Day 56: Friendly weather

After about a week of calm, clear, hot days, I was a bit surprised to wake up to a cloudy, breezy morning. And the wind was coming from the east... I know what that means! Rain. But a nice change from crazily hot anyway. 

I didn't get up until 5.30 but was packed and riding to breakfast by 6am. A delicious bagel and fruit smoothie in an independent cafe (I love BC) and back on the road.

The road out of town was very steep but turned into a more gradual uphill after five kilometres or so. The clouds went from white to grey and I heard a gentle rumble of thunder to the north. I was sheltered from the wind so the air was still. The forest was dense and the road was a narrow channel through the dark green trees. I was a bit nervous about going up the mountain, not knowing what the weather would be like, and the traffic was zooming past, trucks and all! 

I peered into the forest, thinking about the wonders and horrors that might be hidden in the trees. And I calmed my nerved and settled into a rhythm, peddling my way slowly and peacefully uphill under cool, darkening skies for a few hours before it started to rain. It wasn't too bad at first, just a drizzle. But when it actually started to rain, the road spray was unpleasant and I was worried about how invisible I might be.

Finally I made it to a rest stop at around 1200m elevation. A guy in a camper gave me a friendly wave as I rode into the site and parked under a shelter. As soon as I stopped and took off my soggy waterproof jacket, I was chilly. I stood about eating some banana bread and the camper came over for a chat. Robin invited me into his trailer out of the rain for a cup of tea. It was cosy warm inside, the tea was great and we had a good chat whilst I wondered how long it would rain for and whether I should have got into a strange man's trailer on top of a rainy mountain. I needn't have worried, Robin was a great host and I must have been there almost an hour when the rain eased off and I decided it was time to brave it again.

I was cold back on the road but still had 300m to climb so soon warmed up! The sky was brightening up and by the time I made it to the top, it was nearly sunny, just in time to warm me on the way down. It was windy on the other side of the mountain! Glad I wasn't trying to get up the west side. And glad I wasn't riding down in the rain.

Down and down I went, at 30-60 km/h the whole way, around corners, over a lovely blue bridge over a steep valley that doubled as a wind tunnel, through several kilometres of roadworks and down to another rest stop. I chatted to three young bikers who were trying so hard to be cool. They were riding harleys, smoking cigars, wearing vest tops and talking to me so quietly I could hardly hear them. When they rode past me later, I got miniature salutes rather than the customary toot of the horn. They'd probably just finished school, bless them.

Into Christina Lake, I had a few little hills and it was getting pretty warm so I stopped for lunch before heading to my campsite. Whilst my laundry was on, I talked to a lovely lady who showed me a saskatoon bush and we ate saskatoons (blue berries) and chatted about the area.

A man with a big grey mustache came over to me for a chat. 

Mustache: "Was that you riding over that mountain today?"
Me: "It certainly was!" [Hint of pride]
Mustache: "I'm surprised a grizzly bear didn't eat you, little girl." [It's been 3.5 years since someone called me a little girl and frankly I thought those days were behind me.]
Mustache: "So where did you start your ride?"
Me: "The east coast."
Mustache: "All on your own, no boyfriend?"
Me: "He's at home."
Mustache: "Why did he let you come out here all on your own to this wild country?"
Me: "Because I didn't ask for his permission."
End of chat. Thankfully.

Then I went for a massive ice cream and read my book in the shade for hours before making dinner and skyping Dave. He'll be here with me in 10 days, hooray! The only downside is that it might be trickier to put sexist old men in their place when my boyfriend is with me.