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Friday August 2         Cycling Day 25

  Sasquatch Crossing ( BC) to Fort St John ( BC)

Distance:  (Km) 160

Time:  6:48

Average Speed: (Km/ hr). 23.5

Ascent:  (m). 1422

Heart Rate: (beats / min). 116

Cumulative Distance:   (km). 2823

Cumulative Ascent :  (m). 23,388

Punctures so far : 0

In the sunshine yesterday evening after dinner, we had a double birthday celebration, Walker and Mark. Walker is now my own age and he had arranged this cake back in Fort Nelson. And the celebration was completed with brownies (made by TDA crew) and ice cream.

TDA now has a complaints procedure and a special filing cabinet for all such complaints!

Very very cold last night. Around 3:30 temperatures dropped to -1 deg and this morning drops on the tents had frozen solid. By breakfast time it was just 2 deg.

Today was a long one (160km) and again some had left before the rest of us stirred. Others rose early and went to the Sasquatch Inn next door for a hot cooked breakfast. For me the TDA breakfast is more than sufficient for an active day. 

I hadn’t even finished my porridge when I noticed that most had gone already. What’s the rush? I was lucky to get my two sandwiches for the journey made before all was packed away. I was one of the last to hit the road.

Straight out of camp and there was a gradual climb to Pink Mountain at the 6 kmmark. Sven was ahead of me as he crested that hill.

Again plenty of climbing today 1422 metres almost 5000 feet and it was spread over the day. Overall we didn’t increase our altitude, between 800 and 1000 metres ASL all day. One particular climb went on for 1.5 km with a gradient of 7%. 

Any time we had a nice long descent, it all had to be made up again and the view of it in the distance sometimes caused the shoulders to sag.

Nothing spectacular scenery wise today, just rolling countryside covered with forestry in all directions to the far horizon and roads off to the left and right to natural gas plants. 

Several service areas (camps) for those working on these rigs. One of these camps was at our camp in Sasquatch Crossing and our showers were in that building.....down a long corridor, doors on either side and some with a notice ‘Be quiet. Shift worker sleeping.’ Several of these camps along the road beside yards of pipes and machinery.

Just as well there was no distracting scenery. Traffic was very heavy in both directions. Previously RVs accounted for traffic but today it was heavy industrial stuff all traveling at the allowed 100km/hr. Our place was between the rumble strips and gravel and sometimes it became very narrow. But they kept to their side and we kept to ours. The heaviest day of traffic yet.

Lunch was at 85 km but we had more than half of the climbing done at that stage. I had earlier taken a sandwich at 50 km. After lunch I took further breaks for a bite at 120 and 140 km. The 140 km stop happened to be outside a handy 9 acres for sale.

At 130 km my rear derailleur started to act up, not engaging and skipping. It had me intrigued for a while and I finally noticed that a retaining cord on my pannier had become entangled in the cassette. Once removed all worked as intended.

Around 150 km Fort St John came into view when the Alaska Highway changed into a 4 lane highway. Plenty of industrial yards on the way in and everything is so spread out...acres to spare. My eyes were now peeled for 86 Street and the orange flagging tape at our hotel. We reside tonight and tomorrow night in the Howard Johnson Hotel on the edge of the town.

I’ll find out more about the place tomorrow once the chores have been taken care of.

A long day (more or less 100 miles) but the weather was favourable, no rain or wind. Satisfied that it has been completed and in the hotel at 2:45.

Rest Day tomorrow.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.