The long way around 4249km - 4463km

From here to my parents it's about a forty-five to sixty minute ride if you take the shortest path. Via Stave Lake, it appears to take four and a half hours. That's including my many stops for taking photographs and checking the map. Err...it also includes all my kilometers of backtracking after realizing I was going the wrong way.

The ride started innocently enough. Kino and I pulled out of my parent's driveway sometime around seven-thirty. After several false attempts I finally figured out the path to 0 ave., the almost perfectly straight stretch of road that straddles the border all the way to Chilliwack. I wanted to return to Bradner Road again (a route I had discovered several weeks back whilst on a mission to run out of fuel), and looking on the map I noticed it passed directly through the town of, well, Bradner. I figured that would be a perfect place to change visors, maybe grab a snack or pop, and use the washroom. Well, turns out Bradner was the perfect place to change visors, as the sun was just starting to dip behind the trees as Kino and I pulled in. Actually, it was more of a pass through and U-turn after realizing that school, general store, and Community Garden WAS Bradner, and it was easy to miss. In fact, the only major signage around consisted of a big thank you to Mr. Bulbitz. Thanks for the memories Mr. B.



After continuing North past the big lights (light) of Bradner, the road began to twist and turn around tree shaded hills. The hill above one corner revealed the long-held secret of where Christmas Geese come from. I don't know if this counts for free range.


We turned East on 58th and followed the signs to the bridge to Mission. Then began a long series of wrong turns, missed turns, and map stops. The plan was to head North and take Dewdney Trunk Road all the way through Haney and eventually onto Lougheed Highway to home. The plan did NOT include a visit to the grounds of Westminster Abbey (okay, I didn't ACTUALLY go in...it was closed), a journey along the road to Stave Lake (whoops), several attempted emergency roadside washroom stops (stupid houses/cars/joggers) and a chat with a local chestnut horse. The roads were gorgeous , and the silhouettes of the trees stood black against a crescent moon lit dark blue summer sky. I'd love to visit that trip again in the daytime, complete with a picnic lunch and a little more light to see the sights and read my map. (There were more than a few map checks in front of Kino's headlight.)

All I know is that we went on a lot of twisties, through some beautiful country, deep into the cool air of dense forests, and at some point over a dam. I'm a little saddle sore right now, but I know it's going to be one long, deep sleep tonight.