1. I started this morning by driving west to Kootenai Bay, BC and at the ferry launching area turned south on Pilot Bay Road so I could hike up to the Pilot Bay Lighthouse and then hike the Pilot Bay Trail at the Pilot Bay Provincial Park. I got the hiking poles out of the Sube, adjusted them, and struck out on the forested and fairly easy lighthouse trail. I thrive on hiking under gray skies in cool air and the conditions this morning were flawless. When sunlight did break through, the cedar forest provided plenty of protection from the sun and the spots of light on the cedar branches created good subjects for pictures.
As I rounded a bend in the trail, the old lighthouse suddenly appeared through the cedars. Now I was happy the sun was breaking through. Kootenai Lake shimmered beneath the towering Selkirk range and the Kootenai Lake Ferry (which would cease running in the early afternoon) skimmed across the lake from Balfour.
I loved the views from the lighthouse's perch. Inside the lighthouse I climbed two very steep and narrow staircases and gazed out the windows at the lake at each level and took interior and exterior pictures. I returned outside, took in more of the lakescape, and headed back down the handsome trail where I encountered two men about my age who were out touring and had a fun chat with them about Idaho, the ferry work stoppage, and work stoppages we had experienced over the years in Europe and England.
2. I backtracked and drove to the parking lot of the Pilot Bay trailhead, once again got the hiking poles adjusted and firmed up, and hiked for ninety minutes or so through more of the cedars on the Pilot Bay Peninsula. A brochure I consulted described the trail as "more difficult". Fortunately, I found it not very difficult at all. Its pitches were never very long nor very steep. The track was a combination of well-packed dirt and rocks, similar to trails I'm used to hiking in Idaho. From time to time, there were gaps in the trees and views of Pilot Bay below opened up and so I got to enjoy both the sight of the forestland all around me and views of the water and mountains.
I didn't know what to expect on this trail. At one point, I came upon a juncture with a sign that said "Sawmill Bay" pointing toward the water. I had just made a descent to reach this spot and figured the water couldn't be too far away and that it might be fun to see if this trail led to a beach on Sawmill Bay.
It did.
The beach was spongy. It was as if I were walking on sawdust. This puzzled me, but I enjoyed it and found a log to sit on and stare out on the cove for a while. One motorboat drifted out on the waters. For a while, its engine was running, but at some point its operator cut the engine, restoring this cove's tranquility.
I returned to the main trail. I felt slight discomfort in my big toe and it was time for me to treat it with antibiotic cream again, so rather than hike any farther, I hiked back to the Sube. At the parking lot, about twenty yards away, a doe munched on foliage along the short road leading to the trailhead and stuck around long enough for me to snap a couple of pictures.
3. On my way to the lighthouse, I had stopped at a tiny place called Red's Bakery just outside Crawford Bay and ordered a flaky, fresh, and delicious chocolate croissant. I hadn't eaten anything since. I drove from Pilot Bay back to Soul Sanctum and treated my toe, fixed myself a cup of coffee, rested for a while, and decided if I grabbed a late afternoon bite to eat, I wouldn't need to eat again.
So, I returned to the NewKey's Pub, ordered a frosty pint mug of Kokanee beer and ordered a burger and fries. I was right about not needing to eat again. The burger was a half pounder, the fries were plentiful. While I ate my meal, Canadian Football League action was being broadcast in the pub. I hadn't watched CFL action for a long time and, within minutes, the differences between the CFL and the NFL came back to me. The CFL field and the end zone are bigger, giving players much more space to maneuver in. Offenses do not have to be set and so in the backfield there's a ton of motion and receivers can get a running start before the ball is snapped. In the USA, offensive teams have four downs to move the ball ten yards and retain possession. In the CFL, it's three downs.
This afternoon, I got to witness the climax of a phenomenal comeback as the Montreal Alouettes reeled off 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to edge out the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 38-37. The Alouettes had trailed 28-10 and 34-17 earlier in the game and had never won a game after trailing by so many points in franchise history. It was fun to watch former EWU and U of O quarterback, Vernon Adams lead the Alouettes to their historic win.
One Blue Bomber fan in the pub left the building. She was distraught and needed to retire to the deck for a cigarette and some time to recover. I believe her exact words as she left were, "I can't believe this s--t!"
I returned to Soul Sanctum and was in for the night. I watched an entertaining and upsetting documentary on the 2013 Biogenesis/Major League Baseball drug scandal on Netflix, relaxed with crossword puzzles, and called it a night.
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