July 24, 2016 Osoyoos --> Midway, BC - 45 miles

SAfter the 72 mile ride I was exhausted and went to bed at 7:30 pm last night, and did not get up until 5:00 am. After a hearty breakfast of multigrain pancakes at Smitty's, I began the 20 mile climb to Anarchist Summit. The first 7 miles were a series of switchbacks and a long, long slow steady climb. The good news was that my legs actually felt pretty strong, even after the 72 mile ride with all its climbs yesterday. It helped that the climb was during the start of the day as opposed to the last 20 miles. And the grade of the incline was manageable. I found that I was able to maintain a 4-5 mph speed, stopping frequently, as necessary, and drinking plenty of water. After 1 1/2 hours of climbing through 7 miles, I reached the viewpoint overlooking Osoyoos. Stunning. 

The sustained climbing continued for another 13 miles, gratefully at a lesser grade. It was quite warm, and I was glad that I had put Powerade in my water bottles, as well as picked up an additional water. I stopped around noon to eat some cherries and nuts before continuing the climb. The terrain began changing to more of a grassland with shorter mountains in the distance. Finally, at 1:15 pm, I reached the Anarchist Summit, elevation 4400 ft.

The next 25 miles to Midway were pretty much downhill, with some stretches along the river. I stopped to take pictures of some horses for my sister just outside Rock Creek. The little blonde amiably sauntered over at my request. 

As I approached Midway, I saw a lot of lumbering activity, and huge stacks of logs. This region has a long history and culture of logging and mining activities. 

I rolled into Midway around 3 pm and checked into the Mile Zero Motel. The owner was very friendly and helpful with suggestions for cycling in the area. My room was fabulous, and one of the most reasonably priced on the whole trip. I inquired about staying over an extra day to rest, but unfortunately they are booked up for Monday. I had a lovely dinner at the motel's restaurant.

Around 9 pm I walked outside to get a breath of fresh air and check out the evening scenery. Just outside my door there was a woman changing the tire on her bicycle. I learned that she and five other women from Victoria were starting a ride in the morning on the Kettle Valley Trail. Making a loop from Midway --> Beaverdell --> Idabell Lake --> Penticton. One of her friends joined us, and we had a nice chat. They invited me to join them on the ride, and I told them I would think about it, although not likely. I went back inside and started looking at maps. Reminded myself of living in the present, and being open to adventures that present themselves. By the time I went to bed, I was well on my way to actually considering joining them for some or all of their ride, then heading back to Seattle via Vancouver, rather than heading south into the US and the northern tier. Decided to text Pam in the morning and get her input on a revised route. Tomorrow promises to be interesting. 

July 23, 2016 Princeton --> Osoyoos - 73 miles

As I began my morning, I was greeted by a beautiful doe outside my motel room. Sort of set the stage for the day. 

The first 25 miles or so to Hedley were "pure joy", as my friend Randy Garmon would say. I was off early - before 8 am - on a Saturday morning. So, cool temps and almost no traffic. I had the entire road to myself. While the road was fairly curvy, it was mostly flat, if not a slight downhill the entire way, and ran alongside the Similkameen River. The scenery became more like that I experienced between Mission and Hope - lots of farms and grasslands abutted by huge hills/little mountains. I did see one other woman riding a fully loaded touring bike coming in the opposite direction. 

You know how you see something, then it seems to keep popping up everytime you turn around? Well, once again the little marmots popped up perched on a rock as I biked by. They are so darn cute and seem so secure - they stand there and don't run away. 

Also came upon some goats and what I think was a baby llama just before Hedley. 

