Barriere to Portland

The sun was nearly out by the time we left and we had fine weather for the short ride to Vernon. Stopped for lunch at a Dairy Queen and it wasn’t  great. I ordered a hamburger but Marty ordered the Canadians favourite dish, Poutine. It is basically chips with curd cheese and chicken gravy. This brew was awful. The chips were barely cooked and it just wasn't nice. 80% of it ended up in the bin.
We arrived too early at our Airbnb as we hadn't read the small print which said check in time was 4pm. We rode the 8km back into town had a coffee and grabbed some food for tea, rang our hosts who said someone would be there by 3.30 to let us in.

Lovely peaceful place up in the mountains above town. Our hosts are lovely and we had a pleasant evening chatting with them.

Lazy day re planning our next few days. We were lucky enough to be able to change our booking in Pendicton for two days later so that means we can go to the Kootenays for a couple of days.

We popped into town to have a look at the murals and discovered there was a classic car show on so we spent an hour or do wandering up and down the streets admiring them all.

One guy insisted I sit in his and have my photo taken once he realised we were Kiwis. I have no idea what sort of car it was.

We then wandered up some other streets and looked at a few of the murals. Some are quite a bit bigger than the ones at home but they were still pretty cool.

We went to the Curry Pot for tea. We both ordered medium dishes but Marty’s was not a medium. After one mouthful his eyes were watering and I could tell he wouldn’t be able to eat it so we swapped. No trouble for me but I have to say I had ordered the more flavourable  dish.

Another enjoyable evening with our hosts chatting and sipping port.

After a yummy breakfast we said goodbye to Peter and Jolene and got underway.  A very short ride today but it was beautiful. Lovely winding roads by lakes and rivers and mountains. We even got to have a small ferry ride from Needles to Farquier.

We stopped in Nakusp for lunch. A lovely town on the Upper Arrow Lake. It is quite touristy.

We popped into the visitor centre for a couple of maps and Marty was quite taken with the old outboard displayed there.

I thought the canine hitching post was rather cute.

It was only another 50km to our destination the Glacier View Cabins in New Denver. We were really surprised with our accommodation. We have a cute little cabin, minutes from the lake and totally self contained. Even a proper stove not that I plan to use it

We went for a lovely walk along the lake edge then up to the supermarket for supplies.

I could easily spend a few days here if the weather stayed like it was today. This place is so not touristy it is wonderful.

Another lovely ride down to Lake Christina. We stopped in Kaslo for lunch. A very pretty little town but quite touristy.

Stopped again in Nelson and had a much needed milkshake.  It is so hot today. 34°. The temperature had dropped nearly 10° when we reached the top of a pass which was lovely but as we descended it rose again. I was hot and knackered by the time we reached our motel, the GPS missing the mark again so we had to back track. I had a cool shower then a nanny nap. We went to a little bistro across from our motel for tea then went for a walk down to the lake. Nice but oh those bloody mossies again

Another hot day but a lovely ride. We stopped for a subway brunch in Grand Forks. Was nice to get out of the heat. We made another stop in the heart of the fruit and wine growing area of Oliver where we had a very nice fresh fruit smoothie.

The GPS again had trouble locating our motel so once again we had to back track and use the phones navigation system. Arrived just after 2 very hot and bothered. Checked in then Marty went off to get milk and stuff while I tended to some paper work.  Then it was off to the pool for a lovely cool dip. The Korean motelier had said the pool was heated but I think something was lost in translation as the water was definetly not heated but I found it to be just perfect. I stayed and lounged in one of the deckchairs and had another swim while Marty had 40 winks.

We went for a walk down to the mall and got some supplies for the next couple of days.  A pizza shop was having it's Tuesday special so we ordered a meatlovers for tea. They then asked us if we realised that they just assemble them we have to cook it. No problem as we have an oven in our unit. It was very tasty and big enough to last us 2 nights so tomorrow night's dinner is taken care of.
I have to say the heat is knocking the stuffing out of me.

Nice to be able to sleep in this morning and not rush around getting ready to hit the road.

We waited till it had heated up (32°) before we decided to walk down to the lake and maybe have a swim. The whole lake beach area was jammed packed with people and very little space to nab a spot close to the water so we flagged having a swim and decided to head back to the motel and take a dip in the pool.

I overheated on the way back so we stopped at a dairy where I bought a litre of water for 3 times the price of a litre of coke. Prices same world wide for healthy opposed to junk.

Also stopped at Tim Norton’s which is the Canadian equivalent of Starbucks but nicer coffee in my opinion.

