The day started off so well.

The weather was perfect- sunny, crisp, and warm.  I could tell it was going to be a great day for riding.  My plan was simple- for the first time I was going to ride the International Selkirk Loop.  The loop is a series of highways around the Selkirk mountains that straddle the Canada/US border.  Doing the loops requires one to ride all around the Kootenays, northern Idaho, and western Washington.  I even planned to stop at a rock shop in Spokane Valley.  Piece of cake, I thought.  I’ll be back in Kaslo in time for another swim and a nice dinner. 

I was up early at 6:30 so that I could head back south to the Balfour- Kootenay Bay Ferry in time for the 8:10 departure.  There was not much traffic this early in the morning and I was able to get there easily by 8:00.  I grabbed a coffee and prepared to enjoy the ride across Kootenay Lake with the fresh morning breeze in my face.  It was so great.

The ride south from Kootenay Bay to Creston was the highlight of the day, and the best part of the International Selkirk Loop.  I was really in the zone, too…shifting well, essing into curves well…I didn’t even stop the whole way.  I just enjoyed the ride as much as I could, but with some excitement about taking some new roads south of the border.  If they are half as good as this road then I figured I was in for a great day.

It was about 11:00 when I crossed the border into Idaho. Here’s a tip about the International Selkirk Loop- don’t waste your time going south into Idaho.  The scenery there was non-existent and it was just miles and miles of ranch land. The only place worth seeing is Sandpoint because there is a giant lake- but it isn’t half as beautiful as Kootenay Lake is.

South of Sandpoint I fuelled up and grabbed a few pepperoni sticks for lunch.  It was getting hot and I was becoming anxious about the time.  I definitely wanted to be back in Kaslo for 7:00pm at the latest.  I had to get moving because this rock shop called Irv’s that I found on Google was still an hour and a half away.  Getting there was awful- I had to go through Coeur D’Alene and traffic was heavy.  Sitting in traffic in black leather and a hot bike with a hot sun beating down on you sucks.  After that I had to take the Interstate to Spokane Valley, which meant riding as fast as possible to keep up with traffic.  I crossed the State Line into Washington and easily found the rock shop thanks go my GPS just before 2:00.

The detour to the shop was worthwhile.  I was able to pick up some needed items that I’ve been meaning to order online but kept putting off because shipping costs from the US are horrendous.  I also got two large pieces to cut.  The owners were great to talk to and I was able to quiz them a bit about different polishing techniques, etc.  I was in there for an entire hour and when I left I was very concerned about time.

My GPS said I could make it back to Kaslo for 7:30 if I took the route straight north through Colville instead of heading back northeast onto the Selkirk Loop.  It made sense as it was a more direct route, and so I made a decision to sacrifice riding a portion of the Loop in order to make it back to Kaslo in time.  I wasn’t entirely impressed with the US portion of the Loop so far anyway, but I had been on the road between Colville and the border crossing at Metaline Falls before, and it was worth taking this second detour for.

The ride from Spokane Valley to Colville was boring as hell.  Flat.  Wheat Fields.  If I wanted to ride through that I’d have stayed home.  It was about and hour and a half in the hot sun, too.  Not worth taking again.

I fuelled up in Colville and proceeded to head east through the Colville National Forest.  This road is decent enough but not in the same league as the amazing roads north of the border in BC.  It’s about 50km long and connects back up to the Selkirk Loop at Ione, where the National Forest continues north until the Canada- US border.  I enjoyed this portion of the ride- it was much better than the droning, flat, nothingness from Spokane to Colville.

I was approaching the Canada-US border at about 5:30.  My GPS said I could make it to Kaslo for 7:30 if the border crossing was uneventful and I didn’t stop anywhere else. I was getting tired by this point.  And hot.  And hungry.  I should have had more than a few pepperoni sticks for lunch.  I also should have grabbed some water in Colville.  Oh well.  I figured I’d be in Nelson soon enough.  I could refuel and get some water there.

This is when the day turned to shit.

My heart sank as I rounded another bend about three kilometres south of the Canada-US border.  There was a lineup of vehicles as far as I could see.  I instantly knew I was in trouble.  I had heard on the radio earlier about a rave festival called Shambhala in Salmo.  These vehicles were full of twenty-somethings coming from all over the place to a giant bush party rave.

