I’ve been working some long days up in the Peace Country doing census work.  I have been out on the road for as much as twelve hours each day, lots of driving, and then coming back to the hotel to do paperwork. It’ll be some good honest money when I’m done, but man am I tired.

Except on Friday I finished early. 

I wasn’t done, but I had hit this natural stopping point and only had enough work that I would be definitely done in one more day, but not done Friday night if I kept going. It makes sense, but it also was a kind of “tonight would be a good night for an evening off” kind of opportunity.

So I drove back to Peace River from my delivery zone and slipped on my shoes and went for a walk.

The Route

Peace River is a town in a river valley. I am staying in a hotel at the top of the hill. Downtown (and the river, obviously) are in the valley. I set off with the plan of having my supper downtown.

I found a little trail leading a winding path down to the bridge (which had a footbridge suspended underneath, luckily). There are three bridges in Peace River: one is a train bridge, one is under refurbishment and closed to everything and everyone, and one is a modern road bridge with a suspended pedestrian trail. They are lined up three side by side and if you want to cross the river in any other way you’re gonna need a boat.

The Effort

I walked 10.65km in 2:19. The hill down was nice. The climb back to my hotel after dinner was scenic, but exhausting. 

If I’m counting right that puts me at 76.4 km in about nineteen and half hours of walking, right? I’ll double check that before I post, perhaps. It’s been a long week up here.

The Highlight

It’s an odd sort of coincidence that about a year ago the Peace Country tourism instagram account started following me. I followed back, doubting that I would have ever had a real excuse to drive six hours to get up here. In other words, I’ve been seeing pictures of this place in my feed for nearly a year now—and then suddenly I was here, and walking around in it.

I’ve been out in the countryside handing out census cards all week, doing some work to help keep the wheels of our democracy turning. I’ve seen a lot of the place, logging literal thousands of klicks in my little rental car, much of it on backcountry roads and long stretches of open highway.

I like walking through places, tho. It is not only grounding, but the pace of it makes it so much more real—particularly when all one really knows about it is from photos and social media feeds.

Now it’s etched into my fifty walks list forever.