Slept like a log beside the rushing Fraser River. Maybe that was courtesy of the beers from Phil ? !! Anyway, packed up slowly in the morning, and managed to download all the photos onto the pooter while sitting there over looking the river, but once the sun was up it was very hard to see the computer screen (my excuse !). So I shut it down and headed out south down Hwy 12 towards Lytton.
Mick the campsite caretaker had told me that the road south to Lytton, and then back up to Cache Creek, while longer than the northern loop to the same destination, was a lot more scenic. So before I did that I went into Lillooet to fill up with gas. I normally fill up when half empty because a lot of places up here are closed until May 18th - Some Canadian Holiday when everything opens. I thought things opened on May 1st ! Anyway, pull into the gas station, going round a tourist bus that was pulled up there. Before I can even get into the office to pay (you pay before you fill up here) a bunch of Australian accents start asking what a Queensland plate is doing here in Lillooet. Turns out the coach load of tourists on the bus are all Aussies, on their way out to Banff/Jasper !! So of course that was half an hour of the day lost right there !! However it was a 2 way exchange of information because Tara Ryan, their Aussie Tour guide, also happens to work on Polar Bear tours out of Churchill up north of Manitoba, west of Hudson Bay. So she was giving me lots of information about that too, incuding more "cost effective" ways of getting there. Turns out she also know the "Sour Toe" pub in Dawson in the Yukon, where I am headed, and has done that dare too - So an interesting start to the day. Eventually Tara had to break up the conversations and herd everyone back on the bus to they could get going - So I jumped on too and took a photo of everyone ! If you are reading this, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday - I am sure Tara will make sure you do !!!! (By the way, I DID see you going the other way the next day when your driver waved at me !!! - See tomorrows blog !!)
So eventually got filled up, and then headed south on Hwy 12. This was really good as the Fraser River cut through all the rocks and has formed a really deep narow canyon right beside the road, and with the river being as swollwn as it was from the sow melt, it was spectacular,
After that it was on down to Lytton, and while the road was interesting, the surface ended up being quite bad. But I guess I am going to have to get more used to that as I hed north, so I just slowed down ad tried to miss the worst of the potholes and broken surface,
Trains over here are not only frequent, but their goods trains are incredibly long. They seem to stretch for miles and miles so the locomotive at the front has long disappeared from view while the last wagon is no where near in view yet.
Anyway, I came back north up the Hiway 1 and the weather closed in, with very black rain clouds. So I stpped and put the roof on, and basically from then on it rained off and on all the way to my destination in Vavenby. Some wonderful scenery though as the road winds along beside rivrs and lakes, and everything is very green over here compared to the baren, almost desert, conditions over at Lillooet not 40 miles to the west. All to do with rain shadows of the mountains etc !
I was heading to Vavenby where very long term friends live (I carefully don't say "old friends any more !!), Sarah and Ed Shook. I was last here some 33 years ago (we worked out over dinner !), so it was great to see them again.
I managed to safely get down their farm driveway with its (for a Lotus) high centre and deep puddles - I hope the Dalton doesn't have deep ruts or I am going to be stranded balanced on my chassis !!
As well as running some cattle on the farm, they have also run a Trail Riding business for 17 years, which explains the horses and all the other set up they have in order to run this. We went for a great walk down to the river at the bottom of their property before dinner, and then after dinner we were sitting around the table chatting about just about everything for quite a while until we suddenly realised how late it was ! But a great evening and always good to catch up with long term friends and pick up where you left off 33 years ago !! Thanks you VERY much for your hospitality, Ed and Sarah - I will try not to leave it 33 years before I come and see you again !!
Pics for the day are here :-
https://picasaweb.google.com/117739775480775657932/LillooetToVavenby?authkey=Gv1sRgCKPVhNGs7-fY5AE#
