And Miles To Go...

On almost every road trip, there is a day where the sightseeing get put aside in the interest of covering distance. Today was one of those days. Both of us were up early so we had what my friend Richard, calls, 'A soft start'. However, were rolled out of Rocky Mountain House after I nearly go clipped by a woman in a blue Toyota car. I had my headlights and both spotlights on and she still didn't see me. Luckily I reacted quickly, as did she after she heard my horn, and no harm was done. 

The morning was cool so I elected to wear my gauntlets for the first part of it. Good choice, because my hands were still cool by the time we rode in to the hamlet of Nordegg, 92 kilometres to the west of Rocky Mountain House. After refuelling we made another run to Saskatchewan River Crossing and stopped for a fill up, because the distance to Jasper would have put us in the danger zone for running out of gas. In this country I have a real phobia about running out of gas in the middle of nowhere and without a refill our bikes were getting into the limit of their ranges.

Once again, the scenery was magnificent from the views of Cline Lake to the glacier covered mountains to our west. It is difficult to stop to take photos on the highway so I did very little of that today. The mountains a\surrounding the Crossing are like most of the other peaks in this area, magnificent.

Mountains near Saskatchewan River Crossing, AB.

The ride to Jasper was 153 kilometres and for the most part the highway was clear. However, at one point cars and motorhomes slowed to a stop. Apparently, there was an animal at the side of the highway and everyone had to stop to get a photo, without any regard for people who might actually be using the highway for driving. I saw this once in Yellowstone National Park where traffic was backed up for more than a kilometre because these tourists parked their mobile houses on the side of a narrow road, leaving room for barely more than one lane traffic. All because everyone had to take photos of a bull bison which was lying under a tree beside the road. 

The section of this highway runs through the Columbia Icefields which gives this road its name -The Icefields Parkway. There are numerous glaciers hanging of the sides of mountains, but the 'big daddy' of them all is the Athabaska Glacier which used to reach almost to the highway. When I was seventeen, in 1966, I was fortunate enough to attend the Royal Canadian Army Cadets' summer course at the National Army Cadet Camp near Banff. One of the outings that we did was a trip to the Athabaska Glacier we were we were taken in Bombardier tracked vehicles onto the glacier. I had never seen snow in early August and it was a really memorable experience to have a snowball fight in the middle of summer. However, at that point the glacier extended more than half a kilometre more than it does now. It is in retreat like most of the other glaciers in the are due to the increase in temperatures,

A hundred kilometres further on we reached Jasper where I stopped to take some photos of the surrounding mountains and the CNR Northern type 4-8-4 steam locomotive 6015. These machines were monsters built for pulling heavy loads up the steep grades of the Canadian Rockies.

CNR Northern type 4-8-4 steam locomotive on static display, Jasper, AB.

Mountains at Jasper, AB.

Jim, patiently waiting for me to put the camera away.

The last leg of the day's ride was from Jasper to McBride, BC. We did it without stopping. By the time we rolled in to McBride my butt was saying, 'Enough!'. However, on the last part of the ride we saw a black bear in a side hill close to the highway, eating fresh grass and ambling along without a care in the world. I was fortunate to see a grizzly yesterday and we both saw the black bear today, along with two deer. 

As I rode along close to the feet of these magnificent mountains I could see the sedimentary rock layers which had been deposited over tens of millions of years and the thrust seven or eight thousand feet in the air by the movement of tectonic plates over further tens of millions of years. The rock layers have been folded, tilted, and thrust into the sky. Riding so close to these gargantuan pieces of the earth's crust gives one a sense of human impermanence and of the miniscule scale in which we exist. I believe, that given some thought, being in these mountains could almost be a spiritual experience, not in a religious way, but in a way that could make us seriously think about our place on this planet and in the universe. Here endeth the lesson.

The temperature in McBride when we arrived was 28C and we were thankful to get into our air conditioned room with two TV channels after a 523 kilometre run today. So, onward to Kamloops and the end of this road trip tomorrow. 

I Got the Blues Real Bad

Some days you just keep in the memory file for a long time. Today was one of these days. We had planned to ride some serious distance today so we left Invermere at 8:30, which was early for us. We rode the four kilometres to the highway, gassed up and headed north to Radium where we followed Highway 93 into Kootenay National Park. There was a $21 charge to ride through the national parks because we were going to ride a part of the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. Fortunately, just as a full car costs the same no matter how many people are in it, apparently groups travelling on motorcycles get the same break.

The highway into the park is cut through a steep walled canyon with a high contrast between light and shadows, It was a real challenge to ride the first part of the road because with my artificial lenses, my eyes don't seem to be able to deal with the contrast as well as regular eyes can. However, the landscape opened up and that became less of a problem. Just as has been the case for the past several days, the highway was a great riding road with light traffic. We stopped to take some photos of the mountains because they are absolutely magnificent! The rivers are a bluish colour with all the suspended rock flour from the glacial meltwater.

Mountain scenery in Kootenay National Park.

Jim took the lead to Lake Louise where we pulled in to refuel and to figure out where to go to get back on Highway 93N because it had merged with Highway 1 at the junction of the two highways. A short stop at the visitor centre set us right. I met three women who were riding to Edmonton from somewhere in Minnesota. They had left Minnesota 3-1/2 days before so they have been putting serious miles under their wheels. You meet some interesting people when you are on the road. We left Lake Louise rode north toward Saskatchewan Crossing. 

Way back in the mists of time I stopped at Peyto Lake not knowing what to expect. I saw the most incredibly beautiful blue water coming off a glacier. Now, many years later, we pulled in to see it again. Jim stayed with the bikes as I hiked up to the viewpoint. Climbing steep paths with motorcycle boots and full leathers can be a bit of a challenge, but I managed it. The crowded parking lot was a harbinger of what I saw at the outlook. The platform was filled with people all trying to edge up to the railing to take photos of the lake. I got my chance and took several photos before the hike back to the parking lot. The walk was a lot longer than I remembered.

Our route has been determined, in part, by where we could find hotel rooms so we rolled on north to Saskatchewan Crossing where we turned onto Highway 11. This highway runs through some spectacular scenery as well and wildlife abounds. On the way to Rocky Mountain House we saw a light coloured deer, three bighorn sheep at the side of the road, and for me, a real eye-opener, I saw a grizzly bear grazing beside the river. It was a fleeting glance, but the bear had the characteristic grizzly hump. His/her fur looked a little worse for wear, though. This grizzly only the second one I have ever seen. The first was along the Gallatin River in Montana. I saw it when exited Yellowstone Park after my first trip to Sturgis.

Further on we rode along a most incredibly blue lake with mountains in the background. The colours and landscapes here are incredibly beautiful. However, we rode toward heavy clouds and the air became much cooler. At our gas stop in Nordegg, I put my gauntlets on because my hands were getting very cold. The last ninety kilometres to Rocky Mountain House took about an hour.

Cline Lake, AB

The hotel was easy to find but the lobby seemed to half a kilometre from the lot where we had parked. So now we are checked in, we have figured out the route for tomorrow and hope that the weather holds. Today's ride was 420 kilometres through some of the most amazing geography in the world. We are indeed fortunate to be able to have this almost figuratively in our back yard in BC.

Trains and Mountains

Today will be a short day of about 250 kilometres. We would have pushed on to Golden, BC, but every motel we checked was either sold out or priced in the $300+ range. Too rich for our blood.  We found a room in Invermere but as we found out later, what looked like a great deal on Priceline was too good to be true because it was, unbeknownst to us, priced in Us dollars which upped the price considerably. There is a notice on the page but it is near the bottom of the page after the prices are listed, and it is in very fine print. Needless to say, I have learned to lessons from this. First, never use Priceline even if you are directed there by your search. Second, check toward the bottom of the page to see what currency the room or flight is priced in. It can mean up to an unexpected 25% extra cost in Canadian currency.

The day started off with some clouds but quickly cleared for our ride to Cranbrook. The scenery once again is stunning. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, in my opinion. Sometimes it's hard to keep my eyes on the road. 

We stopped for a butt rest at Yahk, BC, which is just northeast of the Kingsgate crossing where the CPR crosses the border into the US. Prior to entering Yahk we saw a CPR grain train heading south. I took some photos of the small yare there before continuing on. We saw two more trains sitting in sidings waiting the signal to head west and south before we reached Cranbrook. This is a real CPR town. The railway supports a lot of the economy in Cranbrook. There is also an incredible railway museum in Cranbrook, but we didn't stop to visit it.

