DAY 15: 6/7/02 McBRIDE to SLIM CREEK  / 57mi / Elev gain 3000' / N53:43.6' 121:8.7'

We woke up to blue skies this morning and were taken aback by the incredible snow capped mountain on both sides of the green valley. The first 10-15 miles were quite easy pedaling. Then we started in what came to be a day full of rollers with names like Snowshoe Creek, Ptarmagin Creek, Dome Creek, Slim Creek-up 200ft then down 300ft etc., etc., etc.. We started and ended the day at 2100ft but somewhere along the way we gained 3000ft. This seems to be the case for so much of our touring experience. But then something quite unexpected happened. Ken tends to think it was Rita's fault as she takes much pride in her ability sing 'Hey Bear' for hours at a time. Her lack of attention to her duties put us in the rather compromising situation of coming face to face with 'ol mama bear and her cub. Well, fearing for Rita's safety, Ken immediately pedaled to the opposite side of the road so's these two ladies could talk things out. You know that old "three's a crowd" thing. Well it didn't take but a couple of seconds for them to get it all straightened out. I think Rita asked her if she would like to hear Ken's rousing rendition of 'Ol Danny Boy. Well that old sow hi-tailed it to the bushes snorting to her cub, "cover your ears and run!"
We stopped a few minutes later, after the adrenaline mellowed out for the usual midmorning Snickers break. We agreed that we came up here to get a real taste of this country but we hope the the country won't get a taste of us. Our little run-in probably won't be the last. Our hunch was correct as we jumped a couple more bears as the day wore on and a moose to boot. We stopped at the only cafe for a 100 miles for a piece of pie late in the afternoon. As we were talking to the guy in the next booth, we looked out the window to see another rather shaggy bear circling the parking lot. He kept sneaking around behind trees and cars but you could tell he was really interested in the bags hanging on our bikes. He seemed to be the Eddie Haskell (Leave it to Beaver) of bears. The waitress said to "pay him no mind as he won't cause no harm." Go figure!
Well, after pie and coffee we coasted couple of miles down to the Slim Creek Rest Area, tonight's destination. We figured there would be other RV'ers resting here for the night and sure enough, a few pulled in. After hanging all things that could possibly resemble food to the critters, we pitched the tent and snuggled in for what will hopefully be a peaceful night.

DAY 16: 6/8/02 SLIM CREEK to PURDEN LAKE / 37mi / Elev gain 1500' / N53:54.5' W121:54.6'

We hoped for a restful night at Slim Creek, but neither of us slept all that well because of the day's bear activity. Ken's imagination kept him awake from eleven until one and once he started to snore Rita heard noises from one till two. Our choice today was to attempt one long 80-mile day or to make the trip to Prince George in 2, more relaxing, 40-milers. We opted for the second choice traveling through wild, gorgeous scenery on good road with a wide shoulder. We left camp with Rita singing loudly and Ken blowing his coaches whistle frequently trying to make our presence known to all the bears. It must have worked, because we didn't see a single one. Maybe it helped that we didn't have a headwind to blow our scent away. The hills were more relaxing as well and in no time we arrived at Purden Lake Resort and ordered up the apple pie ala mode. We headed to the campsite, took a hot shower and relaxed after Ken changed his brake pads. This was the first day our legs have seen the light of day since we left Jasper. It finally got warmer than 52 degrees. The 60 degree temperatures also woke up the mosquitoes and black flies. But today was merely an introduction to more serious bugs.

DAY 17: 6/9/02 PURDEN LAKE to PRINCE GEORGE / 48 mi / Elev gain 2200' / N53:51.5' W122:49.3'

Purden Lake was smooth as glass this morning as we broke camp. The mountains are lower here and only a small amount of snow remained on the ski hill above. As we have pedaled along the highways and byways of U.S. and Canada we have often encountered logging trucks, chip haulers, truckloads of lumber. We had a talk with a gentleman about the timber industry when Spike, his Jack Russell Terrier, stopped by our tent site to visit. We learned most Canadians are not too happy with the high tariffs the U.S. has placed on softwood lumber. These tariffs have put many of the smaller logging operations out of business. The largest companies however, are doing less clear cutting and more select logging using helicopters to get the timber out. We learned the helicopters can cost up to ten thousand dollars per hour to have in the field. Spike's owner told us most of British Columbia's lumber still goes to the States. We finally got a real summer day at 75 degrees. After the morning chill and a look at another moose, we were riding in shorts and tee shirts with liberal doses of sun screen on our rain soaked, lily white skin. We had a grand entrance into Prince George about 12:30 this afternoon. We coasted down a long hill, then rode across the bridge that spans the wide Fraser River, the longest river in BC. It originates near Mt. Robson and gains size and momentum throughout its 800 mile run to the Pacific. At the "Welcome to Prince George" sign we had a photo op and then headed for a bike shop. Ken's rear tread is showing some wear, so we thought we better carry 2 spare tires instead of one as we prepare for the Cassiar Hwy, which has some gravel stretches and no bike shops. Prince George is a pretty town with a population of 80,000. We grunted up a steep hill to Connaught Park to eat our lunch while overlooking the city. We coasted down that hill and then began the 4 mile climb to the other side of town to stock up on groceries and find our home at the Blue Spruce.

