Down but not quite out ....

Health problems have side lined my trip for awhile ... hope to be back on the road some time this summer but not to sure when. It's a bitch to get old .......

Held Up in Southern B.C. for the Winter

Howdy all ... taking a small break to learn some spanish and plan where to go in the spring. Will keep you posted as to wants my next move.

The real type of bike to travel the world on.

Matz bike .. la bella roussa. There is a top box missing off the back rack but other then that .. that's all Matz carries. He rides a 400 Honda Translap ... 160,000k . We traded bikes one day for a short trip ... he likes the Dragon and said .. yes you can do it on a Harley. After a few beer and other things ... he had added knobby tires, skid plates and a few other accessories to my bike for the tuff to get too places. Sure glad he never had a welder or my bike would have been ready to go.

globalbiking.com

Then ... out of the din of the glare came a solitary rider from Switzerland ... Matz. Three years on the road around the world with his bella roassa. He just has to finish up South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand .. then I suspect he'll do it all over again. On a budget of 25 bucks a day this fellow IS the consummate Global Biker. Totally awesome dude who has seen more places then national geographic. He gave a great slide presentation to the other HU members, even the other so called hard core dudes gave him his due

Team No Limits

But ... out of all the people I met for the H.U. rally ... these were the people who rocked the Toad the best and as a team had no limits other then deciding what to do and where to go. The gal at the left and the the guy at the right are hooked together they ain't really bikers more kayaker's but have a hard time taking the boats off the SUV. Doesn't mater they have the spirit and soul that is contagious to your well being and are a must to be around .. not to mention feed everyone within a 5 mile radius .. oh ya Dale is a dragonfly guru plus a whole lot of other neat things type guy. Between him and me is ... Steve a lost soul from the island who .. is the glue to the team and can build anything. He found the two other lost boys from saskatchabush and brought them to the rock so he could fix one of their bikes. The girls as we called them .. Nolan and K-Tel .. the latter I nicked named because Dave asked if he combed his hair with a pork chop were on their first long ride doing the easy rider thing. Great people the lot of them ... go team no limits.

horizonsunlimted.com

I came to this campground because Horizons Unlimited .. an international bikers world travel organization were having one of their around the world meetings. They supply very good information on how to travel the world on a motorcycle. The information I gathered was great ... but the people I met were even better.

Mary

This is the sweetest kindest and most gentlest soul that I have encountered for a very long time. Mary and her husband Steve .. mostly Mary welcome and operate this campground and do everything in their power to make you feel welcome. If you have no tent, no mattress, no food, no money, broke down, tired and busted not a problem ... she is the Mother Teresa of this neck of the woods and will help all on their way.

Toad Rock

Just outside of Nelson B.C. between the Belfor Ferry & Kaslo there is a small oasis where kindred spirits can rejuvenate their souls. It is basically a motorcycle camp ground but everyone is welcome who ... if they want to or not have a lasting warm peaceful experience. This photo is the central meeting place for way ward folks who can sit back and relax to local and visiting musicians that play and sing some of the best music I've heard. Everything in and at this place is on the honor system and for lack of a better word .. it's just like being at home or what home should be like.

Mascot Mines Hedly B.C.

Heading west toward Vancouver on Hiway 5A, great ride on bike by the way, you will come to very small town of Hedly B.C. I was going to look for some property there, but alas there is none or none that is in my price range. High up top on the side of the mountains there is the old Mascot Gold Mine, that appears to hang off of the clouds. The local Natives have taken over this mine and are trying to generate some income from tours. I kinda find this a bit ironic, seeing that the search for gold in the old days was one of the main reasons Natives were pushed off their lands. I suppose you can look at it in another way ... that now the Natives are making money from what the white man has discarded. In any event it is quit a few from the top and a very good cardio work out going down and coming back up, 500 and somethings stairs down ... 700 and some back up. 4 hours to do the tour that's if your in to gold mines which you do go into for about 800 feet, great on a hot day as it is a constant 6 degree's. From Hedly I took the old Hedly road or 3A to Coalmont which is just past Princeton. The road to Colamont rates right up there as biker roads. Lots of ups and downs with plenty of curves. The only thing there is in Colamont is a old Hotel and lots of friendly people. Word of advice .... not to many beers in the hotel .... why ... all those curves going in are that much more curvy when you leave and there is a velly big drop off down to the river below. Great country very nice people, worth the ride. From there continue up to Merrit via #5 and actually follow that right into Kamloops. Another great ride with lots of little lakes to keep you cool.

