Day 18: To McBride - Western Canada 2007 - CycleBlaze

July 17, 2007

Day 18: To McBride

I got up at 7 and was packed up and in the cafe at 8:10. But the service was slow and it was 8:55 by the time I got on the road. Humid, calm, and buggy as usual. I was getting bit while pedaling up steep grades. The sky was overcast and several long hills climbed 100 meters or more before dropping to the next river crossing.

More roadside wildflowers. The purple Fireweed is quite common.
Heart 1 Comment 2
Charmaine RuppoltBoy, all your comments about the constant mosquitoes make me want to avoid riding in Western Canada...
Reply to this comment
1 week ago
Wayne EstesTo Charmaine RuppoltI think that within 300 miles of the US border is not so bad. The farther north you go, the longer the snowmelt period that breeds mosquitoes. I'm an not at all eager to revisit to northern B.C.
Reply to this comment
1 week ago

The first half of the day's ride is forested hills but later I started to see large mountains ahead. The Rocky mountains.

I'm starting to see big mountains again.
Heart 0 Comment 0
Telephoto view of the mountains.
Heart 1 Comment 0

There are absolutely no services for 150 km except for a rest area that has flush toilets, sinks with soap, and drinking water. Mosquitoes swarmed around me whenever I stopped except when stopping on the middle of a big bridge.

Nice scene.
Heart 1 Comment 0
Looking DOWN at a creek. Enjoying the fact that there are no mosquitoes on the bridge.
Heart 1 Comment 1
Charmaine RuppoltHow funny/strange that there are no mosquitoes when on a bridge. :)
Reply to this comment
1 week ago
Giving the bike a rest.
Heart 1 Comment 0

There were only a few views of the Fraser river.

The Fraser river is high, fast, and muddy.
Heart 1 Comment 0
Heart 0 Comment 0

The road climbs up to 950m elevation then gradually descends to the town of McBride at 722m elevation. I arrived at 8:30PM and got a room for $55 at the bar/hotel next to the railway station. The grocery store and restaurants were closed by the time I got organized for dinner, so I ate breakfast cereal in my room. Mosquitoes weren't too bad in town. They must spray the entire town. McBride is a charming little town with a view of snow-capped mountains to the east and south.

My destination for the night.
Heart 0 Comment 0
McBride railway station.
Heart 1 Comment 0

My computer's speed sensor started working again today. Today was a LONG day. Ten hours of pedaling! But it really wasn't difficult because I had a tailwind and the climbing was mostly gentle.

Distance: 151.2 km / 94.5 mi

Climbing: 1151 m / 3800 ft

Average speed: 15.2 km/h / 9.5 mi

Maximum speed: 63 km/h / 39.4 mph

Today's ride: 151 km (94 miles)
Total: 1,535 km (953 miles)

Rate this entry's writing Heart 3
Comment on this entry Comment 0