To begin, today is the 73rd anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. Thousands of soldiers were wounded or lost their lives. For them it was far from a perfect day, but probably the most important one in the history of Western Civilization. We owe our thanks to those men who gave us the opportunity to enjoy our lives in relative freedom.
Some days are gifts from the gods if you believe in that sort of thing, or the product of a perfect combination of circumstances. Whatever the cause, today was one of those days.
The day began in a ragged fashion with Jim & Geoff heading off for breakfast and being delayed by various events. However I was able to cross the Highway to the Honda/KTM dealer to check out motorcycles. The first thing I saw upon entering the showroom floor was a 2017 CB1100 Honda. It is quite different from my 2016 CB1100A Honda, and there are some things I like, but tothers I don't. I'll let the reader decide which they think is their preference.
My 2016 CB1100A Honda
2017 CB1100 Honda
When we checked out of the motel our group went back to the dealership and after checking out the motorcycles, we were on our way to Kaslo by way of Balfour. From the time we left Nelson until the time we arrived in Kaslo, the ride was extraordinary with sixty-four kilometres of curves and elevation change with a series of vistas including those of Kootenay Lake and the Selkirk Mountain Range. The weather was perfect with nary a cloud in the sky with the temperature being perfect for riding.
We stopped at Theresa's cafe for coffee and sandwiches, but I gave in to the temptation to have a piece of fresh blueberry pie. Theresa is quite a character and seems to have been in Kaslo for quite a long time. The restaurant also serves as a mining museum that highlights the mining activities on the Kaslo area.
We left Kaslo ready for the piece de resistance for the whole day - the ride from Kaslo to New Denver on Highway 31A , forty-six kilometres of the sweetest riding a motorcyclist can experience in this part of the world. For almost its entire length the road twists and turns through some of the most incredible scenery in this part of the world. For part of its length the road runs along a rushing stream and small streams tumble down the sides of hills to join it. In some places the highway runs by small lakes with snow capped mountains in the distance.
Riding from Kaslo to New Denver
Halfway to New Denver, we stopped at a small lake near the summit of the pass the road traverses. While to guys enjoyed their surroundings, I did some exploring. Along the highway, I noticed cuts in the slopes above the highway. Those features get me to thinking that there must have been a railway there. A short walk led to to a section that looked like an abandoned rail bed. I suspected that it was part of the Kaslo and Slocan Railway that ran into the mining town of Sandon. But more of that later.
Small stream near the summit of Highway 31A
Resting at the summit
The last time we rode this highway two years ago, Jim was gaga about the woman who ran the coffee shop in New Denver because she rode a Ducati and hadn't yet worn through her knee pads. We arrived at the Nuru Cafe and Jin spoke to the lady about that. She still hasn't worn those knee pads through. Jim finally got around to ordering a coffee and told Tamara (pronounced Tam-ra) that he just wanted an 'ordinary coffee'. Tamara told him that theer was no 'ordinary coffee', just exceptional coffee.
She explained that the name Nuru is Japanese for painting. Her partner at the time was Japanese and she made painted clothing. The relationship ended and the place changed to a coffee and sandwich place but everyone knew the name so it remained. Tamara said that there were three Tamaras in New Denver. Her name is pronounce Tam-ra, another is pronounce the usual way, Tamara, while the third is called Tamahra. She also goes by the name T-Bar because her last named begins with those three letters. I suggested that she call her cafe the T-Bar. She hadn't considered that idea before.
Jim getting his cup of 'exceptional' coffee from Tamara.
Tamara's Nuru Coffee Shop
While we were in the cafe two motorcyclists came in looking for burgers & fries, but Tamara suggested some items from the menu instead because she doesn't do that kind of food. Tamara was very accommodating, but the guys decided against having lunch there and left. At this point Tamara said, "Sometimes charm doesn't work so you might as well be a bitch." I think if I lived in the area that this might be one of my favourite places. I know that the next time I'm in the area, I'll be stopping there.
