Day 10 Cycling

Today we began our day with a below average breakfast at the Travelodge in Golden.  Jessica found nothing except a banana so she went back to the room and ate her homemade GF granola and used her milk.  I had scrambled eggs and a piece of toast.

We all loaded into the car and drove south on highway 95 to Parson.  We planned to cycle in the Columbia Valley because it is relatively flat....but more important than that, it didn't have a lot of big trucks on it.  In fact, in the 60 km (about 2.5 hours) I cycled, I counted just 12 semitrailer trucks that passed us.  We would have seen that many trucks pass us in about 3 minutes on Highway 97 as we left Vernon.  

The day started out cloudy and 11 C.  But thankfully, the clouds parted and we could start to see the Bugaboo Mountains on our right....and soon we could see the Rockies on our left!  It really was splendid cycling with nice wide shoulders and paved roads and gorgeous scenery and no significant rain!

At some point we decided it would be fun to cycle all the way to Radium Hot Springs - where Jessica and Jeff could experience their very first soak in a hot spring!  We said it was like a birthday party for J - because it was (still is) his birthday and it was kind of like inviting your friends to a pool party!  How wonderful to get out of our cycling clothes, soak in the hot springs, shower and change into (relatively) clean clothes, before jumping in the car to drive to Field, BC.

We chose Field because of its proximity to Lake Louise.  It is about 25 km west of Lake Louise at has a Lodge called the Truffle Pig.  It has only 6 rooms in it - and has an amazing restaurant.  This is the affordable place to stay in close proximity to Lake Louise.  Their were no private rooms left at the Lake Louise Hostel (like a small hotel room), only dorm rooms, and the Lake Louise Inn (the next most affordable hotel) costs $600 per night (and we need two rooms), so we chose the Truffle Pig.  It has been a great stay!

I finished my round of Frustration with an all time high score of somewhere north of 500 and Jeff won tonight.  Tomorrow is our last leg of cycling!

Day 9 Cycling

This morning we began our day in Revelstoke.  The Stoke Hotel had a really great breakfast with lots of GF options and oranges already cut up into eighths.  What a treat! 

We had the bikes loaded by 8:15 AM.  Jeff drove us south on Highway 23, to within 10 km of the Arrow Lake Ferry.  We pedalled to the ferry, expecting a departure of 10 AM, and we found we were the last ones being waved aboard at 9:30 AM!  Riding the ferry was part of the experience of today's bike trip - and it meant there was little traffic on the highway.  This was a real bonus in Jessica's and my eyes.

We had great sights to see from the ferry.  Here are just a few: 

The crossing took about 15 - 20 minutes.  Once on the other side - we let all the vehicles depart first, and then we cycled off last.  And then we had a workout - a climb for about 8 km.  The paved road had tar put on top of it and rocks embedded on top.  It was meant to give additional grip to drivers especially in freezing conditions.  While this cycling route was recommended by a Revelstoke Travel guide - I have to think it was written by a marketer and not by a cyclist.  A cyclist most certainly have made mention of the rough texture of this paved road or the narrow shoulders that were available and smooth.

Before we hit the top of the hill, J discovered he had a slow leak in his back tire so we turned around and began the descent back down.  About 2 km from the ferry, J's back tire became fully flat so we pulled over so that he could change it.

We had three friendly drivers go past - and all three of them stopped and asked if we needed any help.  How nice is that?

The perk of stopping at this intersection was eating some wild strawberries that were growing in the ditch.

After J changed his tire we cycled down to the ferry and chatted with a couple from Kamloops.  They had arrived at 10 AM expecting to catch the ferry.  It was now 11:15 AM and the ferry had not arrived.  But it arrived within 5 minutes of our arrival.  We had that tiny little window of cell phone service to let Jeff know of our revised plans.  He told us he was on the ferry (as a pedestrian) that was just about to touch the West side of Arrow Lake where we were waiting!  So he stayed on the ferry, and we wheeled our bikes on and road the ferry back to the east side of the lake.