CPR train waiting to go south near Yahk, BC

As you leave Cranbrook, the highway splits with Highway 3 continuing on the Fernie, and Highway 93/95 heading north to Golden, BC. The routes are well marked but it would be easy to take a wrong exit if one was not focused on which exit to take. We did manage to sail through it comfortably. As we entered Cranbrook, we could see the west face of the Rocky Mountains. The highway north through Forst Steel and Canal Flats runs parallel with the mountains so they are in sight for the whole ride to Invermere. 

Rocky Mountains across the Kootenay River

We stopped a Columbia Lake for a rest and I was able to take some photos. It seems like I haven't been stopping a photographing as much as I usually do. I'll have to think about that. The road north of Fort Steele runs quite straight with a few curves, but the straight stretches go on for kilometres, so it is not a particularly interesting highway, ride-wise but again, the scenery is incredible. It should be, in my opinion, a requirement, a rite of passage, almost, for every Canadian to see the Canadian Rockies.

Rocky Mountains over Columbia Lake

Several years ago Jim and I did this same ride. As we approached Timberlane Resort, (I think) we were stopped as a funeral procession entered the highway. We were first in line so then the end of the procession was on the highway, we were cleared to go and followed it the six or seven kilometres into Invermere where the procession turned off to go into town, presumably for the cemetery. I wonder if any people in the procession were wondering who the two guys on Harleys in the procession, were.

The time changed near Cranbrook so we are now an hour later than in BC. We tried to check in at 2:20 but were told to come back at 4:00, so we rode out to Tim Horton's, had ice caps, sat in the air conditioned comfort of Timmie's for an hour, then went back to check in. The room is good, the weather is great, the roads are fun, and I'm on an adventure with a very good friend. What more could anyone ask for on a road trip?

Views from the front door of our room in Invermere, BC

Shambhala and the Salmo-Creston Highway

 It was grey and wet when we opened the door this morning. Overnight there were showers and the bikes were wet. By the time we were ready to roll the showers had stopped, but the road was still wet. Highway 3 from Greenwood to Grand Forks is a decent enough road on a motorcycle and riding at the speed limit is quite relaxing. At that speed it feels like a 'flow' is happening and it takes very little effort to ride. It is a great feeling and this trip has seen a lot of that. From a section of the highway it is possible to see the old roadbed of the Columbia and Western Railway. I rode the section between Midway and Grand Forks on my mountain bike about 15 years ago. 

The run from Eholt Summit to Grand Forks is a series of long curves and downhill riding. As we approached Grand Forks we could see the old Great Northern roadbed cut into the side of the hills to the north of the highway. The rail line ran to Phoenix where it and the CPR serviced the copper mines at Phoenix. When World War I finished, the demand for copper plummeted and the mines closed. The city was abandoned, and the Great Northern pulled up its tracks close to one hundred years ago.  ]The CPR line was in service until the late 1980s until it was abandoned as well. It is now part of the Trans-Canada Trail.The last trains ran on that line close to one hundred years ago and the roadbeds are all that is left and they are slowly being reclaimed by nature. 

From Grand Forks we crossed Paulson Summit after traversing the Paulson Bridge. I love riding this part of BC. The terrain is so wild and the highways has to follow its rules. Makes for great riding though.

After a brief stop in Castlegar, we rolled onward to the Salmo-Creston highway. The road climbs quickly out of Castlegar past a place that is one of Ed Knowler's favourites - Ootischenia - named by the Doukhobors who live in the area. When we approached Salmo, I took a wrong turn and it took me six kilometres to figure it out but we got it sorted and were back on our way. Past Salmo we approached a speed zone. Tenst were set up on the highway and traffic control was set up to allow people to enter the Shambhala Music Festival. That quite possibly is one of the reasons for the scarcity of hotel rooms in this part of the province. That along with all the people who are travelling.

The Selkirk Range, although not really high, are rugged and the highway conforms to the geography. Some sections hang on the sides of mountains and seem to have been blasted out of the rock. Most impressive and an absolute pleasure to ride, because the road snakes through the mountains and traffic was minimal so we could ride comfortably on it. Closer to Creston we ran into a few small showers, but we seemed to have missed the serious rain because the highway was wet for quite a long distance. 

