Cheryl at Nicolum River (Hope)

This is a really beautiful campground. We are perched just up off a running stream (the Nicolum river). It is a pretty cold stream - I know because that was where I bathed today! There is so much moss and other plant life here, it makes you wonder if it ever gets dry. It is also very gloomy weather. It has been dark all day, almost like dusk. It has also been on and off light rain for good parts of the day, making it difficult to get properly suited up to ride, especially since it is also quite cool. Tomorrow, at least I will be climbing uphill (for the first while anyway) so I won't have to worry about getting cold!

We saw three hippies today. They looked genuine. We also saw them at the ferry terminal. They spotted the van and asked us back at the ferries if we were going to "just the other side of Vancouver." Today, I passed them on the highway (they were walking), and 10 minutes or so later they walked in to the campground. We were still trying to decide what we were going to do. They asked if we were going to Princeton, but they're going on to Nelson, probably from one of the gulf islands. Definitely genuine. As 2 of them went down to the white water stream to see if they could "spear a fish" (more likely club one, since all they were carrying were some walking sticks), we talked to the 3rd and gave him 3 granola bars.

We were finished dinner and washed dishes by 6:30. Should be an early night. It feels later because it's so dark!