And today I did ...
(and it was close enough that I didn't need to use the zoom !!)
(these two used a very slight zoom)
The road stretching to infinity:
An abandoned house:
The Church at Olha:
Another look at the Church at Olha:
The Centennial Marker for the Ukrainian Settlement near Olha:
The Mass Grave from a Scarlett Fever out break that claimed 45 lives:
On a quiet hill, a place of deep memory:
...
If I could find a way to be paid 
And so, I began pedalling at about 2pm ...
I took only one brief stop for water and an apple during my 35 minute trek to Whitewater:
After a fifteen minutes exploration of Whitewater (the pictures are below), I hopped back on my bike and pedalled another 20 minutes west towards Gunn Lake ...
By my reckoning, the total distance out was at the minimum 16 kms (9 miles). I stopped, had some cheese, an apple, a BIG drink of water, a granola bar and began pedalling back ... the entire trip took three hours, with over 2 1/2 hours spend pedalling ...
Back at the car, I enjoyed my lunch:
Water, chocolate, an organic peanut butter granola bar and a few pieces of Shluq (shh-luck), which is dried smoked salmon - a specialty of the Nuxalkmc of Bella Coola, and the last of my cheese (I wolfed back the cheese before I took the picture - I was hungry and it tasted GREAT!!). It was all things considered, a lunch fit for a King !!!
I first spotted a flash of orange on a distant hill ... then shortly thereafter, I pedalled past a small patch of bright orange lilies ... I HAD TO STOP and enjoy their beauty ... they along with the red Indian Paintbrush and the rich yellows, whites, pinks and purples of the other wild flowers made the bike trek extra special today!!!
A highlight is to tromp through the brush towards the river that flows out of Whitewater and find nestled beneath a grove of spruce trees the dug-out canoe where it was left over 60 years ago by its creator when he was sent home at the end of the war:
The 10 kms bike ride in is beautiful ... the setting is gorgeous ... but with each step over the site, I feel the richness of history ... and if I sit and listen I can hear the whispered echoes of the men who called this place "home" far from the battles that brought them here, and far from their families who missed them ... It's a powerful place with an interesting history ... one I want to learn more about ...
For now, I'm happy to pedal in once in awhile for a visit ... and to walk through the grass meadows that once housed strangers in a strange land, waiting for the end of a horrific war ... in this time of peace, Whitewater reminds us of the power of new beginnings and fresh starts ...
Forty Years ago today, at the age of 40,
Today,
in the 40th year of the infant son he left behind,
That son begins a NEW chapter,
he crosses his Jordan River from the wilderness
that for too long he wandered in ...
... things won't suddenly be 'ALL BETTER',
but today he stops being a
doormat for both 'friends' and family,
today he straightens his back,
stands upright,
Today he will begin to live aware and present
to the wonders of THIS MOMENT.
Today that infant son, now grown,
becomes present to THE NOW
that exists around him
and instead of spinning stories,
focuses on the facts and the truth.
Today is a new day ...
... the journey in the wilderness has ended !!
The journey into the Promised Land has BEGUN!!
I stopped for a drink of water and the first of my snacks after about 35 minutes before continuing on to the Central Trail Junction:
Half an Hour later, I stopped again to drink more water, dig some mud out of my gears, and rest a bit before continuing on to the Central Trail:
After the mud and the boggy bits and the uneven surface of the Grasshopper Valley Trail, the flat gravelled surface of the Central Trail was a dream ... I practically FLEW along the trail back to the car:
Can you see why I LOVE biking into the heart of Riding Mountain National Park??
My tired, muddy legs after approximately 22 kilometres of very intense wilderness biking:
I think I'll go back tomorrow !!!
