103 kilometers – see here!

I woke up pretty early considering yesterdays epic ride and was off by 10am. I stopped in at the Visitors center which has free wifi for those wondering. I posted yesterdays ride and added images but wordpress always removes the html tags and brackets. While I was getting that sorted out I decided to upload video onto youtube and contact bell support explain why I only get a signal when am in towns but no where else. I was told because I was on newer network phone there is less coverage but the phone should automatically switch to the slower network on its own. When that doesn’t work I should turn my off phone and turn it on again to recalibrate. So basically no support at all thanks Bell for expensive crappy service.

I was about to leave town but saw the post office and had an idea. I found a service station to dump the gas from the oven that doesn’t work, cleaned it out and sent it home. The current stove I have is pretty much fail safe so why bother carrying the old one across the country.

Finally was off and basically it is fairly flat with little climbs for the first 20 kilometers but my legs are shot and my butt is sore from yesterday so it is amazingly slow progress. I stopped at the junction for highway 95 to the US and the Crowsnest and ate a massive bowl of poutine because the owner is French and I need to prepare for Quebec. With a full belly I headed back on the road for more of the same: tired, sore and unmotivated. After a lot of puttering down the highway I crossed through Yahk BC which tiny little town consisting of a general store and few other small stores dotting the highway. The sign at the end of town said I would be back but I am not so sure.

From there you reach Moyie lake where I stopped for more water at an RV park. The front office was closed so I rode around to the lakeside where it came to a dead end. There were some children playing who stopped to look at me, they were not in shock just curious for a brief moment before playing again. There was a very nice lady who I suppose was the mother of some of the children who gave me some water and asked about my trip. I believe her father or a family relation also do charity work in Haiti out of Cranbrook. She did offer for me to camp or stay somewhere at the park and I nearly did as it would have be so easy to stop but once I have a destination locked in it is hard to change my mind.

There are little up and downs as you ride down the highway hugging the Eastern side of the lake where I stopped a few times but then it flattens out. Though the riding was easy I really plotted on at a slow pace until I came around a corner a got a glimpse of the snow capped magnificent Rockies. I immediately perked up and quickened my pace. It is really amazing how your mind can control how you perform physically with flip of the switch. I think it was a little downhill too since I managed to get into the big ring.

The view of the rockies is incredible once in Creston and though I took no pictures today I will post some tomorrow. I stopped at the closed Visitor Centre to determine my options. Someone in a truck drove by and yelled “homo”. I was thinking it took 10 days for that to happen, the world is changing. Anyway I saw on my map an RV park in the town center so I rode for that. On the way my mom called so I pulled over to speak with her. I noticed a cyclist passing by and nodded. Obviously my mom was worried and wanted to check on her baby but he was okay. Just as I was getting off the phone the cyclist who rode by approached and asked where I was staying. He offered his backyard which I gladly accepted and is where I am writing this blog. I got a hot shower, a meal and half of his last Pilsner! His wife joined our conversation where we discussed bears, computers, cycling and triathlon of course.

His name is David and I guess I was standing outside the winter homeless shelter when he saw me. Timing is everything!

PS: I am posting videos on my youtube channel.