From the campsite I was able to take the northern side of Fraser Lake, which avoided a stretch of highway. After seeing a couple of piles of bear poop on the road I noticed some rustling in the bushes and it was a little black bear. It scarpered deeper into the bush as soon as it saw me but was still cool to see. 

 

Stopped at a gas station for a drink as I rejoined the highway and had a quick chat with a Swiss guy who was cycling from Vancouver to Toronto. From there it was Highway 16 all the way to Burns Lake with very little to report. 

 

The town offered free camping on the lake - which was busy with people swimming and paddleboarding. Showered in the leisure centre next door and then went to a nearby Indian restaurant for dinner. There seems to be a pretty large south Asian community in this part of BC which I’m sure has improved the culinary offering no end. 

 

Back to the campsite and was surprised to see the lake and adjacent park extremely busy until it got dark around 10pm. 

 

Day 70 - Burns Lake 

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Not only did the playing/partying around the lakeside carry on late, a group returned about 1.30am to play music and go swimming. I was grateful for another camper asking them to be quiet. The air bubble in my sleeping pad has also grown to the point of making sleeping difficult. So not the best night's sleep. 

 

Had breakfast with a Swiss couple who had biked down from Alaska and were going to see how far down into the US they could get. Waved them off as I sat and in the unusual position of contemplating how to spend my day off. 

 

After a leisurely start I cycled over to the cafe for a coffee and a cookie followed by a trip to the visitor centre and museum. The latter appeared to be more of a collection point for the belongings of local residents upon their death, rather than any coherent history of the area. The collection included an alarmingly large haul of Nazi memorabilia, purportedly from an RAF pilot who had made it all the way to Hitler’s bunker. More interesting was the story of a Norwegian man who settled in Burns Lake and then competed for Canada in Nordic skiing at the 1932 Winter Olympics. He was somehow left stranded in Lake Placid and the people of the town raised funds to bring him home. 

 

Full of knowledge, I got some lunch and then headed to the local bike shop as the shifting hasn’t been quite right since I had a new chain. The guy was really nice and helpful and did the indexing for no charge. I bought a rear light to replace the one I lost, I think when I crashed coming out of Fernie.

 

Back to the campsite and spent most of the afternoon seeking out any shade as it was another hot day. Still feeling pretty nauseous with no real appetite. Did pick up a few bits from the supermarket which I managed to get down. 

 

The plan is to go to Houston tomorrow which will hopefully give enough time for the replacement sleeping mat to arrive in Smithers but with Monday being a bank holiday, that looks increasingly unlikely. 

 

*Afternote - on returning to the UK I went to the doctors as the illness I’d been feeling continued for the rest of the trip. I was diagnosed with Giardiasis, most likely from drinking dirty water. It cleared up quickly with antibiotics but made the rest of the trip challenging.*