Did you know 95% of the British Columbian electricity is generated by hydropower, facilities are owned by the state and most of the installations are + 40 years old.

Benefit for us that there is a lot of water and especially big lakes with great campsites!

First apologies for the delayed blog but internet on the computer is really an issue. Even using your phone as an hotspot is not working with our current supplier (even with great support from Apple in the US). So be patient and photo’s will follow the moment we have good connectivity.

Last week we crossed from Vancouver Island to the mainland at Tsawassen as Louis recommended us to visit the Bass Pro Shop. How big that is and what amazing kind of gear for fishing and especially hunting. Sexy detail, they even sell sexy underwear with camouflage print 😉

For fishing we already bought stuff at Cabellas on the Island. Also a great shop and again soooo much for hunting. You see the hype on Bow and Arrow (crossbows mostly) hunting. Such shops could never exist in The Netherlands. Our main search is an extra nice camp knife which we finally purchased in a small local shop in Agassiz.

First some info on the last days at the Island, with great encounters. We met Bob twice, and twice he really gave some great backroad routes for biking the Island. And Jeff gave use part of a freshly caught Pacific Salmon! What a great taste and what a treat! How friendly people are and how helpful!.

The crossing back to mainland was overshadowed by the attack in Manchester. What is the world heading too?

After a week of camping we decided to spend a night at a motel and this was pure luck as during that night some very heavy winds toppled over quite some trees (once I get better internet and photos uploaded you will see some of the roadblocks we encountered). So no; we have not yet tested how to set up the tent with high winds or how it feels to sleep in a tent when it is storming.

Now we have really started and did days between 30-56km. Stayed mainly at BC park grounds, hence no electricity, only one tap with cold potable water and yes they do have a toilet. Basic.

We have to mainly follow highway 7 as detours are almost not available.

We stayed at Beach Grove Motel in Tsawassen. 56km to Fort Langley (stayed in very basic motel, longing for camping but saving at least one hour for unpacking and one hour for packing as next day we wanted to visit Ford Langley and still cover some km. But weather is getting so great that camping is pulling! Did not believe I would ever say this when a motel/hotel is around the corner.

Fort Langley was interesting as it shows the challenges settlers had a meagre 200 years ago.

Next stop after 46 km at Sun Valley Trout Park next to Mission. The most idyllic site at a small creek, until the train with 150+ wagons is passing and notifying its crossing. At least you know at 3 at night you can sleep for a few more hours.

And yes I did dip in the creek!

Again 46km further would bring us through an agricultural landscape to Kilby Park camp, after first visiting the museum that shows how people lived here in 1920 😊. Everything was built on stilts, due to frequent flooding. We were very lucky to have the very very last campsite available. With great view of Lake Errock and we did swim in it. And this one was cold. As this was also a very basic site, without showers or anything, the only possibility to wash in the morning, was again to go into the ice-cold lake. So happy we did the Wim Hoff course, and we have Heidi as an example to swim in open water as much as possible!

When trying to fish we met some great guys who were so crazy to jump of the railroad bridge. Photos are coming your way!

After 43 km and some VERY steep hills (20x peddle, min 20 seconds stop to recover) we finally ended at the Bench campsite at Deer lake. Not at the lake but still very lucky we had a spot and did not have to bike another 10 km uphill at 18:00….And the ranger sells ice and firewood. Ice for the beers we got on the way to the campsite from Jake and his girlfriend and wood to stare in the campfire and think how lucky we are we can do this together.

Only 34km two days ago, from the park to Hope but a full day on the bike. We used the real backroad a Swiss farmer who lived here already for 50 years, explained to us. 2 times we had to take off all luggage and carry it a long way, once we even had to carry the bikes up a very steep hill, but it was all worth the try and adventure as it took us through a great remote area!

And we have now spend 2 nights at Hope, at the Kawkawa Lake! Yeah no alarm clock at 6.30 and no packing. And best of all is the weather of +25 during the day and a great lake in front of our tent, and yes we already swam in it!

Did you know that in 1981 the first Rambo movie First Blood was shot in Hope and its surroundings and since then 15 other movies where recorded here due to the stunning scenery. And we are a few days part of it!

The biking is great, even if it is sometimes quite a workout; the weather has been amazing, cooking with only one pit and limited supplies is fun. Taking day by day without real fixed planning is a change.