Blogs from British Columbia, Canada, North America - page 6

Day 19. When I stepped outside this morning everything was covered in ash and it continues to fall this evening. I assume it’s from the big fire near Kamloops but Osoyoos is on fire as well. The government has declared a state of emergency for the area and as of this morning 1100 hectares (2700 acres) were burning out of control. Today I decided I would not ride but go to the gym in Sicamous and do some grocery shopping. I tried calling the gym yesterday afternoon but just got voicemail. I tried again this morning and got the same so I went on their website and it showed day passes were available so I gathered my gear and headed to town. When I got to the gym the door was locked with a key pad ... read more

Smithers BC, is approximately halfway between Prince George & Prince Rupert in the Bulkley Valley, along the Yellowhead Highway and where we find Patrick today on his road trip. Founded in 1913, the community of Smithers over the last century has become one of the more iconic settlements in the area. There are few places in British Columbia that can boast the quality of life that Smithers has become known for. Smithers owes its name to the chairman of the board of directors of the Grand Truck Pacific Railway. Smithers requires all the businesses operating in the downtown core on Main Street to construct the buildings in such a way that the alpine theme of the area is maintained. We spotted “The Alpenman’ which serves as a representative of the town’s symbol and mascot. Wherever you ... read more

Day 16. The plan after pancakes was to ride a loop toward Kamloops I had loaded in the GPS last night. I set out as planned with an added stop at Canadian Tire in Salmon Arm to look at a new BBQ I’ve been thinking about. There is nothing wrong with my BBQ, it’s just that I used to have a better one so for some reason I think I need a better one again. Better being more expensive but not necessarily any more functional. Stupid, I know. Despite the website showing two in stock at that store I didn’t see any on the shelf and since I wasn’t prepared to buy it then and there I didn’t ask. Back on the road headed to Monte Creek I saw a sign for the Dreamcycle Motorcycle Museum ... read more

Day 15. 4230Km. Moving day if you will. I’ve moved further into the mountains in Malakwa. The peaks at Rogers Pass are stunning. Photos just don’t do them justice, especially when they are covered in smoke from the wild fires. All the photos look hazy from the smoke. It’s too bad too, the scenery is amazing. I took the quickest route through Golden and Revelstoke but for a second considered a different path that would have involved not one but two ferry crossings. There are many free ferry’s in British Columbia that are free because they are considered part of the highway system. When I arrived at camp or actually before I arrived I noticed helicopters in the sky carrying whatever they call the large bags to water-bomb forest fires. One was filling from a river ... read more

Day 13 The guy on the phone yesterday told me the welding shop opened at eight. I got up at seven, had a banana and gathered some tools to remove the bracket with the broken tab from my motorcycle. It’s not a big job and I’ve done it enough times that it’s not at all intimidating. I did forget that the muffler needs to be removed though. No biggie, two more bolts. I grabbed a protein bar, some peanuts and my gym bag in the hopes that I could drop the bracket off and pick it up later in the day. The gym was quite close and I wasn’t riding anyway. The guy at the welding shop took my part and said hang on a minute. He returned and said the supervisor said if I could ... read more