It was a slow and dreary day.  Rain had settled in over the Rocky Mountain Trench since last night and there was just no avoiding it.  I even delayed my departure by an hour in the morning in an attempt to let it pass.  I eventually had to give in or else I’d have been stuck in Radium all day.

The objective today was simply to ride around the southern end of the Purcell Mountains, into the Kootenays, and then up to Kaslo for the night.  I had previously identified a rock shop in Kimberley I wanted to check out on the way through, in the hopes of finding some good material to take home.  Other than that, the trip was pretty straightforward and I had hoped it would provide a good opportunity to slow things down and relax a bit.

The ride south of Radium was fresh and crisp.  The rain was bringing out the smells of the forests and the cool morning mist sprayed against my face for the first hour or so.  Clouds were anchored up against the mountainsides.  The guy at the gas station told me that it had been snowing up there all night.  I wondered what it would be like to be up the side of a mountain where the clouds were.  That’s usually what I think about when I see mountains…I bet I could climb up there if I wanted…It doesn’t look that hard if you just pick a good, walkable route.  

The rock shop in Kimberley was a bust.  They were selling trinkets made of stones and retailing small tumbled rocks.  I was looking for rough material.  I should have known better- Kimberley is a ski town full of tourist trinket shops…like the kind you’d see in Jasper or Banff.  Still, this was only the second time I had been through Kimberley and it was a nice little ride.  The sun even peeked out while I was there.

By the time I reached Cranbrook it was noon, and I rode right on through in an attempt to get to Creston quickly.  I crossed into the Pacific Time Zone along the Crowsnest and along the way I stopped for an obligatory picture at the Ryan Rest Area.  Here it is:

I saw a shop advertising BC Jade and Silver Jewellery just south of the Rest Area, and so I stopped to check it out.  It was basically a guy’s garage and it was full of glass display counters filled with rock jewellery.  He wasn’t selling any rough BC Jade but he did try selling me a chunk that was attached to a polished jade eagle for $400.  It was a great piece but beyond my means.  I did get a chance to get some tips though…including how he polishing his jade. I ended up talking to him for a half hour and felt a little bad about wasting his time and not buying anything.

I left the Jade Shop and proceeded south along the Crowsnest and into Yahk.  There was a junction here for me to take to get to Creston, but there was a massive lineup of cars blocking the way.  It took me a whole hour of waiting in this giant lineup to discover a serious-looking police check shop.  They had 8 SUVs all marked “Integrated Crime Unit.”  Drug bust?  We were close to the border- could it be a smuggling crackdown?  Whatever it was, I didn’t look like one of the usual suspects because they just waved me through.

By the time I reached Creston it was already 2:30 local time.  I stopped briefly to collect myself, have a snack, and put on some sunscreen.  The clouds were getting thinner and the sun was coming out.  The timing was perfect, too. I was about to ride my favourite motorcycle road- Creston- Kootenay Bay highway.

This road is 80km of pure bliss.  I took my time.  No rush…soak it all in…just enjoy it.  I spend many winter nights thinking about this road.  The coolest part is the end, when you get a free boat ride across beautiful Kootenay Lake.  It was about 4:00 when I reached the ferry and I had missed the last one by about ten minutes.  It didn’t matter though…there was a giant lineup and as I parked myself into the queue I knew I would be here for several hours.

The wait was an hour and forty minutes, actually.  It went by pretty fast.  Kootenay Bay is a beautiful spot and the sun was now out in full force.  I just enjoyed the moment and breathed in the scenery.  The ferry ride itself was only 30 minutes and so I was over at Balfour shortly after 6:00.

The ride north to Kaslo is a tight little ride, too.  It’s much curvier that the Creston- Kootenay Bay highway, but with less ‘flow.’  It hugs the side of the mountain as it plunges into Kootenay Lake…past Ainsworth Hot Springs…and then descends down into a little valley where the Kaslo River empties into the lake.  By 6:45 I was in Kaslo and was unpacking at my home-away-from-home in the Kootenays:  the Kaslo Motel.

I was pretty tired from the ride today.  Mountain riding really takes its toll.  It’s alot more work than the flat, straight roads in Saskatchewan and Alberta.  You have to move more and you have to be more alert.  I threw my bags into my room and immediately walked to the beach for a swim in Kootenay Lake.

It was freezing!  This lake is seriously cold…but once you get in it’s ok.  I’m pretty sure it’s because you’re whole body goes numb.  I could barely move my fingers to type anything afterward.

I ended the day with dinner at the Kaslo Hotel.  The food is pretty good and the view is the best around.  I enjoyed my meal as the sun was setting behind the mountains to the west.  I was starting to feel like I was on vacation.  I was connecting with the trip, unlike yesterday’s robotic exercise…and I was now sitting in my favourite town in the world.  This place is so beautiful…so clean…so pure…and it’s hard to believe I found it by accident back in 2007.  Every time I come here I think of that night.

After a short walk downtown I went back to the motel to make another video and crash.  Tomorrow would be a major day.  I was going to do the entire International Selkirk Loop.  All of it- with two giant detours.  That’s a nine hour riding day and I had better get a good sleep for it.

Here’s a video and map of the day: