The Beauty of Salmon Arm During the Fall

This week, Dylan Sherrard shares 5 photos to inspire your riding in Salmon Arm.

Salmon Arm dirt is the perfect consistency to let off the brakes and lean into the turns, with that special kind of traction that rides kind of wonderful in the wet. In the Autumn, when the rain comes and fog lingers in the forest, these woods feel as if we’re cruising on the coastline.

On the southeast shores of the Shuswap Lake, where tall cedars tower over the trails and larch trees line the horizon, the city of Salmon Arm resides. The trails are all benched at the just the right grade to encourage a fast pace and flow, while the right amount of rock and root litter the scene just enough to keep us on our toes.

The Larch trees let go of their needles long before we let go of our rides. This paints a magical scene as we rally a thin gold line through the woods. The yellow brick single track session rolls swift and feels easy to follow, while the trail is highlighted through the trees even further than our eyes can see. Day 4 Main Photo:

My friend Kris grew up on these trails, and he knows every sneaky line. He’s the kind of rider that picks apart the trail with a damn-near surgical precision, and watching the way he picks the Salmon Arm trails apart, I fully understand his style. We often envy Kris for his speed and flow, regardless of how often he rides. And as we swerve through the turns of the Rubberhead trails, it becomes clear that all the years he’s spent in this forest are to blame for his natural flow.

And every time I’ve had the chance to visit Salmon Arm’s little slices of magic Shuswap singletrack, I always feel right at home. It’s a beautiful scene, a welcome change of pace, and a hidden gem hiding in the British Columbia hills. Can’t wait till I can visit again.