View to the west on the Salmo-Creston Highway

Rain clouds in our future

Views to the east on the Salmo-Creston Highway

View to the south with storm clouds

We had already reserved a room in Creston but after we checked in, Jim opened the door and realized that there was only one bed. Seems like a person named 'Kerr' had reserved a room and to top it off we had made the reservation by phone so for a while it looked like we didn't have a room. The desk lady finally found it so we were alright. However, all the time we were in the office trying to check in we could hear a low base drone. I asked the woman at the desk and she said that it was for an 'Om' chant. Not something I think would be too relevant to most people checking in to the Sunset Motel.

The evening was very relaxed and it was a good rest after 295 kilometres. Tomorrow on to Cranbrook and Invermere, a short day of riding before the long haul to Rocky Mountain House, AB.

A Good Start

Yesterday was a long day for both Jim and me. It was one of those not getting much sleep nights where the list of things that we hadn't done kept popping into our heads. I clocked a little more than two hours sleep on Wednesday night & Jim got marginally more sleep so last night we had some sleep to catch up on. This morning we got up around 8:30 but managed to get on the road by 9:30 so it wasn't too late a start.

The weather was cool and overcast as we left hope. Fingerless gloves weren't the best choice but it all worked out. Our first stop was at the Hope Slide where the whole side of a mountain slid off and crossed the valley bottom. The old Highway 3 is now under about sixty metres of rock and debris while the new one sits atop the slide. 

Views of the 1965 Hope Slide

We stopped at the west entrance to Manning Park mainly because I like the wooden sculpture of the marmot that marks the entrance to the park. Carrying on, we made a brief stop at the Manning Park Lodge. 

Love this marmot!

Views of the west entrance to E.C. Manning Park

Manning Park Lodge with Jim's Street Glide in the foreground.

Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton is a wonderful bike road. We stayed at the speed limit and really enjoyed the experience. At Princeton we stopped to refuel but when I opened the left saddlebag on my bike the lock disintegrated. For the fourth f@(41&6 time. It amazes me that Harley-Davidson will build a motorcycle that cast around $27K and cheaps out on a twenty-five cent piece of hardware. So far it has cost me more than $250 to keep having that lock replaced. I'm becoming quite irritated with H-D, and as my friend Jim frequently says, "I'm going to write a letter."

On the way to Keremeos we stopped to see the Ashnola bridge, a remainder of the old VV&E railway that was built around 1915. As Jim was turning his bike dropped off the edge of the pavement and his foot slipped on the gravel as he tried to hold it up, so down it went. With the help of a guy who had just parked we righted it. Fortunately, the crash bar on his saddle bag saved the bike from any damage so all is well.

The VV&E railway bridge at Ashnola, west of Keremeos.

On the was to Keremeos we came upon the scene of an accident. There were about six trucks parked on the opposite side of the highway along with a semi. As we passed I saw that there was a semi overturned in the ditch & the people there were involved in a recovery operation. I hope the driver wasn't seriously injured. We stopped at a fruit stand on the way into Keremeos and I bought about a pound of fresh cherries. The I found out that Jim doesn't eat cherries. Quel dommage! I will have to eat them myself. 

The ride to Osoyoos was uneventful except for a brief glace of the Spotted Lake. There is so much alkali in this little lake that when the water evaporates in the heat of summer, there are circular formations that look like spots  in the lake. The decent from the Old Richter Pass into the Okanagan Valley is spectacular! A great deal of the lake is visible along with the mountains on the east side of the lake, while the orchards and farms cover the land on the west side.

After refueling in Osoyoos we climbed Anarchist Mountain on our way to Rock Creek and Midway. The climb up Anarchist Mountain is a rider's dream with many curves that challenge rider's of all abilities.

The plan was to get a motel room in Midway and stop for the night. We had our first experience of the room shortage that is endemic this weekend. The Shambala Music Festival is being held in Salmo this weekend and most motel rooms are booked. Finding an available room is more a matter of good luck than good management this weekend. 

We carried on to Greenwood and the first motel we stopped at had no vacancies. Down the road we stopped at another motel and fortunately a room was available, and at a decent price so we have a place to stay tonight. 

