The Road to Canada
Off and Riding_Day2
Day 2 of our ride will be the longest day at a planned 93 miles, almost a century ride and the decision was made to depart at 7AM. Once again we arose, packed and loaded our gear and breakfasted. Everyone was anxious to get on the road. The morning was cool and clear. Riding up the Tobacco Valley we found ourselves falling in to a riding order based primarily on our speed. I am a very steady paced rider, but usually slow so I brought up the rear. Upon approaching the USA/Canada border, the Port of Roosville, each of us had to have our passports to enter. However, the Canadian officials were more interested in the details of how our trip had been thus far and of learning about our group than of seriously examining our identities and our purpose for coming to Canada.
Day 2 of our ride will be the longest day at a planned 93 miles, almost a century ride and the decision was made to depart at 7AM. Once again we arose, packed and loaded our gear and breakfasted. Everyone was anxious to get on the road. The morning was cool and clear. Riding up the Tobacco Valley we found ourselves falling in to a riding order based primarily on our speed. I am a very steady paced rider, but usually slow so I brought up the rear. Upon approaching the USA/Canada border, the Port of Roosville, each of us had to have our passports to enter. However, the Canadian officials were more interested in the details of how our trip had been thus far and of learning about our group than of seriously examining our identities and our purpose for coming to Canada.
Montana Lumber Jack Welcome to CanadaAfter getting across the border, we entered British Columbia and we started on a long, gradual incline of some twenty miles to the Junction of Highway 93 and Canada 3. The final part of this section was a long straight run with a steepening grade over some 10 miles. I was keeping an eye on the road surface in front of me, an eye in my rear view mirror for what was coming from behind, all the while, listening to the ramblings of my mind; a long internal dialog with myself as I slowly ascend to a point miles distant kept my immediate life simple and focused. I enjoyed the feeling of my body heating up as I exerted myself; the tightness in my legs dissipating and giving way to supple strength as I repeatedly demanded my legs turn the cranks, making the bike carry me further towards the day’s destination. The feeling of sweat falling off my head and down my back, keeping me cool as I struggled up the hill. The taste of salt in my mouth as the beads of perspiration came down my face. It probably sounds like misery to some, but to those who have experienced this kind of journey these sensations are part and parcel of the journey; the physical manifestations of your effort carrying you onward.
After arriving at the Canada 3/Highway 93 Junction by the little town of Elko, I head down a twenty mile downhill; the road surface to this point had been pretty smooth and made for easy rolling resistance for the tires of my bike. As we turned on to Canada 3 the road surface became much coarser and the rolling resistance increased quite a bit. Of greater impact, Canada Highway 3 had a rumble strip and a very gravely shoulder. Consequently, riding on the shoulder became VERY difficult and bone jarring, while at the same time the many diesel trucks made it very risky to ride the primary road way which was smoother.
So I ended up developing a system which was one part reasoned calculation and one part playing Chicken. I would ride on the right side of the road as much as possible and keep a sharp eye on my rear view mirror and listen for approaching vehicles. If a truck or car came from behind me and there was no oncoming traffic I would stay in the lane and passively encourage the truck or car to go around me by not giving way. This was a reasonable approach as Canadian drivers are much more courteous to cyclist than Americans. When oncoming traffic was present I would be forced to turn across the rumble strip and into the gravely shoulder. This continued for some two hours and my teeth felt like they were ready to fall out of my head by the time this section was passed!
River and Rock: Elk River Near Elko, British Columbia
Arriving in the mountain community of Fernie , in British Columbia, I stopped at a locally owned restaurant called “Rip and Richards”, where I had lunch with Mike and Gail Williamson of Seattle; the only couple on our trip. Fernie is the town where in 1987 the Steve Martin Movie “Roxanne” was filmed, a modern day telling of the Cyrano De Bergerac story. It is a beautiful community perched up in the Canadian Rockies at about 3,500 elevation. In winter it is a skiing destination and in summer it is a hiking, camping, etc. destination, but its mountain biking is hailed as some of the best to be had and Fernie boast two very well equipped bicycle shops that specialize, almost exclusively in mountain bikes. 
While the all the riders were negotiating Canada 3’s rumble strip, our ride’s luggage hauling vehicle, a rental truck from Seattle, broke down with all of our personal belongs as well as our water and snacks. As a result all riders were on their own for the afternoon while the staff sorted out the truck issue. As it turns out the truck’s left front wheel bearing had failed, causing the wheel to lock up. A new truck was acquired and the old one repaired and rejoined our ride two days later.
Tonka Toy Dreams
After lunch and a short nap I continued on towards the day’s destination, Blairmore. Enroute to Blairmore I passed through Sparwood and by one of its attractions: one of those really giant mining trucks, the kind where the wheels stand about 9 feet tall. I continued on towards the Continental Divide located in the Crows Nest region of Alberta. Being in the mountains weather is always changing. Riding through a series of canyon’s and passes the wind always seemed to be coming from a new direction…sometimes working for you as a tail wind and other ahead or cross wind. At this point in the day I was tired. It was about 3:30-4:30 in the PM and my legs were starting to remind me that Sacramento is a really flat place to train for ride in the mountains. None-the-less the many days that I rode up to Beal’s Point did serve me in preparation: I have been able to climb at a very steady, if slow pace, up every incline presented to me. Each time I summit I have the satisfaction of accomplishing that climb.
