It felt so awesome to wake up in Radium.  There’s a real cool energy to the place, and I became very excited when I stepped outside to breathe in the mountain air and looked out to the Selkirk Mountains across the Rocky Mountain Trench.  That’s where I would be headed today…into the heart of those beautiful peaks.

My ass was definitely sore from yesterday’s ride and my legs were stiff.  I did some stretches in my motel room before packing my gear on Midnight.  Today’s pace would be much more leisurely than yesterday, but I still had six hours of riding in front of me.

I was on the road by about 8:30, and stopped in Fairmont Hot Springs to meet my cousins.  They were staying there and invited me for coffee when they saw my Facebook posts from yesterday and realized I was a few short minutes away in Radium.

After a few cups of coffee and a great visit I was headed south in the Rocky Mountain Trench.  Smoke had settled in throughout the valley, robbing me of the scenery of two giant mountain ranges to the east and the west.  I fueled up in Cranbrook and then prepared for the beginning of my time in the Kootenays and the greatest concentration of world class motorcycle roads in the world.

Cranbrook to Creston takes a little over an hour on a good day, but today there were a lot of delays because of construction between Yahk and Creston. This also ruined what is usually a pleasant motorcycle road and a great introduction into the Kootenays.  Traffic was also heavy.  Unfortunately I had unknowingly timed this trip at the same time as the Shambhala Festival in Salmo.  This damn Festival ruined a great day on my last tour.  I shall do my best to avoid it in the future.

I stopped for lunch at Creston at a roadside fish and chips place called Tim’s. I had their chicken wings.  They were awesome- I highly recommend.  It must be a popular place because there was a giant lineup to get food there.  Luckily I was in no hurry because  I had gained an hour when I reached the Pacific Time Zone in Creston.  It was only about 1pm local time and I only had about four hours of riding left.

I actually had to stop in Creston for a bit to mentally prepare for the rest of the day. The Kootenays are my favourite place in the world to be- and this is especially true on a motorcycle.  The roads, scenery, and the lakes do not get any better.  To actually be on the doorstep of this amazing place required a short reality check. I wanted to absorb every minute of the experience.

It was also super hot out- high 30s- and I had to hydrate and put on more sunscreen.

The ride north to the Kootenay Bay Ferry is likely my favourite road to ride on.  It has a great pace, great turns, and great scenery.  There’s also a very cool vibe there on the north end.  It’s a very relaxing place.  It takes a good hour and every minute is enjoyable.  The end of the road, however, is my favourite part.  The ferry ride across Kootenay Lake is one of life’s greatest experiences that everyone should try.  The scenery is breathtaking.  One cannot take enough pictures.

Unfortunately, the scenery was stolen by smoke in the air and standing on the boat in my leathers was more than a little uncomfortable in that heat.  I was sweating buckets and had to constantly drink water the entire ride.  None of that deterred me from enjoying it though.  There was a giant smile on my face the entire time- not just for what I was experiencing, but also for what I had yet to experience that afternoon.

After the ferry ride I headed north to Kaslo along a winding road that sits high atop Kootenay Lake.  It’s a short 30km ride but it’s slow so it takes about 45 minutes.  I was also in no hurry so I didn’t care how long it took me. I stopped in Kaslo to stretch my legs and then continued on.  Kaslo is normally where I stay, but I decided to stay in New Denver  so I could stay in Kaslo on the way home.

The ride from Kaslo to New Denver is Mecca for riders.  I had arranged to ride it several times on this tour and this was the first.  It is the perfect motorcycle road in every way and was a great way to end the day.

Wait a minute.  No.  A great way to end the day was to run into Slocan Lake after checking into my motel (which did not have air conditioning). The Lake is so clear and beautiful and cold…it instantly refreshed me after a long day of sweating and riding in the hot sun.  I just sat in that lake and enjoyed the scenery, which was taken over by smoke, but that looks like it will be the norm on this tour.  After a good soak I walked around beautiful New Denver and ended the day in the hotel pub for dinner.  Then I crashed.  After two serious riding days my body was ready for rest.