Across Continents

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Moody waters

October 19th, 2011

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Ominous signs over Lac la Hache, British Columbia

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Lakes Country

October 17th, 2011

Lakes Country from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.

Ken stops for a short break in Lakes Country…

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Through Lakes Country

October 17th, 2011

Fort Fraser, she explained, had a population of over three thousand in the early 1900s. Railroad you see. But today, just a few hundred. I’d reached Fraser Lake late in the afternoon, making a short stop at the information centre to see what I could glean about the road ahead. I was sure the lady was trying to be helpful, but her knowledge seemed mostly historic.

Burns Lake had been uninspiring and I’d been glad to leave. Continuing east towards Prince George, a couple of days away. A few lakes along the highway, as might befit the Lakes Country. Pleasant woodlands. In the morning I’d met Russell and his fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses at a rest stop.

Then, as I’d pulled away, Simon and Clint. I’d done some filming with them for Tourism British Columbia a few days earlier. Heading back east as floods had taken out bridges and thwarted their plans.

There’d been little on the road between Burns Lake and Fraser Lake, bar a small pub at Endako. Inside a couple of women enjoying a late lunch. An elderly man wandered in. Regular I thought. Bar maid served him without asking what he wanted.

I’d been greeted into Fraser Lake by a wedding procession. Cars and trucks, led by the newlyweds, heading out of town, cacophony of horns. Two women wandering towards me along the shoulder, oblivious to my approach until I’d almost reached them. One smiled.

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Highway of Tears

October 16th, 2011

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Route 16. From Prince Rupert east across Canada. Also known as the Highway of Tears. No hitch-hiking say the signs. And probably for good reason. For, over the years, quite a few people have disappeared, last seen thought trying to thumb a lift. In one shop window I’d found a fading poster, a montage of the missing. Lost souls dating back almost a quarter of a century.

A young woman had recently disappeared south of the highway. Tragic coincidence or part of a pattern? Hard – almost impossible – to say. Perhaps the only connection was the road – ostensibly a single route east, settlements strung along its length – such that over the years the missing appeared to be linked, even if this wasn’t actually the case. The alternative – that they were – quite unpalatable.

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Arousals

October 16th, 2011

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In the finest traditions of the now defunct "News of the World", only my curiosity had been aroused. Spotting the sign beside the highway south of Smithers, British Columbia, it was time to investigate….

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Behind the camera

October 15th, 2011

Behind the camera from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.

Ken bumps into Simon and Clint, putting together a video or two for Tourism British Columbia TourismBC – and is invited to do some pieces-to-camera. Enjoy some excepts, courtesy of Gladys and Ken’s own video camera…

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Access denied

October 15th, 2011

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I’ll admit to soon terrible humour, the odd poke at the Germans. And the French. Naturalment. But surely not enough for the website to get blacklisted. But I wasn’t alone in being blocked. BBC, Flikr, YouTube and a host of other reputable sites.

To be fair, it was just the feed from my Vimeo video hosting page that was being withheld. But enough interference to make the "Great Firewall of China" look like the Maginot Line…. Oops, there we go again… French and the Germans… Still, bit of a surprise in British Columbia.

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Looking out for the beavers

October 15th, 2011

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Never mind the bears. Judging by the size of their efforts at dam building, I’d be more concerned about the beavers… Moricetown Canyon, British Columbia

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Moricetown Canyon

October 15th, 2011

Moricetown Canyon from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.

Ken discovers the Moricetown Canyon. Pretty impressive, especially the beavers presumably responsible….

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Bridge of fears

October 14th, 2011

Bridge of fears from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.

Ken returns to the bridge he’d crossed over the previous day. Horrified to discover, when he’d by chance looked down as he’d ridden over, to be able to see into the depths of the gorge below…

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