Distance: 123 km
Elevation: 726 m
Date: August 10, 2022
I had breakfast at the Kasiks resort together with the helicopter crew at 6:30 am.
When I put down my tent I noticed a little visitor. The migration of these little toades had just started I had been told.
Before heading off I invited Heather to be an interview guest at our podcast „Leaders Talk“. With her entrepreneurial spirit and her First Nation background she would make a perfect addition to our guest roster. She promised to think about it.
When I wanted to get on my bike, Sean approached me and invited me for a walk because he wanted to show me something. Needless to say that I had never seen Sean before. His wife works in the kitchen of the resort. He took me on a little walk through the rain forest and showed me his favorite tree.
By 8:30 am I was finally in the road. I was cycling through the tribal territory of the Kitsumkalum which reaches from Prince Rupert up until Kalum River in Terrace.
When I made a little break I noticed these little toads everywhere – thousands of them all going silently in the same direction. It was a bit spooky.
After 20 km more I had a little chat with a guy at a road construction site. He mentioned that avalanches are quit a thing here and that in spring both the road and the nearby rail tracks had been hit badly and that it had taken them 7 days until the traffic could pass again. That means that a lot of people had been cut off from the outside world since this is the only road.
Later, Lydia‘s train passed by heading to Jasper. It had only two passenger cars while cargo trains here are 4 km in length and two containers high. Different world around here.
After 70 km I had lunch at the only Pizza place in Terrace, which is considered a bigger town in the area. I could not finish half of it but took it with me just in case.
Around afternoon the temperatures approached 34 degrees. It was brutal. I had to stop at a creek to get some ice cold water.
It was really hard to make the last climb. I even passed another cyclist but was not in the mood for a conversation.
There was a place called „Princess Lake Leisure and Lodging“ on Google maps but nowhere else. I hoped that it was an actual thing since there was nothing else around.
When I arrived there was a big sign „Private Property“. It did not look like a campsite at all. Anyways, I went downhill and met the owner. I asked if I could pop up my tent here for the night. He looked at me critically for a second and then smiled and said „I would not know why not. I am Hugh“ and shook my hand. Simply amazing.
He showed me around. The place had a big lake and a main house which had been converted from a horse stable 13 years ago. It was simply spectacular!
The place also had a guest house directly by the lake as well as a Gazebo. They rent the place out as an event location for weddings on weekends. That’s why it appeared on Google maps. It even had a five stare review.
Hugh offered me to stay in the guest house instead of hustling with the tent. Again, I was blown away by Canadian hospitality.
Inside the guest house I had a big laugh. I had asked the universe to have me see a black bear but in a safe way. Well, there was one on the wall called Fluffy. I had forgotten to ask for it to be still alive. .
Fluffy used to live here but became too used to humans and to the apples growing here. So he had to be shot eventually.
I took a swim in the lake and had a cold shower. I even had the opportunity to do my laundry.
Later his wife Louise brought me moose stew and Hugh invited me over for a beer. Luckily I had the other half of the pizza still with me and they considered it a treat since they did not have Pizza that often. . Well, as they say: Better lucky than smart 😎
As it got late, Hugh and I would have a whiskey on the terrace while staring at the lake. Life could be worse.
