May 15, 2014

The misadventures continue to pileup but with scienic rewards. I intended to get to Kilowna today which would be direct east from my starting point. Unfortunately, a number of miles in the highway I needed prohibited bicycles among other slow movers. The pull out of Merritt was steep so no desire to turn around and repeat that. The only option remaining was due south, just the opposite direction from yesterday. I’m a little further east to put it generously. Nevertheless, it was a lovely ride along some unexpected landscapes. The valleys around Merritt and Princeton are surrounded by a mixture of rolling  green hills and forest. I was unaware of the ranching in BC but the valleys have their own ecosystems that support grasslands.

Riding through the hills and fencing, I was reminded of the large Paraguayan ranches that we used to pass along the highway. They had a similar haunted quality about them. I think it’s the fragility of humans trying to fence in, an attempt at control, such large swaths of land. The other aspect of the haunting is the sense of forsaking or absence they evoke for me. We used to have a very personal relationship with our cattle seeing them multiples times a day, feeding them. Cattle on these ranches can be little more than a number to their caretakers. Obviously that’s true to differing degrees but it hardly seems likely a large holding company, which own the majority of the land in this area, can look after the delicate balance of land, water, cattle, and people. Nevertheless, the grass hills were generous compensation for backtracking.

Road Report: 100km
The climb out of the Nicolas Valley is just hard but once you crest, it’s a lovely ride all the way to Princeton along the 5A. The middle section is a serious of small lakes the the highway skirts around. There are no shoulders but limited traffic. There are a few transport trucks so just watch there is no oncoming traffic and you’ll be flying along taking in the views turn after turn.