Today started early, before sunrise. After a brief stop at Tim's and a gas station, it was off to Km 6600. The morning was raw and cold, but the mist over the slopes, along with golden leaves mixed with evergreen, was incredible. I could have stayed there for hours as the scene constantly changed with the breeze, just absorbing the vibrant colours and soaking in the serenity of the place. The road and railroad share the same narrow valley - a passing freight train reminded me that the rails were here long before the road, and that the first transcontinental CP track was joined near Revelstoke. I started looking for a historical marker; I found the marker a little while later, but didn't get a photo of it.
As the morning grew lighter, the mist gradually rose, eventually allowing some blue sky and sun to break through, revealing the surrounding peaks. As I neared Lake Shuswap, however, the clouds closed in again and I had to turn on my lights for safety. Then, over the lip of the ridge the sky cleared. I stopped for a bite to eat and a cup of coffee, and couldn't resist taking a picture of the Transcanada Highway street sign. That's my road, I thought. I had no idea how big Lake Shuswap is. It seemed to go on forever, connecting the small towns and villages along its shore. At its western end, the country dries out, the dense forest of the mountains giving way to dry grass, small ranches with horses and cattle, and sparse pines. The further west I went towards Kamloops, the drier the countryside became. I had to make an effort to remember that this dry valley at the northern end of the Okenagen, is an extension of the great Central Valley that is home to California's fruit and vegetable industry as well. I was expecting more orchards here and more luxuriant vegetation, but the land can't support them without irrigation. There were a few vineyards and wineries advertised along the way, but no time to visit them. As ever, the road and the railroad parallel each other through the valleys formed by lakes and rivers. Another freight passed by just before I reached Km 6750, east of Kamloops. The view was stunning - golden grassland, villages strung out along the river, gradually larger ranches, incredibly steep slopes rising high out of the riverbed. I was so mesmerized by it all that I almost missed the family of bald eagles roosting in a tree right in front of me! Today was a relatively short one for driving, but I thought it could be a good idea to stop in Kamloops and allow the forecast rain to pass by as much as possible before continuing on to Burnaby tomorrow. It'll be a long day, but the promise of clear weather is worth it.
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Carol Loeb
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