On this thirteen day ride, I believed that today would be the
high point (emotionally and scenically, not altitude) of the trip. The
day exceeded my expectation.
Today's ride took us from Sicamous to a location 35 km east of
Revelstoke, part way up Rogers Pass. The net climb was 350 m but we doubt
the MapMyRide vertical and so we only have the Garmin with a vertical of 900 m
of ascent. The ride was 110 km with a few extra k in Revelstoke buying
groceries, more on this later.
Sicamous is situated on the eastern edge of the Shuswaps so it
is only a minute or so and you leave behind the lakes. But within half an
hour, you come across Eagle River and you spend a while cycling beside it.
It is a wonderful River, meandering at first but a mountain
stream higher up. And on a bicycle, you do not miss Kay Falls though I
would think that 99% of car passengers would. You head higher and come to
Enchanted Forest which the park aside, is still enchanting. The stream
that contains Kokanee Salmon in the fall runs though the valley and, though
there were no moose in the meadows, creates a tranquil area.
Again we met a friendly road crew who let us ride a construction
section while it was closed to traffic which allowed us to avoid having to
worry about cars for a few minutes.
Shortly after, we
cycled along another lake, calm and offering lovely reflections. It was
around this area where we scared a Golden Eagle out of the ditch. Someone
had dumped pea pods on the shoulder and I can only guess that he eagle found
some little vegetarian enjoying a tasty meal. I failed to mention that we
saw a Bald Eagle on the west coast day 1..
We stopped for a fruit break at Three Valley Gap and this was
the window of rain for today. There was a good down pour but we hung out
under the eaves of the restaurant, enjoying the views. We finished our
oranges and the rain stopped. While we proceeded east, there was a train
going through the tunnels on the North side of the lake, something I always
wanted to see.
Coming into Revelstoke, we met a car with a bike on the back who
was honking. In solidarity, we waved back. A few km later, we saw
the car again, the driver having come back to take our picture as we rode by,
wow. It was only when the person yelled Happy Birthday that I realized it
was Deb from Calgary. She knew from my wife's social media site that we
were in the area and whether it was just that tall skinny biker appearance or
what but she guessed it was us. As much as RJD is a great travelling
companion, a surprise visit was amazing. I don't know if it was a rain
drop, a sweat drop or a tear but my one eye was moist as I cycled away from the
meeting. Never under estimate the impact of friendship and never minimize
the impact a small gesture of friendship might have on another. Deb's
part of my trip will be one of many lasting memories.
In Revelstoke we stopped at Subway for lunch and grabbed dinner
food. Now I knew and had conveyed to RJD that all our food for dinner
needed to be microwaveable. But we bought noodles and sauce.
Fortunately, RJD also bought a slice of cake that came in a single serve
container which could act as a plate. Did you know that you can microwave
pasta by intermittently heating the water and letting the pasta sit in the hot
water. If you are hungry enough and Scottish enough, you will find a way
to turn the food you have into a meal. We had to eat the cake first
though to have bowls for pasta.
We are at Hot Springs Canyon which is a "resort" part
way up the Roger's Pass. The hotter pool is 40C and the other 32C so it
was a relaxing way to unwind after the ride. I sit in my bed composing
the note and listening to a train come down the CP tracks. I say down
because of the pace and a squealing of the brakes. If you love the sound
of trains, I don't think you will find a better place to sleep except maybe in
a sleeper on a Via train.
View from the Warm
Pool
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