This was meant to be a highlight ride. The scenery between Smithers and up the Cassiar Highway is world renowned. When I was able to get a glimpse of it, through the rain and low clouds, it looked awesome. But that was it as I rode in the rain the whole way.

As I left Smithers I knew I was in trouble. Rain spots started appearing on my windscreen and soon I had to stop to put on my rain gear. Harold, if you have not used the one piece suit Neil Berry sold you, take it back for a refund. It keeps you dry for sure. However it is a nightmare to get on and off. So you stop on the side of the road. Then you take one boot off at a time and get that leg into the suit, followed by the second leg. Then you try and get the arms of the suit on over your riding jacket, like you would an overall. The main problem is  that on most occasions the rain spits for a while and you only need your riding jacket covered. Then later on, whenever you want to get anything out of your pockets you have to start from the top and work down to the bottom. It does keep you dry but the two piece option is so much more practical.

I desperation I stopped at the Harley shop in Smithers. They had very nice two piece suits, but I could not bring myself to wear one of these on my Bonnie. Anyhow four very long, wet and increasingly cold hours and here I am at Bell2.

This is a lodge and a gas pump in the middle of nowhere. It is also the heli skiing capital of Canada. It is called Lost Frontiers There are three choppers based here, currently doing work for mining companies operating in the area. In winter, this is it. So Georg and Uli if you are following my blog, this is where we need to be.

I had hoped to turn off the 37 down to Stewart, which lies on the coast and is nestled between the snow covered mountains, a glacier and the sea. It is meant to be even more beautiful than Banff and Lake Louise. However the extra 150 km I would have ended up doing, did not seem like a good idea, particularly as my core was starting to get cold and all I had was a Mars bar for sustenance.

So here I am. Disappointed, but pleased to be somewhere warm. At one point I had four layers on and it was insufficient. Tomorrow I will have five as I have bought a fleece top here. I do have some photos which I will upload tomorrow, from my Watson Lake motel, provided I have a better connection than exists here. This is a satellite connection and is very slow.

The lodge is full of bikers, most on the way back from Alaska. They all look exhausted!

My mind has been full of thoughts. In addition to the normal ones, today I thought about how the bankers have screwed the world up. I delved over those, with whom I had dealt and how few of them were really good at what they were meant to be doing. So in addition to my 10 degrees of being in the shit, which has yet to come out, I am going to publish my SA Bankers – The good, the bad and the indifferent! Arnie you are safe on this one.

Tonight I am going to lie in the hot tub and then dinner and an early evening for a change. Tomorrow I would like to be on the road by 08h00 and breakfast is at 07h00. I need to be at the door, ready.
Till tomorrow.

Good Night and Good Luck