Eureka to Norbury Lake  62 miles, 

Altitude 2,820 ft.

Avg Speed 10.3mph 

Last night in Eureka we had the privilege of sleeping under the illumination of Eureka.  Apparently Eureka has an over abundance of electricity or they are crime ridden.  I don't really know but I do know that when ever I woke up during the night it looked like 6:00AM.  Let me tell you it wasn't 6:00 AM until 6:30AM.  After Jon made coffee (the best coffee in our camp)  we headed to the Canadian boarder.  A short 10 miles later we were sitting at a bar just yards from the Canadian boarder. 

The "First and Last Chance"  That was actually its name.  It was also a Casino so I believe that had some significance.  Today was a big day at the First and Last Chance Bar. This morning a bus load of tourist was scheduled to come rolling in at any time so the bar tender was getting ready.  He was empting the KENO and Video machines of their bounty from the day before.  So we bought a breakfast Mc Sausage micro waved it and stuffed it down with a Pepsi.  What a meal.  We are starting to eat better.  I'm not sure by who's standards.  I guess it is better than grubs and worms.

As we approached the boarder there was a traffic light that indicated when you could approach the guard.  It was red when we road up.  There hadn't been a car for hours but it was red. Once we stopped it turned green and Jon took off and  before I could get my feet on the peddles it turned red again.  I was confused if I approached now would I be violating some Canadian Anti Terriost Law?  If I waited they may ask me a question that Jon has already answered one way and I needed to know what he told them so I wouldn't contradict him landing us both in the jail.  It was so stressful that I bolted knowing that at any moment the Canadian Swat team would lower their automatic weapons and shoot out my tires.  It was a chance I had to take.  I made it; rolled up beside Jon's bike in the nick of time.  I don't think the guard saw me.  I think when he looked away I wasn't there then when he looked back I was.  He kind of gave me a double take as though I must have crawled out of Jon's trailer.  I never flinched an handed him my passport.  

After looking it over carefully he asked us if we had any weapons.  I forgot to tell him that I don't hear Canadian very well.  Evidently I speak it pretty well but interpreting it has me baffled. After a brief discussion as to what constituted a weapon he changed the subject.  Then he asked me if I had ever been arrested.  He seemed disappointed when we said no.  I apologized and he told me not to worry about it.  A lot of Americans haven't been arrested.  I got the felling that now that we were in Canada not being arrested would change for us.  It kind of made me nervous. There were a series of other questions that I have forgotten because I was still thinking about whether it would have been better if I had told him about the parking ticket I got in front of the Flying Star back in October when I stayed a little late on Wednesday morning.  Jon started answering for me and soon a car arrived at the stop light and the guard thought he needed to move us on.  So we left.

No sooner did we enter Canada that we were entering British Columbia.  The sign indicated that this was the best place on earth.  So I felt better.  We headed north hopping to find a restaurant that served more than Mc Sausages.  

Somewhere along the way was a trailer with a sign selling liquor and next to it was a trailer that sold burgers.  Not necessarily the case; the trailer that had the liquor sign had a lot of stuff including Gatorade, Energy Drinks, Cigarettes, Liquor, Spam, Pepperoni, etc.  I couldn't get anything made of beef because on the side of this establishment was a bull who kept watching me.

He was all alone with two horses.  What kind of fun was that for this bull.  He seemed quit interested in what I was eating and I made it clear that ham was the meat choice of the day.  He was skeptical but didn't raise a stink.  Figurely speaking.  

It seemed to be along day.  We missed a road, or turned on the wrong one.  Anyway we cut out two or three miles and ended up at an ice cream store.   I thought it was a good thing.  In fact I wasn't even aware of our problem until Jon started talking to another biker from Edmonton.  Between the two of them they figured out that Jon and I were lost.  It was so worrisome that I had to get me a double scoop of black cherry and chocolate ice cream and a cappuccino frosty.  Soon we were on the correct course and hoping to find that darn restaurant. 

I think I was  becoming delirious.  I actually thought I saw Jon trying to kick start his bicycle.

  Did we find a restaurant? This place had more on the menu than we could handle.    I had an Asian wrap (not featured in the picture).  Just kidding.  It was a great place to have a meal.  I would like to tell you what it's name is but I still need to polish up on my Canadian.  These ladies questioned our sanity and toasted what they conceived as no way to travel the roads of Canada. But off we go again.  High expectations we finally arrived in the heat of the day to Norbury Lake.  Our luck a group of triathlon participants are camped on our camp grounds.  We finally found a campsite and settled in.  Across the road was the lake and an older man was setting up buoys for the swimmers to go around until they reached a mile.  Then they could stand up on the ice and walk out.  I stuck my toe in the water and frost bite set in.  It was cooooooold.  Then they would grab a bike and ride 56 miles or Kilos and then run some recalculated distance.  Anyway Jon and I were several miles away before they got out of the lake and arrived at Fort Steele before 9:00 AM.

We saw Brendan from Adventure Cycling in Missoula at the campground in Norbury lake participating in the triathlon..