Fast food

If one selects Highway 20 you quickly realize that eating during the trip will require some flexibility and some transformation. You have few options in between stops, which is why you have "snack food" and hydration options packed in an accessible location.

Being a long weekend there was no guarantee places would be open to have a sit down meal. One of the options I had prepared in my mind was cooking food on the go. I was looking forward to the hill and using my bikes engine heat to cook a meal. I stopped in Alexis creek and picked up a couple of burritos (unfortunately the only ones I could find were frozen).

Lets talk about "the hill" for a few moments ...

The song by the Wingdam Ramblers explains the history

Bella Coola Hill

Murray Boal

I'm a gonna tell you a story About a road you’re gonna drive down. Through the coast range mountains Pacific Ocean bound From the west Chilcotin It’s a long way down the Bella Coola Hill. Long before the sailing ships And the white folks settled here. There was a trail up into the jack pine They been walking for a thousand year. Gonna keep on walking It’s a long way down the Bella Coola Hill It’s a long way down     The road is a’steep and narrow     Cuts down a mountain side     On the road to Bella Coola     Are you ready for a wild ride.     It’s a long way down Back in the 1950’s There wasn’t a road down the hill. And the people in the valley say We want to get one built. But the government say, there aint no way Cause it’s a long way down the Bella Coola Hill It’s a long way down The people got together And they bought a D-6 Cat. And they built that road on there own You never seen nothing like that Such a will and determination It’s a long ways down the Bella Coola Hill It’s a long way down     CH twice

The gravel section of the road drops fifteen hundred metres in twenty kilometres.  This is the main transportation route and includes all forms of vehicles from RV's and B train semi's to motorcycles. Just remember up hill traffic has the right of way.

Back to the cooking lesson.

The first step in cooking is removing the packaging and finding a place on the bike that is hot, but not too dirty. One out of two points covered.

Half way down the hill, flip ...

and then find a pull off and eat. The taste of perfection.

Eat while enjoying the view.

If you want to see a more detailed video click the link below and start at 45 minutes.

Start at the 45 minute mark of this video to get a glimpse of what I saw that day.