Spring in Victoria

We were supposed to leave the Yukon at the beginning of April, but Mara had a bike accident (she was a bit concussed and broke her hand) and I decided to fly down to Victoria to be her literal second hand.

I tied shoes, spread peanut butter on toasts, retyped recorded biology classes and spent two wonderful weeks with her as she showed me around her new digs.

After 5 months of snow, it felt like such a treat to be catapulted into Spring!

Waiting for the bus to go pick up our beloved Westy in Duncan.

Magnolia in bloom in the Victoria Chinatown and delicious coffee at Hey Happy.

The trees were in full bloom. If I had to pick one Canadian city where to settle down Victoria would be an easy first choice (if I could ever afford it!).

Meals outside!!

JF and Mathilde joined me at the end of March, a few days before my birthday, so we camped in the Westfalia together and went back to one of our favourite spots on the Island, Pedder Bay.

I fell in love with the Fernwood neighborhood. We went there to Stage restaurant for my birthday dinner and shared an amazing meal with natural wine and homemade vermouth.

Delicious meal at Stage for my 45th birthday.

A few days in Squamish before hitting the road to go pick up the bus.

When we left the island, we went to Squamish for a few days to drop off Mathilde at a friend (they were flying to Arkansas together with their team for a bike race), enjoyed the beautiful lush green Squamish Spring and left to pick up the bus that we had stored in Sorrento.

Overnight hike to Watersprite Lake, Squamish, BC

Watersprite Lake near Squamish is a crystal clear, turquoise lake framed by dramatic peaks and it is one of the most awe-inspiring hikes around. It was a hidden gem for years. Unknown to most and tucked away down a long, bumpy forest service road. But the word is out and it’s ‘hidden gem’ status has changed.

Whilst the hike is long, it’s a fairly gentle incline as BC hikes go and only the last portion has any serious climbing in terms of elevation. About 6 km in, you will come to a rock slide. This is the beginning of the more demanding section of the trail. The route is visible and there is flagging to keep you on track. 

Then, you enter a forested section and get to a boulder field. The final ascent is slow and steep, but you’re almost there and the view that awaits you will reward your effort!

While this last stretch is the most difficult hiking, the good news is you are nearly at Watersprite Lake. If you are staying overnight, you need to cross another boulder field along the lake to get to the other side where the tent platforms are located. 

As of summer 2022, Watersprite Lake area and the surrounding peaks are now a designated Provincial Recreation Site and you will need a camping reservation for tent camping (different to reserving the hut). This will cost $20. You can reserve here.

There are 10 platforms and 10 tent spots (we recommend platform 1 or 2 if one is taken). There are bear caches and a composting toilet on site. There is a very clear stream that runs behind camp to get water from (and a few streams along the trail too).

The only drawback to this hike is that it requires a 4×4 or AWD vehicle with good clearance to reach the trailhead. Please note, the road gets significantly worse for the final stretch to the trailhead and it is getting worse every year (not fixing it probably also helps weed out people).

There is a cabin at the lake which was built by BCMC. The cabin can be rented all-year round (the only option in the winter since the platforms are under many feet of snow) for 300$ per night (one party of 8 people max).

There are a few bridge crossing involved and the trail is very well-built and marked.

Make sure to reserve your tent platform ahead of time. This will cost $20. You can reserve here. We recommend platform 1 or 2.

Because the trail is open, make sure to bring plenty of water and sun protection in summer.

Hiking to International Falls, between BC and Alaska

The International Falls hike starts near the White Pass Summit and is most often in the clouds. We lucked out on a rare bluebird day! The trail starts on the Canadian side of the border and crosses into Alaska, hence its name.

It’s a beautiful hike especially on a sunny day. Be warned that there is a pretty steep descent (with rope assist) at the beginning and a few creek crossing (hiking poles were useful, an extra pair of shoes/socks might be a good idea if the water level is high). You can find all the driving direction and hike info here.

The rest of the trail is an easy gradual climb along the falls and then you can hike as far as you want once you hit the alpine plateau. It’s so beautiful, you just want to keep going, but be mindful that you need to retrace your steps back to the car!

Note: Coming from Whitehorse, you need to cross the Canadian customs (don’t forget your passport or ID), but since the hike starts before the US customs, you don’t need to fill in the ArriveCan documents.

Hiking Ruby Mountain and Monarch Trail, Atlin, BC

Atlin, BC, is a small gold rush town that is only accessible through the Yukon. It’s a 2-hour drive from Whitehorse. 

Atlin Lake and the surrounding mountains are stunning and the historic gold rush village complete its charm. I’m not sure why we waited 15 years to come back here, but we are are glad we came on this perfect weekend.

We did two different hikes. The first one (and our favourite) was Ruby Mountain in the Atlin Volcanic Field. You have to drive about 30 min from town to get to the trailhead. If you have a high clearance 4x4 vehicle, you can even drive the first part that is on a mining road (all the info for directions and route finding are well explained here. Make sure to screenshot everything since there is no cell signal in Atlin). The hike starts already in the alpine and there are very few trail markers, so you’ll find having this info on hand useful as you ascend. It’s a short hike to a stunning 360 view with mountains all around as far as the eye can see. We were alone the whole time and even saw Dall sheep! That hike is easily in our top 5.

