Day 11 - Castlegar to Crawford Bay, B.C.

An amazing ride today - hardly felt like work - and a few interesting adventures.

Leaving the campground this morning, I was in unfamiliar territory. Brian & I don't know this area too well, but we did come to Nelson twice before for brief visits in 2017 and again in 2021. I mapped out and pinned my path with my RidewithGPS app, my Garmin Edge and my Google maps. I enjoyed the beautiful homes leaving Castlegar towards Trail - especially those with the orchards and rhodos in full bloom.

Shortly into the ride, I was surprised to come across a dam, and then another! I did not realize there were dams so close to Castlegar! The powerful rush of the water is impressive. It made me think of the power of water. It can:

• Generate electricity to run our lights and devices at home and work

• Heal our wounds (both physical, emotional and spiritual)

• Sustain life (humans, animals and plants)

One of the heaviest and most essential things on my bike is water.

A few kilometers later the flashing lights from an oncoming car alert me. What was up ahead? Is it an accident? Maybe it is some wildlife on the road? (I quietly prayed,"Please don't be a bear!!") As I get closer, I see a herd of deer - in fact, the biggest ass ‘deer’ I have ever seen in my life! They were over in the field to the left, so I think it’s safe to stop and take a picture. "Nice", I thought, "and different than what we have on the coast."

I get back up on my bike and start pedaling when I notice that not all of them ‘deer’ had made it to the field. Immediately to my right at eye level with me is a fully grown ‘deer’ with a “don’t you mess with me” look on it’s face staring straight at me. My eyes bulge out as I think, "OK Corinne, this is a herbivore….it might beat you up, but it won't eat you!" So I decide to keep riding telling myself "Don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact". Thankfully, I got past it without an incident.

A few kilometers down the road, I see a sign to be on the lookout for ELK - there is an active herd in the area. Ahhh, it all makes sense now.

A new discovery today has been bugs while riding. For the first time, I have come across swarms of bugs - the kind that if you don't have your mouth closed, you are apt to have a second breakfast. I felt like a real biker today because I skillfully pulled my Buff up from around my neck to cover my mouth and nose so that I could continue breathing while coasting through the swarms. Gotta love the versatility of a Buff!

En route to Nelson, I somehow miss my turnoff. When I realized the issue, I assess my location and realize I can get there the way I am going at around the same time. I love my tech tools on the bike.

Brian passes me on the approach to Nelson, and so it looks like he is going to beat me to town (Boo!). I decide to use my biking apps to find a short-cut. While Brian is waiting at the" Welcome to Nelson" sign, I am downtown waiting for him. Technically, I got into town first (and he agrees).

After a quick coffee, I am on the road again, this time to Balfour Bay where we make the 8 km crossing over the Kootney Lake by ferry. Brian gets there earlier than me so he crosses first at 11:30. I catch the 1:10 pm ferry but get there 45 minutes early - giving me plenty of time to down an enormous peanut butter and chocolate ice cream cone and do a bit of window shopping in the original Blue Sky clothing store.

Getting to the campsite after the ferry docked is no small feat. I have a few kilometers of nasty 9% grade hills to climb to get up and out from the ferry terminal, thankfully that eases off as I get closer to the campsite. Something that re-energizes me as I near the campsite is that I notice Crawford Bay is an artisan community! After checking in with Brian, I unload my goods and head back to the pottery store and buy a cute little mug (it is one of the very few purchases I have made - and I’ve only made it because Brian is here and can take it back home for me).

Brian's visit this weekend was not expected, and yet I'm happy to have him join my journey. Sadly, he will be leaving again soon.

Day 11 - May 24, 2026

Start Time - 6:20 am

Stop Time - 2:40 pm

KM Travelled - 82 km (plus a 8 km Kootney Lake ferry ride)

Special Stuff - Big Ass Deer (Elk), Nelson, Kootney Lake Ferry