This morning the weather did not look promising in Kamloops. The skies were grey and when I moved my motorcycle to the front door so I could load my bags it was drizzling. This was not the time to have wet weather because we were on our way home and would like to be home tomorrow night. Having to ride five hundred or more kilometres in rain is definitely not what I would consider to be my favourite thing to do on a road trip.
Our first stop was to gas up then stop at Barnes H-D. This dealership has changed since I was last at Kamloops H-D. There are far more used motorcycles out front and the showroom floor is covered with 2017 models. The salespeople are right there if you stop to look at a bike. It is more akin to being at a car dealership than a bike shop.
Tom led us south on Highway 5A toward Merritt. This road parallels highway 5, (sometimes called 'the Coquihalla') but follows the contours of the land rather than cutting through them or going over them. There is nothing too challenging on this road, but it is a really enjoyable ride because the rider is engaged all the time.
Stopping at a conservation area in the Gerard Guichon Ranch which is the home of the Lieutenant-Governor of BC we observed a wide variety of birds, several of which were about the size of robins but with a yellow breast. Tom says that they are meadowlarks.
Meadowlark
We rode past several lakes, the last being Nicola Lake. This is a large lake, and like most other lakes in the Interior, it is high because of the heavy precipitation over the past winter. The lake was calm and the hills on the opposite side of the lake were reflected in the still water. It was once again a beautiful sight, and there have been many over the past two weeks.
Nicola Lake
The Quilchena Hotel which was built in anticipation of a railway being built in the Nicola Valley. It never was, but this grand old hotel still stands isolated near Nicola Lake. It appears to be well patronized and it is well maintained so that it looks like it must have looked more than a hundred years ago. Unfortunately we didn't stop to check it out, but that is something to do in the future.
Our stop in Merritt was leisurely, but we were soon on Highway 8 on the way to Spence's Bridge. This highway traverses rugged country and is another of those great motorcycle roads with which BC is so richly blessed. The old Kettle Valley Railway was built in this valley and this section ran close to Highway 8. It was easy to see the old railway grade, sometimes across the valley, sometimes beside the highway, This section of the railway was built about one hundred years ago and was a branch of the KVR that ran from Brookmere to Spence's Bridge. There it connected with the CPR mainline. The other branch ran southwest through the Coquihalla Valley to meet the mainline at Hope, giving the CPR several options in case of a line blockage. At Brookmere this branch joined the main KVR line and ran to Penticton through Coalmont, Princeton, Jellicoe, and Summerland. With diminishing traffic this final section of the KVR was abandoned and the rails removed in 1989.
The Nicola River runs along the rail grade at the base of a steep slope. It is running strong and muddy right now as a result of the heavy precipitation earlier in the spring.
Nicola River
The grade along with some bridges and tunnels remain, Tom and I stopped and walked along the abandoned grade to the Eight Mile Tunnel. This was built about a century ago, and the masonry is still solid. we walked through the approximately hundred and fifty metre long tunnel. The ceiling was black with the soot from the steam locomotives which ran through it for more than forty years. Unfortunately, the tunnel is marred by mostly crude graffiti.
North entrance Eight Mile Tunnel
Entrance masonry a century after construction
South tunnel entrance
Graffiti 'Hill/Reynish 1997'
Soot on the roof of Eight Mile Tunnel.
As we rode the final kilometres into Spence's Bridge, we were met by Jim and Garry who had backtracked to see what had happened to us. Eventually we met at Spence's Bridge where Tom led us to the Packing House, a restaurant situated in a preabricated house which had been sent from England and built in Spence's Bridge. A Mr. Smith began growing a type of apple there and experted them to England. When Mr. Smith died his wife carried on. The apples were called Mrs. Smith's apples (not Granny Smith's). Apparently King Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria, endorsed them and highly recommended them. The house was used as a packing house, hence the name.
Packing House Restaurant wall painting
Sometimes you see something that makes the connection that the creator intended. Someone with a wicked sense of humour decided to name their motel in a unique way. I couldn't resist taking a photo and including it here. This si the kind of place where I would stay. Maybe the other guys wouldn't though.
Best Motel name ever.
Tomorrow is our last day and, barring bad weather, we hope to make the last five hundred kilometres home. It will be an early start and a steady ride, but I'm hoping we can make it home safely and end this trip on a high note.
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