F
A
ST
F
AC
T
SF
A
M
I
LY
O
R
IE
N
T
E
T D
h
e
F
ra
se
r
V
al
le
y
Di
rt
R
id
e
rs
A
ss
o
ci
at
io
ni
s a
f
amily- o
r
ie
nt
at
e
d
off- r
o
ad
d
ir
t
bi
ke
- r
an
d
A
T
V
cl
u
b
de
d
ic
at
e
d t
o
th
e
p
ro
m
o
ti
on
o
f
sa
fea
nd
r
e
sp
o
ns
ib
le
d
ir
t
ri
di
ng
i
n
Br
it
is
h
Co
l
umbi
a.F
O
C
U
S O
N
N
I
C
K
EL
M
I
N
E
M
e
m
b
e
rs
ri
d
e a
ll
o
ve
r
th
e
lo
w
e
r mai
n
la
nd
a
n
dp
r
im
a
ri
ly
m
a
in
ta
i
n
th
e
tr
ai
ls
an
d
c
a
m
pg
r
ou
n
da
t
th
e
N
ic
ke
l
M
in
e
R
id
in
g
A
re
a
, n
e
ar
H
o
pe
,
B.
C.A
LL
A
S
P
E
CT
S
O
F
D
IR
T
R
I
DI
N
G
T
he
c
lu
b
is
in
v
o
lv
ed
i
n
al
l a
s
pe
c
ts
o
f t
he
s
p
or
t,fr
o
m
re
c
re
a
tio
n
a
l t
ra
il
ri
di
ng
t
o
ra
c
in
P g.
R
IC
E
O
F
A
D
M
I
SS
IO
N
M
e
m
b
er
sh
ip
i
s
ve
ry
r
e
as
o
na
b
le
a
t o
n
ly$
20
a
n
n
ua
ll
y
fo
r
a
fa
m
il
y membe
rs
h
ipa
llo
w
in
g
a
cc
e
ss
to
t
h
e
ca
m
p
gr
o
un
d
a
n
d
ri
di
ng
a
t N
ic
k
el
M
i
ne
.IN
F
O
R
M
A
T
IV
E
W
E
B
SI
T
E
G
o
to
fv
d
ra
.c
o
m
fo
r
m
a
ny
mor
e
B.
C.
ri
d
in
g
ar
ea
sth
a
t
m
embe
rs
o
f
th
e
FV
D
R
A
h
a
ve
a
c
ce
ss
t
o.I
T
H
AS
T
O
G
O
S
O
M
E
W
H
E
R
E
T
a
il
in
gs
a
re
t
he
m
a
t
er
ia
ls
le
ft
o
ve
r
aft
e
r
th
epr
o
ce
s
s o
f
se
p
ar
a
tin
g
th
e
v
al
u
ab
le
m
a
t
er
ia
l f
ro
mth
e
un
e
c
on
o
m
ic
m
a
te
r
ia
l o
f
an
o
r
e.Th
i
s s
e
pa
ra
t
io
n
pr
o
ce
s
s g
e
ne
r
al
ly
re
q
u
ire
sth
e
u
se
o
f
w
at
er
, a
n
d
th
e
re
su
l
tin
g
w
a
st
e
iss
to
re
d
in
t
ai
lin
g
s
po
n
d
s.D
uring a long weekend last
May, I was invited by some
new friends to go dirtbike
camping. “Dirtbike
camping? Such a thing exists?” I asked.
The next thing I knew, my two kids
(aged six and nine) and I, along with
some great friends, were heading to
Nickel Mine for three nights of camping
and dirtbike riding. I was in heaven and
I was being introduced to a world that I
never knew existed, and learning about
the long, complex history of dirt biking
in the area.
The Hope Nickel Mine Riding Area
is a network of riding trails near Hope,
B.C., that has been maintained by the
Fraser Valley Dirt Riders Association
for the past 30-plus years. Enjoyed
by motorcycle and ATV enthusiasts
alike, it’s made up of forest service
roads, abandoned mining roads and
approximately 100 km of trails, many of
them uniquely suited for beginner and
younger riders. Many more trails are
being recovered, created and improved
through the efforts of the FVDRA,
which had not been allowed access to
the area for the past two years.
Until 2015, the club, which regularly
had more than 150 family memberships
(for a total of 350–400 members),
enjoyed the vast area of trail systems
that offered terrain ranging from easy
green trails for beginner and younger
riders up to more challenging terrain
for the more advanced riders. The
campsite was situated near the tailings
pond, which featured a small motocross
track, built by FVDRA members, so the
kids could ride and practise while their
parents’ supervised and relaxed nearby
at camp. There was even a big, open
riding area where they used to play
dirtbike soccer, a made-up event similar
to polo. It was a place enjoyed by riders
of all abilities from surrounding areas.
Disaster Strikes
However, on August 4, 2014, a breach
of Mount Polley tailings pond in central
B.C. created an environmental disaster
that prompted the government to
require all tailings ponds be inspected
and raised to proper standards. This
included the tailings pond at Nickel
Mine, and so access was restricted for
the FVDRA, with camping, and dirtbike
riding on some trails still allowed.
During this time, more and more
logging occurred in the valley, which
devastated a fair number of the
well-maintained trails. Some agencies,
however, were good at maintaining
communication with the FVDRA.
These agencies would receive GPS
MAY 2019 MOTORCYCLE MOJO 55THE FEELING OF BEING
ABLE TO SHARE THE
DIRTBIKE RIDING
EXPERIENCE WITH MY
CHILDREN WAS
INDESCRIBABLE