I spent a lot of time contemplating why I am doing this ride. In the past, I always seemed to have had a clearly defined purpose or goal. For example, the goal for the 2012 transam was to ride coast to coast, and learn more about living in the present moment. The 2013 ride from Minneapolis to Bar Harbor was about partnering with my former law partner, Del Grosenheider, to make something positive out of his bout with ALS and continue, somewhat, the theme of the first ride.  (We ended up raising almost $10,000 for the cause) The 2014 ride in Colorado with LaDonna was to introduce her to the joys of bike touring. I hiked the El Camino de Santiago in 2015 with the express purpose of sharing that bonding experience with my sister. But, this ride? It started as a ride to further explore the northwest with Randy - an area we both have especially loved riding through in the past. We had a loosely formulated itinerary, always subject to change. What seems to have emerged with the unexpected twists and turns of this ride is exactly what I wrote about in my first blog entries - a lesson in letting go and going with the flow. Not knowing where I am going next, and being okay with that uncertainty. Not letting fear take over. Instead, listening and trusting that the boat and river know where they are taking me, and that when I finally land on shore it will be the place I am supposed to be. This all sounds simple and like a great and lofty idea - but in practice it is harder than it appears. That fear factor is ingrained in us all - fear of security, fear of the future, fear of not being good enough, fear of not having a meaningful life... But, in my experience, when I dare to move past my fears, listen and trust, the adventure and payoffs are huge. Again, the key to all this for me is centering through my contemplative prayer practice. Listening for and discernIng God's direction - sometimes I get it right, and sometimes I don't. Not to say that is the way for everyone, but it is central to preparing me to face whatever the day brings. And to being open to whatever adventures the day brings. 

The 20 mile or so ride from Hedley to Keremeos was more of the same. Mostly flat or downhill. On the outskirts, there was a rest stop where I briefly stopped to check the map and grab a few nuts to snack on. I noticed a medium sized well-nourished brown and white dog with a nice collar and full set of tags taking a "pit stop", and assumed he belonged to a motorist parked there. However, when I resumed riding the dog was trotting ahead of me along the shoulder of the road. I was concerned that he would veer onto the road and get hit, and that maybe someone had forgotten to get their dog at the rest stop. I passed the dog and as soon as I saw an auto repair shop I stopped to ask someone for help for the dog - maybe call the police or someone to get it, as he clearly belonged to someone. The gentleman I spoke to was unconcerned and somewhat annoyed - told me that this had happened quite a few times as the owner didn't take care to tie the dog up and he would routinely go to the rest stop, then trot back home. The police had intervened in the past and spoken with the owners. As we were having this conversation, the dog trotted with a continued sense of purpose, then turned off into the direction of his home. So, I guess the man knew what he was talking about. 

As I neared the town there were more and more orchards and farms. Fruit and farm stands were numerous. I stopped and bought some cherries and apples for lunch. The way out of town was up a short steep hill, and I took a picture at the top.

The next 30 miles to Osoyoos were much different than the first 45 miles. As I moved more into the wine country, I faced a series of rolling hills, some quite steep. The scenery began taking on more of a scruffy look beyond the green vineyards. Those rolling hills were especially hard because I had already ridden 45 miles. Then came several of those long gradual uphill climbs that seem to go on forever, followed by the fast downhill descents. My legs were screaming at this point. On one particularly long climb, a woman on a fast road bike blew past me on my left, shouting "Stay with it - you're almost there!"  Encouraging - but wrong. I had a ways to go.

As I neared Osoyoos, I saw my first sign for the USA. Finally, I reached Osoyoos. Coming into the city was especially sweet, given the fast descent coming off the last long slow climb. 

I gratefully checked into my little motel and, after getting cleaned up, rewarded the day's efforts at a lovely bistro for dinner that was recommended by a young man at info center. The lasagna was exceptional, and I topped it off with an equally exceptional creme brûlée. Definitely up to Pam's standards. 

Tomorrow I am riding approximately 45 miles to Midway, BC. I have been forewarned that the first 10 miles or so out of Osoyoos are an extreme climb to Anacrist Hill. Trying to prepare myself mentally, and do a lot of that leg massage tonight. They are really sore and tired after today's effort.

July 22, 2016 Manning Park --> Princeton, BC - 41 miles

CORRECTION TO YESTERDAY'S POST: I misidentified the cute little critters yesterday as prairie dogs. Pam texted to inform me that they are, in fact, yellow bellied marmots. 

The little marmots were out in full force again when I emerged after breakfast - even crawling on top of my foot in response to my clucking noises. Personalities plus. I wanted to grab a couple to take along on the ride. 

A steady rain began as I left the Manning Park Lodge, making it a little difficult to see through my sunglasses, yet not that much of a ride deterrent. I have always found that riding in rain is easier than wind any day. The first 13 miles were a piece of cake, the two lane road being essentially flat alongside a lovely stream. I was amused by the sight of a group of Canadien geese waiting to cross the road to stream side.

