01/09/2011 Day 8 Cycling Across Canada

Distance Traveled: Nelson to Creston 122km
Money Spent: $2 from fruit stand, $2.50 for coffee and $6.50 for a cheeseburger
Time cycling: 6 hours 23 minutes
Moving Average: 19.2 km/h
Total Distance Traveled: 621.5 km

View Larger Map





I left the Yellow House around 10 after saying my goodbyes to whoever was awake, it was early enough to cover some decent distance, I was hoping I could make it to Creston – which thankfully I did but not without one ordeal that ill get to later.
Things started off beautifully today with sunny weather, tailwind and a lakeside road that put a massive grin on my face as I cycled along it. This is why I do these cycle trips, scenic panoramic views everywhere just me and my bike with very little traffic – perfect.
The ferry ride too across Kokanee Lake was just as scenic just without the peddling (free too – always good), this is where I got chatting with some bikers about my trip and about theirs and I got a free giant cookie out of the conversation; free food always makes me happy.
From where the ferry arrived I had about 85 clicks to do to get to Creston, unfortunately the weather began to cloud over and the now headwind was getting stronger, I coped along the lakeside road and pushed hard to make it to Creston before it got too late.
Just as I entered the city limits the ordeal that I mentioned before happened; 3 Black bears came out of the bushes to cross the road, it was a mother and 2 cubs only 25 meters in front of me. They scared me shitless and so I quickly turned around grabbing the bear spray I acquired from planting. I gave it a few minutes letting the bears get away from the road, but still I was holding tight onto the canister of bear spray. I rode quickly past the point where I saw the bears and as I came down the hill I was shaking with adrenaline. Scary stuff. The things that are going to kill you in Canada are things you can see, in Australia its the opposite – you're going to be killed by the things you cant see.
I calmed down when cycling down the hill into Creston I “borrowed” the WI-FI hotspot from a campground to see if there were anyone able to host through Warm-showers, I got a hold of an older woman named Linda who lived down the road. I told her about the bear encounter and really I didnt give her a choice to not let me stay with her. Like everyone you meet through warm-showers she was very cool, had done heaps of traveling and was a great cook too – yummy Indian food.
Where I camped at the Yellow House in Nelson

Beautiful Views around Kootenay Lake

One of the bikers on the ferry told me to check this out – a building made from glass bottles – pretty impressive.

At a rest stop beside the like showing all the provinces’ of Canadian flags.

Just before hitting up Creston, the pic on the right was taken moments after the encounter with the bears on the road +1 cub. Quite the coincidence – if you cant see they are just silhouette cutouts of a mother bear with 3 cubs

Panoramic of view from bridge in Nelson