The reason I moved to Castlegar from Gibsons when I retired was because of the riding in this area, and the fact I knew I wouldn't experience the area winters. The road from Castlegar to Creston goes over 2 passes which are pretty, especially Kootenay Pass. When you get to Creston you can turn north on 3A and go up to Crawford Bay and take the free ferry over to Balfour, or stay on the Crowsnest Highway and head towards Calgary which has great roads and views. Destination Highways considers the east side of Kootenay Lake their top mc road in BC. I'd disagree but it is excellent. The Kaslo - New Denver road is really busy with bikers through the summer and if you own an adventure tourer, highway 31 north out of Kaslo has some great vistas but the road can be r-r-r-rough. I do it on my Explorer every summer. I also retired to the area because I can cross the border in less than 30 minutes and be riding some of Washington's great roads including highway 20 which I'll take from Kettle Falls all the way to Sedro Woolley which puts you on the Cascade Loop, one of the top seven highways in the US (according to America's Scenic Byways). So many roads, so little time!