While on the ferry it started to rain - so we were glad once again that our support vehicle was available to pick us up and drive us!  Jeff had parked the car in the parking lot on the east side of the lake so we loaded the bikes onto the vehicle and returned to Revelstoke.  We grabbed hot drinks at Tim Hortons, fuelled up at Shell and Jeff bought his lunch at Subway (we had already eaten ours on the ferry!)

We then drove towards Golden and stopped at the Giant Cedars trail just west of the top of Roger's Pass.  Once parked and walking towards the start of the trail - we learned it had been closed due to windstorms - that occurred in 2022.  I guess it wasn't a priority to fix the trail!

We drove about two hours east to Golden and checked into the Travelodge Motel.  Jeff has friends living in Golden so he left us to go and visit them.  The three of us used the hot tub, sauna and waterslide!

Jeff's friends suggested we eat dinner at The Island.  We felt it was worth the 37 minute walk each direction to have the fabulous food we ate!  Jessica had a GF pasta, J had elk with gorgonzola cheese, spetzl and roast vegetables and I had a mango salad with prawns. Delicious.

The view from the upper patio of the Island restaurant (we elected to eat inside to avoid the rain!)

Once back in the room, J and I both wrote our blogs (his is technically an email), Jessica did some laundry and we are settled into our room for a good night of sleep.  Jeff returned to report he had a wonderful visit with his friends in Golden.  Good night!

Day 8 Cycling

Today we had blue sky and sunshine which was a wonderful way to start the day!  We stayed at the Best Western in Sicamous and I think they have been the best hotel to stay in!  It is wonderful to park our car immediately outside our room and wheel our bikes and all our gear inside.  They have two hot tubs (one inside, the other outside) an indoor pool and a great breakfast.

We were packed up and pedalling away by 8 AM.  Our goal was not to cycle to Revelstoke.  Our plan was to cycle along the Eagle River in Sicamous.  It was a beautifully paved road with very few vehicles (that is a huge bonus in the eyes of Jessica and me).

Jeff enjoyed birding in the area and we posed for a picture with all four of us.

We found a few cherry trees along the road and beautiful scenery.

We spent about 2 hours cycling and taking photos along the way and travelled 35 km.

Jeff collected us and we drove to Revelstoke.  We ate lunch at Subway on the patio - then headed to the train station in town and began our second cycle of the day.  This time we cycled south of Revelstoke on a beautifully paved path that eventually gave way to a road called Airport Way.  Clearly many families are avid cyclists in Revelstoke.  We saw the cutest thing with a daycare on an outing in the park with a bunch of 2 and 3 year olds - all riding bikes!  It was unbelievable how keen these children were to cycle up a very steep little hill.  (We were heading down it and were doing our best to avoid hitting them!  And we saw many parents out cycling with their children too.

Once again, we had beautiful views and enjoyed limited traffic on the road.  After 40 km of cycling it started to rain a bit so our timing was right to check into the Stoke Hotel!  We enjoyed the views of the mountains while appreciating the outdoor hot tub.

We chose a restaurant that advertised Gluten Free - but actually didn't encourage Jeff and Jessica to eat there with the cross contamination in their kitchen so we ate at The Taco Place and had a delicious supper.

Jessica and I retired to our room to watch the men's national soccer team beat El Salvador in the Gold Cup.  Jessica is now sleeping and I am trying to wrap up my blog post so that I will not disturb her anymore!

Cycling Day 7

Today was promising for weather.  We woke up in Vernon to blue sky (well partly cloudy) and the temperature was 12 C.  We wanted to get on the road and pedal towards Sicamous before traffic got too bad on Highway 97A.  The weather forecast showed rain beginning in Sicamous at 2 PM.

Very quickly Jessica and I learned we did not like the speed of the vehicles on the road next to us.  We feared their size and their ability to kick up a rock that might hit us.  After about an hour, Jessica discovered a route that took "Powerline Road" and therefore took us off the four lane highway and onto a smaller two way road with a speed limit of 60 km per hour.  This was our cup of tea!  This highway allowed us to look around, see the landscape and enjoy the ride.

Shortly after we pulled off 97A, it started to rain - a full three hours ahead of schedule.  After it started to rain harder, Jessica and I decided we wanted to call Jeff for a pick up and J decided he wanted to cycle fast - on to Sicamous.

