So the previous day it turned out I failed to put my roll on sunscreen on the back of my arms leaving these clearly defined burns down the back of them. I got up early and Pushed hard again.
Rather than remain in Revelstoke (my original destination) I pushed on anther 35 km to Canyon Hot Spring. This way instead of having a 160km day the next day, it would only be 125km.
Canyon Hot Springs has got to be the biggest rip off I have encountered yet. (and I’m currently in Lake Louise!) $29 for a camp site, $5 for a gallon of water (which you need because there are signs telling you the water is not safe) $9 for firewood, but you can’t have your own fire, only the group fireplace, and if you want to use the hot springs it is an additional $11! Oh ya and showers are 3 minutes for $1. What a rip!
Anyway I figured what the heck I wasn’t going to go back down to Revelstoke. I wish I had.
The had these signs up about there being a bear in the area. I asked why they didn’t eliminate it. Yes darlings I mean shoot the beast! Bears can be ver dangerous when they get aclimatized to people. Anyway they said it was no big dear and that as long as you didn’t have food in your tent you would be fine…bullshit.
I put my food, toiletries, smelly bike lube, anything that had a detectible scent in a stuff sack in the laundry room. better safe than sorry right?
The next morning I got up at 5:30 and walked to the washroom and then to the laundry room to grab my stuff. On the way back I noticed my sleeping bag lying where my tent had been.
The bear aftermath
I then noticed this mass of black pulling my tent away! I yelled at it and it dropped the tent and moved away sheepishly. Not fast, just like a teenager that got caught doing something fun that they should have done.
Well the bear totalled the tent. The whole backend where my feet were a scant 10 minutes earlier was gone. My thermarest has claw sized holes in it and one of my water bottles became a seive.
Now obviously the bear knew what it was doing. It went for the tent because it knew it could easily get through the walls, unlike the RVs. Other people had kids dropping food, the guys next to me left their stove out, there was lots of other opportunities for it.
So I left my tattered tent for the people who owned the campsite with a note telling them to have the bear taken care of, that next time someone could get hurt. I doubt they will listen, they seemed kinda arrogant, but if someone does get hurt I will be sure to tell their lawyers “I told them so.”
On a side note the campsite had the neatest ruby throated hummingbirds which would fight over the feeders.
Hummingbirds in mid-flight (or is it mid fight?)
stats
Distance: 99km
Top Speed: 49.3