Most of the traffic was in the opposite direction, presumably because it was Friday and more people were heading into the park for the weekend as opposed to out of the park. The next phase of the ride was mostly a delightful downhill ride almost all the way to Princeton, with the exception of one long slow incline. I had my head down chugging up the hill, when I looked up and spotted a black bear crossing the road approximately 300 yards ahead. I wasn't too concerned about my safety, as he was well on his way to the woods off the road, and I suspect the traffic on the road would speed him along. Plus, I don't really imagine he would hang out there by the side of the road in wait to get me. Still, I formulated my contingent plan which was to reverse course and head downhill in a hurry if necessary. Hard to imagine  a black bear sprinting down a hill after a touring bike. And obviously it didn't happen. 

I was happy to notice that my body had recovered better than I would have expected after yesterday's hard ride. My legs felt strong, and no knee pain for the first time in a couple of weeks. I attributed that to some extra special stretching and self massage/roll-type techniques targeting the knees.

Other than that one climb, the remainder of the ride consisted of one downhill cruise after another, during which I often reached 30+ mph. The rain had stopped and it was slowly clearing up.  The scenery also changed somewhat from those huge adjacent mountains to more moderate size mountains a little more distant. By the time I reached Princeton at 1:15 pm, I was more or less in a valley with outlying mountains. I made such good time to Princeton and it was such a stress free ride, I would have continued on to the next town of Hedley had I not already booked a room at the Sandman Inn.

I spent the afternoon resting up and planning for tomorrow's 72 mile ride to Osoyoos. I am told the road will be curvy, but mostly flat or gently rolling with little in the way of severe climbs. I plan to get an early start, and hope to get there by 3 or 4 pm. 

July 21, 2016 Hope --> Manning Provincial Park - 43.2 miles

Had the breakfast special at a small cafe located right across the street from the entrance to the town park. Before leaving, I decided to add one of the delicious looking homemade blueberry scones to my stash of potential dinner items, since I didn't know what to expect in terms of dinner options at the end of the day. Also stopped by Subway and bought a veggie delight for the same reason. Thus fortified, I took one last picture of Hope by the river before embarking on the day's ride. 

The mountain climbing theme of the day started at the outskirts of Hope. I climbed up, over, and around various mountains all day long. By my count, I encountered four, and maybe five, significant climbs. The first three were long, long, long, long (you get the picture) gradual inclines that probably took a good thirty minutes or more to complete before getting some relief in the form of a descent or flat. Huge steep mountains on all sides just about took my breath away. The photos don't come even close to conveying the massive size of these mountains. 

After 3-4 hours of climbing, I found myself having to stop more and more frequently to rest. Ate a peanut butter sandwhich and apple to refuel around noon, and continued chugging upward. I was feeling the climb in all parts of my body, most obviously in my legs. I realized at one point that I was completely out of range of cell service - completely unplugged, as it were - and that free of any distraction, or even the possibility of any distraction, I was able to totally focus on just being quietly present to and embraced by those magnificent mountains amid the brilliant blue sky. I had pretty much a whole day of that. And I can tell you there is no way that doesn't change you, if even for a few moments. It does something to your psyche and soul. Nowadays, it is common to talk about taking time to be quiet and get centered, but this was at a whole different level.

Eventually,  I reached the west entrance to Manning Park. Another thing that struck me was the fact that there are none of the commercial enterprises I have seen at other parks. I mean, it is all about preserving the natural state of the park as much as possible. I saw this in stark contrast to my experiences on the Blue Ridge Parkway at home in the Carolinas, which has been commercialized to large extent. 

I finally reached Allison Pass Summit, elevation 4403 ft, which Pam had indicated was the significant climb of the day. What it meant to me was that I was almost "there", a comforting thought given my tired legs. 

I rolled into the Manning Park Resort around 3 pm, and gratefully checked in. After getting situated, I took a short stroll to check out the lay of the land and find the little store on premises. I noticed a little commotion going on, and saw a mound of prairie dog homes along the side of the hill outside the store. The prairie dogs were totally unphased by the people gawking and getting close up to take pictures. Including me. It was neat to see little kids getting a big kick out of the prairie dogs. In fact, all of us there were acting like little kids. [Update: since this was first posted, Pam texted and informed me these are yellow bellied marmots, not prairie dogs - I knew these would not be prairie dogs, but look like them and I was too lazy/tired at the time. I stand corrected!]

For dinner, I pulled out my Subway veggie delight and homemade blueberry scone and dined in style in my room. Could not have had a better dinner. Propped up my legs for a good rest, since the 41 mile ride to Princeton tomorrow promises more of the same. 

I went back and read the first couple of entries to the blog in June regarding what I anticipated the journey to be about. I had actually forgotten about the poem regarding letting go of the rope to the boat and just going with the flow of the river - not knowing, etc. After all that has occurred, this has taken on a whole new meaning. 

July 20, 2016 Port Coquitlam --> Maple Ridge --> Hope BC - 66 miles biking

Met Pam around 5:45 am in the kitchen for coffee. She asked if I liked French eggs. I replied that I did not know what they were. Pam was then off and running - she explained that there were only three ingredients, and the key was the order in which the organic specially fed chicken eggs, milk, and butter were combined and the correct cooking temperature. The desired result was ultimately all about the flavor and texture of the eggs. Another chemistry lesson. Ok, I thought, as I got up to watch more closely. Then it happened - the next thing I knew Pam had handed me the wooden stirrer and I had become Pam's sous chef. Maybe there is hope for me...

Carin had thoughtfully decided to load up the bike and drive me to nearby Maple Ridge so that I would avoid riding in the heavy rush hour traffic in Port Coquitlam. I felt happy/sad when we parted at approximately 8:10 am. Happy to be back on track and excited about the new southern route, but sad to leave my new friends.  

The ride turned out to be phenomenal and I kept thinking it would have been right up Randy's alley. Perfect riding weather. Pretty much flat and good roads with adequate shoulders. Moderate to light traffic. I literally cruised at 15-20 mph the first 17 miles to Mission, much with views alongside the Fraser River.  I stopped at the information center in Mission for more maps and info.

The next 25 miles or so contiuned through lush, green farmland, bordered by majestic mountains forested in pines. The effect was stunning. And the road was flat. Lots of small farms and produce stands. Lots of interesting views, including occasional lake views. One of the more interesting sights was a cellphone tower that appeared to have been made to appear to look like a pine tree at the top so as to blend in. Kind of made me laugh. 

Around noon I arrived at Agassiz, and stopped at the information center for more maps/info before heading to Subway for a veggie delight. Agassiz is a beautiful little town with a lush green park shaded by huge trees located next to the Main Street. The only significant incline I faced today occurred just prior to Agassiz, and was easily negotiated. And the view of the river and marshland below with the mountains in the distance was stunning as I descended. I reached almost 40 mph on the descent, which is why I did not stop to take pictures. I kept thinking if all the mountain passes on the southern route turn out to be this easy, it will be a piece of cake - wishful thinking and no such luck, I'm sure. I also noted how much I love my new odometer with its extra large numbers which are easy to see without readers - especially appreciated these days. 

I decided to press on to Hope (another 20 miles) since it was only 1:15 pm and the riding had been so pleasant. Good decision, and more of the same satisfying riding. Saw a couple of fully loaded touring bikes coming from the opposite direction, so I am becoming more and more hopeful that there are riders up ahead that I might catch up with at some point. Several Canadien Pacific trains passed by on my right, just adding to the ambience. 

I finally arrived at Hope around 2:45 pm and rode around to visually check out the reasonably priced motels I had found on Trip Advisor. Hope is characterized by views of those steep nearby mountains that seem to surround and almost engulf the town on three sides, with the fourth side bordered by the river. There is a beautiful green park with those huge trees at the center of town.  I  found a suitable motel choice and checked in. Texted Carin and Pam as they requested to let them know I had arrived safely, and that I was about to venture out to forage for food. Pam cruelly rsponded with a picture of the shrimp smorgasbord they were having for dinner. 

After my very ordinary dinner at a local diner, a lady who heard my waitress asking about my bike ride approached me and said that if I was riding as far as Ottawa she wanted to invite me to stay with her family.  Another kind stranger. I thanked her for the offer, but told her I was not riding that far east. Still continues to amaze me how very kind most people are and have been to me, a stranger. Makes me want to be kind. 

Returning to the motel after dinner, I also noted seeing at least 3 other fully loaded touring bikes parked at a local coffee shop. Of course, the question is which direction are they riding? It would be fun if they show up on my route tomorrow - which is 50 miles to Manning Provincial Park through what promises to be much more challenging mountain passes. In anticipation of the physical challenge of tomorrow's ride, I went ahead and booked a room at the only available lodge in the area. I rationalized that I would need that comfy room in lieu of camping since Friday's ride also promises to be yet another series of steep inclines over the 45 miles to Princeton.  Need my rest, you know. The real truth is that it takes very little for me to rationalize a way to avoid camping.