May 5, 2025
There’s something invigorating about camping next to a river. Someone once told me that the air next to a river, especially when surrounded by forest, is some of the purest air you can breathe. In addition to the oxygen they produce, forests are natural air purifiers and can remove oxides of nitrogen, sulfur, carbon monoxide and minute particulates. The combination of the pure air and the white noise made for perfect sleeping and I woke up ready to go!
Today’s destination, Woss Lake, supposedly had a decent free campground with impeccable views. While most of the Nimpkish Valley has been an important source of timber, and home to the longest working logging railway in North America (76 miles) for many years, Woss Lake Provincial Park is a significant conservation and outdoor recreation area. (The Tree to Sea mountain bike trail runs through the little village of Woss, a few miles from the lake.) I needed groceries and Woss had a small grocery store and gas station. For all of these reasons, it seemed to add up to a “can’t miss” proposition, so I would make it my home for the night. I previewed the route profile and noticed I would be climbing to 1500 feet, the highest point of the entire route. And with that key datapoint, I took off for Woss Lake.
Back on BC 19, nothing was new. The trees were still crowding the road edge, the shoulder was still clean, and traffic was light. The one thing I noticed once I got above 500 feet was the bird songs. For the first time this year, I heard Varied Thrushes, a cousin to the Robin, but with a softer, more easily digestible call. I heard Ruby-crowned Kinglets and their “excited musical chattering”. The White-crowned Sparrows announced themselves with the song of summer even though we are still a ways from that season. The air cooled and I heated up with the elevation gains. This ride turned out to be relaxing and enjoyable as I was in no particular hurry. I even tried out the iPhone satellite texting service and it worked just as advertised.
Once into Woss, I hit the grocery store and purchased some things I would need for the next two meals. However, the ice cream sandwich and coffee disappeared first. I rode the next 1.5 miles to the campground and was a bit disappointed, not surprised though, that this campground had seen better days. It had great picnic tables and about 10 campsites which were very well distributed. It didn’t have water, toilets, or trash receptacles. I walked to the lake and found the one spot where I could capture a view of the lake and mountains. Turns out, that was the only spot where one could have that view. The rest of the campground consisted of a ragged patchwork of sites where large outdoor parties once took place, or secluded parking slots where recreational trailers were parked. This campground had seen better days.
While I set up my tent, an older woman with a Nikon SLR slung around her neck said “hello” and interrupted the silence. We started to talk and I found out that she was there to support her adult son (a former Canadian National Rowing Team member) while he was attempting the Tree to Sea route by himself. She invited me to stop by their campsite later and when I did, we had the best conversation about bicycles, traveling, birds, and working in national parks. Jenny and Mike first met when they were assigned resource management positions at Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada’s largest National Park, straddling northeastern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories. They live in Victoria and retired from the Park Service a number of years ago. Their son, the former rower, works as a seasonal fishing guide for an outfitter on Haida Gwaii. He also had to cut short his mountain bike ride because it had taken too much out of him. Like I said, it’s a very difficult endeavor.
Not many photos today, unfortunately. Apologies.
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Today's ride: 44 miles (71 km)
Total: 258 miles (415 km)
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