Busy long weekend in Metro Vancouver

Well, since I blew the engine in my motorcycle I put my car on the road and took the kayak out today. I tried getting in to Alouette lake at Golden ears but couldn't get in. You need a day pass just to visit the park in the summer. That's stupid. The BC NDP suck. I went to the website and it said you have to book the pass two days in advance. I went there and they had a big line of cars checking passes so I turned around and went to Pitt Lake instead.

It's the Labour Day long week end and it is sunny and warm for a change as we get a last breath of summer. My daughter sent me a couple pictures of when we went to Alouette lake 5 years ago today and we got in no problem. It wasn't as nice weather. A little cooler and cloudier.

Parking at Pitt lake today was past the gate so I tried to find a place I could put in downstream. I went to the end of Harris road and put in there. The trail to the water looked dry but after the log in the path it was really muddy. I put in anyways and was sinking up to my ankles in mud. That spot is better for walking or bicycling along the dike. Just down the road is a better place you can put kayaks and paddle boards in a quiet tributary of Pitt River.

It's funny. Every year people have been saying it's time for you to get a new bike and every year I've been like, no, I'm going to get another year out of it. The new exhaust system I put on it was awesome and it felt like a new bike. It sounded amazing and it was a little peppier so I said I'm going to drive this till it drops. Well I did.

I put over 125,000 km on it and those were hard miles rain or snow. I've ridden full seasons for so many years now it's going to take an adjustment to going back to a car for the winter. I guess the bright side is that I'll be able to go snowshoeing this year in the fresh snow. I went a few times on my bike but usually when the sun came out and the road up the mountain was clear.

The first thing I noticed is that my car has shocks. My bike feels like a rigid frame. It has a shock in the front but not much in the back so when I go over potholes you really feel it. Pot holes on gravel roads during my road trip was really irritating. Driving my car over potholes in gravel is very different. You barely notice it. As I said, I think a Triumph Tiger adventure bike would be better for off road but I rather keep my bike for commuting to work. I like the feel of a rigid frame on smooth pavement. I guess driving full seasons in Alberta will be unrealistic. I'm OK up to minus 10 - 15 on the bike but colder than that and I think I'd tap out. Maybe in Alberta I'll buy a snowmobile.

I also like the idea of a snow bike or a Timbersled. I saw a video playing at the motorcycle dealer of a dirt bike with a snowmobile tread on the back and a ski on the front. They were going alpine in the deep snow and it looked amazing. I'd prefer a 4 stroke over a 2 stroke but that looks cool.