The top of Coquihalla

What a day, we started with the uncertainly of our first big climb , wondering how steep it would be ?, how would we handle it ?, would we be able to do it ?. All was answered on the slop of the mountain, we climbed and climbed, small groups and singles dotting the mountain road all climbing at their own pace for 21 kilometers !!, and then after what seemed like an eternity it was there “ the summit of Coquihalla “ and boy what a feeling of accomplishment it was , a personal best for most of us. All the way up we were pushed by a very chilly wind and the temp dropped to 10 degrees by the summit, I started with rain gear and took it off as I was sweating like crazy , twice I had to put it back on and then at the summit I bundled up again for the decent and what a rush that was , we went down and down forever, just flying happy to be over the top .

We stopped for a long lunch at a rest stop at the side of the Hwy and where teased with a bit of sunshine but just teased . Then after another breathtaking decent that we where warned about ( I got up to 66 km/h and was using my breaks occasionally !!! ) we turned off the Hwy onto a peaceful country road and for the last 40 km we where basked in sunshine and warmth , it was just wonderful as we weaved through the valley all of us giddy with accomplishment .

Today we camp in Merritt , a mill town. The change from Hope to here is startling , we went from lush forest to arid dry mountain country in just 112 km, I guess we will be seeing many changes as we cross this wonderful country. 

Two more birthday cakes today !!!, bean burritos and rice for dinner, and after dinner an introduction session where we all got up one by one to introduce ourself to the group. Tomorrow is a rest day , sleep in a bit , and laundry !!!! are top of the list of to does .

Total ridden today 112.8 - average 22.3 - riding time 5.03 

Merritt

Day 2 , more rain , but we don’t mind !

Rain was the key word today and last night . Woke up early as did most of us it seemed , we were all in bed by 10 last night!! , and all that was heard was the sound of snoring and trains with occasional rain.

A good breakfast of cereal and gorp followed by french toast was a great start to the morning , I was too full to have any porridge, after that the packing of the tent in the rain was a bit of a downer. 

And the rain followed us most of the day , us clad in rain gear were a mainly yellow snake weaving throw the valleys, catching glimpses of the mountains thick in clouds as we went by.

The terrain today was mostly flat riding with one exhilarating down hill of 11% !!! tricky as it was wet !!! , we moved a long at a good clip at times staying in the 30s for long stretches . Foto ops were scarce to start but a side trip to  Harrison Springs brought the  cameras out and a even better side trip along the Kettle Valley Road was and amazing experience of trees covered in thick moss , the roaring river alongside , the dark tunnels , and bridges over the roaring river just kept me snapping away, a very magical trail.

We celebrated Bobs birthday today with cake candles and all , after a very good vegetarian Shepherds Pie . We all are a bit apprehensive of tomorrows 21 km climb of 6% and 8% grades ,but thats tomorrow. Today was a good day and I am still feeling good .

Total ridden today 112.5 - average 21.5 - riding time 5.13

The real day 1 , east we go !!!

Here I am 8.40 PM sitting in my tent listening to a couple of guitars being strummed and the conversations of my fellow travelers, I am content. 

The first day of the tour proper was a good day even though it rained for most of it. We started early 7AM breakfast ( most of us there by 6.30 !! ) Bud marshaling us to the Totem poles park for the group picture and from there we were off maps in our pouches eager for adventure , a bit anxious as to what lay ahead , but as the day went on the anxiety left and we just road enjoying the road , bike trails , old neighborhood and even busy highways , we crossed big bridges , rode parallel to big rivers and even at time caught glimpses of those elusive big mountains that surrounded us but that were covered in rainy mist . We rode in big and small groups , lots of camaraderie , laughter , sharing an grand adventure . We stopped at an amazing country market that one of the riders recommended and I had the most delicious toasted smoked salmon sandwich !!!, eating seems to be a big part of this trip. To illustrate please look at what we had for dinner today : fresh trout , um um good !!!

And now I sit here surrounded by 40 other tents on the side of a trout pond readying myself to go to bed , it’s been a good day and I think it’s just the start of many good days . 

Total ridden today 87.5 - average 20.2 - riding time 4.19 

Day 4 , Orientation Day.

Today was orientation day , time to sit and listen to good advice and pointers on how to make this trip enjoyable and safe along with the instructions on how to cook etc... 

We were split up into 6 galley crews , I am on #5 and my position is “Breakfast Chef” sounds good , eh !!!, we are 6 people on our crew and it was up to us to decide what responsibilities we wanted , since I like getting up early I became the breakfast chef , it will be interesting putting out food for 40 hungry cyclist !!!

The first meal was cooked for dinner , a very nice green salad and spaghetti with a tomato sauce , fresh bread and even parmigiana cheese , we eat it all !!!!

We also got assigned our area on the truck and packed it with our belongings , luckily all my stuff fits in the cubby hole !!!.

I am slowly getting to know the names of my fellow travelers , as there are 40 of us , but so far it is a very likable group , lots of humor , camaraderie developing , we all have a one big thing in common : were going to cycle across Canada !!!!

So thats it for day 4 , tomorrow the real trip starts as we head towards the mountains.

Day 3 , the return to Vancouver

Even though quiet time at the hostel was from 11PM to 7AM we were all up way before then , a lot of us still on eastern time and then just sheer excitement to get going, the down side to an early rising was that we had to wait for breakfast as Willies Bakery didn’t open till 7 , but it was worth the wait !!!

