Day 6 - Wasa Lake to Fernie (July 5)

The day started early. I got started at 6:00 a.m. so I could beat the heat.

I snapped a picture of Mt. Bill Nye before I getting started.

Stopped briefly at Fort Steele.

The ride along Wardner - Fort Steele Road was fantastic. The sun hadn’t yet risen above the mountains called the “Steeples.” As I passed the provincial park, I saw some Elk grazing. I also heard a coyote howling in the distance. The road was peaceful and calm and otherwise free of cars. The fact that it was in the dark was even better - the temperatures were still cool.

So I rode on to Fernie, BC. The ride into Elko was challenging - it was a big climb. The warmth of the day was just starting. I checked with a local shopkeeper about an alternative route on the other side of the river. My choices were either a paved highway with lots of traffic or a backcountry dirt road. After consulting with the shopkeeper, I found that the back road had too many ruts and potholes and also logging trucks as well. So I decided to stay on the main highway. The ride wasn’t too bad. Even though the shopkeeper insisted that the local drivers were really good, I think she has never ridden a bike between Elko and Fernie. The ride along the Elk River was nice.

I stopped and rested a while in Fernie. I did my grocery shopping and talked up the locals to figure out where I could get a good lunch. A guy behind me in line suggested a bakery called Sinful Sweetness. This was a nice place to rest, watch, talk, and write.

It was cool inside Sinful Sweetness, while the temperatures outside rose into the mid-90s. I had a nice lunch and had a chance to write in my notebook. The bakery had a large window - I could watch the Fernie people go by and I could also watch my bike which was parked outside.

I noticed a couple outside inspecting my bike. They came into the bakery. She, Shana, was from Portland, Oregon. He, Stephan, was from Whitefish, Montana. They were also bike touring. They had just started. This was her first bike tour, but he had toured in the past. We had a great discussion about riding with others, cycling moods, drivers, and the benefits of free campgrounds. They would be following the route I had just done, except they would be going in the other direction. They had a general map of the area, but not a specific map. I gave them my Adventure Cycling map. I hope it helped them.

I actually spent the night down the road at a place called Hosmer located under Hosmer Mountain.

Domesticity

While talking with Stephan and Shana at Sinful Sweetness, we discussed the routine that one falls into when riding. I hesitate to call this a vacation. It is travel, but not a vacation. A vacation implies freedom from work and the normality of ordinary life. Bike touring has an ordinariness to it, obviously. I ride my bike every day. But there are also the daily household tasks that I do. For example, I have to make breakfast in the morning, pack my stuff, and take down my tent. I do this almost every day. I normally eat lunch at a store or restaurant, so I don't have to worry about this. I have to buy food to eat for my meals on a regular basis - every 2 to 3 days. At night, I have to set up the tent, get the stove working and cook some food. I'm not cooking anything gourmet, but it still takes time. If I'm in bear country, I have to put everything away - anything that smells. If I'm not in bear country I leave out my stove and use it in the morning. This routine provides a modicum of stability in an ever changin landscape.

Day 6 - Wasa Lake to Fernie - 74 Miles