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Steve Millar

@skmillar345

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Overnight trip to northern Vancouver Island between hibernal storms to look at calm lakes from bicycles. by @skmillar345

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a year ago

Leaving the car in Kaslo, parked at the municipal campground with the managers blessing. Kaslo is hopping.Couldn’t find the plaque commemorating Barb’s residence there in the 1960’s where she learned to ride a bike IIRC. I then rode north along Kootenay Lake to where the Lardeau River flows. The Lardeau valley heading north is broad and quite flat. Meadow Creek has a store which sells fig newtons and beer (and probably a few other things. Probably lottery tickets, but I’ve already won that). No traffic after Meadow Creek. Beautiful smooth gravel road that swoops to and from the river. I chatted with Nick who has lived at Poplar Creek apparently all his life, but bemoans the course of world history. Finally, where Mobb Creek enters Lardeau River just below Trout Lake I made camp. A plunge in the river to cool and rinse off the sweat and road dust. At 4 this morning the patter of rain woke me. By my reading of the forecast this was 12 hours early. I shouted at the clouds to no effect. Light enough to get up by 530. Found shelter under a red cedar to eat oats and drink coffee. Then up and down hills in rain showers along the east shore of Trout Lk.
By 10 am I arrived in ‘Trout Lk City’ which is one of those old abandoned mining towns found all over BC reputed to have been ‘bigger than Vancouver’ in its heyday. Noboards Cafe was open for business to my absolute delight. Coffee, a fresh muffin and a breakfast sandwich. Cash only; I had no cash. E-transfer when I got to cell coverage near Nakusp. Trust. These are the guys who shred the Selkirk pow on snowboards without bindings-hence ‘Noboards’. They had a film in the Banff festival a few years ago.Onwards from Hwy 31 (dirt) to Hwy 23 (paved). Too much traffic! Like, where to? The road goes to Trout Lk or the Galena ferry and on to Revelstoke. Summer in BC. Rain intermittent. Stopped at the gazebo at Mt Abriel recsite and MTB trails. Looked good. Rain hammered. On to Nakusp for rehydration. A little tent in the muni campground as the rain continues. On to New Denver tomorrow. by @skmillar345

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Our 100 plus year old pear tree heavy with fruit and the volunteer blackberries at the peak of sweet. Just beyond the much diminished Wattaway Creek on the slopes of Forbidden Plateau the fresh northwest wind was releasing fireweed seed like a hot light blizzard. Brown’s River still strong. by @skmillar345

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The first pic is a weld I had done on my bike in Klamath Falls Oregon last year, but the crack in the seat stay has recurred, after a few thousand more kilometers. Soooo, I contacted Jesse Hildebrandt of @wildwoodcycles in Nanaimo who did this lovely repair. It’s clearcoated and that’s how it will remain. by @skmillar345

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Finished this particular bike ride in Squamish. Eight days riding from Quesnel west of the Fraser via West Fraser Rd, Meldrum, Riske Crk, Farwell Canyon and on to Mud Crk, Tyaughton Lk, Gold Bridge, Hurley, Pemberton, Sea to Sky trail and finally Squamish. Vehicle shuttle to Horseshoe Bay and I’m not riding the Sunshine Coast home; just couldn’t muster the enthusiasm for that. Saw some great country, met some friendly locals, and answered a couple of geographical questions that needed to be addressed. by @skmillar345

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After the Graham Island beach ride I rode back south on the road to Daajing Giids and returned on the ferry to Prince Rupert. Just had time to ride to a coffee shop in town before boarding the train, next to the ferry dock, which goes all the way to Jasper, but I’d asked for a whistle stop at Vanderhoof. Pretty nice way to travel in immaculately maintained cars built in the 1950’s. Yesterday and today I spent riding the 210 kms from Vanderhoof to Quesnel largely on the Blackwater River forest service road. Crossed the Chilako River which flows north to the Nechako. The Blackwater River aka ‘West Road’ as it’s on the old trading route. The Blackwater flows east into the Fraser. Also, this route is on the short lived old Collin’s Overland Telegraph route. Alex Mackenzie in this portrait has a look on his face that says to me ‘Yo! I get paid to do this!’ Crossed the Blackwater River and descended off the Fraser Plateau to arrive in Quesnel just in time for the end of Billy Barker Days. Smooth rolling dirt roads with no traffic for hundreds of kilometers. Cloudy with occasional showers makes for good cycling. Mosquitos get me going in the mornings: no standing around for a second cup. by @skmillar345

