The Life of Brad: July 2016 - Getting Back on the Horse

July 2016 - Getting back on the horse at Stampede including a KISS concert!, Sailing and taking a good size Moto Trip in to BC were the main events of the month. Oh and let's not forget crazy storms and canadianisms.

Getting back on the Horse?...Bull...

Stampede 2016 - Ryan's annual Cowboy Cantina, Milky Chance concert at the Wild Horse, KISS at Fort Calgary and the Rodeo / Cowboys combo to round out the week. Every year I think this is the last year, "I'm getting to old for this", but every year I find a new groove and different way of looking at Stampede events. This year definitely tied in to concerts and truly was a good time.

Big thanks to Peter S and Ryan B for making it a Stampede to remember.

Elliot kicking it off at the Cantina with Blair's deadly
margarita. An ex-nhler was done after 4 of those!

Freak hail storms all July

Really good cover band at Rose

Huge Jenga at the Rose and Crown

Sticker collection, we all contributed

Bad drunk singing to "Stolen Dance" by Milky Chance at the Wild Horse Saloon (a parking lot 51 weeks of the year).

Milky Chance from Germany

Midweek Wednesday at Fort Calgary, free food and booze thanks to Pete's hook up. Thanks buddy!
Moist, The Cult and KISS (one of my top 5 bands of all time)

Just a quick moment of Pete and I having a good old time

Here we go!

The Cult "Love Removal Machine" - I especially love the dude to the left of camera head banging.

Ian Ashbury of the Cult

A quick review of the situation just before the headliners take the stage. I was surprised how few people knew or were there for KISS.

Oh yeah

"Ladies and Gentlemen,
Mr. Paul Stanley"

The Demon, who truly made the show even at 67 years old!

Breathing Fire!

Video of me walking to the front while "Beth" plays. I was actually in mid sentence when I heard the song begin and I just left everyone behind pulled to the music on stage. Very cool moment for me to forget my surroundings and just "go".

Best concert I have been to!

Final Friday Rodeo and Cowboys

Poncho Up to Cowboys??

My back alley washed out almost every day of Stampede

Three Amigos

Me, Art, Alex, Marcel, Jimbo, Ryan

Perfect seats as always

Me, Alex with a Cowboys backdrop

And he'll have no idea why his mouth tastes like feet
in the morning

Sailing at the Glenmore Reservoir. I mean if you're going to buy a boat instead of taking lessons then you better get your butt out on the water as much as possible. A condition of the sale was that the previous owner Manuel had to take us for a lesson or two. All Dale (the co-owner) and I needed was one lesson! Stormy August will be a good test...

Excited owner of a Siren 17. Waiting for the crew!

Manuel and Dale

Me and my boat sitting waiting to ship off.

First time backing up a trailer in my
life!

Good that the dock is plastic - bump, bump

Enjoying a sail with Manuel

This is not sailing weather! We just got in 5 min before this.

Big HAIL!

Road trip through British Columbia - Highway 1 there and Highway 3 back.

A 9 am start after sending off a moto rack that a Quebec guy bought to add to my trip funds, yeah. I originally bought the cases and rack fro $450, took the top case to Argentina and am using the side cases on my BC road trips. So I'm doing good after selling the rack for $220.

Great weather all the way to Eagle bay on Canada's Highway 1 that spans about 8000 km of the country from East to West (this being part of the last 1000 km to Vancouver). Only complaint was that gas prices in Golden are 30% more than anywhere else on the trip and of course Calgary. Let it be know DON'T GET GAS IN GOLDEN!

Hanging with the Dume...'s, Dol...'s and Brossy at Eagle Bay for a few days. Always a relaxing time.

First signs of the Rockies

I love these animal crossings

River side riding

Check out this speedway that goes over 100 kph. No way!

