Fast Food Bob hits the dirt (note tire in sand)
Casio QV30 photo
As we headed out of Ft. Nelson, we had a surprisingly fast short
downhill (I got to 39.5 mph) just before reaching the Muskwa river (too
fast for photos).
From there we headed almost directly south for hours into a fairly strong
headwind: 15-20 mph. Today was the day of the straight road. We
rode absolutely straight ahead for 49 miles. I hadn't realized how
important it was that the road twist and turn. There is NO relief at all
from a headwind on a straight road.
Ritt and I were followed by Carol and Bob.
At the lunch stop our trained crash expert, Bob showed the agony of "da
feet" as his front wheel stuck in the sand, his cleats locked in and
he CRASHED. As a serious bicycle racer, Bob has certainly had more crashes
than all the rest of us put together; but what would you expect from somebody
who would draft a semi on a gravel road? I suppose that's what it takes
to win races.
Fast Food Bob hits the dirt (note tire in sand)
Casio QV30 photo
I saw caribou signs, but no caribou (aren't these signs the greatest?).
BC traffic sign (aren't these signs amazing?)
Casio QV30 photo
Other folks did see some "boo." I didn't.
At Prophet River, we found the worst mosquitoes yet at our campsite located
in a field of weeds. Recognizing that we were nearing the end of our group
experience, and that it was a nice evening, we took pictures of one-another
here (see Dawson Creek page).
The shower facilities (and some rental lodging) consisted of ATCO buildings, mobile construction camp units of the sort that were used by the thousands for the construction of the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline. The ATCO buildings were incredibly utilitarian with modular shower stalls and few windows, but we took showers there.
When the lodge was open, we took up a position near a wall outlet
and computed mosquito free for hours (while eating dessert). Pretty much
the whole group came by at one time or another to see what I was up to or
help. After dinner when the lodge was closed, we moved over to the lounge
area of one of the ATCO buildings.
We rode 56 miles.
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© Ed Noonan 1996, 1997