The trail starts here if you can drive up the mining road (high clearance 4 x 4 needed)

The Summit

The second day, we did the classic Monarch Trail. The trailhead is only 1 km from the Pine Creek campground. As soon as you start climbing, you get open views of the Atlin Lake and surrounding peaks. You can decide to turn around after about 1.5 km at the second bench before the climb in the forest begins or decide to plow through that steep section without view to get into the alpine for the last 700 meters. The view is beautiful but not as different as you go up. You’ll find the driving directions and trail info here (please note that the name of the road where the trailhead is located is Warm Bay Road NOT Warm Spring Road as indicated).

The camping options are pretty limited, especially with a big bus, but we lucked out on one of of the few sites that are big enough at Pine Creek campground.

There are beautiful walk-in sites in the lower section of the Pine Creek campground.

Note that there is no cell signal anywhere in town. There are limited groceries, but you can get some good BC beer at the Trading Post.

For those who do not follow us on Instagram, Stout passed away on August 2nd. He had a Valley Fever relapsed and even with the medication, his body gave up the fight and he died peacefully in his sleep in the bus. He was six years old. We miss him dearly every day.

Hiking around Summit Lake, Stone Mountain Provincial Park

Summit Lake campground in Stone Mountain Provincial Park is the highest point on the Alaska Highway (at about km 600 - Historic Mile 373) at 1,300 meters (4,250 feet of elevation). It is located about 140 km West of Fort Nelson and is a must stop on your way North. I recommend you spend the night in Fort Nelson and head to Summit Lake campground early to get a spot (the 28 campsites are only available on a first-come first-serve basis for $20 - some are really not that great - campground is open from May 12 to September 25). There is no electricity, but there’s a pit toilet and a water well, but it is recommended to boil it (wood bundles are a whooping $15). It is right by the Highway, so there is some road noise during the day, but the surroundings are well-worth it, especially if you can get one of the few spots by the lake.

The most popular hike here is Summit Peak trail (that should really be called Mount St. Paul via Summit Peak trail, an 8.5 km round-trip with 750 meters of elevation, the summit is not the end of the trail and you could keep going on the ridge all the way to a few other peaks). The information available at the campsite and online for these hikes are pretty inaccurate and misleading (except for the link I posted above). That’s why I decided to write that post.

The hike starts just across the road from the campground. Make sure to follow the trail that cross the creek after about 400 meters off the road and that starts climbing up on the RIGHT side of the river.

Some of the many blue pools you will see along the way, perfect for a post-hike dip!

You will soon get out of the tree line and start steadily climbing up the stone-faced ridge of Mount St. Paul.

The view makes the effort well worth it! We found hiking poles to be useful, especially on the descent since there is some loose scree and a few slightly exposed sections. Hiking boots would have been preferable to hiking shoes. Also, even if we were sweating at 9 am in the first km of the hike, it got cold and very windy as soon as we got onto the ridge. Be prepared for all kind of weather conditions.

Note that the ridge is the only place where you can get decent LTE signal (and it requires a fair amount of climbing)! We had spotty 3G and 1 bar LTE at the campground WITH our booster and the antenna placed just right, but I wouldn’t count on it, most people didn’t have anything.

You can see the campground behing JF’s shoulder and in the background, an alpine lake (Flower Springs Lake) where we also hiked (more info on that hike below).

It is easy to forget about how intense the descent can be on the legs in that kind of terrain, so make sure to save some energy and muscle strength for that!

Once you reenter the tree line, there is a trail that cuts down to the beautiful blue pools you saw on your way up (they might be dry later on in the season). Make sure to go explore and take a dip if you dare! It is pure paradise. There was NOBODY there.

From behind site 20, there is a bridge that leads to a trail. Turn right and follow along the shore of Summit Lake. It is a bit marshy and buggy in places, but you can see lots of wildflowers along the way (this area is known for its rare flora). After about 2 km, the trail veers left up into the trees and you can follow it all the way to a 4 x 4 road that will take you to the beginning of Flower Springs Lake trail.

There is another quicker alternative that we will use next time: just before you get to the campground on the Alaska highway, you will see an entrance to the 4x4 road to a microwave tower closed by a red gate. The gate is unlocked (make sure you close it behind you). The Flower Springs trail officially starts 2 km up that road. You can either drive up 2 km (it can be driven without a 4x4 up to that point - at least when we were there), bike (and stash the bikes in a bush at the beginning of the hike - there is nobody here) or walk up it (but is it quite boring). If you decide to walk (it is quicker that our first option by the lakeshore), simply turn left after the bridge instead of right and you will quickly get to the 4x4 road. Just start walking up until you see the picnic table and trail info board.

As soon as you begin walking, you cannot help but feel awed.

From the road, Flower Springs Lake is about 3 km (so from the campground, it is is a 10 km round-trip with the section on the 4 x 4 road), but the elevation gain is very minimal (230 m). If you do the upper Lakes, it is a 15 km hike round-trip with 430 m of elevation gain

You can keep hiking on the right side of the lake and get to two more alpine lakes, but we decided to turn around since we had already done 7 km by then and our 4 legged pup had done enough for the day. I would recommend getting a map of the area and go explore that beautiful backcountry.

There is another hike 2 km up the campground called Baba Canyon that is supposed to be really nice too. We’ll make sure to check it out next time. If you’re up for a more challenging adventure, check out this hike.

