MOTORCYCLE DIARIES prt 4

MOLOKING PULA (Big Red in Tagalog)IN THE ROCKIES

MOTORCYCLE DIARIES, prt. 4

The recent breakdown and ensuing blog got ahead of us so back up a bit. I found a cozy place to stay in Vancouver, not far from the airport, ready and eager for Donna’s arrival. Picked her up and the adventure begins.

Being the consummate sightseer, she already had a list of places to go in Vancouver. We hit Gas Town, Stanley Park, and Stevensen for dinner on the wharf.

 The list all checked off, and into the wilds of British Columbia we rode. First stop was the Sea to Sky Gondola ride, lifting us to a panoramic view of Howe Sound, quick ride thru Whistler Sky Resort—too crowded and up the hill we went.

The scenery is nothing short of spectacular, jetting mountain peaks, green valleys and winding roads. All of which is new to Donna. After a reasonable introductory day of riding, we arrived at the small mountain town of Pemberton. Once a famous railway stop, we see the remnants of its past. Sadly, it appears to be a hang out for homeless and druggies. I went to check into the Pemberton Hotel, which I booked through bookings.com. Low and behold, by some quirk I had inadvertently booked a room at the Pemberton Hotel, in Pemberton Australia. Still fighting with bookings.com for a refund. Fortunately, the Canadian PH had a room. We started the long list of bikers we will meet along the rode there.

The scenery just got better and better as we rose up and over the coastal mountain range. Green fir trees and under brush gave way to pine trees and sage brush. The weather in Vancouver was cooler and cloudy, now we hit real sunshine! We arrived in Lillooete, checked into the booked hotel, thankfully in Cananda this time. More bikes filled in the parking lot for the evening.

On my motorcycle travels I seek budget hotels, try to stay under $100usd with parking in front of the ground floor room. Most hotels were exceedingly “biker friendly” and accommodating. We met a series of quite friendly and accommodating Indian and Filipino inn keepers. Donna meets more and more Filipinos wherever we go, she likes that!

The plan was to spend Canada Day in the larger city of Kamloops and partake in the festivities of July 1. Found yet another “biker friendly” budget hotel, dropped of the gear and headed to the lovely city park. Musicians, dancers and venders filled the park. The diversity of this community shown thru the performers; great country western band, Indian dancers, and a Sargent Pepper donned community band played show tunes.

Adding to the list of “1^st’s” for Donna we hit a Walmart, she was gob smacked by the size and volume and her first auto check out. Nice dinner in the older part of town ended our fun day.

Up and away we go, from now on it is camping life for us. We took what is listed as one of the top motorcycle rides in BC down to small open ferry to cross lake Atlin, largest lake in BC, and over to the Rider’s Retreat, a motorcycle only camping park. This place proves to be a gem, all bikers. We get a “glamping” large tent and nice bed, our way of easing into camping. We shoot up to the nearby hot springs, enjoy a long soak. All the bike riders sit around the campfire that night enjoying the songs of a local troubadour, life is good.

Donna is our ride photographer, equipped with all the cameras;

We pack up, something we will get more efficient as days go by, and head up the lake, another open ferry ride and head to the famed Ice Park ride. We base our next adventures out of a nice community camp ground in the picturesque town of Golden. First day we discover just how crowded this area can get, all the things Donna wanted to see Lake Louise and others were all booked up. Not to be daunted she finds a couple “road less traveled” and a magnificent waterfall and river.

We are now in the famed Rocky Mountains, no better description than this:

Del Gue- (From Jeremiah Johnson)

“I ain’t never seen ’em, but my common sense tells me the Andes is foothills, and the Alps is for children to climb! Keep good care of your hair! These here is God’s finest scupturings! And there ain’t no laws for the brave ones! And there ain’t no asylums for the crazy ones! And there ain’t no churches, except for this right here! And there ain’t no priests excepting the birds. By God, I are a mountain man, and I’ll live ’til an arrow or a bullet finds me. And then I’ll leave my bones on this great map of the magnificent . . .” Happy Earth Day!

Next day we head up again, skip Lake Louise for the flip side ride, btw where my parents honeymooned in 1947, and head up the famed Ice Park ride. This is simple one of the most indescribable roads on earth, I had tried to tell Donna about it but my words paled to the real thing. We make the three hour ride (according to Googe) in six hours, taking hundreds of pictures on our many stops. I toiled with the BC parks reservation website for an hour and got a camp spot in a gov campground just past Jasper.  We find our spot, pitch the tent and enjoy a dinner of pre packed foods, talking into the night about the grandeur of the ride. The next day we take a short ride up to the Miette Hot Springs, life is good.

This will be the northern most point of our adventure, so much more to come!