Smithers, BC 470km

Once again we were on a heat beating schedule and were on the road in Quesnel before 7 am. We almost ended up spending a lot of time in that town! Just on the northern outskirts of town, morning traffic was heavy and we spied a cloud of dust ahead of us. Traffic ahead of us quickly stopped and put on 4way flashers. Obviously an accident. Luckily we were able thread our way past two logging trucks and enter the intersection. There was a person lying on the road being attended to and there were pieces of vehicle scattered about including a truck canopy upside down beside a pickup truck.  Knowing full well they would shut the highway down at the first opportunity we carefully proceeded through the obstacle course of debris and rode away. Sometimes there are definite advantages to motorcycling. From the net:

Highway 97 is blocked in both directions in Quesnel. (Cassidy Dankochik Photo - Quesnel Cariboo Observer)

UPDATE: Traffic is flowing once again along Highway 97 in Quesnel. The road had been closed in both directions as emergency crews tended to a multi-vehicle crash that sent at least one person to the hospital. The collision was on the top of a hill in the north of Quesnel, near Keis Avenue. Crews were called to the scene just before 7:00 a.m. on June 30.

After that near miss we travelled to Prince George and on to the Yellowhead Highway 16. To the visitor the towns along the way seem quite similar in appearance – usually situated near a body of water with an outer industrial area and perhaps a mill. They all have many logging trucks. In fact, at two locations on the highway there were signs stating “important intersection ahead” leading off to a forest service road.

Vanderhoof

Overall it is a pleasant ride with some beautiful wildflower displays on the roadside. We remember remarking on this last year. On our return trip we have to remember to stop just north of Houston and take some pictures. We will have extra time that day. Today it was particularly pleasant because the further we went the COOLER it got! We even encountered wet roads but missed getting rained on by a few minutes. We did see lightning in the distance. The bike recorded 22C as we entered Smithers. What a nice break from the heat! We see they are still suffering at home.

Typical Yellowhead highway view

Our goal has been to meet up with Norma’s brother Gerry and sister-in-law Dawn. They had arrived at the hotel just ahead of us. More on the reason for this encounter tomorrow.