A hot day in in the saddle. Don’t know what the actual temperature was, but it was cloudless and hot and the wind was against me. Although that’s pretty much the first time this trip, so can’t really complain, but it certainly makes a difference to ones speed. I managed about 75 miles (120km in Canadian money – “This money’s no good, Bloodknock!”). Which was fairly exhausting, but I’m definitely getting fitter and the legs don’t really feel it so much now.
At the very pretty campsite I’m in (Squanga Lake), I met a young married couple from Montana (Marie-Cloud and Brock…), who invited me over for a bite to eat and a glass of wine. They were intelligent and charming. Both professional, they quit their jobs to travel around for a bit. What is the world coming to! More jobless bums roaming the Northern states. Is no one keeping the wheels of industry turning?
Hopefully it’ll be fairly easy riding to Watson Lake over the next thee or four days (stay tuned). The real test for me will be the Cassiar Highway. There are long sections with no food or lodging so it’s wild camping and carrying enough food for about three days at a time. I should be able to get enough liquid along the way by squeezing the juice from various plants, licking the underside of dew fresh leaves, and, of course, drinking my own urine. If all that fails then sticking my water bottle in any of the thousands of crystal clear glacier streams should do the trick. The quality of the road is also a bit suspect in a few areas, so could be both slow going and puncture-prone. Thankfully I have a spare tyre. Who said I didn’t plan this trip?
As ever keep the comments coming, they really help.
Love
Pete
Patagonia Pete 
Well, a good looking Fellow like you on a ‘nearly’ golden push bike must have been beating off the ladies with a stick in Whitehorse, I must get myself out there sometime soon, maybe with gold teeth and collection of sovereign rings, nothing says wealth more than that, FACT!
That story about the couple in the campsite, I have seen films with similar beginnings, however, your ending seems a lot more civilised than observed in said films, i won’t go into details.
i bet your legs are like tree trunks now, if you do come across a Bear I would suggest a ‘gun show’ but with your legs, i’m not sure what you would call that? Anyway, should buy you enough time to get outta there
One thing I wondered the other day, how are you washing your clothes? What you could do is wrap yourself up daily in masking tape, then rip it off, easy, all dirt removed. Just throwing it out there….
Take care, safe riding!
Paul
Mate
Useful suggestions, all of them.
I think the leg ‘gun show’ might prove problematic. As far as can remember (because I’ve seen no fecking bears on this trip!) bears are often hairy and it’s tricky to judge the muscularity of their legs through all that hair. So I’d have to shave it first and I think that’s where the whole problem starts. I mean they like a quick trim now and again (especially round ‘the back’), but a full shaving they’re less keen on. Or so I’m told by wiley old trappers around these parts.
I was thinking of playing to my strengths and challenge them to game of backgammon. I’m no master, but bears are notoriously bad at backgammon, but have a stubborn pride that is often their downfall.
I’ll let you know how it all goes.
Got to go as the owners of this rest stop seem to be getting a little twitchy about all the downloading I’ve been doing.
Pip pip
Pete Coombes
http://www.patagoniapete.com petecoombes@mac.com Skype:pcoombes
You have a spare tyre? After all that exercise? arf arf
Arf arf! I’ve got to admit it’s not falling off me as fast as I’d like. This whole bike ride mullarky is basically one extreme weight-loss programme, but if I don’t see results soon I’m sending my postal order back to Dave’s Cycle Yourself to Thinness.
I remember another thing Dad was told about bears; It’s the little black bears that climb up after you. The grizzlies don’t have to, they just pull the tree down.
Just remember – Dad had solid backup if things got too tricky , he’d just call up the Navy to get him out of there! You take care.
The leg version of a gun show is called an ‘artillery display’. Fact. Look it up on talkingshitopoedia.org if you don’t believe me. No wonder I’m a pub quiz king. Any roadside pub quizzes on the Canadian highway, Pete? Or are you too busy shaving bears’ legs in prep for yet another artillery display?