July 2020, Lillooet, Canada

The whole goal of the day was to leave early and have enough time to pickup my food supply, reorganize and top up at the local grocery store. Nobody was wearing the recommended mask and I did not put mine on so I don’t stand out. (as a scruffy looking bike dude, I blend in perfectly otherwise)

Then it was a slow roll out of town to the switchbacks and better views. I had about 15 days worth of food and the plan was to meet a friend from Prince George near the Nemiah Valley to go for a bike ride and learn a thing of two about canoeing if weather allows.

driving a big truck on these roads must be very stressful

An early camp was in order, especially when I can try and catch up on recharging and lets not forget 2-3 weeks of rail trails can really make one pretty soft when it comes to actually climbing. My previous ride from Lillooet to Bella Coola took only 10 days but now, I’ll get to see all the bits and pieces in between.

There are a couple of farms and ranches leading to the Big Bar Ferry but with it still closed due to high water levels the road was very quiet.

I’ve really missed the well fed free range canadian cows. Thanks to these creatures of the forest, all grass is cut down to the strictest city bylaw and deadcivated roads have a rideable singletrack most of the time.

and it was one of those deactivated roads that promised a view over the Fraser Canyon just as the grey afternoon clouds started gathering

it barely broke just before it got dark. I spotted a black bear but he didn’t think twice and ran off. It’s never pleasant having a bear close to camp in the evening.

The colors and textures of the area never cease to amaze and there is a whole other side of the canyon waiting to be seen some day. One of the main features of the day was a good 1000m vertical climb which I was lucky enough to complete before the showers rolled in.

after the Big Bar turn off the road got smaller and more with the nature. I fondly remember my 2015 visit to Schrader lake on the tip of the ferryman and even now it will be just a miniscule detour for the promise of picnic benches and a nice lake

Schrader Lake is one of the gems of backcountry British Columbia. I asked an endurance cyclist once if she ever stops early if there is a very nice place to camp and she said “no, because you can go so much further”. It’s two side of the coin, you could go chase that sunset up in the mountains or you can watch it all go down from here. I am starting to enjoy the Canadian way of camping/glamping and these lake sites are often worth the detour.

The road wasn’t nearly as bad but I ended up walking it anyway. I’ve been hoping to get to do more hike-a-bike since my saddle is not very comfortable and days on end of 100% rideable terrain can be tough.

I took the 4x4 track to Chinahead mountain to escape the mosquitoes and from there I saw the Shulaps. Looking curiously at the parts of the topographic map that I had cached and if I could even go there. It turned out that The Coast Mountain Route actually crosses the Shulaps, contrary to my first impression that it sticks to roads until South Chilcotin provincial park.

I managed to find a great camp before it all came down

Finally the handlebar situation is more manageable and things more organized, No rubbing, banging or things falling off.

It was hard not to check out the Shulaps and I rode some 60km down the Yalakom FSR

Lake La Mare was a great spot but I there was good camping further up. With the rail trails far behind, it’s time to head further into The Coastal Range