What a tremendous ride! I arrived in PR on Sunday, July 28, and spent a night at the Pioneer Backpacker's Inn. The stay was pleasant: clean bed and shower, friendly people, and convenient location right down town. I stocked up on bulk foods, bread and peanut butter, and took advantage of the kitchen to cook a full rice and stir fry meal. I was surprised to find no one my age at the hostel: the second youngest guest there was probably in her fifties. She was a few months into a two year trip throughout the world. "I didn't do things like this when I was your age," she said, "so I'm doing them now.
Everyone I spoke to at the hostel had done some sort of distance cycling before, and they all gave the standard response: wow, that's great! Good for you. Be safe! It's a mantra I like to hear.
I spent most of Monday exploring Prince Rupert. I really enjoyed the town: it's got a friendly, coastal town feel (although the enormous shipping yards outside of town belie its industrial side), a beautiful setting and some good hiking. I explored one trail up the hills behind town that didn't quite make it into the alpine on Monday, and was impressed by bot h the similarities and contrasts between Haines trails and this Rupert trail. The Rupert trail was well marked but poorly maintained:somebody had gone through and glagged the whole trail well, but fallen logs, occasional brush, and rotted out boardwalks over muddy sections showed that the trail was forgotten. This may be due to a road that was put in to the communications tower on top of the hill. Regardless, the trail was steep and fun, and there were some good views from the top.
I finally started bicycling around 5 PM, which turned out to be perfect: the day had started to cool off, and I got to a nice stopping point as the sun started to set. I was relieved to find broad shoulders and not much traffic all the way to Terracce. I was also blown away by the landscape. The highway parallels the Skeena river all the way to Terrace, and the river is as wide as Chilkat Inlet for a large portion of the distance. Close on either side of the road and river, rocky ridges stick up, giving the place a protected fortress sort of feel. It reminded me a bit of Hatcher's Pass, in that sense. I was blessed with a tail wind for the whole evening as well, and I enjoyed the ride, stopping often to snack and appreciate the view.
I slept outside without a sleeping bag for most of the night, so see what it would be like to spend a night out if I go for a hike. The conclusion was mildly uncomfortable (in perfect conditions), but not to the point that I couldn't sleep. I woke up about six the next morning, and spent about an hour and a half getting my bags out of the tree I hung them in, cooking breakfast, treating water and repacking my bags to fit my stuff more efficiently. After I was done, I noticed a beaver swimming in the river I got my water from...Hope my iodine works!
I rolled into Terrace between noon and one, and have been hiding from the heat for the last few hours (32 C, from what people tell me) and hope to ride another 50 miles or so this evening. Tomorrow, I'm planning to hike. The land scape is absolutely stunning, and after reading The Snow Child on the ferry, I'm itching to get away from the traffic and into the wild a bit more.
