West Kootenay Perfection

By Andrew McCabe, Nelson

The day after the big climb we started our day off in Castlegar where the mighty Columbia and Kootenay Rivers meet. Good food and a bit of rest were in order and we managed to get both the night before. The day started a little bit on the cool side but we quickly warmed up with a ride down to the local legion branch where we were met with a hot breakfast served by some of the Ladies Auxiliary members who accepted us with open arms and warm smiles. After filling up on breakfast we were back on our bikes and headed east toward Nelson, with a special stop along the way.

We took a slight detour up Highway 6 into Crescent Valley where we were met by members of the Crescent Valley Fire Department. The stop was a special one for us because it demonstrated the support that we receive through our partner agencies like Crescent Valley Fire Department. After a big send off with some enthusiastic cheering, we made our back up to Highway 3A and 6 toward Nelson.

We managed to make it into Nelson on time for Lunch. We were met at the Nelson City limits by our counterparts in the RCMP and the Nelson City Police. Both the RCMP and the Nelson City Police escorted us through town to the Nelson RCMP Detachment. We were met by friends and colleagues and a special young friend of the Cops For Kids family. A very courageous young man from a local Nelson School came out to greet us and share his story. It was awesome to hear how Cops For Kids had been able to assist him and to meet him face to face. Our work colleagues and friends at the Nelson RCMP Detachment hosted a fantastic lunch which fuelled our trip further east toward Balfour.

We left the detachment to another great send off and made our way down the North Shore toward Balfour. We couldn’t have asked for a better ride amongst some breathtaking scenery. On arrival in Balfour we were met by another family that had reached out to Cops For Kids Foundation. We were able to connect a bit and hear their stories which reminded everyone what the reason for the ride really was. It’s all about the kids.

Tonight we capped off with a wonderful dinner at Leo’s Pizza before a good rest at the Prestige Lakeside Resort. What a great day in the West Kootenay region.