Rain came overnight followed by snow so I awoke to a preview of winter. The thought of packing up cold, wet gear and walking along a slushy highway was grim so I decided to stay where I was for the day. I rested, ate, read, went for a walk, ate more, and filtered water.
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| Under my cook tarp. The snow was almost gone by the afternoon. |
The weather was better on day 5 with clouds blown away by a cold west wind but the snow was all gone and the ground was drying out. Most delightfully, it was Saturday and there was very little traffic. Unlike weekdays, I had many periods of more than 5 minutes with no vehicles when I could cruise along on the pavement. Yippee! This part of highway 20 also has lovely, long straight stretches where it was easy to be safe. The light traffic helped put a little spring in my step in spite of blisters.
Just past the new Tsilhqot’in Nation solar farm, I arrived at the Chilcotin River rest area/overlook for an early lunch. Within a half hour I saw three old friends in two different cars and had nice conversations. They just happened to be out for a Saturday drive and also stopped at the rest area. I hadn't talked to one of them for years!
During the long descent into the Chilcotin River valley past the overlook, I had another lovely surprise when a friend pulled up behind me and stopped. She drove out from town with her girls just to cheer me on and deliver two bottles of freshly squeezed apple juice. Wow, this gesture was so thoughtful it almost brought me to tears!
After 23 kilometres, I stopped at a ranch belonging to a German couple who had recently moved here from Alberta. I declined the offer to sleep instead and pitched my tent in their yard with a beautiful view of the Chilcotin River valley. Over a glass of wine, they told me about the series of coincidences that led to their buying the ranch in 2017 and how they became bonded with the community while fighting the wildfires that summer.
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| The Chilcotin River from my friends' place |
I slept well, even with the barking dog, crowing cock, and whinnying horses, then made porridge and coffee on my camp stove while ranch errands went on around me. Animals don't care if it's Sunday!
Due to the geography of the Chilcotin River valley and the clear air, I resumed my walk with a tantalizing view of Alexis Creek from a distance of 15 kilometres (in a straight line). I kept seeing it from a distance all morning, which made it seem like I'd never arrive. By the time I got there in early afternoon I'd been dreaming of fast food from the General Store. I sat outside in the sun and ate the best microwaved ham and cheese sandwich ever!
After lunch, I had another 8 kilometres to Bull Canyon Campground but the weather was nice, the Sunday traffic was light, and I had a visit by an RCMP officer who recognized me from a couple days earlier. He stopped in the middle of the road with his lights flashing and asked how I was doing. When I said I was heading to the the campground for the night, he said it was closed for the season but that that shouldn't be a problem. I hadn't thought about that possibility. The gate was locked but I easily got around it and had the campground to myself!
As I lay in my tent, I thought of the ups and downs of this trip. Traffic has been irritating but some vehicles have brought the most memorable moments. Blisters have been an unexpected problem but they've made me think about people who live with chronic pain. My pain stops as soon as I stop walking.
An interesting thing about a long, solo walk is the way my mind wanders. I recall old friends and events that I haven't thought of for years and I seem to have more vivid dreams. Daydreams too, like how I wish British Columbia had a long walking route like the Camino de Santiago.
I awoke to a clear, frosty morning next to the Chilcotin River and continued west, but I was on the highway only for a kilometre before turning left on Young Road. This 21 kilometre long section of unpaved road used to be highway 20 but was bypassed during an upgrade. Now it's used for local access so it's much quieter and prettier than the highway. It also stays low in the valley so I could avoid 400 metres of elevation gain.
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| The old highway, west of Bull Canyon Campground |
I was going to end today's walk at Kinikinik near Redstone for a rendezvous with Jane, a box of supplies, and a night of luxury. Instead, it ended more than an hour early when Jane caught up with me in her car on Bayliff Road. It was after 3 PM and I accepted a ride right away. We had never been to Kinikinik before and were impressed with their restaurant and our cabin.
The next morning, I decided to end my walk because my blisters weren't healing. It didn't make sense to continue and we decided to stay in our cabin another night.
In 7 days, I covered 132 kilometres for an average of 19 km per day - not counting 7 kilometres on my rest day. I had been for day hikes this long many times before but never day after day, never on pavement, and never pulling a trailer. But I think I would have been okay if I had made a better choice of footwear at the start. Actually, I'm lucky to be able to do this and only have blisters as my biggest problem.
This trip was surprisingly adventure-like, considering it was just a walk along a highway. I was touched by friends and strangers who showed a lot of support on social media and on the highway. It seems that people relate to the idea of adventure, even a simple one close to home.
To be continued next year...
