September 12, 2019
Fort Steele Resort & RV Park, Fort Steele, BC –> Kuskanook Harbour and Boat Launch, BC

Distance: 152.7km
Ave: 20.5km/h
Max: 62.4km/h (8% grade along Kootenay Lake)

Today was a long day in the saddle. Fort Steele only opened at 10, so I gave that a pass. As well, decided not to wait an hour for a tour to see the restored old train carriages at the museum in Cranbrook. I pretty much kept riding with very few pauses until I saw an ice cream sign just outside Creston. There were a lot of logging trucks and wood processing sites. The scenery definitely is looking a more like the Okanagan and less like the mountain parks.

Cycling along Kootenay Lake was exhilarating and beautiful. Exhilarating because I was pretty sure I would need to “stealth” camp, and also because my shoulder pretty much disappeared so I was sharing the windy road with all the other folks with motors. And beautiful – riding up the east side of the lake, with the evening sun beaming down in great bands of light through the clouds. Initially, the light was sparkling down onto the telltale green blocks of agriculture below, which gave way to blue shining Lake. Flying down these twisty roads near the speed limit, I did not hesitate to take the lane. I can see why it’s so popular with motorcyclists.

I’m camping right next to a lovely gazebo in a rest area which is combined with a marina and boat launch. There are stealthier places to have pitched my tent, but they are close to the bathroom and it stinks.

Trying to look like I wasn’t planning to camp, I made myself dinner in the gazebo, and although it’s usually the first thing I do, for a while, I avoided going for a swim in the lake because someone in a small rowboat kept noodling around nearby. I snuck down to the water once I thought they’d rounded the corner into the marina. I stripped down and had a nice little nudie swim only to find the rower still out in plain sight! Whoops. It turned out to be a guy about my age (but seemed younger) who’s into the stock market, and comes to property he bought from his grandparents near Creston. He commented a few times on how fit I must be to be riding so far, so I helped him load his boat into his truck. I’m sure that’s exactly what he was aiming for! Haha.

Alice

PS. I finally switched time zones today! When crossing into Kootenay National park a few days ago, I’d clearly forgotten than a good chunk of south east BC does “mountain time” (complete with abstinence from daylight savings).