So after 4 months travelling on my own, I'm going to meet Dave at the airport this morning! Can't quite believe it but I'm looking forward to the next two weeks. We're going kayaking and hiking and maybe climbing and white water rafting too!
I'll be out of wifi range for a week as we're heading to a provincial park up the coast called Desolation Sound. Can't wait to be on the water and off the highway.
Last night I went to Tim Hortons to talk to Dave and felt suddenly unwell just before we were about to skype. My face was too hot, hands too cold and my stomach in some serious knots. Oh god, I think I have food poisoning.
I went back to Caleb and Martha's house and straight to bed, awaiting the inevitable d&v session but I fell asleep and it never came. In the morning, I was almost back to normal! Strange.
Caleb prepared breakfast, then we had a short bible study before we ate it and I waved my goodbyes just after 10am.
It was an absolutely gorgeous ride along the valley, huge forest-cloaked mountains erupting all around. It was mostly flat except for a thankfully short but totally ridiculous 11% hill! I enjoyed riding today and stopped for local raspberries and hazelnuts on the way.
I got into Mission around 5pm and went to the leisure centre for a shower before hanging out at a cafe until my warmshowers host Dan was free. We chatted and had a beer and his housemate Greg joined us and his brother for a bit and we talked about explorers and environmentalists and global issues, which are some of my favourite topics, so I didn't go to bed until midnight, and Dan wished me a happy birthday. 26... I wonder what you will bring!
It was cold this morning but the sun felt warm on my skin as I assembled the rig. I set off in my jacket but a few kilometres of uphill warmed me up.
There were roadworks going on and the traffic had to squeeze past me on the narrow piece of road left, despite the closed off section being void of roadworks and road workers. I got to the top, put my jacket back on and started going down. I pedalled my way down at 30-50kmh, glad of the nice hard shoulder on that section. It was more tiring than I expected rocketing downhill for so long. I was cold and the wind was working away at my eardrums again. I stopped a bit along the way to take pictures and admire wildlife - a vulture and a few white tailed deer.
Then I saw an uphill ahead and stopped to take my jacket off again. The hard shoulder disappeared, right when I really needed it. I checked my mirror obsessively and kept having to ride the gravel verge to avoid being minced by trucks and RVs.
Up and down I went for a few hours, getting pissed off with the crappy road surface and high volume of traffic. I stopped at the side of the road for a sandwich and carried on, not feeling much better for having stopped. Uphill, into the stupid eternal headwind! Then I saw a sign for a cafe but it turned out to be a little shop that had a coffee machine and I had a grumpy chat with the girl working there. I didn't want to go uphill any more, or have the wind roaring in my ears, or have to deal with the noisy scary traffic. She was all chipper "At least it's all downhill from here!" No it bloody isn't.
A few long, noisy kilometres later and it was all downhill from there and I'm sorry to say that I didn't make the most of the decent. I'd had enough and was glad to be in Hope.
Tonight I'm staying with Caleb and Martha, friends of my great Aunt. They're looking after me well and I'm glad to have a bed to rest my achy body on.
I wish I was enjoying the last few days more but I'm so tired of riding. Should have had a rest day in Osoyoos I think! Ah well, Vancouver here I come, just two days to go.
I woke up with achy muscles and little desire to tackle the mountain that lay in wait: 70km of mostly uphill. Oh god.
But then I had a lovely skype chat with Dave, found a brilliant cafe and stocked up on breakfast and lunch and I felt like I might just be able to make it.
The initial ascent was steep, then I had a glorious undulating section before another crazy ascent. As is often the case along steep, winding sections of road, they hadn't bothered to put in a hard shoulder. So I hugged the white line as best I could (although it's pretty much impossible to ride in a straight line at 6kmh) and hoped all the drivers were paying attention. Traffic aside, it was a lovely ride; the river was amazing, sometimes meandering or braided with huge dead trees deposited on shale during flood, sometimes roaring through narrow gorges. And the ridiculous uphill was much easier psychologically than slowly riding along the almost flat into the wind. It was ridiculously steep! Around one hairpin, I would gain 50m!
I met a kiwi couple on their way down and we had a chat about routes and travel plans. They're planning to take the Kettle Valley Rail Trail on their mountain bikes. Should be very pretty but rather them than me on the rough stuff!
I got to the summit of the day (although there's a higher one tomorrow) and stopped for a sandwich and a chat with Walter the biker. Then I flew downhill at 50kmh for ages! Traffic slowly moving past me and beautiful views glimpsed then gone.
A few more ups and downs took me to East Gate and I had a muffin and another chat. I always get good reactions now.
"So where are you riding from?"
"New Brunswick."
"Oh my goodness!"
And I can't help a smug little grin - I can't believe I rode all that way either!
Then I rode the last section to Manning Park Lodge - 15km of false downhill with a headwind, no shoulder and four lanes of traffic. It seemed to go on for ever! All day the traffic came in waves. I'd have the road to myself for a minute, then be subjected to a great long train of traffic, too close and too fast and too noisy. On this section it was worst because the speed limit was now 100kmh and the overtaking lane was getting a lot of use, so the vehicles right next to me couldn't move over. But when each traffic train had passed, I enjoyed views of the river and forested hills.
At Manning Park, I checked into the hostel and bumped into a parks worker on my way to it. We talked a bit and he asked if I wanted a job there! I'd love one, but I'm not on a work visa... maybe next year. It would be great to spend a year here, hiking and kayaking all summer, skiing and snowshoeing all winter. There are hummingbirds outside my window! What a cool place.
I went to bed early and got up late. After a trip to the breakfast diner, supermarket and fruit stand, I was leaving town around 9.30.
It was calm on the high steeet - I thought maybe the wind had died down and I'd have an easier ride today. Then I rode out of town and heard the metal sign at the top of the first rise creaking on its metal hinge and realised that wouldn't be the case.
Every kilometre was hard work today and I didn't think I'd manage 10, let alone 70. The little hills rolled up and down, the wind pushing against me, the lactic acid burning in my thighs. At least it was overcast. Happy clouds.
I rode an immensely slow 35km along the highway to Doug's meat shop that Mitch said I should go to. There was a huge queue but it was worth it! I've never tasted delicious jerky until today. Hmm.
Then I took a side road also recommended by Mitch. I knew it would be hillier but it was great to get off the highway. It was a beautiful road along the river. But I had to stop on most of the hills to rest my legs and wonder what's wrong with them today. I was looking for a suitable lunch stop for a while, my legs and stomach getting more and more desperate for a break when I noticed a stretch of river with nice sitting rocks and somewhere to rest my bike, so I pulled over. I got out my food and walked to the rocks, ahh a seat with a view! No sooner had my bum touched the rock when it started to rain. Screw you, weather. I packed up and carried on. Sorry legs!
When it met with the highway just out of town, I avoided a big junction by taking a paved path marked Trans Canada Trail - been a while since I saw one of those! It took me over a lovely old railway bridge into Princeton and I was finally done for the day, 8 hours after setting off. Ugh.
I could do with a day off but I'm nearly there! When did I last have a day off? Saskatchewan?
