Western Canada / USA, 2003: Second Annual HU Travellers Meeting

Revelstoke BC, Canada, September 5-7, 2003

You can meet people who don't think you're crazy for wanting to ride your bike to South America or Africa or across Asia, or even around the world! Admit it, all your 'normal' friends and most of your family fears for your sanity! So, this is your opportunity to meet the people who will encourage you in that craziness, share their experiences and advice on how to do it, and maybe you'll meet them again in Mongolia or Timbuktu!

On This Page

Rally Location - Where was it?
Information about the Revelstoke area

This years Meeting was another huge success!

HU Rallies have traditionally doubled in size every year - and we did it again - from 30 last year for the HU Canada / USA West Meeting, to 60 this year.

Some comments from attendees:

Patrick Moriarty, USA : What did you like about the rally? "Everything really, mostly the people I met, the great photo shows and interesting tales of world travel. And of course all the great bikes set up to really do serious miles." I think Patrick is also planning on the Copper Canyon Meeting!

Cindy Ridsdale, Alberta, Canada : "I had a great time at the Rally. I met so many interesting people and learned a lot about travelling on a motorcycle and can't wait to do it!"

Ken Davis, WA, USA: "Horizon Unlimited meetings are different than the standard motorcycle rally, they are more like friends who get together to bring each other up to date on what they've been doing. This particular meeting will be a very tough act to follow both in quantity and quality, it was exceptionally well done. Every presentation was exellent and interesting, we were impressed."

Timo Scheiber, BC, Canada: "I thought the Meet in Revelstoke was excellent. Very informative and inspiring for us wanna-gos or less experienced motorbike travelers. Good venue, but really it’s all about the people and everyone was great. Lots of good gabbing and stories/ info swapping for all."

Tom Hunter, WA, USA: "Congratulations on a nice Travelers Meeting. It was loads of fun with some great slide presentations, and was very 'invigorating.' Some of the folks are legends in this sport (the Forwoods, the Haws...). I took a nice two-day ride back via Kootenay Lake and Nelson, B.C., and Kettle Falls, WA. It was a great run."

Ted Kurcharski, Alberta, Canada: "... it was (by) far the best rally I have ever attended. It kept me busy. It was fun. I like the way it was all organised. The small group size and great people allowed to create a very special atmosphere at the rally. I really enjoyed it."

Ged Schwartz, BC, Canada "Thank you for organizing a wonderful gathering. I met some fine folks and enjoyed the presentations a lot."

JD Smith, CA, USA: "Keep 'em coming! :)"

We had a number of speakers, most of whom were up doing a slide show on their travels for the first time ever - and they all were great! I "volunteered" the Koks when I met them again in the UK this year at the HU Meeting, and also "volunteered" the Forwoods. Both couples were doing their first slide shows in front of a crowd, but they all had a great time and did very well. I just heard that the Koks have already done two presentations on their trip since, so it was great practice for them.

2003 speakers:

• Peter and Kay Forwood, Australia, on their 140+ country RTW tour two-up on a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide.
• Grant and Susan - we gave a 2 1/2 hour presentation/discussion on "How YOU can do it" on Saturday afternoon.
• Peter Cameron and Carol Palladino hosted this event, and answered questions and talked about their recent trip from London overland to New Zealand.
• Tom Hunter, USA, read a great story from his travels in Mexico.
• Ekke Kok and Audrey Allenspach-Kok , Canada, year long trip around Europe, North Africa and Turkey.
• Eric and Gail Haws, slide show on Russia.
• Austin Vince's video, Terra Circa, on Russia's Zilov Gap.

• Why not you? Let us know if you have something to show! Volunteers wanted for next year!

Eric and Gail Haws presentation on their three trips into Russia, including the first crossing of Russia by motorcycle, was well-received and very interesting, and was followed by Terra Circa's entertaining video on the first - and last - crossing of the Zilov Gap by road.

Where did you all come from?!

We had North American travellers from Alberta, BC, Oregon, Washington, California, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Missouri, Nebraska and Maine, plus international travellers from UK, Belgium, Germany, Australia and Barbados!

