Cache Creek

It’s now day five of my travels and I’ve finally found a place with public computers that have internet access.  I’m slightly behind on my planned travel (I’ve only totalled 350km instead of my targeted 500km) but I’m not feeling too bad about that since there have been a few complications that’ve slowed me down considerably.

The first part of my trip went fairly smooth – I got off the plane, got a map of BC and a camper’s guide, took a cab to Crusty’s Bike Shop and geared up there.  I opted to go for a nice, two-wheeled trailer instead of strapping everything onto a panier rack since it keeps a lower wind profile, doesn’t throw my balance off as much and is far easier to load and unload every day.  I also went with SPD peddles/shoes, which basically clip my feet in place so I’m always in the optimal peddling position as well as allowing me to lift my feet to propell the bike rather than pushing down, which is nice later in the day as I tire out.

Then I spent four hours lost in Vancouver.

I eventually worked my way out of the city, ending somewhere near Mission after approx 8 hours of biking and the last of the sunlight.  It was exhausting, but I at least made some progress.

The next day I was too exhausted to go very far (plus I flatted my first tube) and finished off in Kent, and spent the evening chatting with a tourbiking couple from Walkerton, On.

My third day was a bit more eventful – I pushed all the way up to Boston Bar, playing tag with a biker from Michigan who was aiming to reach Kamloops by the end of the day.  I spotted a juvenile Grizzly bear during one of my water breaks, but it ran away before I could get my camera out – probably for the best, since I didn’t want a run-in with momma bear either.

On Canada day I did almost nothing – the road ahead of me was closed because Jackass Mountain (yes, that is its real name) is on fire, burning the roots of the trees and causing avalanches. Turning back would’ve meant at least a three-day detour, so I camped and waited it out.  Hung out with an older tour biker from Quebec City who was stuck just the same as me, did laundry, took photos.  Nothing terribly interesting, and I was anxious to be on my way again.

Today I took off first thing in the morning, managed to get past the road closure during a quiter time and finally reached Cache Creek.  I was pretty taken aback by the sudden change of scenery around Spences Bridge – within a kilometer my surroundings changed from lush forests and creeks to barren desert (though of course still fraught with obnoxiously steep hills.)  I’m hoping that there’ll be more life in the land again once I get past Kamloops, if only for want of shade during my rest breaks.

Still, all things considered I’m doing pretty well.  I’m not dead yet, I’m making decent progress when I’m not blocked by natural disaster and I can feel my strength and endurance improving each day, so it should get easier from here on out.

For those of you who are curious, this is the route that I’ve taken so far.

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