Sunday, April 29, 2007

Paradise Valley (Squamish area, British Columbia)


I decided to have a ride today so I inflated the front tire and hit the road. Just ride around a little and then got to the gravel road that once got closed to it when I was goin' to landfill. It's called Paradise Valley. It was an easy ride at the beginning, wide road, quite. Then it got narrower and narrower and then sloped up. I got somewhere that it was so rocky and I had to climb up with my bike on shoulder. I went up and up and seemed there's no end. There were no one around but I saw a few SUVs parked so it proved that people come up here to enjoy the beautiful nature. That's the only vehicle could be driven here.
The interesting thing is I saw many properties on my way and the road was so scenic with the river at my left and the railroad at top right. I didn't have my camera on me but that was a good experience and will take it in the second ride.
Anyhow after minutes of climbing up, I faced slope down and there was a beautiful lake and few people around, some fishing. I talked with a local guy who indicated that he had been there for more than 25 years. He was fishing and he said that he didn't see as many as fish as he used to. He showed me the way and said that it would take about 15 minutes to come down the lake and then should be double that time goin' up to the highway specially because I have to carry my bike.
Then I continued on the bike and in a minute there was a two-way. I said Hi to a few big Canadian guys and asked them the way. The told me that I should have taken the road ahead because that's not too much of up hill but I preferred to take the road they were coming from because sounded closer to me.
I put the bicycle on my shoulder and started going up and up. After a few minutes that I reached up and there was a very beautiful scene. You could see all the valley covered with trees and snow caped mountains and I continued after that. I went and went with my bike on my shoulder all the time and I was scared that might not be able to make it on time and get lost in jungle. So I decided to go back all the way to the lake and take the same road. As soon as I turned back, I saw a motorcyclist coming up. I asked him, or better to say yelled at him to ask the way to the highway but he didn't hear me because of the bike's noise or pretended that he didn't. Then I decided to just take the same road he took and that finally got me to the highway. That was very beautiful as well and all through the jungle.
As soon as I hit the road and after probably not more than half a mile, I hit something and shit! I heard the air going out! I climbed down and start walking. I had no idea how far I am from Squamish and was going to walk the bike all the way home. I didn't try hitchhiking because I though people wouldn't take me. Everyone was goin' home after a day of fun in Whistler and were driving really fast in Highway 99. Beside why would they pick up a guy with dark hair? But I was wrong! In a moment I turned my neck back and an small two-door SUV with two passenger pulled over! As I said before these people, Canadians, they are mostly unbelievable people: Kind, friendly, helpful, etc. Don, who later told me is a high school teacher, with his French friend (from France not Quebec), picked me up! We first stayed in a Starbucks, joined a few other guys, their friends and they took me all the way home. So the nice ride in a nice sunny day, after two days of pouring didn`t end in disaster. Don showed his interest in travelling to Iran and climbing one of the mountains in north, the Alborz and I said I would take him. He has a plan for Christmas of `09 but who knows May be we go together.
Anyhow that was a good ride and as I said I would repeat it, well-equipped and then once will go all the way to Whistler.
(Photo: This amazing portrait is taken by the French guy, Pascal, right after they pushed me in the car and gave me the bike's frame!)

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