Back in our country by the sea. We took the ferryboat from Port Angeles, Washington, to Victoria, BC, on April 14 2010. The vision of our last mountains has to cross, the ultimate step of our great adventure. We were able to visit quit a bit the city of Victoria because some friends received us. There is a great bike path which cross through the city, "the galoping goose trail". The city also has the oldest Chinese Village in Canada. It is not so big, 1 maybe 2 streets! There is no choice of road on Vancouver Island, Trans Canadienne begin in Victoria, up to Nanaimo then we have to take another ferryboat to Vancouver. It would seem that the West side of the island with Tofino is magnificent but we cannot always see everything. We stayed a few days in the city, in the rain too most of the time! Max showing the important sites of the Olympic games. We went to fill ourselves with asian food at the famous Chinese grocery, TNT. It is absolutely not to miss for the Asian products amateur. Vancouver is a city where it is easy to circulate by bicycle, many road and cycle paths. One in particular makes all the Stanley Park and passing on the edge of water. It is a magnificent place to do different activities, meet people or just to relax. Not easy to get out of this town!
Follow the 1, it is all that we have in our head. What we did not know is that in the periphery of Vancouver bicycles are prohibited. It is just when we leave to Sardis whom we are accept there any time. We were arrested by the police! Really nice policeman, he just warn us and indicates to us another road to use. That has prolong our day from about twenty kilometre more, we had a warmshower which waited for us in Sardis. Another point that we did not know the helmet is compulsory in British Columbia! The policeman has once again been really comprehensive. Finally the wind was a tail one rather than a head one, it is more easy to cover long distances. Once we arrive in Hope we wanted to leave 1 for 5 but the lady at the tourist information made us change our plans. She shows us the road conditions with a lot of snow on the shoulder, a lot of traffic and absolutely nothing for 150 km.
We continued on Trans Canadienne following Fraser River, which is an easy way. There is not real hills before the Roger Pass. There is just some small villages between Hope and Kamloops and campgrounds are closed because of the early season. Hotels and motels are rather expensive so, we are always have to research a free place. We have to pass a night in Bandon Bar on the ground of para medics, the next night in Cache Creek then a night in a warmshower family in Kamloops. We keep our cadence because the temperature does not too much tempt us of taking a resting day.
We pass by Salmon Arm, Revelstoke and then finally the Roger Pass! Not so terrible, the summit is has 1330 meters high but it is so gradually made that we practically do not feel it. Impossible to spend the night there, far too cold and the hotel far too expensive. We went down hanging 25 km (We made it the good way!) We stopped at the entrance of the Glaciers national park in a small hut with a lot of bugs but with magnificent view on a mountains goats family. Simply facinating to see them so agile on the escarped wall.
The rain the rain always the rain. We would have been able to have a whole view if it was not been these clouds. We stopped 2 days in Golden, a town at the edge of the kiking horse to river so crystal clear water. Continuing our road towards the Lake Louise and Banff by way of the other one `col `. The last ones kilometre of the Beautiful British Colombia. The kiking horse pass is not more impressive than Roger.