A winter of camping in Squamish + tips to avoid humidity issues in your RV

The beautiful foggy Coastal Forest near Brohm Lake.

The big perk of our campsite: this private covered area that increases our living space so much. It’s not fully waterproof, but we use it a lot. We have now closed that open side with a tarp.

The girls use it a lot for stretching and strength training, Zwifting and Zoom spin classes.

Hiking the Four Lakes trail after the first snow in November in Alice Lake Provincial Park.

A rare bonfire outside on a dry night.

Jurassic-park like forest on the White Rabbit trail.

Mara learning to ski at the Whistler Olympic Park

We’ve added a couch, a propane fire ring, a TV and a Christmas tree to our shelter to make it extra cozy.

On the cliff right by our site, a 3 minute climb!

Our campsite in the snow.

Watching the sunset behind the mountains at 3:30 pm near Solstice.

For the last 7 years, we’ve spelled winter A-R-I-Z-O-N-A…This is our first winter in Canada in the bus and we decided to spend it on the «Wet Coast» during a La Nina year (more rain and colder than usual). When at least a few seasoned outdoorsy Westcoasters told us it was quite extreme to attempt to live in the bus in Squamish for the winter, I got a bit worried. I had an idea of what we were getting ourselves into, but I had never experienced a West coast winter, not even in a house. It is not a badge of honour for us to do it. It is simply a means to an end. If we had found a rental that accepted dogs and did not require a year-long lease at a price we could afford - while also paying for storage for the bus in a heated or at least dry place nearby - we would have jumped on it, but Squamish is all but affordable.

Luckily, we found this great campsite with a covered area and storage in town, so the girls are right on the trails and the grocery store is 5 minutes away. It is still ridiculously expensive for a campsite, but it was the only financially sound option for us. Our campsite is gorgeous and very private, but it’s oh so dark between a cliff and mountains, under the tree canopy (no sun comes to our site on the rare occasions that it’s out) and the rain forces us inside much more than usual. It’s tough on all of us. However, there is a covered area with storage on our site where we can sit and enjoy some outdoor time even when it rains (we’ve outfitted it with free couches (thanks FB Marketplace!), a propane fire ring, a Christmas tree and a TV and training area for Zoom spin classes!). It’s not fully waterproof, but we’re super grateful for that extra space (and storage!) it provides.

We try to go outside everyday to stretch our legs but the amount of laundry (and mud, and dirty floors) this creates is insane. One of the most amazing things about living here is that you can ski and bike (not in the snow!) on the same day by driving only 40 minutes. The girls are lucky to have teammates and a coach that are competent skiers and they have been able to try skate skiing (something they had never done given our lifestyle).

We are so thankful for our friends who figured out how to best solve the humidity issue (we thought we had a water infiltration issue, but it turns out it was just an insane amount of condensation despite already having 1 dehumidifier running!) We have found that the key to make it comfortable in the bus (and to avoid mold issues) is to have 2 large dehumidifiers running all the time, as well as a fantastic fan. We always turn on the kitchen fan everytime we cook and the shower fan during and after a shower. We also have put desiccant salt containers in every closed cupboard to avoid moisture build-up. We never have condensation in the windows or anywhere anymore, a priority to keep the mold at bay and everyone healthy and comfortable.

The weather has dipped below zero in the last week and we need to use the heaters a bit more to make the bus comfortable, but so far, it is very manageable. It takes a little more will power to get out of the bus at night and into the shelter to watch a movie by the fire bundled up in our sleeping bags, but unless the wind is howling, it is pretty cozy in there and we never regret doing it.

The Canadian Rockies

Wilcox Pass

View of the Athabaska Glacier from Wilcox Pass.

Wilcox Pass

View of the Athabaska Glacier from Wilcox Pass.

Looking at the Columbia Icefield

Beautiful boondocking spot along Abraham Lake

Bow Lake

Mistaya Canyon

Moraine Lake

Lake Louise

Jura Canyon

Johnston Canyon

Johnston Canyon Lower Falls

Tent Ridge

Snow on Tent ridge

Snow on Tent ridge

On the Moonraker Trails in Golden, BC

Cedar Lake Rec site, Golden, BC

Radium Hot Springs

Full disclaimer: I was never wowed by the Rockies. We had camped in Banff and Jasper 18 years ago on our way to the Yukon with our old Westfalia and driven through the park a few times since then, but it was always so busy that I never could truly get a feel this beautiful place. This time, I really did. And I understand why people come from all over the world to see this place.

With the fall colors in full force and very few tourists because of the pandemic, it was the chance of a lifetime. So we drove from Squamish and back for a short 3 week road trip before settling down for the winter. And we’re so glad we did!

There are so many hikes to do in the area that I won’t even try to give you an exhaustive list, but I will gladly share our favorite. Some are short, some are long and involved, I’ll let you do your research depending on what you want. Interestingly enough, most hikes allow dogs on leash!

In the Spray Lake area, our favorite was Tent Ridge (a horseshoe loop on a stunning ridge, be warned that this is not a beginner hike, there is some exposure and some mandatory scrambling). A good shorter one south of Canmore is Little Lougheed (steep but offering rewarding view).

There are lots of hikes around Canmore; Ha-ling Peak is a popular one. We did West Wind last year and found it very rewarding.

In the Park, between Banff and Lake Louise, Stanley Glacier and Arnica Lake are both beautiful hikes, especially in the fall. While you are in the area, go check out Marble Canyon (a short 1,4 km hike).

