Day 4 Into the Rhythm and Rain

When Bryan left the campground, I went for a walk in the trees but the mosquitoes chased me inside again pretty quickly. While I waited for Bryan to get ahead, I painted an angel perhaps a guardian one.

Bryan easily made the 50 km to Williams Lake even beating me there. He had his rest before the sausage and eggs second breakfast that I made when I arrived. Gotta love having the kitchen on wheels! When he left again, I enjoyed the beauty and quiet of the Visitor Centre for over an hour and completed yesterday’s blog. I also saw  Richard and Irene again, the couple I saw twice at our stops yesterday.  Half of this enormous log building was built by a local company and the other half by the company made famous by their tv show, the Timber Kings. Such craftsmanship shown in an impressive tribute to the forests of BC!  The centre pole tree that supports the 3 stories of the building is 745 years old.

Our second rest/food stop was at a pull-out another 52 km down the line, with a great view of the valley. As we talked, Bryan compared bike training to this kind of riding. Training involves bursts of hard riding over short distances while long trips require a consistent, steady pace in a rhythm that keeps the momentum going.  His legs feel the best they have so far, not fighting the test but getting with the program. He also commented that he could stock a store with all the tarp straps, pliers and wrenches he has seen in the ditches!

What an amazing testament to the courage of so many early travelers and workers on the Fraser River and beyond. A humbling thought!

When I went ahead to Quesnel, I knew that he would be in for a nasty 63 km. The wind suddenly shifted and it started to rain in sheets. When it buffeted Mama B, I knew that this would be tough for him too. He pulled into Quesnel after 6 pm, exhausted from fighting the winds all the way. At home he would go into the wind on the way out, with the return wind at his back. It’s a mental challenge when the wind is unrelentingly in your face.  However, his legs were strong and he is getting closer to his goal of 180-200 km per day with the 164 km today.

The clouds have rolled off and our campground will have more gulls that mosquitos tonight I think. This is our first time trying ‘boondocking’, a must for serious RV’ers apparently. The view out the windows last night was tall pines but will be the Wal-Mart store front tonight. Variety is the spice of travelling, right? At least there’s WiFi so I can send this out to our support system. I really do appreciate your comments and pass them on to Bryan. It’s just what he needs, along with a hot meal, after today’s tough end to his ride. Thanks!