20 days - 3948 km - heading out of Salmo BC today - 2 days into the mountains. AMAZING Beautiful BC!! Blew through Alberta in 2 1/2 days - One scary night with a torrential downpour and massive thunderstorm but totally dry inside tent - (praise the mighty MEC) - truckers at the side of the road handing him water bottles and his picture in the Moose Jaw Times-Herald (see link below) after a chance encounter with an intrepid reporter. Met another guy walking to Vancouver from Halifax! making a bit better time than the first two he met! Decided to take the southern route out of Medicine Hat through Lethbridge and up into BC via Crowsnest Pass. Could see the mountains in the distance for a long time slowly getting closer, closer and then suddenly - you're in the mountains!! Bear-Care signage everywhere, Mountain bikes on car roofs, long-haired dudes with blond dreadlocks, Cars honking encouragement on long 30 km, 10% grade climbs, reaching the summit to cheers from the people who'd passed him in their cars on the way up to the lookout/rest stops - this must be BC!!!
Little motel in Salmo after a killer climb up to Stagleap Provincial Park and equally killer descent - pictures of bike racing on the wall, older British couple running the place and turns out the husband was a road racer back in the day in England! Slowing down a bit now to enjoy the incredible scenery, take lots of pictures and relish the climbing - 17 mountain passes to get through before reaching Hope - and then on to Vancouver - should be there by the weekend!!
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