Near Lake Louise, Paget Peak is beautiful and Iceline Trail looks like a fun challenge. Cirque Peak Trail is also on our list for next time.

By the way, if you have to beat the crowds to see either Lake Louise or Moraine Lake, pick Moraine! It is bluer and more beautiful. Go during the week (pick a day when the shuttles don’t run if that’s an option) and go after 4 pm. Or go super early. And since you got up that early, you might as well hike the Larch Valley Trail, especially in the fall when the larches are yellow!

On your way up toward Jasper, you can stop to stretch your leg and see beautiful Mistaya Canyon (1 km). Keep going North onto the Icefields Parkway and stop to hike Parker Ridge and Wilcox Ridge (so gorgeous in the fall!).

Also know that it is usually possible to camp in the Columbia Icefields parking lot for $15 AND to have cell service (a really good deal in that area). However, it was closed this year because of COVID. I won’t publicly share our all our camping spots, but will gladly share them with you if you write to me personally and are planning to go. If you are willing to drive a bit, there are tons of beautiful camping spots along Abraham Lake (but there is only cell signal at this spot toward the end of the lake, at the trailhead for Allstones Lake Trail, toward the town of Nordegg).

On our way back, we spent two nights in Golden at the beautiful Cedar Lake Rec site right on the Moonraker mountain bike trails. I highly recommend it!

From there, if you are heading toward Revelstoke to mountain bike, you can stop and hike the Hermit Trail.

On our way down toward Rossland, we stopped in Radium for a quick evening soak in the Hot Springs and spent the night at Redstreak campground, 6 km away.

P.S. You will notice that I didn’t mention Johnston Canyon in my post. (but posted pictures of it). It is one of the most popular hikes in Banff and we were lucky that the road that leads to the trailhead was closed this time around because of COVID to limit the amount of people, so we biked 6 km in to get to the trailhead. Even with that caveat, we found the hike to be quite busy, so I cannot imagine how crazy it must be when the road is open!

Fifty shades of blue

Mathilde hiking along Water Sprite Lake

Rohr Lake

Cheakamus Lake

Cheakamus River

Blogging has become harder over the last few years. Sharing the name and location of the beautiful places we visit attracts more people to some already overused trails and boondocking spots or means we are revealing a friend’s lesser known spot… sharing my life and heart often infringes on my teens’ personal life and their stories are not mine to share anymore. Beautiful images are shared on Instagram as soon as they are captured and spur of the moments thought and bits and pieces are shared in stories. So what is left for the blog?

Maybe the blog can be a good place to step back and reflect every few months? I like that idea. 

The blog will be a more global portrait of our life, a reflection.

As you might know, we have spent the months of July and August in a house in Squamish while our bus was at our friends’ shop, getting a well-deserved facelift (esthetic and mechanical, but mostly incredibly practical - check the Our bus and Westy section for the photos!). It’s been interesting - and honestly quite easy - to fall back into a brick-and-mortar lifestyle, but Squamish is sooo awesome, it’s really easy to love, especially when you can escape every weekend (or after work!) to hike or bike to some of these incredible locations. We had a beautiful crystal clear river a 5 minute walk from our place (to rock-retrieving Stout’s greatest pleasure) and we could watch rock climbers on the big walls behind our house while sitting in our yard! We also witnessed many search and rescue helicopters coming back from there every weekend…. I understood a bit better how easy it is to underestimate some of the hikes/bikes/climbs in this area and become the next person to need a rescue. It seems to me that most everything here is “hard”. An “easy” hike requires you to climb (and down climb) a boulder field. It seems like everybody and their neighbours, their doctors and their mechanics is an athlete here. Which is great, but also a bit intimidating for the not-super-into-fitness-nature-lover that I am. I huffed and puffed my way up steep climbs and white knuckled my descent through giant slippery rocks, getting back to the Westy bruised and tired, but very proud and recharged. And I’ll keep at it because that’s where I love to be, even if it means being slow and stopping as often as a toddler through the rough parts. I’ve waited for my girls enough years that it’s their turn now! And they carry the lunch too! Onward and upward. Life with teens is the best, hormone galore, kitchen explosions and hair-clogged drains included (just kidding, that’s sooo gross).

The Great Confinement

My office-bedroom view for the last 6 weeks… with the fog horn blaring in the distance.

If you follow us on Instagram, you know that there has been A LOT of baking in our life lately, now that we are connected to the grid while we shelter in place (and own a crappy toaster oven).

Our beautiful green, lush and mossy backyard.

Historians have already said that this period in history will later be referred to as The Great Confinement.

You would have told me a few months ago that I would not leave our campground for over a month and it would have felt like a major hardship. But here we are. I’ve done it. Granted, there are beautiful trails around, the view from our site is wonderful and my amazing partner has been doing the necessary errands, but it still feels like an accomplishment that is very out of character for me. And yet, I feel good. 

Part of it is luck (and privilege, yes).

I could tell you how going through dark times of depression and debilitating anxiety has helped me prepare for tough times. How I know to check with myself daily to assess how I’m feeling, what my needs are and all this... But that would be (mostly) bullshit.

Right now, if I didn’t have a somewhat meaningful (paid) job to do, a wonderful partner and teenagers that are self-motivated and just all-around great to be around (and who were already doing all their classes online), I would very likely go batshit crazy.

