Back in BC

We're back in BC today, refreshed by our stay at the Gibson Family Spa and Resort where we were coddled and doted on by the entire family.

Grant's dad, Mel made an amazing recovery from his surgery surprising his doctors who discharged him from hospital a day early. Our visit coincided with one from Grant's sister Kerri who had flown out from Victoria. His other sister, Melanie and family live in Calgary so the gang was all there!

As a mum, I can appreciate the joy Grant's mum Elsie must have felt to have her entire brood within arms reach. I ate so much of her wonderful baking, I had to add more air to the bike tires.

We were able to join the rest of the family for an evening at the Jubilee Theatre for a performance of The Lion King. It was so imaginatively presented and will remain a wonderful memory of our trip.

We brought grey skies with us to Calgary. Like the farmers, we have been obsessing about weather of late. Our only concern is getting wet, but for them it is becoming a question of survival. We have witnessed the toll this unusual weather has taken on crops across Canada. The next few weeks will be crucial. A poor harvest will be a real concern in recessionary times.

We spent last night and this morning glued to the weather channel. The satellite maps showed clear skies for Calgary west. They lied or we are indeed jinxed. It started to rain before we'd even cleared the city limits and we were forced to stop and join the several other bikers getting into rain gear. Grant had just washed the bikes and shook his fist at the sky, but it just got wet.

The rain cleared around Cochrane as the Rockies came into view. Wispy clouds stuck to the rocky tips of the mountains. Some of the valleys were opaque with sheets of rain, but curves of the highway saved us from a real drenching.

We stopped for gas and a coffee and Grant commented that his bike was not running well. Grant speculated that it might need new plugs and a fuel filter which would require a Honda dealer. We have such faith in Hondas. Even the parts person at the Harley dealer in St. Johns, NB whispered that of all the bikes one might use for touring, the Honda could be relied upon to get you home without a breakdown.

As Grant played with his throttle, even my unschooled ear could hear that the bike sounded terrible. We discussed the possibility of returning to Calgary rather than risk getting stranded. It seemed a terrible thing to back track and I was sooooo looking forward to getting to Nelson to see Donna's new bike.

Grant started removing housings and pushing and prodding on connections. It's a fortunate thing that I am traveling with someone who is so knowledgeable about the mechanics of motorcycles. We were saved from disaster and the expense of a mechanic when Grant noticed his choke was out from the morning's start.

We followed Hwy #1 all the way today. It was a busy route chock a block with cars, huge campers, trucks pulling boats, semis... the lot. The Rockies are still magnificent, but traffic required a rider's full attention. I missed the luxury of empty secondary highways under a clear blue sky. But it was still a good day.

We did about 460 km. today ending our ride in Revelstoke at about 4:30. Our sojourn with Mel and Elsie had left us well rested and I could happily have kept going. Perhaps we are becoming used to the rhythms of the road. Perhaps we have grown "iron butts". Perhaps we are geriatric "road warriors".

We opted for a motel as we didn't like the look of the sky and the simple act of closing our motel door allows us an early start to tomorrow's ride.

Our friends, Dan and Margaret left Port Alberni this morning headed east. Perhaps we will "meet in the middle" for a beer and chin wag somewhere in the Kootenays. Looking forward to it. They bring a touch of home.