Since Jessica and I weren't too savvy as to how to drop a pin on google maps - it took Jeff a while to figure out where we were on the road - but he found us!

Here is Jessica - clearly looking cold as we waited for our support vehicle!  She couldn't decide whether to keep on her soaking wet cycling coat or enjoy the warmth of her long sleeve thicker layer cycling shirt.

We loaded up in the vehicle and started driving north on 97A towards Enderby.  J had texted and asked us to drop off his portable bike pump because he had forgotten to pack it this morning.  Shortly after that text, he said "Never mind.  Just pick me up - I got a flat tire."  So we found J in the town of Enderby, then loaded him and his bike on the roof of the car.  

We surveyed the road along Mara Lake that we would have cycled had we not had the warmth of the SAAB.  I asked Jessica how she would have felt about cycling along this section and she said something like, "It would be scenic but the shoulder is too narrow and the cars are driving too fast."  That sums up my opinion too.  I did cycle this route about 35 years ago and thought it was amazing scenery.  The scenery remains splendid - but blue sky would have made it much more spectacular.  I suspect the closure of Highway 1 on the west side of Sicamous and ALL the traffic being rerouted onto our little highway 97A, made it far busier than one would ordinarily expect on a Monday morning.

So we pulled into the Sicamous Visitor's Information booth shortly before noon and ate our Subway sandwiches, rice bowls and salads for lunch.  At the Visitor’s Centre we asked what a person could do on a rainy Monday in Sicamous and they directed us to a couple little shops next door.  One was called Hooked where they had locally made soaps and jewellery.  The other was called Anvil Coffee House.  Hot drinks were calling us!  Americanos for the boys and hot chocolate for the girls!

Here Jeff is educating me on how to drop a pin so he can find our location easier next time!

Then we headed to our Best Western Hotel about 1 PM and they were kind enough to let us check cold wet selves into our rooms early.  By 1:15 PM J, Jessica and I were in the hot tub - but the pool area closed for cleaning at 1:30 PM so our visit was cut short.  

We then had another card game, aptly named Frustration, to which I declined to finish - so that I could write this blog!

We will return to Moose Mulligan's for supper tonight.  Last time we ate here (about a week ago) we sat outside on the patio.  The patio won't be calling our name tonight - but the inside of the restaurant will!

Stay tuned to see if we find a side road to pedal tomorrow!

Cycling Day 6

What a joy today was!  Jessica suggested we cycle the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) from Penticton so we would be off busy highway roads.  The views were glorious!  J and I had cycled the KVR railroad for about a week, thirty years ago.  It is far more developed with vineyards and wineries now!

Stunning views abounded, no rain and comfortable temperatures!  Jessica and I thought this is what it would be like to cycle in Europe - with no traffic and designated cycling trails!

We cycled for about 90 minutes and then met up with Jeff.  We then loaded the bikes on the car and went to our friend Joanne's house for a fabulous lunch that she had prepared for us.  The real bonus was visiting with Joanne - but we did have the perk of washing our laundry too!

What a pleasant afternoon, filled with laughter.

After spending about 3 hours at Joanne's, we headed on our way and drove to Vernon - our stop for tonight.  After an incredibly long game of Frustration Rummy I bowed out, so everyone folded their hands and headed back to our hotel rooms for a good night of sleep!

Cycling Day 5

We awoke early in our room (4 AM for Jessica, 6 AM for me).  John and Jeff were still sleeping at 8 AM when we knocked on their door.  We didn't have breakfast included at the Sandman Inn in Princeton and the boys had the food (granola, yogurt etc) so we were hungry!  We knew the weather wasn't going to be great so we hadn't set a time for an early departure.

We did get on the road at 9:15 AM - and there was a light rain.  The temperature was 6 Celsius.  We pedalled on Highway 3 towards the town of Keremeos.  We did have a fruit break (apples) by the Similkameen River where a bunch of white water paddlers were putting their boats in.  They were a friendly bunch and keen to paddle on this rainy Saturday.

