From Smithers to Mouse Mountain

We arrived at Lady Kathryn Elementary School in Smithers BC just after lunch time. The school was easy to find since it is right along the highway on the west side of Smithers. My memory tells me this is the school that the teacher requested we add a bit to our presentation about bicycle safety. Since we were very cautious while travelling on the highway this was a good fit and we continued to talk about bicycle safety for the rest of the tour.

The school presentations were something I looked forward to each day. I think Alan and Helen did too!

Every presentation was about 25 minutes long and during that time we would read stories and poems, talk about being safe and ask them about sounds they might hear while travelling along the highway. Then we would act out Robert Munsch's book "ZOOM" This story is about a girl in a wheelchair who needs a new wheel chair and how she goes about getting a new wheelchair. We enjoyed acting it out and hope you enjoy listening to the master himself reading it to you.

After our presentation we got on our bikes and proceeded down the highway to our overnight stop. Somewhere along this stretch of highway was "Hungry Hill" known by the locals for its long slow gradual climb. I think this is the hill that Alan was racing a semi truck up the hill. Near the top of the hill Alan was going 8km per hour and the truck crept pass him at an blinding speed of 10km per hour. Perhaps if Alan had one more banana at lunch he would have be able to pass the truck!

We ended up in Topley BC at the Whispering Pines Motel. No campground close "moteling it" was the next option - one that I was OK with but the pure campers in our team would have been quite happy to sleep in a field but the lure of a hot and cold running shower was enough to get then inside for the night.

The next morning it was foggy and not safe to journey down the highway with logging trucks passing by. However within 90 minutes the sun was shining and Alan took off down the road.

Meanwhile Helen and I made a surprise visit to the Topley Elementary School. The school is just 100 metres down the highway from the motel and we had an extra autographed Munsch Book. Oh yea - I forgot to mention - at each school we had an autographed Robert Munsch book to give the students. We also gave the teachers a cool resource book that Ruth Ford had acquired for us. I went and asked the principal if we could do the presentation and within 45 minutes we were in the gym talking to the entire student body; all 45 kids!

Back in the van to catch up with Alan and continue with the bike relay and we were getting excited about our next school stop - Mouse Mountain in Fraser Lake. This is the school we added when Lilly asked us to come to her school. When we said we were able to come to her school we also asked if she could tell us the story about how their school got the name Mouse Mountain. We were in for a TREAT!

After we did our presentation, Connie Sutherland a elder with the Carrier First Nation told the student s the legend of Mouse Mountain. This tale is a good as any Grimm's Brothers fairy tale I have heard WOW!


We also received a furry mouse plush toy that is a school mascot and I think it may soon be near Alan's grandson, Sach, when he snuggles in for the night.