But life has been very good. Quiet and peaceful for a change. And honestly, there is nothing like translating dog food bags to make you feel like the world keeps on turning (and yes, that is not exactly literary translation, but I really like my job).

Down the Cassiar, Westy troubles and Whistler Canada Cup

Boya Lake Provincial Park.

Boya Lake Provincial Park, Northern BC.

Full moon rising over the Stewart-Cassiar Highway.

Aïsha keeping us entertained on long drives with her ukulele songs.

Leaving Burns Lake pulling our broken Westy on a U-Haul platform, still unsure where we will be able to get it fixed and even less when…

Mathilde showing great form on a steep line during the Whistler Canada Cup.

Mathilde, proud to finish that tough race!

Aïsha at the beginning of the race.

Mara feeling tired.

Mara on the left and Aïsha on the right.

Mara

Mara dug deep to finish that race.

Teammate Zachary Brunelle taking one of the technical A line on the course.

Mathilde in 3rd place!

The Whistler Canada Cup course was the most technical race the girls had ever done. On top of that, there was 240 m of climbing PER lap. Some sections of the course were only a few days old and very loose. The whole course was incredibly dusty. Aïsha crashed during the preride; she was in pain during the race and had lost her confidence, so she decided to opt out after one lap to avoid another crash and save herself for next weekend Canada Cup in Canmore. Mathilde coughed all night (and kept everybody awake) and was feeling miserable on the morning of the race (we all brought back a nasty virus from Whitehorse). She freaked out a bit after the first big climb when she stopped and felt like she was choking, but thankfully, coach Dan Sams @terraridersyukon was right there and talked her through it and she kept on going. She finished her race and grabbed the 3rd place. She was super proud to have finished such a tough course in her physical condition. After a sleepless night, too much preriding the day before and still healing from her nasty crash at Baie St-Paul, Mara was able to hang on to 4th place. Quite a feat in her condition! The field of Expert Women U17 was very strong with a few BC riders who are super strong technically. It was a good experience and the girls know what they need to work on for next year!

We were super proud of the girls’ Yukon teammates from U Kon Echelon who came all the way down here to race, not expecting such a tough course, but did it nonetheless! Way to go, friends!

And the girls now have Instagram accounts: @aisha.roldan, @mara.roldan.mtb @mathilde.roldan
Go give them a follow if you want!

Kluane to Chilkat international Bike Relay

At the Dákų̀ Nän Tsʼèddhyèt Festival at Da Kų Cultural Centre in Dakwäkäda (Haines Junction). You go ahead and pronounce it.

Throat singers from Nunavut

Beautiful campspot at a friend of a friend in Haines Junction. Hiding in the Westy because of the bugs. We spent hours just looking outside at the light and clouds shifting on the mountain range.

Mara getting ready to tackle Leg 1 and 2.

Mara at the start line

It’s a go!

Mara leading the head peloton. She had the fastest lap time overall for leg 2 and the fastest lap time for female for leg 1 (in the 5-6-7-8 person-team category, since the other ones do not have split leg time).

There was LOTS of trafic because of all the support vehicles. it was a bit ridiculous…

Waiting for Noah to finish Leg 4 at the Haines Summit. Cold and windy. Even in June.

Like my friend Antonio says: that’s the kind of race who appeals to everybody: from the monkey suits to the spandex suits.

Noah chipping in and passing it on to Aïsha.

Ready!

Strong headwind.

Working in peloton helps.

Approaching the end of Leg 5.

Tiny Aïsha getting ready to tackle a long climb in Leg 6.

Annoyed by Mathilde who was singing silly songs to keep her motivated on the climb!

Aïsha did amazing. She was the fastest female in both her legs!

These kids finished first overall in the 8-person team category over 71 teams! They had put together a team of 6 (still qualifying as a team of 8, but the twins were doing 2 legs each) with 2 boys and 2 girls from the cross-country ski team (all 14 or 15 yo).

Mathilde getting the chip from Jimmy - she was on the U Kon Echelon team and was doing the last leg (Leg 8).

It rained for her leg, but she was zooming through it, passing lots of people.

Mathilde crossing the Finish Line in Haines, Alaska.

Muddy and proud.

The local roadies like to joke that the Kluane Chilkat international bike relay (KCIBR) is the only day of the year when Yukonners road bike. While this is not exactly fair, most people start training about a month before the bike relay and turn to mountain biking after it.

The KCIBR is a huge road bike race - even more by Northern standards - with over 1,000 riders this year. It starts in the Yukon - in Haines Junction, near the Kluane National Park - and finishes 238 km later in Haines, Alaska (with an elevation gain close to 1,600 metres). Some people do it solo, but most do it in teams of 4 or 8 (and some in teams of 2 and solo). If you want more course details, click here.

The KCIBR is celebrating it’s 25th year this year. The amount of volunteers (and the work that these volunteers had to do) to create such a well organized race that ran smoothly is just incredible.

After most people have crossed the finish line in Fort Seward, the celebration continues at the Alaska Fair Ground with a huge fish fry meal for all the racers.

Hayman Classic stage road race, Penticton, BC

Mathilde during stage 1 (TT).
Photo by Cody W Gannon.

Mara trying to keep up with the boys during stage 3 (crit).
Photo by Cody W Gannon.

