|
After breaking camp, I wandered around the Kokanee Creek Provincial Park a bit. I got to see the creek running red. It's salmon-spawning season, and the local freshwater salmon species turns bright red in its spawning phase. The fish were quite thick in the water in many places. I got to see some jumping up small waterfalls to make their way upriver. I also got a glimpse of a black bear fishing in the creek.
I stopped for lunch at a pub overlooking the ferry dock, and then took the ferry across Kootenay Lake. The lake was glassily calm, and the day was almost cloudless.
On the far side of the lake, I noticed that the frequency of gas stations seemed to be falling. Normally, I don't refill my tank until the low fuel warning light comes on (my bike does not have a fuel gauge), but I decided that it might be a good idea to not wait. Of course, I came to that decision just after the last gas station for a long while. I ended up riding about 20 miles after the low fuel light came on, which may be a new personal record. However, when I filled the tank, I only put in 4.1 gallons. In theory, I have a 5 gallon tank, so I might have had another 40 miles or so before I was really out of gas. Someday I may have to run this bike all the way to empty. Someday when I'm carrying a fuel can...
The lake region eventually gave way to plains and the foothills of the Rockies. There were some great views. They're spectacular mountains.
I'm spending the night in the town of Radium Hot Springs. I went for a swim in the famous hot springs. They got their name because they contain a measurable amount of radon, which is a decay product of radium.
223mi in 8:52
|