Off bike – Kayaking in Deep Cove
With the weather finally changing we took advantage of the warm weekend and went kayaking in Deep Cove, north-east of downtown Vancouver.
All kayaks were rented out but luckily we had reserved our kayaks in advance. Two doubles and two singles.
The single kayaks were much more exposed to the waves and felt less stable but they were also faster.
On the double kayaks the person in the back was controlling the rudder. That way it wasn’t necessary to steer with the paddles.
The bigger boats in the cove created a few waves which were great fun to chase and paddle into. We almost got run over by a big ferry which we noticed a little too late.
Off bike – Grouse Grind “race”
This hike up Grouse mountain is often timed by it’s hikers because it is relatively short but very intense. The average time is about one and a half hours, the record is 25 minutes.
We knew it would be strenuous but I was still surprised. We powered on from the beginning and soon realized that a slower pace is the only way for us to get there.
We overtook quite a few people and made it to the top in one hour three minutes. Next goal: under one hour.
The Grouse view was a good reward.
After a good rest we took a little walk at the plateau at the top.
And saw a few Canadians like this bald eagle probably getting ready to be released again.
Or this vulture.
Or these brown bears.
The gondola brought us back down again.
Off bike – Elk Mountain (Chilliwack)
After two hours the only thing between us and the trail head was a dirt road we weren’t sure our rental car would be suited for.
It was.
It was steep all the way up but the first gimps of the views was worth it.
There steepness made for one of the best mountain views I’ve ever had. A little sign no this rock however reminded of a teenager who had died here last year.
After our lunch we continued to the next view point.
It was one was on the ridge of the mountain.
Anna and I comparing our strides. (Mine was x1.5)
Steep falloff to the left. But Kevin knows no fear.
Anna’s knee was making her aware of it’s existence after a deceiving step. So we turned round since we had already seen amazing views and the decent would be strenuous enough.
Kevin showing me how to tie shoelaces.
Thom instructing.
We were eager to get back down and we knew we were close.
Kevin practicing his walking stick swing. As you do ….
Before he drove us home…
… Just after stopping at McD.
Home again before sunset.
Off bike – Petgill Lake
Early morning.
Jurassic Park painted 4×4 on the road towards Whistler.
Meeting up with Burger. And her humans.
Safe crossing to the trail head.
First view point.
Burger always leading the way.
Break time.
Still frozen Petgill lake.
We made it.
Shelter.
Breathtaking view.
Burger zeroing in.
Back at home before ice cream and board games.
Yellowstone 17 – The end
The next morning I collected all my things an prepared to storm out of the tent. But luckily the mosquitoes were all gone.
And I could take care of the panic induced mess I had made the previous day.
Despite no mosquito pressure I was still in a hurry and hastily packed up my tent because I wanted to reach Canada today. Unfortunately because of this rush I broke one of the tent poles. I was still not sure whether I should tempt to ride back the remaining 1300 km in one day but this settled it. I was not going to be able to camp another day.
It was an unspectacular few hundred kilometers until I stopped in a town called Pendleton to have lunch.
I was really pushing it and got concerned I might exceed the capacity of my tires driving at 130km/h for hours but I was relieved to see that I wasn’t even close.
One last time on this trip I lubricated the chain and checked the bike over.
Back in Washington the temperatures had fallen significantly and if anything it was beginning to feel cold now. I was really hungry and had eaten all my supplies so after a few more hours in the saddle I stopped to take a break and got a box of doughnuts giving me some energy to finish the last couple hundreds of kilometers.
Apparently this was rattle snake country. I always assumed the’d like it really hot.
I still had a few hundred kilometers to go and it was already getting dark.
I was now on the same mountain pass I had gone south on at the beginning of my trip and the temperature up here was around zero. I stopped to put on all the cloths I had and I was still freezing.
Finally. I crossed into Canada (Beautiful British Columbia) after midnight. No waiting time at the border! The last two hours through B.C. were a challenge. I was really cold and tired.
But finally I arrived back at home.
It was the best trip so yet.
Yellowstone 16 – Heading home
I had found a little dirt road with a flat spot where I spent the night. The temperatures started getting higher and every step seemed one too many.
I didn’t want to spend any more time than necessary in the sun but I had to take a bit of time to process the photos and video footage I had recorded during the past few days.
I didn’t find any shade to rest in while my computer was doing it’s thing but I did find some fossils.
Parts of Nevada must have been under water a long time ago. It was impossible to take a chunk out of this slate stone face without finding some fossilized marine when breaking a sheet of rock apart.
As much as I wanted to stay and keep looking for maybe an even bigger find the heat made the decision to move on easy and as soon as my memory cars were free again I got back onto the road.
Despite smooth tarmac on the freeway every minute on the road took its toll on me and I was trying to find a balance between taking breaks and pushing on to get through the heat to get north as fast as possible.
In the shade the temperature had risen to 40 degrees before my thermometer broke.
I was driving on lonely roads with barely any other vehicles and signs of civilization only every 50 kilometers or so. I had almost run out of gas when I stopped at a grocery store in the middle of nowhere which also had a gas station. It was more a warehouse and it seemed a bit deserted and all quiet. All the few people I saw and who worked there were Native Americans. I regretted having taken the jerrycan I had bought for the trip off the bike before I started my trip because I was concerned about the weight of the bike. It wasn’t the first time I had almost run out of fuel.
I also got a box of ice cream -that was so creamy it wasn’t actually refreshing- and lots of water and I was back on the road after an hour in the shade.
It was so hot that the apparently a patch of dry grass next to the road had caught on fire.
Because my bike has an insatiable appetite I needed to top up the engine oil again which I did from the saddle because I couldn’t get myself to dismount the bike to carry out the task.
I still had a few hundred km to go until I would finally reach colder temperatures but luckily it was already afternoon and hopefully only a few more hours of sunlight ahead of me.
Finally in Idaho the sun was lower. Now it was only blinding me.
My day ended at the a nice mosquito infested riverbank which allowed me to set up my tent with running intervals. At one point I looked at my shoulder and saw seven mosquitoes there. While I was counting them five more simultaneously took a seat on the back of my hand. Finding this place I had been looking forward to cooking some dinner on my stove and enjoying the beautiful sunset over the river but suddenly I wasn’t that hungry anymore. The fact that I was on a straw field wasn’t encouraging anyway. I had spilled some of my gear including my food next to the bike but after estimating the cost of taking the time to pick everything up to between three and five more mosquito bites I decided to cut my losses and take care of everything tomorrow. I went to sleep with a growling stomach after removing three more mosquitoes inside my tent from this world.
