This is how our weekend in Kimberly, BC started. We were riding a beautiful paved rail trail up to this small mountain town. A guy on a road bike said hello and passed us. Then maybe 15 minutes later the same guy came back, introduced himself as Lenny and apologized for not being hospitable before, and invited us over to his house for beers and to ask us more about our trip. There, we met his wife Delia, and learned that Kimberly Summerfest was starting that afternoon and continued through the weekend. We were intrigued.
Then Travis heard back from our Wam Showers host Cailin, who was out of town that night but she still invited us to stay in her yard and use her hot tub. DEAL. When we got over to her house, her neighbor Mark popped up over the fence and invited us over for a glass of wine, which then turned into dinner where we ate REAL FOOD. Salmon and coleslaw and tomato salad, Thai-style pumpkin and raspberry rhubarb pie. We couldn't help it. Kimberly's hospitality reeled us in, and we had to stay for another day.
The next day we indulged in coffee and pastries from the local bakery at the pedestrian-only downtown. I found a present for my friend Danielle's birthday, and then we caved to our foodie tendencies and bought lunch supplies from the local food grocery. I can't tell you how good a ham sandwich with tomatoes and spinach on fresh sourdough is after days of dry peanut butter and jellies.
Mark played host and took us on a little hike up the ski "hill", where we were again smoked hiking uphill.
Then the real party started. Summerfest's highlight event is the Canadian National Bocci Championship, which should really be called Western Canada's Best Excuse to Dress in Costumes, Get Drunk and Play Lawn Games Tournament. Apparently everyone who has moved away from Kimberly returns home this weekend, forms a team with their buds, comes up with a silly name and costume and then get wasted together. I heard so many good stories. Like there is a team of women called the Dirty Habits who have dressed as nuns for the past 15 years handing out cards that say "Jesus Loves You" on one side, and "But Everyone Else Thinks You're a Jerk" on the other. A local girl named Laura said this is the one weekend she sees her high school teachers, dentist, and mailman totally tanked together. Laura's father said when she was growing up he specifically left town this weekend so he wouldn't have to witness what she and her friends were getting into.
Our favorite team was Ballwatch.
The cannibal team was a close second.
Also I would like to mention that there was an exceptionally high percentage of attractive dudes at this Bacci tournament, and they were all wearing extremely short shorts dressed as sexy construction workers, sexy cowboys, sexy Where's Waldos, sexy bumblebees, sexy EVERYTHING. It was overwhelming. Is it that boys on the East Coast are drinking beer and hanging out at bars watching bands, but all these mountain boys are drinking beer and then going rock climbing the next morning? Someone please explain this. Sorry, I did not take any stealth pictures, you will just have to use your imagination.
We finally tore ourselves away from the Bocci action and finally met our host Cailin. She and her partner completed the Great Divide mountain bike trail that runs from Alberta to New Mexico, which only gave Travis more inspiration to convince me to agree to attempting that route someday. Then, not only did Cailin offer her us her guest room, but she also cooked us breakfast in the morning. I'm telling you, there something that made people in Kimberly extremely friendly. Thank you for showing us the best parts of your town!