I was very pleased to get back to our motel if not slightly bedraggled and plunge into the pool. 5km in the heat was almost too much to cope with. Must be getting old!

Crappy sleep. The fire alarm went off about 1.30am. I thought it was Marty’s phone needing to go on the charger but no it was the fire alarm repeatedly telling us the battery was low and needing replacing. By 2am Marty had disarmed the bloody thing as it wasn't going to shut up.

We were on the road by 9am and headed for Cultus Lake via the 3A. A lovely ride through to Hope then freeway most of the rest of the way. We arrived at John’s a little after 1 only to find the parts for the bike hadn’t arrived. Apparently the courier driver had had an accident and broken her pelvis and due to the holiday period replacement drivers were very thin on the ground. Another driver was having to cover her route making deliveries somewhat later than usual. We were contemplating where to book in for the night when an email arrived to say the parcel had been delivered.

Marty had already removed the old chain and sprocket from my bike so it was just a case of replacing with the new items. All went according to plan till the rejoining of the chain. Not an easy thing when you don’t have the correct tools. But with John and I supervising and Shelley (John’s wife) assisting Marty the job was completed.

We did a bit of repacking as we will be on one bike when we return so had to ditch a bit of gear. Got on the road at 7.30pm with the aim of getting closer to Seattle if not past it before we stopped for the night. We made it to Arlington by 9.30 and decided we had had enough for the day. Got a motel, walked across the car park and had a very late dinner at Denny’s. For all you knockers of Denny’s we had  lovely bourbon glazed chicken breasts on a bed of vegetables. Not a fry in sight.

We crashed in the lovely king sized bed.

We got on the road at 10ish. I was not looking forward to this ride at all. The I5 past Seattle was like my worst nightmare (next to the 405 in LA). Got through there surprisingly well, but then there was Tacoma. Some incredibly thoughtless motorists had decided to slam into each other and we all know what that does on the freeways. By the time we had navigated our way through all that snarl up and stopped for lunch I was buggered and it was 31°!

We had planned to make a detour and ride up to Mount St. Helens but I was too hot and tired and the thought of adding another 3 hours to the days ride was more than I could cope with.

We continued onto Portland. As I have the GPS on my bike I have to lead the way. Mrs GPS has for some reason stopped talking to me so I have to pay attention to the screen. All was going well till about 8km from our destination, it's even hotter, I’m even more tired, and traffic is at a standstill. Marty wants to change lanes and cut in further up. I’m way past being able to cope with that so told him in a very grumpy manner that I had no intention of changing lanes and if he knew where we were going to feel to go. He declined and stuck with me. We rolled into Andrew and Denise’s place at 4pm. The cold drink Andrew greeted us with was so appreciated.

Once I was sufficiently hydrated and cooled down I apologized to Marty for being so grumpy.

We had a very pleasant evening, sitting in their garage yakking and having the odd drink or three. Heaven after a horrid day on the freeway.

A very leisurely start to the day. Denise and I went out to check the Columbia store but they had sold out of what I wanted so we went to the grocery store for a few supplies before heading back home. Marty and Andrew spent the day giving the Triumph a going over including putting on two new tyres. It’s already to roll again. The BMW will get a turn tomorrow.

Went to a nice little Thai restaurant for dinner.

We are still thinking about where we will go over the next couple of weeks. California is burning up with wildfires so I don't think we will be going there. Maybe just cruise around Oregon.
In the meantime we are just enjoying chilling out with our friends Andrew, Denise and Jon.

South to Barriere

A short ride (260 odd km) to Whitehorse today. The weather turned to shite and it was wet and cold. The frog togs are doing a great job of keeping us warm and dry.

Highlight of The day was to see a mountain lion stroll across the road and into the bushes. I had a near miss with a tree. Some tree fellas were felling saplings down a bank off the road  and just as I rode past one fell. It brushed the back of the bike but thankfully was not large enough to knock me over. Doubt they even were aware. Bit daunting when you see it falling towards you and there is no way to avoid it. Lady luck was with me again.

Checked into the Family Motel again as it's reasonably priced and pretty central. Did the laundry and walked into town as I wanted to buy a pair of moose socks to add to my collection of moose attire.

We decided to stay another day as I had Panda eyes and still felt tired. First job of the day was to take the bikes to a car wsh. Easier said than done. We didnt take the gps as there was one very close by. It was closed for renovations.  Luckily I had my phone and found another one. It was very hard trying to follow the phones GPS, luckily our intercom was working and I was able to shout a last minute left turn at some lights as I recognised the street name. Marty wasnt so sure and got a bit testy for a moment but we sorted the instructions and eventually found it. $12 later the mud is off the bikes and they look a little cleaner but still need a proper going over.