After 41 km, I told J and Jessica I was going to call it a day - as I was looking for improvement in the weather or a decrease in the number of vehicles passing us and neither had occurred.  But Jeff couldn't find a safe pullout until km 57, so we pedalled an additional 16 km while the rain came down a little harder and the cars sprayed a little more water each time the passed us.  Oh to have the luxury of a support vehicle!  I had little desire to pedal an additional 54 km in these conditions.  As Jessica said, "I am so glad it rained!  I would have hated to cycle 111 km!"

So we stopped at a fruit stand and Jessica bought a basket of fresh cherries.  They were delicious.  We drove close to an hour to get to Penticton and we were really thrilled to be allowed an early check in before 2 pm.  Well the girls room was ready - not the boys, so we loaded all our gear into one room.  The cyclists promptly changed into bathing suits to go into the hot tub and Jeff walked down to the car show taking place in town.

Jessica and I went to Denny's for a very late lunch (2:45 PM), then were back in the hotel room to watch the Men's National soccer team play Curacao in the Gold Cup.  We ended up with a draw (Curacao scored in the final few minutes of extra time so that was disappointing).

We then went to a Vietnamese restaurant downtown for supper.  Jessica and I shared a bowl of Pho and the boys had a more substantial meal.  The obligatory game of Frustration Rummy was won by Jessica tonight!  We hope our cycling gear will dry by the time we have to cycle in the morning!

Cycling Day 4

Today we woke up to cooler than seasonal temperatures.  It was 9 Celsius.  We had always planned to have me join Jeff in the car for the first 30 km because today involved 4 big climbs and we knew my body and my battery would not be able to last 111 km with that amount of elevation change.

So J and Jessica hopped on their bikes (after the obligatory stop at Subway to acquire our lunch food) and I happily joined Jeff in the car.  

Today we were leaving Hope BC, heading over the "Hope Pass" and into Manning Provincial Park, before arriving at Princeton, BC, our ultimate destination.  We knew J and his sister had about two hours of climbing before I would join them on the road. Jeff and I stopped at a couple of locations hoping to spot some birds.

We found a beautiful little area around Skagit Valley Provincial Park which abuts alongside Manning Provincial Park.  The only people we saw here were two BC Parks staff.

We quickly learned that we were out of range for cellular phone service so we wanted to get back onto the highway to see if the cyclists were having any issues.  The biggest challenge was the cold - particularly cold hands for Jessica.

But kudos to those rock star cyclists they reached Allison Pass Summit with all elevation of 1342 metres.  As soon as they reached the summit (Jessica hopped in the car to eat her lunch because the wind was so cold.  So we all sat in the car at the top and chatted.  At this point, I joined the cyclists, wearing every piece of cycling clothing I brought on this trip (including my curling gloves), while J debated whether or not he would put on his coat!

We then descended the east side of the pass.  Between the single digit temperatures and the rain that started, J was glad he put on his raincoat.  The rain began in earnest, so the next time Jeff passed us with the SAAB (a wonderful 20 year old vehicle on loan from our son P), we signalled to him to wait for us at the next roadside pullout.  This trip is supposed to be the "Best of Canada".  Single digit temperatures and rain do not qualify for the title - though the views would be spectacular with blue sky and sunshine!

And so we thankfully loaded the bikes onto the vehicle and climbed inside and drove the remaining 65 km to Princeton!  The rain continued to fall and the temperature never did rise.  

The Sandman Inn was firm - no early check-ins before 3 pm.  So we found a coffee shop to get hot liquids (the closest Tim Horton's was back at our starting location in Hope!)  Then we headed out to a pond for some birdwatching for the brothers and Jessica and I stayed in the warmth of the car!

At 3 pm we checked in and appreciated hot showers and baths!  Supper proved to be challenging as the the one restaurant clearly offering gluten free (GF) food didn't have space for at least an hour and a half - and we were checking in at 5 pm!  

So we found City Slice Pizza - that had amazing GF pizza for Jessica and Jeff and Indian food for J and I.

Post blog time, we will have another game of Frustration.  We hope the weather will improve tomorrow, but the early morning hours don't look too promising.