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Rose Spit (NE point of Haida Gwaii) this morning where Hecate and Dixon shake geographic hands. Sunny, calm after a couple of more typical Haida Gwaii summer days: rain and wind.
A view north to the Alexander Archipelago of SE Ak across Dixon Entrance. Now, on to Masset for another 20-30 km of beach riding. Soft 2.8” tires are my friends. by @skmillar345

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Up the BC coast from Port Hardy to Skidegate in Haida Gwaii via Prince Rupert over 2 days.A party of kayakers disembarked at BellaBella to spend 19 days paddling back to Port Hardy. Not 9 days like some people I know; nineTEEN days. Relaxed pace. The ferry Northern Adventure crossing Hecate Strait in a rising SE breeze. This is my 5th visit to Haida Gwaii since 1986, by small boat and plane and now bike, in work and play. The rain and the dark green forest and the grey ocean seem the same but the clientele has gone a bit upmarket here in Daajing Giids (QCC), over the years. by @skmillar345

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Ledge Point, Vancouver Island. Enroute solo to Haida Gwaii beaches, West Fraser Plateau, and the eastern Chilcotin, in a BC circle, by bicycle, ships, and a train. Heavy rain in the forecast tonight and tomorrow so I’m sheltering under a roof, with a view to Broughton Strait. No passport, no flights, no bike box. So handy. Handy like the Devil’s Bath brewery. by @skmillar345

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Bike and hike from home up Mt Clifton in the Mighty Beaufort Mountain range. This time by a different route on a sketchy (as in faint) old trail into the warm mist and the last of the winter’s snow. This is not just the usual (bear) shit post ( photo credit Glenn O). Lunch at Lunchtime Lk. Rode by Poum Lk (It’s not common knowledge that ‘Poum’ name is from the Workers Party of Marxist Unification, active during the Spanish Civil War. Close ties between the Beaufort bush and European political upheaval?). Looked down on the Salish Sea. Crossing the Mighty Trent river we barely got our tires wet let alone our feet. 75 km return, from front door to the brew pub. Glenn F’s annual close-to-solstice adventure. by @skmillar345

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Two photos of my bike on a sunny ride in the West Kootenays.
Better than selfies for sure.

Two days for 150 kms. The first day was initially from Nelson to Blewett along quiet hilly rural roads to begin about 60 km of singletrack to Trail. Ward's Ferry Trail is a hiking trail along the south shore of Kootenay River to Glade. For 8km I could pedal for about half. A good and courageous rider could ride the whole thing.
After Glade the Skattebo Reach Trail has been machine re-built last summer and is a flowy joy to Brilliant.

Then via Ootischenia on to the Columbia River Trail. Nice riding; either this trail has been improved or riding downstream is much easier. Either way when I rode this trail in the upstream direction on my first bike packing trip ever during the memorable 2021 'heat dome' it was harder, much harder. This time, more joy.

Tick City though. I found 5 of them heading north up my legs bound for darker, more humid anatomy.

A DQ milkshake in the 34c heat of Trail provided almost enough stoke to get me up the hill to Rossland via a rail grade and a wagon track. Tongue hanging by the time I got to the campground. A 90 km day and I missed the 8 pm closing at the Rossland Beer Company. Really!?

The second day saw me riding up the old Cascade Road to Santa Rosa then down to Christina Lk. Great gravel. Legit climbing. Bomber descents on 2.8" tires . No traffic.

Another milkshake urgently at Christina, followed by falafel and tzatsiki at Baba Kebab food truck washed down with cold IPA. Ha!
The camping experience at Christina Pines campground was enhanced by other bikepackers to trade stories with, and the proprietors who have a $15/night area for bike travelers and 'always room for one more'' policy.

Barb picked me up at the Christina Welcome Centre (always a good breakfast spot) this morning and we're on our way to the ferry and home to the Island. 44th anniversary for us today of the civil ceremony in Nelson and she made the questionable decision to stop for me again, as always (so far).

Lucky lad. by @skmillar345

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Images from right now in the West Kootenays, Porcupine Hills SW Alberta and,from a few weeks ago, a trephination from the Andes that apparently survived for years afterwards. by @skmillar345

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