I was stuck this lineup for three hours.  Three hours surrounded by kids- and not just any kids- rave kids.  Three hours of listening to House Music being pumped through the speakers of their fathers’ SUVs, and they kept the windows closed so they could use the air conditioning so all I heard was bass.  Three hours of listening to shitty electronic bass.  Three hours of being hungry and thirsty and tired and not even being able to lie down and close my eyes.  Worst of all- these three hours were supposed to be spent swimming in Kootenay Lake and enjoying a nice dinner out in downtown Kaslo.  Three horrible hours that felt like an entire day. Oh, and there was no cell service either so I couldn’t even use my phone to pass the time.

The the time I crossed the border it was 8:30.  They had been inspecting every vehicle, which explains why it took so long.  They did not inspect mine though.  They just let me pass on through without incident.  Didn’t even ask where I was from or anything.

I busted my ass north.  I was now racing against the clock to make it to Nelson for 9:00so that I could get to a grocery story and find something to eat.  I got there just in time and grabbed some food to enjoy in Kaslo, which was another 65km away.

It was now dark out and I knew those 65km would take longer than usual.  You just can’t go fast when riding mountain roads in the dark.  Wildlife could jump out at any time, and the curves are more difficult to judge in the dark.  It’s a great experience actually…the cool night air rushes past your face as you ride within this little cocoon of light generated by your headlight as it lights up the walls of trees that surround the road.  I also turned on my driving lights and decided to turn on the black lights that Midnight has underneath him so that people could see me easier.

I was able to make it to the Balfour Ferry terminal where I started the day, which is also the halfway point.  I rode another few kilometres and parked on the side of the highway to go pee.  I cut the engine so that the noise wouldn’t disturb any nearby cabins, but I left the lights on so that other drivers could see me.  There wasn’t much traffic anyway. Midnight looked really cool in the dark, actually.  I had never seen the black lights in action before.  I went to take a picture but my phone died.  I would need the phone because I was using it to play music, so I plugged it into the cigarette light adapter for a few minutes to give it some juice.  I was able to get it back up to 5% before I decided to get going again.

I was ready for the final leg.  It was approaching 10:00 and all I wanted was a shower, a warm bed, and to eat the food I grabbed at the grocery store in Nelson.  I got back onto Midnight and activated the starter, and all I heard was the dreaded clicking sound of a battery that did not have enough power to start the bike.  I tried again.  The same.

Dead battery.  I desperately tried rolling Midnight down the road with my legs so that I could put it into second gear to get the motor started, but the bike is just too heavy and the road was flat.  I had found the only spot on this entire highway that was flat.  I tried this repeatedly for about 15 minutes until I gave up.

My only lifeline was the 5% of battery life on my phone.  I used it to call CAA.  I did my best to give them my location and they said they were sending a truck out to give my a boost.  Shortly after that call the phone died.  I was now alone in the dark on the side of the highway without my phone or flashlight.  It was very dark, too.  The only light I could see were the stars in the sky.  I sat there in the dark for an hour, singing songs so that all wildlife knew I was there.  The last thing I needed was for a bear to stumble across me.

I ate my dinner (in hindsight not helpful if I was afraid of bears nearby) in the dark.  It was not good.  They were chicken wings that were probably made 10 hours ago.

When the truck finally arrived he gave me a free flashlight and we were able to get Midnight started easily with a boost.  With the engine running, he bade me a goodnight and went back toward Nelson.  I went to put Midnight into gear and for some reason the battery died again.  Again!  My phone was now dead.  I couldn’t even call this guy to come back!  I literally yelled out “Help!”  There was no answer.  Only the deadly silence of the forest that surrounded me.  This is where I become extremely worried.

Suddenly the truck returned.  He said he saw my lights go out through his rear view mirror.  What luck!  We got the engine going again and this time he followed me up the road for a bit to make sure I was on my way.

The entire ride back to Kaslo went by quickly.  Midnight ran fine and I had turned off all accessories, including music.  It took me about 40 minutes, and shortly after midnight I parked at the Kaslo Motel.  It felt like a major accomplishment.  I breathed a big sigh of relief and immediately took off my gear and had a shower.  I was exhausted.  What was supposed to be a lovely day of conquering the International Selkirk Loop turned into a giant gong show.  I collapsed on the bed and fell asleep within about five minutes.  Not even the worry about Midnight’s battery and tomorrow big ride could keep me up.

In the big picture, I was still on a kickass bike tour…and that was an encouraging thought.

Here’s a map of the day.  The battery died just north of Balfour: