British Columbia: Weird and Wild Canada
I always suspected the modern metropolitan Vancouver, where I’ve lived for almost a decade, is hardly a complete representation of Canada. When I got my hands on a 2025 Honda NT1100, a touring motorcycle made for long distances, I was determined to explore the country further. The summer riding window was going to close soon in the north, so I headed there first.
In the forested mountains along the Trans Canada Highway just north of Hope, signs advertising panning equipment for sale hinted that the gold rush wasn’t quite over. Then the pines gave way to bone-dry grass, with only the irrigated crops on the farms along the Fraser River being a lively green. Horses roamed between rusty trucks from yesteryear.
Suddenly, a bear and her cub bounced down the bank, crossing the road in front of me, and scurrying off into the dry brush without so much as turning their heads. Although I was elated to see them, I was also alarmed. There seemed to be little food for them around here, and I was not keen on hungry neighbors.
With the sun fast approaching the horizon, it was time to find a camping spot. Between Lytton and Lillooet, the land is either too steep or marked as private, so I couldn’t be picky. An overgrown road to an abandoned building serving as an illegal dump would have to do for the night.
I hung my food up high between two trees and kept the bear spray handy. Yet, I didn’t sleep much, jumping at every rustle in the bushes.
Motorcycle & Gear
2025 Honda NT1100
Helmet: AGV K6
Jacket: Adventure Spec Super Shirt 1.0
Pants: LS2 Chart Evo Waterproof Ladies
Boots: Forma ADV Tourer Lady Dry
Gloves: Spirit Motors Leather 3-season Gloves
Luggage: Adventure Spec Magadan MK3 Soft Panniers
‘Prepare to Meet God’
At first light, I gave up on sleep, retrieved my coffee from the trees, and packed up my tent. The morning sun doused the waking valleys in a gentle haze, evaporating the night’s dew over Lillooet's quiet vineyards.
I swung the bike over the hills around tight bends, sharing the gorge with the river and a train track. By lunchtime, the road straightened out and dark clouds moved in, mocking the industriously busy sprinklers throwing water on fields and pastures.
