the backcountry conditions before riding and give consideration to how dry the trails may be;