Okanagan Lake

This is one of the main reasons people come to the Okanagan ... the lake. This shot is taken where all the nude sun worshipers go to tan .. sorry no luck on this day.

Willow Creek Camp Ground

In the middle of Kelowna there is a one and only small camp ground that is an oasis for a cosmopolitan of humanity. You will find people camping from all over the world and from every cross section of society all bunched together in a small tight community. From huge motor homes to small pup tents you'll find them all. Young girls and boys looking for summer party action and of course the opposite sex to family vacationers. A BMW or Lincoln will pull in with a couple dressed to the nines, open the trunk pull out the tent, set up and spend a night or two. The evenings are a bustle of activity as well a being surrounded with many different aromas coming from many different ethnic culinary foods. For a real experience of get down friendly camping where meeting your neighbour is not a choice, spend a few days here for a reality show you won't soon forget.

On The Road

I love riding in the rain .... B.S. I must admit ... Harley does make some good rain gear and I have over 300 miles in it so far. I stopped in Prince George to check out Len's new Harley store and had a friendly chat with Carrie and Mark the only real old timers from the old store. Len was on his way to the bike drags in Edmonton. Day two was in Billy's Pond where I had a very nice chat with Ming Wong and his wife Ester. They own and operate the Koho Restaurant, turn right off the hiway and go down town. Turn left at Shoppers and they are just south on the same street. Good food .. if Ming doesn't cook. It was nice to see him .. but the man never sits still and ah ..... never stops talking. Off to Kamloops in the morning to see my last standing Patrick Uncle some cousins then on to Kelowna.

Heading out of Dodge ( Dawson )

I came to town to start my trip in the rain, it rained most of the time I was here and I'm now heading out in the rain. Things don't always turn out as planned and sorry to say that happened at the start of my trip. Anyway .. it was nice to see some old friends, check up on the local news and finally start out on the adventure. There are no answers there's only the search. A true adventure goes forth aimless and uncalculating to meet and great unknown fate. I head south today to meet that adventure ... head on and alone as perhaps it was meant to be.

The Cargo Trailer

The trailer I pull is made by a Canadian company out of Quebec called Fibro Concept. It weighs 150 lbs and I can haul about 200 lbs of cargo. From all the research I did about pulling a trailer the biggest concern was cross winds. I tested this trailer in the windy country of Southern Alberta where you ride bikes on a 45 degree angle. The trailer worked very well no worries up to 180k. I now have just over 2000 miles on it and it seems to do just fine. The one small problem I had was the latch mechanism to close the lid. The person told me to be careful about this and not to slam or drop the lid to hard ... well excuse. Thanks to the very nice guys at Pace Auto Body in Dawson Creek .. they fixed my and partially the weak point in the trailer. Oh yes ... one more thing. Make sure you check the wheel lugs every once and awhile. When I took it for it's first test drive ... I was doing just over 100k when the left tire on the trailer passed me. I never felt a thing and the bike never moved. If I never saw the little tire pass me ... I would have kept on going. Goes to show that the trailer is very balanced with or without both tires.

The Harley

The bike or model I ride is a custum 02 Dyna Wide Glide. I’ve jacked up the HP a bit and am running a 103 cubic in Screamen Eagle engine. Custom paint job by Cross Eye’s Illustrations out of Calgary Alberta, Blake is a totally awesome artist and can do up anything your mind may or may not imagine.