I had a sleep while Marty went off and did the oil changes on the bikes. We went to KFC for tea then a walk along the river but the mossies drove us back to the Motel.

Got on the road at 9.45 bound for Watson Lake 411 odd km away.

We had a good run,  stopped st Johnson's Crossing for brunch then again at Teslin for gas. Next stop Watson Lake, arriving at 3.15.  We went up to the lodge where we stayed on the way up and collected my pjs then checked into our hotel.

No wildlife what so ever today. A very uneventful day.

An absolutely wonderful ride today. We were very spoilt with wildlife on the roadside. We lost count of the number of black bears we saw. Even saw a grizzly.

A surprise was seeing several bush bison. Apparently there are only 250 odd left in Canada and are listed as an endangered species. We went past one grazing on our side of the road and across on the other side was a man busy with a weed eater tidying up around his driveway.

We also got to see a couple of Caribou up close and this time I did get a photo.

Stopped for brunch at Toad Hole. I had my normal omelette and Marty had bacon and eggs. No need for us to have any tea tonight.

Lake  Muncho was a beautiful jade colour due to the minerals in the water. Looked like a lovely spot to camp.

Arrived in Fort Nelson about 4 oclock. Couple of other motorcyclists here that we a chat with before retiring.

We splashed out and had a trumpet for our supper. Feeling pooped.

Little miss security snipped the deadbolt on the door last night and this morning we couldn't get out of our room. I had to ring the office. He said to try wriggle it but it wouldn't budge. I said we could climb out the window and he said well that's an option and laughed. I said have you got any other options. Oh yea I'll get the maintenance man to come and unlock it. A few minutes later we are free and the maintenance man says he will get the door fixed after Marty told him the problem. But we got the feeling it wouldn't happen.

We had 434km to ride today. It was the most boring ride we have had on the trip so far. No wildlife and no scenery to enjoy. Just trees.

We stopped for brunch at Buckinghorse River. Omelette for me and the Truckies big brekkie for MJ. We packed the pancakes and had them for tea.

Stopped at Pink Mountain for gas then rode straight to Dawson Creek. A long 226km. Lots of traffic.

Once in our motel I crashed. Had a bit of a headache and needed 40 winks. It's been a long day.

A very lazy day. Slept in till 8.30 then went to breaky. Marty hunted out a new chain and sprocket supplier via the internet and has had them sent to John as they don't ship to the states. They were half the price of what the BMW shop wanted. Had trouble with our one cards. Both were declined so had to use our visa card.

We went down to Alaska House and got ourselves educated re the building of the Alaska Highway.  It was an amazing feat. 1500 miles thru unchartered country in 9 months and during one of the harshest winter's recorded.

Wandered around, did a bit of shopping for tea, card declined again grrr but worked when I went to the ATM. Have sent an email to One Smart to see what the story is. That will be a real pain if they stop

One Smart got back to me but can't help via email we have to call. The card worked at the gas stations today and at the hotel so I'm not too worried now.

Had a much nicer ride today. Better roads, lots of logging trucks with huge loads but on the whole we could pass them fairly easily.

I should have stopped in the town of Chetwynd and looked at all the wood carvings but I wasn’t in the mood, besides I didn' t see any moose carvings.

Had a leg stretch after 250km and contemplated putting our wet weather gear on but decided against it. We had a brief shower but nothing more.

Gassed up at McLeod Lake and had our picnic lunch there under the trees.

Had a chat with a harley guy from Illinois. He and his two mates  were on their way up to Alaska.

Arrived in Prince George just after 3. Motel more than adequate and only $74.

We didn't get an early start as we slept in till 8.45. Even then it felt like 6pm. A car alarm (We thought) has been background noise for hours. When we leave the room to go to breakie it we discovered it was a fan on an air con unit down the corridor.

We had a 4.75 voucher each for a continental breakfast. Marty had coffee and toast. I had coffee bagel and toast. We couldn't eat all the toast  so we took it with us added the cheese we had and packed it a long with a flask of coffee for our lunch.

We rode the Yellowhammer highway down to Barriere. 551kms. A long day but a lovely ride. Little traffic and very scenic. Found a nice rest area by a river for lunch.

Temp was up to 30°. We were entertained by some gophers while we had our lunch.

Our motel in Barriere is very nice but right beside a train track. A train went past when we arrived but none since. Free laundry here so we are cleaning up our act.
Slept well despite the trains. Only 250k to go today but It's raining. Using all of our 11am turfout time in case it clears in the meantime.

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