After summiting Crow’s Nest Pass, I road on for another 15 miles on a high mountain plateau that is generally referred to as the Crow’s Nest region, as the name dominates almost every locale along the Crow’s Nest River. Finally I saw the sign for Blairmore and the Lost Lemon Campground, our group's destination for the day. My odometer said I had ridden 95 miles, almost a century ride and some members of our group who had not yet ridden a century went for a short ride around the small town to rack up the final miles.
An ice chest full of cold Canadian beer was waiting and excited talk of the day’s events was exchanged among the riders. 155 miles down and 200+ to go… Ride On!!
Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
The Williamsons:
I quickly made friends with several of my Big Ride Colleagues, among them Mike and Gail Williamson and Mike’s brother Jim. Mike and Jim had been on the Big Ride America in 2006. For Mike it had been a life changing experience; 48 days of peddling meditation and getting touch with what is important in his life. For both Jim and Mike it 48 days of being with their brother; the longest time spent together since childhood. But for both of them, their decision to make the ride was the fulfillment of their mutual promise to do something as brothers to honor the memory of their father who had instilled in both of them a love for the outdoors and for traveling. Their father had been a forester for the US Forest Service. Latter the senior Williamson became engaged as an agricultural attaché to the United Nations and family accompanied him to his posting to Pakistan and for a time Afghanistan when India and Pakistan engaged in one of their two wars following the two country’s partition from one another in 1948. Jim has a Kentucky accent as a result of living in that state when he was learning to talk; Mike does not. Mike had the unique ‘luck’ of being on Mt. Rainier in 1980 when Mt. St. Helens erupted. He took many photographs which were studied by volcanologists after the eruption and several of these photographs were widely published.
I quickly made friends with several of my Big Ride Colleagues, among them Mike and Gail Williamson and Mike’s brother Jim. Mike and Jim had been on the Big Ride America in 2006. For Mike it had been a life changing experience; 48 days of peddling meditation and getting touch with what is important in his life. For both Jim and Mike it 48 days of being with their brother; the longest time spent together since childhood. But for both of them, their decision to make the ride was the fulfillment of their mutual promise to do something as brothers to honor the memory of their father who had instilled in both of them a love for the outdoors and for traveling. Their father had been a forester for the US Forest Service. Latter the senior Williamson became engaged as an agricultural attaché to the United Nations and family accompanied him to his posting to Pakistan and for a time Afghanistan when India and Pakistan engaged in one of their two wars following the two country’s partition from one another in 1948. Jim has a Kentucky accent as a result of living in that state when he was learning to talk; Mike does not. Mike had the unique ‘luck’ of being on Mt. Rainier in 1980 when Mt. St. Helens erupted. He took many photographs which were studied by volcanologists after the eruption and several of these photographs were widely published.
Mike Williamson and Jim Williamson
While the all the riders were negotiating Canada 3’s rumble strip, our ride’s luggage hauling vehicle, a rental truck from Seattle, broke down with all of our personal belongs as well as our water and snacks. As a result all riders were on their own for the afternoon while the staff sorted out the truck issue. As it turns out the truck’s left front wheel bearing had failed, causing the wheel to lock up. A new truck was acquired and the old one repaired and rejoined our ride two days later.
Tonka Toy DreamsAfter lunch and a short nap I continued on towards the day’s destination, Blairmore. Enroute to Blairmore I passed through Sparwood and by one of its attractions: one of those really giant mining trucks, the kind where the wheels stand about 9 feet tall. I continued on towards the Continental Divide located in the Crows Nest region of Alberta. Being in the mountains weather is always changing. Riding through a series of canyon’s and passes the wind always seemed to be coming from a new direction…sometimes working for you as a tail wind and other ahead or cross wind. At this point in the day I was tired. It was about 3:30-4:30 in the PM and my legs were starting to remind me that Sacramento is a really flat place to train for ride in the mountains. None-the-less the many days that I rode up to Beal’s Point did serve me in preparation: I have been able to climb at a very steady, if slow pace, up every incline presented to me. Each time I summit I have the satisfaction of accomplishing that climb.
After summiting Crow’s Nest Pass, I road on for another 15 miles on a high mountain plateau that is generally referred to as the Crow’s Nest region, as the name dominates almost every locale along the Crow’s Nest River. Finally I saw the sign for Blairmore and the Lost Lemon Campground, our group's destination for the day. My odometer said I had ridden 95 miles, almost a century ride and some members of our group who had not yet ridden a century went for a short ride around the small town to rack up the final miles.
An ice chest full of cold Canadian beer was waiting and excited talk of the day’s events was exchanged among the riders. 155 miles down and 200+ to go… Ride On!!
1 comment:
I love hearing your story wrapped around the others of your group. Keep peddling!
Amina
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