How great it is to wake up with the sound of a soft running creek behind your tent, or the sound of Canadian geese flying over the tent, imagine the sound of a wild running river or nibbling squirrels.

Being very hot and sweaty going uphill and happy to have a wind-breaker going downhill.

The real work has started. Longer days because there are no campsites or motels at short intervals and I am not ready yet for wild camping (if allowed at all).

Even when biking next to Highway 3 (mostly 1 lane but speed limit is 100) you still are very close to nature. Feeling the seasons, feeling the difference when starting at 1.300 meter, then ascending 700 and descending 1.300, arriving in a different climate.

From very dense pine forest at Manning Park where we stayed 2 nights and still had snow on the site, caught our first 2 trout (which were very welcome as we almost ran out of food). When leaving Manning Park via the east gate we had our first bike-bear  encounter. While in a descent, I pointed to the side of the road; a BEAR! Frank almost missed it, we shot past it, as we were going fast. And too close to stop to take a photo!

Still weird, you know they are there, but then if you see one for the first time, it is almost unreal.

In Princeton we had the best Prime Rib ever in Little Creek Grill and we met Chase with Chase the Wolf. I hope I never meet a wolf in the wild!

Then to open fruit valleys at Keremeos. Pity the cherry season is still at least a month away.

Lots of very nice old cars on the road last Friday till Sunday, there was an event with more than 450 old timers yesterday but in a city too far for us. That is really the limitation of biking.

We descended in the last week at least 2.500 meter and ascended almost 3.000. Getting stronger legs.

Discussions about how much food we should or should not carry. Always happy if we have some extra (but Frank is critical as he has to carry it).

PS. The telelens is great! THX Canon team!

PS 2. You see the black bag in the tree: our food during the night (when camping).