May 9, 2025

Kasiks “Resort” to Kleanza Creek Provincial Park

My bicycle was in sad shape. Heavy silt had accumulated on everything (including my pants) from the wet shoulder and winter road sanding. David, the Kasiks caretaker, let me use a hose so I could spray down the steed before I cleaned and re-oiled my chain. It took longer than I thought, mainly because I kept pulling the chain off of the chainring. I finally got into a rhythm and by the time I was done it hummed! It was a late departure, but I didn’t care.

This particular section of road had plenty of interest. The low clouds swung around the snow-covered mountains, and the Skeena River in its Columbia River-like wide basin poured westward toward Prince Rupert. There would be no deviations off of the highway which meant I battled it out with the road traffic and … the train. For much of today’s ride, the Canadian National Railroad had a busy schedule sending more containers westward and empty oil cars back to Alberta. Four trains passed me, some right next to me, and it was loud. Even so, the showers, the relatively flat terrain, and the natural beauty kept me engaged all the way to Terrace.

Coming into Terrace reminded me of those Colorado or Idaho mountain valleys where horses grazed and the hay and wheat grew. Not so much here, yet. There are plenty of small farms, but you can see the signs of anxious farmers and gardeners: the plastic hoophouses, glass greenhouses, vegetable garden preparations, the few tractors disking their fields, and the Canadian Tire store with all their plant starts out front. It was a bit hard to believe warmth was coming given the mild breeze, low 50s temperatures, intermittent showers, and fresh snow up high.

Terrace is one of the larger communities east of Prince Rupert. The next largest town, Prince George is another 400 miles east. Terrace has all the amenities of bigger towns and it's the place to go when you need groceries, a doctor’s visit, and to eat out. I stopped to resupply at the grocery store and ate dinner at what I thought was a Mexican Restaurant, but was really an eclectic mix of Asian, new-American, and a few Mexican entrees. I had the seasoned mahi-mahi, nested in rice, and a “zesty” mix of vegetables all converging into a salad. I made sure I was full because I still had 12 more miles to go to the Kleanza Creek Campground (pronounced Klee-an-za) and it was 6:30 pm when I left the restaurant.

My campsite was deep in the drippy woods next to the creek and, again, that white noise lulled me into a TEN-HOUR slumber. I don’t remember sleeping that long — ever.

Today's ride: 49 miles (79 km)
Total: 439 miles (707 km)

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