Before we left, Garry suggested that we ride in to Sandon to see the place. Sandon is a small mining town that was established in 1892 to service the variety of silver mines in the area. At one point it had two railways running into it - the Canadian Pacific Nakusp and Slocan Railway, and the Grreat northern's Kaslo & Slocan Railway. I found out from Tamara that the section of old railbed that I had discovered early was part of the Kalso & Slocan railbed.
The ride in was on about five kilometres of hard packed gravel. When we arrived we saw several old trolley buses, most of which had been built between 1946 and 1954. When they were retired they were moved to Sandon to be kept until they could be restored. There was also a 1910 vintage Consolidation 2-8-0 steam locomotive that was used on the Nakusp & Slocan Railway. It had been rebuilt in 1928 to a 0-8-0 configuration for its final years of service.
Consolidation locomotive in Sandon, BC
Consolidation locomotive 6947 in Sandon, BC
Sandon with some of the trolley buses
Sandon Town Hall, built in 1900
Sandon Town Hall with trolley buses in the background.
Garry used to work in New Denver and he knows the person who owns the town and who also operated the power plant there. in 1897 the powerhouse was built in Sandon with water piped for two miles to power the generators. The Douglas fir pipes have lasted for more than one hundred years but are being replaced with high density PVC pipe. It is amazing that this powerhouse has been in continuous operation since 1897 and that some of the original wooden pipe is still in use. Nowadays the plant produces electricity for Sandon and the extra is supplied to the western power grid.
The Silversmith Powerhouse
Garry's friend gave us a tour of the powerhouse explaining the purposes of various pieces of equipment. At tis point they have invested three million dollars to keep the plant running and it is expected that the improvements that have been made will allow electricity generation to continue for another century.
Various machinery inside the powerhouse.
Tom, modelling a miner's helmet with battery pack.
The ride back to Kaslo was even better, if possible than the ride there. There are times when riding a motorcycle, that you almost fight with it, but, there are other times when everything seems to flow. For me, today was one of the latter. Some people describe the feeling as 'being at one with your machine'. It was that way for me today.
Back to Kaslo with a smashed bug on my camera housing
After a brief stop to refuel we carried on to the Balfour ferry across Kootenay Lake. While we were waiting I paid a visit to the bakery where I absent-mindedly left my sunglasses. I realized that I had forgotten them just as the ferry was about to load so I wasn't able to retrieve them. It was the only glitch in the whole day.
Waiting for the ferry.
Taking the ferry across Kootenay Lake is an experience because of the size of the lake and the incredible scenery from the ferry. It is also an unusual experience for someone from the coast being able to get on a ferry without forking over a lot of money for the privilege. On the east side of the lake we noticed a tall solitary chimney standing alone on the shore. The lady who ran the snack bar on the ferry said that it was all that was left of an iron smelter that had operated there in the 1940s and '50s. I found it to be a strange place for a smelter, away from ore, coal, or convenient transportation, but it must have had a reason for being there.
View from the Kootenay Lake Ferry
Smelter chimney on the lake shore
The ferry crew was kind enough to let the motorcycles off the ferry first once we reached Crawford Bay so we were able to get away without being caught behind a line of cars and RVs. However the riders in front of us rode at a decidedly more relaxed pace than we were used to because the road was again wonderful for motorcycle riding. We pulled off the highway to let traffic go by so we could enjoy the rest of the ride to Creston. There is a marina at the bay whose name I have forgotten and as the sun was getting lower its reflection off the water was another beautiful sight.
The sun on Kootenay Lake
Last stop of the day
The remainder of the ride into Creston was a lot more fun without traffic in front of us and we arrived at close to six o'clock. Today wasn't a big day in terms of kilometres covered, but the whole day was spent on roads that were made for motorcycles. I think that today was probably one of the most enjoyable days of riding that I have ever had. Sometimes everything falls into place to make a perfect day, so I believe that the title of today's post is entirely appropriate.
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