From Canada to Usa
Dawson Creek, Hinton, Jasper, Kamloops, Seattle
Today is the Eid Adha Day, knows as Eid Qurban; a sort of holiday in Malaysia for muslims like me. But today I’m here alone in my tent at the Mile ‘0’ camp. No party, no delicious food, but a cold and wet day in front of me with my body hurting. Some tears fall thinking of my sons and my home. But I take a deep breathe and I focus on the fact this is a choice of mine. Even if the pain slows everything and makes things harder, I fix up my gear and I get ready to go on. Before leaving Dawson Creek, to take some pictures I try to find the famous Kilometer Zero, that actually is the beginning of Trans Alaskan Highway. Usually the overlanders start from here their route to Alaksa. But I’m a woman, and I made things in the opposite way.Today my destination is Hinton, and i’ll get there crossing the Route 43 and 40. Finally the sun shines, but there is a strong wind while I drive on the Alberta hills. Wheat is harvested so there isn’t so much to see.
Anita's Riding Tip:
Remember that after the Big Prairie, there are no break areas for at least 200km! It’s necessary to fill up your tank.
Fortunately my Yamaha FZ150 is a fuel economy bike. I make my personal record traveling 5 hours straight without pauses till I arrive at the Big Cache. I almost drop my bike while parking. I’m really tired and cold. Even if roads are really cool in Canada i can’t run too fast because of the weight and the cold weather. Finally I reach Hinton and I set my tent next to a really good looking house. All night it rains till the next morning. I wait the 10.00 A.M but still it’s raining, so I move on again. It’s not a good thing setting up your wet gear. I feel my fingers get burned because of the cold. I Spend almost half past one hour to prepare myself and my motorbike to keep on moving.
Anita's Riding Tip:
If you are asking yourself why do i chose for camping instead of finding a better rest place, i have to answer you that there is no other choice. This country is really expensive. A room can cost in the best case around 70 dollars per day. While a place for my tent in some camp only 20, 25 dollars. A huge difference! Above all for the ones like me who want to travel around the world, with great dreams and.. small pockets!
My travel keeps on to Jasper National Park, a travel that i can summarize in 3 words: rain, wated, wet. I can’t see much the Rocky Mountains because there is a lot of fog as well. Then I put my attention to some animals moving through the forest and I spend my night at the Blue River Camp Ground, a really geared camp. Next day it’s a bit hotter and i’m moving to South, to Kamloops, even if it’s still windy. The other days I really needed my GIVI winter gloves.
I find a really awesome panorama at Clearwater, for all the road which passes next to a river called Kamloops. It is so beautiful that for one time i put my attention away from the road.
Once at Kamloops i stay that the Greg’s house, he is as motorbike rider as well, but he is at a deer hunt session. He leaves me the keys into his mail box. Really a kind act helping a friend who he hasn’t met . But you know, between riders there is a strong linking!It’s my last day of travel in Canada and i’m going back to Seattle. I can still see the footsteps into the ice left during the night on the Trans Canadian Highway. Pass the border to get into USA it’s a bit longer that last Sunday, there are a lot of vehicles on the road. But then I reach again Rashmi’s house, my Seattle friend.
Anita's Riding Tip:
Amber, a friends of Greg, tried to warn me to leave at 10 of the morning, before because if left sooner, i would have found the road freezed. Here you really have to check constantly the weather because it changes a lot in a very short time!