Tomorrow will be a short riding day because we will be stopping in Creston for the night. We were unable to find a room anywhere in southeastern BC east of Creston. Motels are sold out along Highway 3 all the way to the Alberta border. We tried to book a room in Golden, BC, but the only rooms available were in the three hundred dollar range and that is a hard 'No!' for us.

So our plans have changed. Tomorrow night we will stay in Creston. Sunday we will be in Invermere, and on Monday we will do a long run to Rocky Mountain House. On Tuesday it will be a 500 km ride to McBride, and then we will return to Kamloops on Wednesday. It looks like the weather will hold so I'm keeping my fingers crossed with the hopes that the rest of the trip goes smoothly. Distance covered today- 349 km.

Old Guys on Harleys

Six years ago, my friend Jim and I did a road trip to Idaho, Wyoming and Montana before returning to British Columbia. During the ensuing years events occurred that kept us from doing any more road trips. But, this year, Covid-19 has receded somewhat, I have has my two boosters and Jim has taken care of business as well. So, now, in 2022, we have decided to relive our (relative) youth by doing another road trip through southern BC and other places that we haven't figured out. The big question is, 'Can we still do it?' I'm hoping the answer is yes.

I spent last evening putting everything together for the trip. With a different motorcycle things are different. I bought a Saddleman bike pack a couple of years ago but had not used it yet so this trip is a test run for that system. As I packed the bag I kept remembering things that I needed to add and by 11:00 p.m. I thought I had everything packed and went to bed. Wake up was scheduled for 4:30 a.m. with departure at 5:15.

On thing though. I always forget something even with my list. I kept running over things in my mind and came up with several items tom add to the list. At 2:00 a.m. I remembered that I had promised to bring a pad for Jim's side stand, so Up and to the garage I went. After a short search I found it. Last thing done I finally  dropped off slightly before 2:30 a.m. 

4:30 came very early but with a slight delay to fasten the pack to my Heritage Classic and was out the driveway at 5:17 a.m. only two minutes late. The ride to Nanaimo was easy but it was much cooler than I expected and by the time I pulled in to the Chevron station to refuel I was a bit chilled. The ride to the ferry was quite smooth, but when I arrived at 7:30 the ferry was already loading. I was directed to the lower deck at the stern but was happy to have made it. At that time I realized that I had forgotten to bring a bag of cherries for the ride. Good to have that out of the way.

Loaded Heritage on the Lower deck of the Coastal Renaissance

Lighthouse outside of Nanaimo harbour

The ride was uneventful and during the ride I spoke to a guy named Don who was interested in old cars. He told me about his 1958 Chevrolet Apache pickup truck and his 1973 Ford Mustang. It was obvious that he took a lot of joy from both vehicles. I told him about my bikes and for almost and hour we exchanged stories about the vehicles. He asked me about buying my Triumph Trident, but I quickly disabused him of that idea. 

The crossing was very easy and I was off the ferry near the start of the unloading process. From there it was a run to Chilliwack. Traffic was heavy but at times we were rolling at the 100 kph speed limit then we would slow to 30 or 40 kph. It was frustrating but eventually things smoothed out and I made a brief stop for gas and a milkshake before getting back on the road. About 20 kilometres west of Hope, traffic slowed to a stop and go ordeal with top speeds under 15kph for more than 3 kilometres. Temperatures we in the high 20s and sitting on top of a 114 cubic inch engine wearing full leathers was not a pleasant experience.

I arrived at our meeting place at the Chevron station at 1:30 p.m., about five minutes after Jim. Great timing! We spent a little more than an hour at the White Spot just catching up before we headed to our room at the Swiss Chalet Motel. The place is rustic, but it has A/C, internet, two beds, and a television so we can watch the January 6th hearings. It will be a revelation to see how this situation is resolved, but I don't have great hopes. We shall  see.

Tomorrow we will head east on Highway 3 to grand Forks, Castlegar, or some place in between. Time to find out if the two old guys can still put some serious kilometres on our Harleys.

Our Harleys parked outside our room at the Swiss Chalets Motel

View to the east from our balcony

View to the north from our balcony

Swiss Chalets Motel.