Passing Sicamous and the million house boats

Lake Shuswap

Arriving to a swimming party

Nice spot

Speedo Brad

Didn't take long to fall off the inflatable paddle board

Brent and I going for supplies
He's using a wake board helmet

Next stop was any place with an available camp site! - Summerland. A quick stop at the moto museum I always mean to stop in to at the Eagle Bay turn off. Oh $15 to enter, that's why I don't stop here, haha. Chase to Falkland back road C5R6T2V6 was great, little lakes and farms with a hard patch of gravel for 6km, easy. Falkland to Kelowna, Hwy 97 which is quick and scenic too all along the Okanagan Lake C3R8T3V6. No camping spots even at $45 a night for a piece of ground!

Luckily I stopped in to the Summerland Yacht club and was given the inside scoop on the campground. I got in with the maintenance crew and they hooked me up!

Curious

That's the way to go

I saw enough from here, haha

Classics

Chase to Falkland, great back road

Easy 6 km of packed gravel

Hwy 97 to Kelowna and
Summerland

Big timber industry and usually lots of summer fires too

Classic BC hitchhiking action
Good thing I'm not a cop

Where were these signs when I was growing up???

Nice little spot

Nice little spot too

Major tent apartment with microwave and fridge!

Morning swim in Summerland.

Chilly-ish

On to Christina Lake. Rode down through Penticton (had a quick coffee with my cousin Leonard) to Osoyoos, HOT! 34 degrees C. Usually the Hottest place in Canada with more vineyards than you know what to do with and Fruit stands! C3R7T3V6. Mountains and Valleys. Made it to Christina Lake for the night and a little dip in the water.

Damn, going to fast to stop!

great for a hot day

I hope they have a place to wash the juice off, squirt!

Desert Mountains similar to
California

Osoyoos in the valley below

A few good climbing curves

Irrigating fields

Not the best spot at Christina Lake, but when it's 34 C and a skip and a jump from my camp site this will do. BTW, it's supposed to be the warmest mountain fed lake, but I don't think that makes it warm...

Tight access

Big Day - Nelson, Ferry and Fernie. A little rainy to start, but I powered through and the day was magic after that.

I whipped along Hwy 3 and up to Nelson and the ferry on Hwy 6 to Creston on Hwy 3A. C4/5R7T4V7 - great roads, mountains and valleys and a ferry! For some reason I find the Cranbrook area a little boring, no idea why, but after that it's all river riding to Fernie. May be a little too much traffic. C3/5R7T5V7.

Tasty flat peach

Morning at Christina. Camping with a plug in!

Chau Christina

Columbia River

Stop in Nelson

Vegan Breakfast

What a spot

Boat garages, I want one

Along Kootenay Lake

The guy on my right is actually
a big deal adventure skier that
has done it all including skiing
in a Volcano in NZ!

Nice couple from Kindersley

That's the other big ferry

Crawford Bay and Hwy 3A

A bear crossing my path, pretty good to catch him on
camera while passing at 100 km/h!

Hwy 3A

Coming in to Creston

Love trains!

Stopped for a snack, What was advertised as LOCAL!
Was actually from Vancouver!

Good Old Cranbrook

I must have a 100 photos of this
for all the times I pass by.

Here we are

Nestled in the mountains

Final leg home. Fernie to Calgary. Hwy 3, 22 and 2. Some Rain and major storm clouds avoided in the windyish foothills. C3R7T2/3V5/6.

Could be a good day?

Or not, passing Sparwood Big Truck

Back to Alberta

Oh no

Shooting from the hip

Shooting under my jacket so I don't have to mess with zippers

A nice welcome home sky.

Other Stuff

Wine in a can, really...

Drying sails in the garage

Big Red mighty as always

This guy may have missed something when locking up?

Working away

Took a look to see if I have anything
of value...I don't

yikes in July

Scene from Grandtheft Auto
Calgary Edition

Any GI Joes worth anything... Not really
20 years later and you can get back what you paid for them.
What my mom paid for them. Kinda as good as my stocks!