Sunday, August 19, 2007

Day 12 -19 Aug 2007

We left the lodge at 8:15 am this morning to overcast skies and 52 degrees. Just before we started our bikes, Butch asked if we would see any "critters" this morning. By 8:30, we saw our first Mountain sheep right on the roadway. Later we saw Moose and Caribou together, and later saw each separately at different times. No Bears today, although the couple that we met yesterday, who stayed at the same lodge as we did, and was leaving at the same time as we were, had seen a Grizzly.

It started raining early, and rained off and on most of the day....except when it hailed. We were in a high mountain pass with a very cold rain beating down on us, when it started to hail. Butch said, and I quote, " I screamed like a little girl 'cause it hurt so bad." The woman Harley rider, Julie, who was riding with us, said that she thought her lips were swelling from the pounding she took. I believe that we are scarred for life from the brutal beating that we took on our unprotected faces. Fortunately, the hail didn't last long. We stopped for fuel and met this couple, male and female riders, who had left
Massachusetts last November, and had been all over the southern part of the USA, Mexico, and was just returning from Alaska. We later had dinner with them when we arrived in Dawson Creek, where we are bedding down for the evening. By the way, we did wash off the 15-20 pounds of mud from our bikes today. Should get better fuel economy tomorrow.

What we learned today:

1. British Columbia has a lot of critters.

2. Hail really stings the uncovered face at 50 mph.

3. There are good people all over the world.

4. There is a LOT of open country in Canada.

5. Hail hurts.

6. It is good to be the writer of the blog - therefor, none of my silly antics gets posted. ;-)

7. We have been blessed.

Later,

Butch and Jim

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Jim! Just got a chance to read a little. What a great experience! Sounds a bit like what travelers heading out to western territories in wagons (you remember, when you were a kid) went through.

You describe this well! It almost feels like being there. I might have my son throw a handful of gravel and bugs at my face so I can read more through watery eyes to feel it even more.

You guys have a safe trip back!

george & clarine review said...

neat adventure; don'you fellows have visors on your helmets to shield the hail away?

mustang02 said...

G & C - No self-respecting Harley Davidson rider would deign to wear a full face helmet...that just wouldn’t be cool. Instead they insist on wearing minimalist helmets (mere cranials) and sunglasses, and that’s pretty much it. Bugs, rocks, rain and hail pummel them mercilessly about the face, and yet they persist in their hard-core, diehard traditionalist bad boy biker ways. I’ll stick with my import motorcycle and full face helmet, thank you very much. Harley riders may not acknowledge my friendly wave as I pass, but I get the last laugh when bugs and other nasties splatter harmlessly on my face shield, knowing full well what the bad boys are having to endure to maintain their cool persona.