We woke around 6:00am but no breakfast until 7:00am, so we decided . . .

. . . to have a map meeting. Lots of riding options today and weather was going to be an issue.

So . . . better start out with the breakfast buffet which of course was an  . . . ‘all you care to eat’ type of affair!!!

TommyH wanted Eggs Benedict, which were not included on the buffet, so order ala carte. He also received about 5 pounds of potatoes with the eggs. He ran out of room!!!!

Greg is having such a great time up here he has got a part time job driving a bus around town. He drops us off for ride in the morning and moves on to pick up the kiddies going to summer school!!!!

Rain forecasted today so people are moving slowly as we decided what to do today. Here were three old ‘geezers’ sitting outside of our hotel waiting for their Social Security checks!!!

We finally decided to try to beat the rain today and headed to Castle Mountain, our ending point from yesterday. On the way down from Deer Lodge we saw these three elderly Asian women hauling their suitcases up the 5 mile hill. Would be interesting to know what their story was!!!!

 

We finally  got on the road by 1:00PM . . . our latest start yet!!!

Only seven miles to Vermillion Pass . . .

Good thing we don’t have any apples along today . . .don’t throw them out the window!!! Tomorrow it’s banana peels!

We made got up to the divide and had took the customary photo . . .

. . . believe it or not we had a ‘brisk’ tailwind that helped push us us the mountain.

Once we started the downhill run we entered British Columbia . . .

. . . where they take speeding VERY seriously!!!

Great downhill runs from the top!!!

As I pulled into the Paint Pot’s roadside attraction and walked 1 km into the pot area it began to rain . . .

The pools are formed from iron oxide deposits that have been pushed up from underground springs. 

Looks like a hot tub!!!! If it was warm water, I might have jumped in!!!

Two fires have burned through the area, in 2000 and 2003 burning over 8,000 acres. I road through miles and mile of burned timber. You can see the reproduction, about 12 year olds, coming through the dead trees.

Here is where we re staying tonight and in fact . . .

. . . the place was threatened by the fires and luckily for us survived (otherwise we would have been sleeping in the van).

We have cabins 7 & 8. Nice and cozy once we turned the heat on!!! Looks like Ma and Pa kettle sitting out on the porch of Number 8.

Our entertaining area . . .

, , , full kitchen

. . . two beds and a cot.

They have had bear sighting in the area though so we have three locks to protect us!!!! (ps. Forgot to mention that yesterday BillyB and TommyH saw a grizzly and a black bear while cycling down the road).

If the bears don’t get you the electrical fire that comes off of all these extension cords might!!!!

If was a great experience at the Lodge and in fact we had dinner there which was a lovely affair AND reasonably priced by Canadian food standards . . .

. . . even enough left for peach crumble with ice cream for everyone!!!

 

It felt creepy though with this guy watching. Seemed like wherever you went in the lodge dining room his eyes would follow you!!!!

Tomorrow onto Radium Hot Springs!!!!