Thanks!

Thanks to Carol and Peter for all their organising efforts and great hospitality, well done! Also thanks to Don and Margaret Pacaud for volunteering to assist with organising and registration, to the many who asked us if we needed any help any time, and quickly stepped up whenever needed and helped with moving equipment and packing up etc., and to Patrick for his bravery/foolishness ;) playing with live electrical wires and connections so we could have the right lights out!

Charity

We are supporting Motorcycle Outreach, a new charity being organised in South America similar to Riders for Health, (which only operates in Africa.) Raffle tickets to support it sold well, and we collected CDN$170.00 for it! A big thanks to all those who bought tickets, and to Greg Frazier, Overland Solutions, and David Anderson from Anderwerks in Calgary for their prize donations.

"Motorcycle Outreach (MOR) is a charitable organization to fund initiatives for taking crucial health services, like childrens' vaccinations, by motorcycle to poor remote areas. The co-founders are Robert Rasor, President of the American Motorcyclist Association, Simon Milward, former General Secretary of the Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations now on the US leg of his fundraising motorcycle ride round the world. Ricardo Rocco (www.andesmoto-tours.com) is working with Motorcycle Outreach to extend the model to Latin America."

For more details about Motorcycle Outreach, and to contribute, see Simon Milward's site.

Photos

(photos by Jean and John Ferris, Nevada USA, except where noted)

Apologies to those we couldn't identify, we talked to a lot of you, but didn't necessarily get names attached to faces! If you are unidentified here, or you know someone, please let us know.

Williamson Lake Campground, the "official" HU site - a typical Beautiful BC campsite :)

Another view of the campsite, and lots of serious discussions - where to next seemed to be a favorite!

Chris Wils, Belgium; Daniel Toader, USA, Peter Forwood, Australia; and Rocky Pace, USA.

Jens Pillat, Germany; Jon Holmes, USA (already bicycled once around the world)

Eric Haws, OR; and Phil Hyde, Alberta

The Forwood's Harley

Ged Schwartz, BC; Rich McNamara, Maine; and Patrick ? and ??

John Ferris, Nevada, Ekke Kok, Alberta, behind ? and ? talking to Peter Cameron, Mr. Wonderful talking to Carol Palladino, BC, and Ken Davis, WA

Talking about bikes in the parking area of the Powder Springs Inn

Jens Pillat, Germany - photo by Tom Hunter

One of the more unusual bikes attending - a late 60's Laverda SF3 (?)

Grant's bike attracted it's usual share of attention. ?, ?, Timo Scheiber, BC, and Rocky Pace, Ken Davis, Gail Haws, Eric Haws, all USA

Grant and Susan, Saturday afternoon, "How to travel around the world"

We managed to fill the dining room!

Following photos by Rocky Pace

Chris Wils, Belgium, Peter Forwood, Australia and Daniel Toader USA

above 4 photos at the lakeside campground

on a ride - Ged Schwatz, Canada, ?? John Kennedy, and Tom Hunter, both USA

Following photos by Timo Scheiber, BC

Ted Kucharski, Alberta, Peter Cameron, (host) BC, and Rocky Pace (USA), Jean Ferris, Nevada, and the tall guy is Ekke Kok, Alberta, one of the presenters

a range of bikes

Cindy Liboiron, Vancouver Island

Susan

Grant blabbing away...

The Location

Revelstoke BC, Canada. A "year round playground nestled between the spectacular Selkirk and Monashee Mountains" in southeastern BC.

Information about the area

Attractions include two national parks, three hot springs resorts, golf club, a railway museum, hydro dam and a miniatureland.

Revelstoke Vacation Guide Revelstoke Vacation Guide - Deutsch Tourism BC Mt. Revelstoke National Park Glacier National Park Revelstoke City

Local Hosts

Carol Palladino and Peter Cameron were the local hosts and our co-organizers for this event, and have volunteered to do next years as well! Thanks Carol and Peter!