Ok I wrote this a few days ago when I had no reception in the back country:

After stocking my body up on pizza, I headed off up the 4 km hill from Elkford. Having had nearly 2 weeks of sunshine, the sudden rain storm was an acceptable hardship but my feet and legs were immediately wet and cold. A herd of 15 to 20 elk crossed the road in front of me which lifted my spirits and I found a camp spot in a valley behind Fording River mountain, setting up my tent in the trees. I slept badly, the nearby cows had been active all night, and I woke up miserably fatigued. Cycling was hard but I made it to Sparwood after a couple of hours where I rewarded myself with large amounts of fast food before heading off again.

Instead of taking the direct way due south to the border crossing at Roosville via Fernie, my route heads further over to the east on dirt tracks clinging to the Great Dividing Range. adding another 60 km and significant elevation change through the mountain passes. Such is the entire route to Mexico that I will follow as it meanders through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. To adopt a cliche it’s very much the journey rather than the destination. Anyway the route I’m taking these few days includes a dirt track that follows the Flathead River; it’s described as ‘extremely remote’ and has been labelled ‘grizzly bear highway’.

I turned up at the small mining village of Corbin and was overjoyed when when some kind people let me stay in their cabin when I stopped to ask for directions (where I’m writing this before heading off into the remote unknown). Thank you so much Glenn, Cleo, Louise and Vicky for feeding and accommodating me.

Closeby is a coal mine that is over a hundred years old; the mountain has been slowly eroded as it is mined. I happened to arrive on a day that they’re filling a train that has up to 138 carriages. I’ll be able to hear them all night but I’ll sleep well because I have a bed and the cabin offers some protection from the bears.

The mountain that’s being mined.

Just by Fording River: a sign inhibiting hunting riddled with bullet holes

I will be trimming soon since people can barely see my mouth when they talk to me.

Breakfast of champions…

…in fine company.