Changes in scenery

LILLOOET, B.C. – Got Off to an early start from Clearwater and headed down Old Hwy.5, a much twistier version of the new highway, which is the western leg of the Yellowhead. What a magnificent morning for a motorcycle ride.

Apart from some slight construction delays a trucker who decided to flick the tail end of a cigar out the window. Fool! Obviously the burned out timberlands from last year’s forest fires did not register with him. That’s how these things get started.

I pulled over to shed a layer of clothes as the temperature rose. I took some pictures just south of North Thompson Provincial Park. Stunning! What a way to start the day! And not a hint of wind to ruffle the slow-flowing waters of the Thompson River.

As I rode on down Hwy. 5, the landscape morphed from high alpine forest and meadow to the lush valley farms -- with hundreds of acres of land under shady tarps? Ah, the ginseng ranches! Finally the topography shifted shape again and I was in the sand, sagebrush and steep rocky canyons of the B.C. Interior.

I had planned an off-day in Kamloops visiting with an old friend from Sheridan College where we both aspired to be the next Woodstein and Bernward. Alas, it was not to be. Maybe I’ll catch up with Al later in the ride. As it was, I stopped at Timmy’s for a coffee and settled in to use their free wi-fi. However, fled when a local mommy group descended on the place.

I have no problem with children – even the teething ones. As the second-oldest of seven kids of working parents, I’ve spent some time in the company of infants.

No, what drove me out was how nasty the conversation quickly got. I guess a couple of the moms are getting divorced and it has become a team effort. Lots of “my lawyer says this…”and “my lawyer says that…! Helluva education those kids are getting. Sheesh!

From Kamloops, I headed west along Hwy. 97, the Coast Cariboo Route, an old mid-19^th century gold rush trail. I was bound for Cache Creek and Lillooet. Some stunning views of Kamloops Lake made me pull over for more pix.

I had only been under way again a minute or two, rising and falling, twisting and turning as the highway followed the lake when literally out of the corner of my eye, I caught a quick flash of white. Don’t know how I knew, but perched near the top of a lone pine between me and the water was a bald eagle.

Since the ban on DDT, these birds have made a remarkable recovery. There’s even a pair living just north of downtown Edmonton at a local cement plant. I often see them flying over the Irish Club. They are majestic animals, even sitting on a nest.

Farther along, past Savona, another roadside attraction caught my eye! A motley collection of weather-beaten wooden buildings looking like an Old West ghost town appeared to be deserted. I pulled in and took some pictures. Things got really spooky when music began to play from hidden speakers. U2’s Mysterious Ways! I’ll say! Weird or what?

After lunch at Hungry Herbies in Cache Creek (thanks for the tip, Rob!) I shed more layers of clothing. 26C might be too warm for long johns, especially under the quilted lining of my new Scott Motorsports riding suit.

It was in the low 30s when I made Lillooet, a logging town and spiritual home of Margaret ‘Ma’ Murray, a legendary muckraking journalist who signed off her often caustic editorials with Änd that’s fer damn sure!”I always enjoyed it when she would appear, even in her 90s, on CBC giving some hapless commentator a piece of her razor-sharp Kansas-bred mind!

It's also known for the high-quality local jade. Check out this meter-high chunk of Marshall Creek jade. There are similar pieces all over town.

After a good feed of (sorry, not local) trout, I watched a hockey game – complete with Stompin’Tom’s The Hockey Song, had a couple drinks with some locals, spent far too much time on Facebook  and got to bed late.

So, I’m (slap) dashing this off and getting ready for Vancouver, 255 clicks (that’s kilometers for those in the U.S., the U.K. or The People’s Republic of North Korea who may be unfamiliar with metric measurement) away! Lots of good friends there, but I’m dreading arriving in rush-hour traffic! Oh well, what can’t be cured must be endured, as my auld man used to say.

Thinking of him now, I’ll bet he’d love the chance to be on this ride with me. Whether he knows it or not, he is!

And please don’t forget to visit my Ride for Sight secure online fundraising page and pledge a few bucks for this important fundraising ride to support research into the causes and prevention of blindness. Thanks!