Settlements along the Cariboo Highway south of Prince George had been as largely uninspiring as many of their titles. 150 Mile House. 100 Mile House. An 83. At best strips of fast food outlets and motels. Otherwise, boarded up gas stations and grills. Lac la Hache claimed to be the longest town in British Columbia. Miles. But thinly spread. And mostly closed up. Others had an industrial feel. Functional. Quesnel. Pronounced Que-nel. Silent s.
100 Mile House from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.
Ken makes a lunch stop at 100 Mile House. Not quite his thing…
I’d struggled to smile for the camera. An icy descent into Williams Lake. Heavy rain and no need to pedal had meant I soon felt the cold. Unpleasant, prolonged by the need to slow right down, hampered by spray from passing vehicles and rivers of surface water flowing across the tarmac. Beginning to shiver, I’d decided to stop, find a cafe and warm myself up with a coffee. But first I needed some cash.
And that’s when I’d met Rick, journalist for local community tv station www.wlctv.ca. Was I interested in doing a piece to camera? Yes, of course, delighted I said. Coffee could wait. For a little while. You can see the resultant piece on Williams Lake Independent Community Television by clicking here – look for the September 19th weekly show.
Another chance opportunity brightening up an otherwise miserable day. The rain had started as I’d become to strike camp at Deep Creek. Drizzle at first, soon turning heavy. Rick has suggested a local cafe. I’d found it hard to leave, no let up in the weather outside. Pondering how far I’d need to go, confident of better conditions the next day.
Night at Deep Creek from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.
Ken stops short of Williams Lake, camping at Deep Creek
Big Buns in BC from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.
Ken makes a brief stop of the Fort Alexandria Cafe, south of Prince George, British Columbia
South of Prince George British Columbia’s interior plateau. Along Route 97, the Cariboo Highway. Not flat, just flatter. No bad thing of course, as less likely to encounter punishing headwinds. Some serious climbs along the highway. Long, steady gradients rather than short and sharp. McAleese’s Hill. Tough ascent north of Williams Lake.
Roads south of Prince George from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.
Ken contemplates the roads south of Prince George, heading for Vancouver
Disappointment Cape. Tinned Fog. Theo and Caroline, my hosts in Prince George, had let me flick through their beautifully illustrated scrapbook of their ride south from Vancouver Island to San Francisco. I’d guessed Theo was the artist, judging from the paintings adoring the walls of their home.
Their efforts at the end to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge free of fog had been thwarted. Instead an image of Tinned Fog. There were ample campgrounds along the coast south of Seattle. The scenery inspiring. As was their pace. A mere sixteen days to cover over a thousand miles.
I felt enthused. South from Seattle, as close to Theo and Caroline’s start as not to matter, down to San Francisco, would be the next stage of my North American journey. And I was already looking forward to it.
