Day 7 – The Rocky Mountain District

Back At It

After one more relaxing morning at the lakehouse, and downloading some fresh new tunes (including “Ribs” by Lorde. Thanks Chris), it was time to hit the road once more. Even if it was pretty difficult to leave this little piece of paradise.

My body was feeling soooo much better than it did two days prior. Combined with the freshly tuned-up up bike, I was ready to get a big day in!

Said my goodbyes to Nate and Brian, who had dropped me back off right where I left off.

Stoked

Day 7’s optimistic goal was to reach Revelstoke.

What I had forgotten was how beautiful the roads leading up to it were. It’s crazy how different the scenery can get within a one to two day span. The near-desert landscapes in Kamloops already seem so distant.

The roads themselves were immaculate too. Wide shoulders, downhill, well-paved (Except for the ONE pothole that of course I took head on, resulting in a cracked pannier clip. Dang it.)

Wilson, my duck companion, chose to part ways in favour of his own adventures. He made it through some tough stretches of road with me, up some gruelling mountains. We’ve seen a lot. Have a good life buddy, you’ll be missed. </3

Oh, and I decided to stop for a quick snack in Sicamous. Yes, D Dutchmen Dairy is great, but do not sleep on this place! (Also don’t stare at my filthy nails; this is my life now.)

Bears #1 and #2

I was cruising along, gearing up for the homestretch, and suddenly this man pulled over in a left turn lane, and begun crossing the highway to make his way towards me. Alert, I took off my headphones. He asked me, in the calmest voice, “Have you ever seen a grizzly cub?”

Sh** just got very real.

There were two of them, that we could see at the very back of a field. We both crossed the highway, where he had offered to drive me down. I grabbed my camera, hopped in to this stranger’s car, and we drove down the dirt road. He explained to me that he’s lived in this area for 20 years, and often sees that mother bear here. To our disappointment (and partly my relief), they had gone back to hide in the forest. The dude, Marty, was super kind to want to share this experience with me. Would have been really wild to see the grizzlies up close.

No bears in the shot, but here’s the field in which we had spotted them:

With having just seen those bears, the sun coming down, and realizing there is absolutely no reception around these parts… It was clearly time to find a proper campground for the night. (Where I’m writing this from now.)

The Rockies!

Earlier in the ride, I had a pretty surreal moment. I was going down this extremely long and straight hill, and from the horizon, these majestic snow-covered peaks were on full display. I soon realized that these were the Rockies. Wow. What a sight, and a pretty proud moment to know that I’ve made it this far.

I later passed an “Entering the Rocky Mountain District” sign, which really sealed the deal.

The scenery is starting to get pretty epic.

Daily Stats

• Route: Shuswap Lake, BC —> Revelstoke, BC
• Distance: 110km
• Elevation Gain: 949m