We then made our way down to the Mile 0 marker for a group picture, a few Vets of past ride were there along with friends and families of some of the riders so it was quite a group of people . And once again we were favored buy beautiful sunny weather with just a touch of coolness, and as the day progressed it got nice and comfortably warm.

From Mile 0 it was a short 4 km ride along the coast to a suitable beach to dunk the tire and once again take more pictures , a few of us even walking into the water holding our bikes up ( mine being so heavy that I hurt my wrist !!!, but it was fun )

Once all the picture were taken we had a nice long ride following the cost back to the ferry. The houses along the southern coast were just amazing with immaculate lawns and colorful gardens ( probably quite expensive !!) .We ended up splitting into groups, I stopped to take a picture of an eagle I spotted in some trees on a cliff overhanging the water and ended up ridding last with Len a veteran of a past ride who was an excellent guide back to the ferry. 

After that it was a bit of a wait as we missed the 11 o'clock sailing and had to catch the 12 o'clock ( only 2 of the group managed the early one )  The rest of the ride back was not as pleasurable as the way out as the traffic was intense in places and we ended up with over an hour wait for the bike shuttle , and we experienced our first flat of the ride which I am sure will not be the last ,but all in all a very good day .

Total traveled today 94.9 km

Trip total: 170.4

Day 2, just wonderful !!

The morning started with breakfast at the Student Union building , were a great buffet spread ( am eating a lot and haven't biked much jet !!!) then as we walked back to the dorm it started to rain a bit , which brought on the debate of weather to unpack the rain gear , I decided not to and as luck would have it that was the last rain we saw. It turned into a beautiful sunny day and the surroundings were just mesmerizing , it is so different here , might have to convince Evelyn to move out here one day !!!.

Seventeen of us headed out for the optional” Mile 0 ride “, we slowly left the mountains behind heading for the ferry at Twawwassen , first having to take a bike shuttle to get through the tunnel that runs under the Fraser River, only 9 at a time can go so it took 2 trips to get us all across. It is very civilized her in so far as biking goes , bike lanes everywhere and cars respecting you on the road,quite a change from home. Once on the ferry we eat again !!!!, and it was a very good lunch !!!, the scenery aging just beautiful as we navigated through the islands .

We put in at Swartz Bay , once again enjoying a change in scenery on Victoria Island which is a very peaceful  and relaxed place, we travel down the Lochside Trail a converted railway bed which is a mix of pavement with some smooth gravel sections , even wood chips on part of it for the horse traffic. We saw tame deer in the subdivisions walking onto the road with no fear. and when I say subdivision well it’s such a mix of housing and nature that you really don't know your in an urban area. It was a very enjoyable trip and I felt so amazingly relaxed and a peace just soaking it all in all the way to Victoria were we ended up at our hostel right in down town , bunking in a communal room in bunk beds !!!. 

Dinner was at a chinese restaurant called Don Mee’s and it was excellent , the food just kept on coming and we just kept on eating !!!! . After that a few of us went out to walk around enjoying some out door buskers entertaining on the harbor front , seeing the parliament building and a very old pine tree planted late 1800. It got pretty chilly then so we headed back to the hostel to bunk out for the night. A great day !!!

Traveled 75.5 km today.

My first bear encounter of the trip

I’m here !!!

I’m here and I’m relaxed, ready to start the adventure . 

It was an early start to the day 4.30 alarm , poor Evelyn having to take me to the airport that early, and emotional as it’s hard to say bye and leave for so long, I already miss her. 

At the airport I managed to get my oversized box and overweight bag throw without paying extra !!! and did’t have to open either as they were scanned.

The flight was five hour long smooth sailing apart from few pot holes near Thunder Bay. My bike box look quite battered when I fetched it increasing my stress level quite a bit , so once I got to the University and lugged it and the overweight bag up to the 3rd floor ( no elevator !! ). I immediately started unpacking it and putting it together, an operation that went amazingly well , then a quick change into biking cloths and off for the test ride in the parking lot. Some break adjustments were needed and more air in the tiers as I forgot I let some out for the trip, and then off I went for a spin, and well what can I say, it’s just beautiful here !! so green and everything is in bloom I just wanted to ride and ride and as a bonus it was sunny and warm !!! But I stopped at 11 km , I had no water and I was getting hungry so after a quick change and meeting up with a fellow rider we tracked down a very nice restaurant called “The Point Grill” and had a very nice late lunch, followed by a walk around the campus, this place is huge and the scenery is amazing , mountains in the distance with water at there feet , old forest growth mixed with a sprawling campus that fit together just perfectly. 

We did a side trip to see the Blue Whale skeleton thats was brought from PEI and is on display here, unfortunately not open to the public just yet but still quite awesome to see even through glass.

Meet more fellow riders ( it’s starting to get difficult remembering names !!) , a very nice mix of people !! , it’s going to be a good ride. Later a group of 10 of us ended up having dinner together at “the Point Grill “exchanging all kind of biking stories .

And now I’m tiered and quite happy with how the adventure has started so I’m going to bed if I can clear the bed of all the stuff piled on it , it’s a small room here and I have stuff everywhere !!!!!

Tomorrow is a 9 AM start riding out to Victoria and back the next day , I don’t think I’ll be able to Blog tomorrow so Friday I’ll update you with all the details of the trip.

It just started to rain , good timing !!, I’m off to bed !!!