A lazy Sunday ride in the Rocky Mountain Trench...

Take5 Ranch

Ha Ha Creek Road

Mt Baker to the Right

These are shot on what I call the Kimberley, Wasa, Wardner, Ha Ha creek loop. The run starts in Cranbrook and heads north to Kimberley. There are many nice places to stop in Kimberley such as the Cominco Gardens and the Train. There is also a great ski hill there and it is where I do most of my skiing in the winter. Back on the road you head north up towards TaTa Creek and once over the tracks head back south on the east side of Kootenay River. There was a Triathalon in Wasa today so the traffic was slow. There is a nice beach just off the road in a Provincial Park. Keep heading South and you will come to Fort Steele. Also a great stop as it is a restored town based on the 1870's era. If you are there in the fall, you can have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at the restaurant. Plan on spending more than just a quick stop, there is lots to do there.

Back on the road and head south from the Esso gas station and you are on the Ft Steel/Bull River road. Pekams lake is about 10 minutes south in Norbury Provincial Park. There is a very quiet campground there and Pekams lake is across the road. The picture I took of my bike at Take5 is right beside Pekams lake. There is a great beach there and a nice dock you can sit in the sun on. Heading south again you will do down a hill and there is a trout hatchery you can tour. I am pretty sure it is open all year. Now back on the bike and over the bridge and you will come to The Bull River Inn. One of the best hamburgers you can have anywhere. After you eat then south again to the main highway and make a right, which means you are heading North again. Just over the bridge and you make a left, and then very shortly make a right and you will be on Ha Ha creek road. The next two pictures where taken about 5 minutes up the road in a small valley. A very nice road, but watch for rocks. Not much further and you are back at the highway. Make a left and you are about 15 minutes from Cranbrook.

After a long winters night...

In the line up, waiting for the Vancouver boat

Sturgis Ready

On the boat

...we are finally on the road again. The bike was at my brothers place on Vancouver Island for the winter having some work completed. He installed the hard bags and windshield from a Yamaha Roadliner plus a rear carrier. That required a bit of fabrication to make it fit well. He also did a complete tune up replacing all fluids including new Dot 5 brake fluid. We also installed a new battery and new Metzler's 880's front and rear. The tires stick well. She is now ready for the summer. As you can see, we are heading to Sturgis and will be on a road trip for the first two weeks of August.

These shots where taken at the BC Ferry that goes from Nanimo to Horseshoe Bay and in the lineup on board. The ferry has great food as they serve White Spot fare. The White Spot is a great BC home grown restaurant and I can remember going to the one on Georgia Street back in the late 1950's when we use to walk to Stanley Park on Sundays.

Lodi, California

Eva and friend

Carina and Christiane after Cone Event

Jacques and Eva in one of the obstacles during the marathon

These shots where taking at the Shady Oaks Combined Driving Event in Lodi California. I had an opportunity to haul some horses down and these are four of the people who I met. It was great fun.

Motorcycles, Sidecar Rigs and the East Kootenays

Bridge across the Bull river

Church and Gold Wing

Side car rig stuck in the mud

The first two photos are of a trip I made around the area where I live. The first one is on the Bull river road and the second one is a church on the St Mary's Indian Band. The bull river road is mostly a gravel surface and is narrow in some spots so caution should be exercised when riding on it. There is a beautiful golf course and a hotel just a short walk from the church and is a great place to stay if you visit the area.

The last picture in the set is when my friend and I went on a back road adventure with his Chinese side car rig. In this photo we are truly stuck in the mud up to the bottom of the engine. There is a hidden tree limb in the water that we can not get over. We had to push the rig back and drive around the mud hole on the right side (as we look at the picture). Once he got it past the limb he had to drive it back into the mud hole and with me then pushing, we got it out of the mud hole.

Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful

Yellowstone waterfall

Montana back road on the way home from Yellowstone

The top two images where taken in Yellowstone. Old Faithful was post-processed using PhotoShop to give it a Polapan look. The waterfall image was an exercise in tone mapping, again using PhotoShop to do the work. The bottom image was taken on the way home from Yellowstone using the same kind of processing I used for the Old Faithful image. If you have never been to Yellowstone it should be on your must do list. I have been there several times and have only seen a small part of the park. A great place to stay is in West Yellowstone as it has camping and motels. There is also an Imax theater there that has great shows about the park.

Top Of The World Provincial Park, BC

Fish lake and cabin

Fly fishing off the dock

Ridge above Fish Lake looking East

These images are from Top of the World Provincial Park in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia. [49 50 47 N x 115 26 31 W] The elevation of the lake is about 5,700ft and the ridge above it is about 8,000 ft. The picture on the dock is a fellow from the East Coast of the US. He walked in because the name of the lake is Fish lake, but there are few fish there. It is shaped like a fish, and that is where it got its name. The ridge would be directly above that shot. The image of the lake was taken from the trail that leads to the top of the ridge. It looks like a difficult climb, but actually there is a good trail all the way to the top. It is well worth the walk, but take water as there is no water once you leave the lake. The trail in from the trail head at the road to Fish lake takes about an hour or so to get in and it is an easy trail that is passable with a mountain bike, but there are a few places that you will have to dismount to keep going. The cabin is open for all to use, but there are mice and you have to share it with them. 

There is a great campground and several day hikes from the lake so it makes a great place to spend a week. Don't drink the water from the lake without boiling it, but there is fresh water at the other end of the lake that is about a 10 minute walk that is very good. You wont need more than a good pair of runners and a small pack with water and lunch to get to the lake and back for a day hike. Hiking boots and high mountain clothes are recommended if you go up from the lake. Bear (my dog) and I got stuck in a wicked electrical storm up at Sparkle Lake . We had snow, hail and the lightning & thunder where right on top of us. We had to dig in for about two hours to let it pass. If you go high, be prepared for sudden and significant storms even on a beautiful cloud free day. They come in fast, in the high country. From the first sound of thunder, we had only a few minutes to get off the ridge and find safety. This is one of my favorite hikes.

Jasper, Alberta

The Tram above the town of Jasper looking North. Mt Robson is to the left

Mt Athabasca. On a clear day you can see the climbers from across the valley

These two images where shot in Jasper. The first one is on the ridge above the town of Jasper that is accessible by the tram, which is in the center right of the picture. The second one is of Mt Athabasca which is at the Columbia Ice Fields. It is close to the border of Jasper and Banff National Parks. There is a great campground just across the valley. Bring a warm sleeping bag, I have camped there in August and had snow on the tent. In the campground there are cook shacks with wood fired stoves for cool nights.