Saturday, June 23 and we’re stuck in Quesnel.

We left the town of Likely early Saturday, hoping to explore the backcountry. Bear and moose are plentiful in this neck of the woods. We took the backroad from Likely to Barkerville – an historic mining town. On our way there, we ran into our first serious mechanical problem – my kickstand snapped. Might not sound serious but imagine a 600 pound plus bike and you can’t get off it because it will fall over. Off to Quesnel we go, but wait, there’s another problem. Remember that bag cover that Terry forgot when we left? The same cover that he had couriered to Chilliwack only to lose it in the wind and find it hours later. Well, while we were booting it down to Quesnel, the bag cover came off again. We split up with Terry heading back to Barkerville to look for his cover and I’m off to Quesnel trying to find a mechanic. I find my guy. Moose is his nickname. He runs a small bike repair shop and is the only game in town. Generous guy too. Took care of my kickstand at no charge (I slipped a $20 in his pocket). “I admire what you guys are doing. Happy to do it.”
Thanks Moose.

Getting back to the bag cover. After a long wait, Terry shows up minus the cover. I was kind of relieved because that cover has jinxed us from the start costing precious time. We should have been in Prince George picking up out new tires but we would not have been able to get them installed and balanced as the shops were closed till Monday.

It all works out though because we’ve scheduled an interview with the head of the local dirt bike club. After, we’re going to head into the Cariboo Mountain range next to the Rockies for some serious exploring. My goal is to catch a grizzly on tape. I did see a cow moose and her calf but I couldn’t hit the record button fast enough before they vanished into the thick bush.

One memory worth sharing is Terry and I coming across a fawn on the side of a logging road with two mature deer nearby. The fawn simply lay on the side of the road, not moving a muscle. We thought it was seriously injured and might have to put it out of its misery. However, we agreed to let it be and let nature takes its course. We started up the bikes and all of a sudden, the fawn springs to its feet and it’s off to the races. What a shock and relief when we realized it was paralyzed with fear instead of being mortally wounded. I got some of it on tape.

Once we get our new knobbies in PG, we’ll continue heading toward the Alaska border with some fresh rubber under us. A bientot.

Kel

Video interview with Gary Zorn -- Ecotourism Guide