Mara (at the back) losing ground on the all-boys peloton.
Photo by Cody W Gannon.

Mathilde (center in purple + turquoise helmet) taking the start of the crit.
Photo by Cody W Gannon.

Aïsha (purple shirt toward the middle) during stage 2 (circuit).
Photo by Cody W Gannon.

Aïsha (left) during the circuit. It was wet!
Photo by Cody W Gannon.

Drawing her friend who had a bad crash at the last stage of the race and got a concussion, and adding it to a care package she is preparing for her.

While the girls were gone, JF and I had a beautiful weekend of mountain biking in Carcross.

And good local beer too!

The Hayman Classic is a multi-stage road race that consists of a time trial hill climb and circuit race on the first day, a criterium on the second day and a road race on the last day.

Rather than dividing the field based on age and gender, the field was self-selected based on ability. The change was designed to provide “flexibility to help each rider find their appropriate level.” An unintended side effect of this change, is that most top-five finishes were being awarded to male riders. Since Mara was the only girl riding in the ability ‘A’ category, she is the only Yukonner who got a podium prize money.

Despite only having one gear thanks to mechanical issues, Mara finished her race. Aisha rode in the ability ‘B’ criterium, finishing in ninth for females, just one minute and 50.5 seconds behind the winner. In the ability ‘C’ criterium, Ava was second, Tori third and Mathilde sixth on the female leaderboard.

After Tori took a bad fall, Ava stuck around to wait for her and rode with her until they reached medical attention and Tori withdrew from the race. It was a beautiful example of team spirit. Mathilde took over and Ava was able to finished her race.

The Hayman Classic was the first major road race for our girls, and it was a great experience will to prepare them for the Western Canada Summer Games in August.

Only a day after coming back from Penticton, Mara and Aïsha flew to Québec where they will do two Canada Cup mountain bike races, while Mathilde will take part in the last of the major Yukon road races, the Yukon Energy Road Cycling Championships.

And for those who haven’t read about the butt foam on Instagram:
After a race, we like to ask the girls to share a positive and a negative of their race. This time Mara said: Being the only girl in the A category and being able to hang on to the peloton toward the back allowed me to see all the strategy that was going on. On the down side, 5 or 6 guys from the same team had used a strange shammy butter that started foaming because of all the rain and started flying off everywhere. The guy beside me just had time to say: “What the hell is that?”  before getting hit in the face by butt foam.

Driving up the Alaska Highway, 2019 Edition

After a few days in Langley (a suburb East of Vancouver) where we went to a garage we really like to get the bus ready for the long drive, we stopped in Hope and slept at the Othello Tunnel trailhead for the night (the exact location is in iOverlander). It’s a section of the Kettle Valley Trail that leads you along this beautiful baby blue river through many tunnels. Unfortunately the tunnels were closed for the winter season.

It was still a short pretty bike ride. And there was a bear on the trail!!

When then started our way North and were rewarded with incredible views. And snow, which felt pretty exotic to me.

And lots of wildlife too.

Stone sheep on the side of the road (and on the road licking minerals) in the Stone Mountain Park.

Such a spectacular drive! It’s the first time we drive up that early and it truly is the best time of year to do it!

Muncho Lake, usually turquoise, was still frozen.

The Liard Bison herd. There were lots of brand new calves too!

Liard Hot Springs!

Paradise!

10 o’clock sky after leaving Liard toward Watson Lake.

We saw lots of cariboos since it was still so early in the season.

We slept at the Watson Lake territorial campground boat launch parking lot since the campsites were still covered in snow! You know what struck me the most this time driving up North: the complete utter silence. It's probably because most of the lakes are still frozen here, but it's as near as the Yukon winter silence as I've been in many many years.

And we made it to our friends’ place in Whitehorse! This is their backyard on Kookatsoon Lake, our view from the bus for the next few weeks!

Camping in BC can be pretty expensive, but it is also fairly easy to find free camping spots as long as you are not on the islands or the coast. We used a combination of iOverlander, Park4night and Campendium (where I posted many reviews years ago about many spots in Northern BC) and were able to not pay for a site once after leaving the island. Granted, there were quite a few parking lot and industrial area nights, but as soon as you get North of Prince George, there are many rest areas and pull outs on the side of the roads where you can sleep for free, all the way to the Yukon!

What to do and where to eat in and around Victoria, BC

The Parliament.

The Royal BC Museum.

The Royal BC Museum has many life size exhibits. Here: a salmon cannery and an authentic village.

Miniature World.

Miniature World.

Munro’s Books and Habit coffee shop.

Agrius and Fol Épi.

The best fish and chips are at Blue Fish Red Fish (well-worth the line!).

Jordan River Regional Park campground is only $15 June-Oct or $10 Nov-May and right on the ocean. There is no Canadian cell service (no Bell), but 3 bars 4G LTE Verizon on our American phone, however it fluctuated a bit. I posted my full review on @campendium
It's a bit out of the way but the perfect place to be far from everything and to go hiking or kayaking.

Juan De Fuca Trail

Our birthday hike tradition continues with this beautiful hike on the Juan De Fuca Trail that leads to an isolated beach for my 41st birthday.

Mystic Beach.

Discovering Victoria has been so much fun thanks to all the great recommendations many of you gave me. I'm so impressed by how green most of the restaurants and coffee shops are! No straws, all compostable containers and utensils, compost and recycling on the premises, locally sourced ingredients. 

