The
Squamidian Report – June 2 / 12
Issue #523
Including:
The Ontarion
Hi All,
Sorry about last week, I was a bit busy and the wireless internet connection in my motel room sucked. In fact, it was so bad, the signal so weak, that I almost didn’t even get on line at all. Good thing I had Greg’s Ontarion with me on my laptop or you guys would have been plum out of luck.
Anyway, like I had said, I was on a weekend motorcycle road trip with a dozen CMC members from several BC chapters. It started on the Friday morning. We (myself and 3 other members from my chapter) met half a dozen riders as they came off the ferry from Vancouver Island. From there we headed east on the over-crowded, traffic congested Trans Canada through the GVA and out into the Fraser Valley. We stopped in Hope for lunch and to hook up with a couple more riders who had taken the Swartz Bay ferry from Victoria. After lunch I lead the group up the Fraser Canyon, through the tunnels and on to Hell’s Gate where we did a rest and photo stop. Group riding is more demanding than riding alone or with just one or two other bikes so stops are necessary. We then headed on up to Lyton where the TC leaves the Fraser and follows the Thompson River unless of course you are going the other direction in which case it leaves the Thompson and follows the Fraser. Incredible scenery. I know, I say that a lot and will keep saying it because this part of the world is overflowing with incredible scenery. The highway more or less follows the Thompson into Kamloops where we had motel rooms booked.
By the time we had started up the Fraser Canyon, we had basically crossed the Coastal Range and the temperature started to climb and the air started to dry out. By Kamloops it was hot, or at least by our coastal standards, and very dry. We all found that we needed to drink a lot of water. We enjoyed a relaxing evening hanging out and enjoying the area.
On Saturday morning we hooked up with five members of the Kamloops chapter and they led us on a tour of the area that included some of the roads that wound through the rugged ranch country around Merritt. We ended up at the Kamloops 1st officer’s place for an evening BBQ. By the time we got back to our motel we were tired and wind burned and quite happy to just sit around chatting until we had all run out of steam. Some riders from Prince George had intended to hook up with us in the afternoon but one of them had a break-down in Cache Creek and had to be trailered the rest of the way. They did finally make it to the BBQ but were obviously unable to join in any of the multi-chapter riding.
I headed for home on the Sunday morning. It was bright and clear and the highway heading west out of Kamloops is a riders dream. It follows the Thompson River and skirts the big lake. I had hoped to video the ride home but the helmet part of the mount bracket for my GoPro was broken so there was no way of mounting the cam. Oh well, next time. I fuelled up in Cache Creek and then headed up 97 to the junction of 99 where I turned west. This route is through some incredible rolling country, as well as through the Marble Canyon area, and brings you out by Lillooet at the Fraser River. I had phoned Ryan when I was ready to depart Kamloops and he headed north from Squamish. We hooked up at the gas bar outside Lillooet and rode back over the Duffy together. The Duffy was in very good shape with very little loose gravel on the pavement, the ride was quite enjoyable although a bit on the cool side. No wonder…. There is snow under the trees along the sides of the road in the higher sections, and one place where the snow from an avalanche would still be right across the road if it hadn’t been cleared. I’m repeating myself but there is an incredible amount of snow up in those mountains. You really have to see it to believe how much there is. High snow fields everywhere, massive cornices hanging off high ridges. Wild.
We rode on down through Pemberton and Whistler and got home about mid afternoon. It had been a great weekend of riding, both group and solo. I put about 1,200 clicks on the bike and sometime during the first day out, Big Blue turned over the 50,000 click mark.
http://www.thedougsite.net/12-Rides/CMC-Kamloops/KamloopsRide.html
doug
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THE ONTARION REPORT
Hello everyone!
The sun is shining and it couldn’t be a nicer day! I managed to get the back yard pond open yesterday and the soothing sound of the water bubbling and gurgling completes the back yard “outdoor” experience once again!
We love to sit on the patio or on the garden swing with a cup of tea early in the morning and just listen to the birds sing. The fragrant smell of the lilac bushes and trees is a plus for sure. This special experience makes all the effort that goes into keeping the gardens and yard lovely all worthwhile! It’s amazing how filled in and mature the gardens have become over the years. It seems like only a short while ago that the back yard was nothing but grass. That was when we moved here almost 14 years ago now! Hard to believe it’s been that many years already but it was 1998 when we bought this place. That was the year Doug and I first met and became friends. He had been hired to excavate an expansion to our driveway that was being done by a couple of off duty fire fighters that I worked with. At the time I was waiting for a call from London University Hospital to say they would do my heart surgery. I couldn’t do any physical work at the time so it was just a matter of sitting and waiting. Once that was all over, it was back to work and also working around the new house. When Doug and I got to talking I asked him to do some work in my back yard with his little backhoe and from there on in we became friends. So it’ll be our 14th anniversary this coming September! I wonder what he’s going to buy me for our anniversary? Hmmm….
Guess I’ll just have to wait and see!
That’s it for now folks!
Thanks for tuning in and I’ll look forward to talking to you all again next week in The Ontarion Report!
Bye for now… Greg
PS: Something To Think About>
Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.
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Have a good one..
the doug
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