DAY 18: 6/10/02 PRINCE GEORGE to VANDERHOOF / 58mi / 1800' Elev gain / N54:1.5' W124:0.6'

We left Prince George amid the Monday morning traffic. We haven't experienced this much road noise since leaving Spokane. That is very different from the days when Simon Fraser explored the Fraser River for Hudson's Bay Co and established Fort George, naming it after his King, George III, in the early 1800's. Prince George is now a center for commerce and bills itself as the Capitol of Northern BC. The Yellowhead Hwy west from Prince George to Vanderhoof is mostly through farm land with long gentle hills. The terrain reminded Rita of the hills east of the Red River Valley in Minnesota where she grew up. When the Grand Trunk Railway was completed in 1913, German settlers came to farm the Vanderhoof area. When we arrived in Vanderhoof today we noticed, first, how friendly everyone was and second, how diverse the population is. There are many First Nations people who live here. Vanderhoof is the geographical center of BC and lies in the Nechako River Valley. We are camped in the Riverside Campground which sports a birdwatching tower. We were too late in the season to enjoy the company of thousands of migrating Canadian Geese and pelicans but we did see a pretty sunset. We experienced our second day of summer. We are struggling to acclimate to the sudden change in temperature. Overnight we went from 50 degree highs to 80 degrees. Ken says, "Keep the mileage short, so we get time to rest and enjoy the sights and people."

DAY 19: 6/11/02 VANDERHOOF to BURNS LAKE / 77mi / 2000' Elev gain / N54:12.6' W125:41.5'

As we left Vanderhoof this morning we understood why it is the Forestry Capital of BC. There were large lumber mills west of town. We were told that a large mill can process enough lumber in one day to build 100 houses. We did not have a specific destination as we set out this morning. We decided to go until we were tired. We pedaled past the cut-off for Fort St. James. This town has restored the historic Hudson's Bay Co. fur trading post. During the summer they have re-enactments of life at the fort. Last October we took a road trip (would you believe by car?) to visit Historic Fort Vancouver near Portland to learn what working for the Hudson's Bay Co was like. Fort Fraser brought us to a convenience store for a cookie and chocolate milk. We felt great after 35 miles when we arrived in the white swan capital of the world, Fraser Lake, so after a stroll though the museum and lunch we opted to pedal onward. At 50 miles we came to the Endako molybdenum mine and pub. We were still feeling strong so we decided to go all the way to Burns Lake for our longest day and biggest one day mileage so far. 15 miles before the campground we met Steven, an Australian cyclist headed all the way across Canada. He was wondering where he could get a couple beers before he made camp. When we told him he'd have to go all the way to the Endako Pub, he replied, "I'll have to get padallin' to get me a couple o' grog for tonight, eh." After 77 miles with a steady headwind we finally arrived at the KOA. We took a shower, ate our dinner and crashed into the tent.

DAY 20: 6/12/02 BURNS LAKE to HOUSTON / 57mi / 1540' Elev gain / N54:24.9' W126:38'

Today we spent a lot of time thinking about our number 1 son, Frank, who is graduating today from the University of Washington with an MBA. We are a little melancholy that we can't be in Seattle with him to celebrate. We slept in until 7 this morning, broke camp and headed into the town of Burns Lake. Rita was looking for fresh fruit and Ken was on a donut mission.
How can it be? - Yesterday, Vanderhoof was bragging that it was the Forestry Capital of BC and today Burns Lake was also claiming that title. Things we notice when we ride rolling hill after rolling hill are the wild flowers. It is too early in the season to see anything but fields and fields of gorgeous yellow dandelions. The best part is that nobody seems to mind and nobody is trying to eradicate them. Rita even had dandelion greens with her rice and veggies for dinner one night. While riding along we see lots of treasures too. So far Ken found a clean new grease rag and Rita found a new British Columbia Provincial flag to hang on her hydration pack. Rita is still kicking herself for letting the hockey stick get away. We are camped with 3 folks who took the ferry from Vancouver to Prince Rupert, are cycling to Prince George and then plan to ride the train back to Vancouver. Now that sounds like a sane trip.

DAY 21: 6/13/02 HOUSTON to SMITHERS / 48mi / 2000' Elev gain / N54:51' W127:13.3'

Yesterday when we left Burns Lake, far off in the distance we could see some snow capped peaks. As we continued our journey west from Houston this morning up Hungry Hill Summit, the Coast Mountain Range came into full view all around us. We followed the swollen Bulkley River down and around and through Telkwa, a First Nations Village. After stopping by the historical Anglican Church for a photo of the lilacs (they are just beginning to bloom here) we went to the city park for lunch. The park border had been sandbagged to hold back the high fast running waters of the Bulkley. The streams that feed this river are premier trout and salmon habitat. The temperature continued to rise as the afternoon wore on. When we arrived in Smithers, a ski town that lies in the shadow of Hudson Bay Mountain, there were no shadows. Rita was melting faster than Ken's birthday candles. Yes, today is the big day for Rita's favorite geezer. Thankfully we only had to ride 8 more miles for a gorgeous sunset on the Hudson Bay Glacier.  

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