We really fell in love hard with this city and the whole area. If we had to pick a place to settle down in Canada, it would definitely be our first choice… if lodging was affordable (which it isn’t). I can officially announce that we have decided to stay on the road at least for another year (as long as the bus doesn’t die on us…). We had said that we would not make a decision until we come to Vancouver island. Our time here has been incredible and the girls got to rub shoulders (and race with) very strong and pro riders. It has allowed them to see how our lifestyle gives them the flexibility (in terms of school schedule AND moving around) to keep progressing in the racing world - something all 3 want to do. After talking with many kids who go to school and race, our daughter who was curious about going to school changed her mind. We have a pretty exciting summer and fall ahead of us, and I can’t believe I will finally get to visit the Magdalen Island, where my dad’s side of the family comes from!

But for now, we are headed North to our beautiful Yukon!

Two more Island Cups and turning 15

Celebrating their 15th birthday racing in the rain in Campbell River!

Mara took the first place in the women expert field! A great birthday gift to herself.

Mathilde got first in the women beginners and Aïsha got second in the intermediate women! A memorable race!

Simple and beautiful birthday for our sweet girls.

A bald eagle feasting on a dead seal during our morning walk…!

The view near our campsite in Comox. So pretty!

The Cumberland Island Cup was a very muddy one on a beautiful but tough course. Mara lost her chain twice on her last lap, but managed to finish third in the women expert. Mathilde pushed too hard on the climb and got sick, while Aïsha had to stop since the pain in her neck and back was too intense (again - my poor girl).

So muddy! One turn in the washer wasn’t enough to remove all of it…

We only spent 10 days in the Comox-Cumberland-Courtenay area, but really loved it. We were camped at Cape Lazo RV Park since we needed water and sewer hook-up with all that mud! It is a great little RV Park right by the ocean, but it is crazy windy. We nonetheless recommend it and would go back there!

The biking community here is very active and the trail system is very well developed. Parts of the village of Cumberland reminds us of the old downtown Whitehorse, before all the big box stores moved in. Actually, all these stores are not far, in Courtenay, 15 minutes away, so it allows Cumberland to keep it’s charm and local shops and restaurants.

The Bear Mountain Canada Cup

The whole Dalbix-Siboire Team for the Bear Mountain Project with the coaches.

Mathilde taking part in the race even with her 12 stitches.

Aïsha going strong even with very intense back pain.

Mara finished 3rd on the cross-country course! A pretty impressive feat for a first year cadet!

Mara giving everything she had on the short track. She kept her second place for most of the race and slipped in a corner on her very last lap… She still finished 3rd and was very happy!

Left: Mara sharing the short-track podium with one of her teammate from Dalbix.
Right: Mara and Aïsha with their wonderful coach who has been training them from afar since December.

Proud team. Such amazing young people!

The Bear Mountain Canada Cup was the first national race to which the girls ever participated. They are finally old enough for it and did great for first year cadets (U17)! If, like me, you are a neophytes to race lingo, you might not know the difference between a Canada Cup and the national Championship. The Canada Cups are a series of 8 races to which anybody can participate (so there were US racers who came to race it in the Junior category - U19) whereas the national Championship is a once a year event to which only the best Canadians can participate. Bear Mountain was the first Canada Cup of the 2019 season and Mara and Aïsha were racing in the cadet field (15-16 - the age at the end of the year) as first year cadet. The big race (the XC race) was on Saturday and there was a short-track race on Sunday. There was also a big Enduro race happening on Sunday, as well as a Bike Festival, so it was quite the event!

Mathilde is still too young to be part of the Canada Cup, but she could take part in the Bear Mountain Challenge XC on Saturday morning. However, she crashed on the Enduro course while pre-riding with the local team (Dirt Squad) group 4 days prior and ended up in the ER and needing 12 stitches on her knee… She was very bummed to not be able to race, and at the last minute decided she still wanted to give it a go and said she would stop if it was too painful. She did one lap and decided to stop (her race was 2 laps), and was very proud she gave it a try.

It was a wonderful team experience for the girls and they were so happy to be part of such a big event. It was great to be finally reunited with the team and their amazing coach. I’m already looking forward to the next Canada Cup… and coming from me, this means a lot!!

The Hammerfest race and a visit from Grand-Père

The Hammerfest race was a really fun event. The course was long for the expert, but Mara had a great race, finishing 2nd in the U19 field. Aïsha is still struggling with some back issues and a vertebrae pinched during her warm up, forcing her to stop the race after one lap since she has lost sensations in both her legs.

Mathilde had a great race and placed first in her field!

My dad took the train across Canada and came to spend a week in Victoria.

He taught me to shuck oysters.

My dad and I took a road trip to Port Renfrew. We stopped at French Beach Provincial Park along the way.

There is so much to explore on the Island and we will not see it all in the month or so we are here. I’m glad I got to see a part of it with my dad while he was here with us!

First week in Victoria, BC, and the Hartland Island Cup

Pre-riding the Hartland Island Cup course. Quite a change from the AZ courses!

Checking out the lines.

Practice, practice, practice!

There is still snow on the ground. It’s very unusual in Victoria!

The view from our beautiful campground - Pedder Bay RV Resort and Marina.

Look at that water!

