Day 8, June 6th, Creston to Cranbrook (105km)

Sasquatch Stealing Canucks Gear

Frogs in the pond kept me up most of the night.  They were having a wild party on their Lily Pads that didn't stop until early morning.  I was camped across from the Columbia Brewing Company on a beautiful piece of grass.  The night would have been perfect except for the frogs.  The gaggle of birds woke me up early.  It was 5:00am.  I took a look outside my tent and saw the cloudy skies.  Someone had told me there could be thundershowers by the afternoon so I was determined to get off to an early start.  By 7am, everything was packed and I was ready to roll.  Looking across at the Columbia Brewing Company, I saw the sasquatch with his 12 pack of Kokanee.  Overnight, he had stolen a Canucks jersey and a hockey stick.  Too bad he didn't find any skates, he would have been terror on defense.

Train Stopped at Yahk

Today I headed towards Cranbrook.  In between Creston and Cranbrook is Yahk and Moyie.  A number of years back, Kyle Macdonald had a great idea.  He started off with one red paper clip and kept trading up until he traded for a house.  When interviewed on national T.V.  by George Stroumboulopoulos on The Hour, Kyle famously stated, "I will go anywhere in the world to make a trade except Yahk, British Columbia."  Of course his next trade ended up in Yahk B.C. and the rest is history.

For Sale, 80 Acres Under Water

Riding on cruise control, I blinked and almost missed Yahk.  A sign had said turn your clocks ahead.  I'm now in the East Kootenays on Mountain Time.  The rivers near Yahk are swollen.  Want to buy 80 acres near the riverfront?  The land is underwater right now.  At the only restaurant near the town, I had seen two racing bikes rigged with trailors parked outside.  What stopped me, was a gas station offering water and supplies.  The owner was an older fellow with emphysema who in a country drawl was quick to inquire "Where's your final destination son."  When I told him Toronto, he didn't bat an eye but offered, "Well, you won't make it there for dinner."  Looking out the window he said, "Are those guys with you?"

Marty From Burliington

The guys from the restaurant were passing in front of the gas station and gave a quick wave.  Hopping on my bike, I quickly caught up with the slower rider.  The stiff headwind was blowing his trailor all over the road. He said he could really feel the trailer as zig zagged behind his bike.  Leaving him behind, I took aim at the speed demon in the distance.  It took me almost an hour to catch Marty. Marty was rolling along at a pretty fast clip.  Like a predator I went after the prey.  After catching up, we both stopped and talked while waiting for his brother in law.  The Burlington boys are going to Newfoundland.  After 10 minutes, Marty's brother in law hadn't appeared so I resumed my trip.  Marty's a character and I hope to see him down the road.

1904 St. Pauls Chruch

The road to the next town was slightly uphill for most of the way.  Moyie is a small, abandoned mining town.  In the late 1800's, silver and lead were extracted from the ground at the Eugene Mine.  Like most small towns who's glory days have long gone by, the General Store and Church both seemed well preserved.  There's also a small gas station near the General Store for those looking to resupply.  St. Pauls Church in Moyie was of particular beauty so I quickly made a detour to take a picture.

Food for the Crows.

The rest of the ride through the Purcell Mountains into Cranbrook was smooth and easy.  To my right, I saw a gaggle of ravens with wildly flaying wings.  Looking over, I noticed a deer lay dead beside the road.  It was a sad sight to see but the deer is now a source of food for crows, flies and other animals that depend on nature's life cycle.  I stopped for a picture and resumed my trip to Cranbrook.

Today, Cranbrook serves as a major transportation hub for trains coming and going to the USA.  It is also the junction of major highways #3 & 93/95.  Past the mountains outside the city is Alberta...  Alberta, I can see it in the distance!  Rounding the bend 5km from Cranbrook provided me with my first glance of the Rocky Mountains.  I stopped to gawk in amazement.  A local pulled up and told me the view was a bit better down the road.  The contrast between snow capped peaks and the farming valley below is beautiful.  It won't be long before I leave B.C.  A days ride from here is Sparwood.  After Sparwood is the Crowsnest Pass and the border of Alberta.

The Rocky Mountains Peaking Over the Foothills.

Distance: 105km
Average Speed: 20.4km/h
Maximum Speed: 48.8km/h
Time: 5:05
Odometer: 895km

Day 7, June 5th, Nelson to Creston (118km)

Kootenay River Near Nelson

Rising in the morning to the sight of an empty dorm room, I packed my bags.  The White House in Nelson is a beautiful hostel.  Opening the window, I could already feel the heat. Today was going to be a scorcher!  I was getting up early to beat the heat.  The nice thing about starting off in Nelson is the amenities a big city has to offer.  A quick trip to Safeway and breakfast was served.  Today was going to be special.  My first destination was Balfor.  Balfor is home to the longest, free, fresh water ferry ride in the world.  This ferry takes over half an hour to cross Kootenay lake.

Racing to Balfor

Leaving Nelson I spotted the ferry schedule on a sign.  It was 8:30am and the sign said the next ferry sails at 9:50am.  After the 9:50am sailing, it would be past 11am before the next ferry sailed.  I was still 33km from Balfor.  This wasn't going to be your typical Sunday ride.  It was a time trial to make the early sailing.  Putting my head down, I drove the bike as hard as I could.  Luckily, most sections were flat but there were a few rolling hills.  Just before 9:30am, I hit the ferry terminal.  I had pushed really hard and averaged 34km/h.  I wish I could have stopped to take more pictures.  This ride along the lake was beautiful.

Line Up for the Ferry.  Near Crawford

I loaded my bike onto the Osprey.  As the ferry untied from it's moorings, it was quickly apparent that this was going to be  a beautiful trip.  There were so many nice cabins by the lake and barely a cloud in the sky.  On the ferry, I met a girl who wants to bike tour Canada one day.  She had such a positive, can do attitude that I really hope she gets her opportunity soon.  Everyone in and around these smaller cities is friendly. The ferry trip went by very quickly.  We were talking the whole trip so I hardly saw the scenery.  At the terminal is a steep hill that leads you up towards Crawford Bay.

Kootenay Lake Panoramic

The ride south along Kootenay Lake was spectacular.  Mind blowing panorama after panorama of the lake appeared through the trees.  On a break for lunch, 3 guys on bicycles pulled up to chat.  These guys were from Toronto and are riding from Vancouver to Newfoundland.  They all seemed like characters.  On a tight budget, they have been free camping.  They've even knocked on doors and stayed in peoples backyards.  For them. it really is a tour on a shoestring.  Today was their 10th day out of Vancouver.  At the moment, I'm 7 days out, so my pace is a bit quicker.  What's ironic is we've both run into the same people.  They knew about the two guys from Montreal and mentioned there are two French girls on the road ahead.  Apparently, I'm known as the soloist from Vancouver.  The guys offered me a place to stay when I hit Toronto.  My pace is a bit quicker, but hopefully we'll see each other down the road along the way.

Bear on the Road

Pushing on, I continued up and down a series of rolling hills.  A bear popped by to say hello.  From a distance, I stopped to take a picture.  After waiting a while, it didn't move so I decided to blow right by it.  As I neared the bear, it started to cross over to my side of the road.  My was heart pounding as I swerved around it. As I passed it, I could have literally patted it on the head.  It was surprising that he didn't run.  He looked pretty haggard.  It's been a long winter for bears this year. 

1913 General Store

After reaching the south end of Kootenay Lake, you enter an area of beautiful farmland.  I was out of water so I stopped at the 1913 Selkirk General store to try to fill my bottles.  The store was closed.  I rang the bell but no one answered.  After waiting 10 minutes, it was time to move on.  My situation was getting desperate.  It was too hot to to ride without water.  Luckily, a gas station appeared and I was able to get a couple of bottles of ice cold water.  In small towns, a lot of gas stations also double as liquor agents.  You can buy your beer and scotch while you fill up the tanks.  For cycle tourers, these outposts are a lifeline between population centers.  I try to support them as often as possible.  Without them, there would be long sections of highway where amenities are few and far between.  On these hotter days, I'm going to have to start carrying a lot more water.

Church in Creston

Today I made to Creston before 3pm.  I was happy to get here because the suns seems to be at its hottest between 1pm to 3pm.  Creston definitely has a more working class feel to it than the hippy town of Nelson.  Creston is famous for being the home of the Columbia Brewing Company.  Tonight I'm at a campground across the lawn.  I  look up and stare jealously at the Kokanee sign.

Farmland Outside Creston

Distance: 118km
Average Speed: 21.4km/h
Maximum Speed: 57.4 km/h
Time: 5:31
Odometer: 790km