The girls were pretty excited and nervous to race the first Island Cup of the season (it’s their first time here). Mara had a great start and was keeping up with the strong girls until she got a flat, Aisha’s and Mathilde’s timing chips got mixed up, so they didn’t have their results, which wasn’t acknowledge before podiums (Aïsha was waiting for her turn on the podium and someone else got called because of the mixed results, even if she really was third…). They all acted with such maturity and positive attitudes, it was very heartwarming to see. Mathilde said she had her worst race ever (they rode a lot this week and their legs were shut), but that she had fun and was proud of herself. All in all, a success! And this community is simply amazing.

Mathilde and I when on a paddling date. It was so beautiful, seals were playing hide and seek around our kayak, a trumpeter swan landed beside us and a bald eagle took flight nearby. We could even see the snowy peaks of Olympic National Park in the US in front of us.

JF and are celebrating our 20th anniversary (well, as you know, we’re not married, but that’s 20 years from our official dating date) and it is my birthday in a few weeks as well, so he treated us to a guided tasting flight in the cellar of Bear Mountain Resort. Every Friday, there is a different theme and this week was Italy. How perfect! The sommelier led our group down to this incredible room with a huge table covered with canapés prepared with local cheeses and charcuteries, and guided us through a tasting of 8 different wines. When they brought out the lobster cakes, I looked at JF with big round eyes and asked: How much was this thing? He said: well it said from 40$ per person… So we laughed imagining cameras looking down on us to see how much food we ate from the decadent spread and charging accordingly! It turned out to be just a little over that and I kept bugging him that it was because he went for the prosciutto 3 times!
It was so fun to be with him in such a different setting. It really felt like we had traded life with another couple for an evening, in a weird but cool way.

Gastown, Vancouver

Traveling from North Van to Gastown through the Seabus is really fun! 

The Paperhound Bookstore

Albion Books and Records (left) and MacLeod's Books (right).

Purebread has amazing everything! Try the crack bars and the giant meringues (right).

Nelson the Seagull has amazing bread, lemon custard marzipan croissants and delicious Flat White Coffee (and Avo toast for $9 too... but that's another story... don't get me started on Avo toast...).

And a walk through the Chinatown, of course. Lizard popsicle, anyone? The funniest thing was that amidst all these Chinese stores was a really cool vegan store that totally clashed with its surrounding. There is also a really funky store called Space Lab (with a totally hipster barber shop at the back) worth a visit.

Edgemont Liquor is one of the best places to find specialty spirits, beer and wines in North Van (not Gastown). I was so excited to find the Mia Amata Amaro from Odd Society Spirits, the Kina Tonic and that Sour Wheat Gose was amazing (still haven't taste the Kaffee one).

And last, but not least, a little hole-in-the-wall pizzeria called Emilio FInatti in Langley that has one of the best pizzas I have eaten in my life (and I LIVED in Italy for a year). Seriously. I am still dreaming about it. Not all their pizzas a great, but this one is AMAZING. It's the Capo Piquante with calabrese, chorizo, curried butternut squash, goat cheese, jalapeno, arugula and mushrooms. Oh, and a great selection of board games to play while you wait (it's mostly a take out place and there is a lot of action!).

Other locations that are not depicted and that are worth mentionning:
The Modern Bar Tender, where they sell a huge variety of bitters and syrups, but even better of herbs to make your own bitters for a fraction of the price. The great thing is that they have testers of every bitter for the clients to taste. 

A really cute consignment store called Hunter and Hare.

As for camping in the Great Vancouver Area, it is very limited. The only legit place to camp for free is in North Van by the Walmart in the street (not the parking lot). It's not the greatest neighborhood and it's not leveled, but it's free and only 2 km from the Seabus to Vancouver (Gastown). In Vancouver per se, forget it. We asked at the Costco in Langley if we could spend the night after shopping there and the manager said yes (always make sure to write down his/her name), but when we came back to the bus after less than an hour in the store, there had been an attempt to steal Mara's bike (a grab 'n go thing, but the thief didn't notice the big Shwab chain and the bike was hanging from it). So, we moved to an industrial area in Langley in front of the garage where we had an appointment for the Westfalia the next morning. It wasn't a great neighborhood, but JF had the good idea to switch the bike rack onto the bus, so the bikes would sit just behind our head as we slept. Late that night, as we had just fallen asleep, JF heard voices and opened the curtain to see 2 guys who literally had their faces in the bikes. That's when Stout heard them too and barked his powerful bark. It was pretty funny to see them scamper away like little boys!

So, like any big city, Vancouver is not camper friendly. The closest RV park is in Burnaby and charges over $50 per night. There is also this RV park that looks nice in North Van that would be closer to the Seabus to go visit Gastown. It's still probably your best bet for a safe quiet location to visit Vancouver.
 

Alice Lake Provincial Park and Squamish area, BC

The Coastal Forest is just magical... You cannot help but smile when you walk in it, feeling like pointy elf ears are gonna pop on your head or that wings will appear on your back. 

Alice Lake Provincial Park is a beautiful campground in that gorgeous forest. It's a popular family destination, so it's not unusual that the 108 sites are all reserved (and they don't have First Come First Serve sites). There are tons of beautiful hiking and mountain biking trails in the park and four lakes (only Alice lake is OK for swimming), but the hiking around Stump lake is beautiful. Dogs have to be kept on a leash everywhere and are not allowed on some trails and on the beach.