Celebration

Today was a different kind of day as I got up later then usual at 8:30 and then spent most of the morning having breakfast.

When I got to Langley I realized that I had been thinking my destination was horseshoe bay but telling everyone Tsawwassen. And I felt like Tsawwassen was where I was supposed to go. So I biked along today and enjoyed more delicious fresh fruit, especially the blueberries. Now there are many places I could have choose to pi as my destination including.Stanley Park even though Tsawwassen was really out of my way I still came here. I arrived at the ocean about 6pm and asked a couple on the beach if they could.take a pic of me. I amuses myself by walking into the water with my bike because my feet were still soaked from biking in the rain today that it didn't matter. 

His name was Kenton and hers Joanne. They offered me a glass of wine to celebrate and I enjoyed a great blackberry wine with them. In talking to them it turns out.they have never been to that beach before and was only due to a strange set.if circumstances that he had choose it shortly before I had arrived.

Somehow this finale seemed so perfectly arranged. All the prices of this trip have been guided by an unseen hand. The timing of each was impeccable. For example.yesterday minutes before Ithe bus driver came up to me I had my biked parked by the gas station which would have been hidden from the road by the large RV filling up.

It's been an amazing trip. I did it in a record time. I am going to bike around Vancouver and then the island so u will post about them over the next few days.

God bless you all who have and are praying for me.

Guiding hand

Yesterday was quite a day as I became resigned to a head wind for the entire trip. I left Hope and peddled to Harris Hot springs on great roads with good shoulders. Aka Hwy 7  which has been mostly flat other then a 2km grade 11% incline up a windy stretch with zero shoulder. I didn't even consider peddling it as even pushing the bike was a good effort. 

The day was overcast with rain falling most of the day. I initially wore a second layer and a shell for the hill down to Hope but have just worn my biking jersy and shorts for the remainder if the day.  It's been not overly cold so a light rain has been not to bad.

Do from my estimates today I peddled 180 km. A record for me! And I am amazed I did it!  At Hope I was told to stay ay Rolly Park but when I arrived at Mission I learnt its a busy park and 20 km up a bunch of hills so after some searching I decided ti go to Fort Langly.  As I peddled a long about 7 at night I decides to stop for guidance and the gas tendent had no clue about this area. As I left u thought I would call a friend to see about meeting perhaps Sunday. As I was duali-g this bus driver comes up to me and tells me he met me in Rogers Pass.  After a short chat with Russell I talk with the driver who had indeed met me briefly in Rogers Pass and he had saw me biking in Mission going the other way.  He had turned the bus around and found me. Thus totally floored me. He asked where I was going and I told him Fort Langley. I guess the ferry accross is closed and the nearest camping was a little RV site 8 km down the road just outside Maple Ridge. Much closer than any of my other options.  His fortuious appearance had to be Gods hand at work in a visible way. That's 2 days he has provided Luke that for me and its amazing. I keep praising Hum for the good and the bad every day. Yes even the endless rain that has kept my hands wrinkled all day.

I do have to say the socks I am.wearing are great! My feet are not sore at all even though they have been soaked all day and I.peddled.all.day.  The jersey and shorts have been also fantastic as they hold so little moisture so u have not had any sores from.rubbing thus entire trip.  I do recommend that 3rd pair if socks especially on.wet days. 

So if my  projections are correct the coast is a measly 60 km away and my destination. 

I will continue thus blog when I get there. It almost seems like a dream but I am also getting excited even if it will be a cold wet ride.....

Hope

Yesterday was a great day. Time wise I didn't do great only 125km but tuft was over 14 hours with 10 hours actual biking. Part of the problem was the hills but a mote pervasive one was the headwind that kept attacking me and thus kept my pace down.

I met so many interesting people yesterday like the 2 ladies at the info centre in Merritt and then the couple who filled my water bag at Cold River. And right after they departed a large motorcoach pulled up and immediately their little black cat Nova snuck out and so for next hour I chatted with them while they hunted cat.  I finally made it to the summit but I hadn't realized it as I must have missed the sign.  Anyways my plan was to camp at these walk in camp sites near the summit. And near the top I realized my trailer tire was flat.... it picked up a nice staple. I tried patching it but only got a couple km before it was flat again so I replaced it with the spare I had.  Note the only place to but tire tubes for the BOB Trailer is at MEC which can be a problem.  So my new tire also came with a slow leak so every couple hours it needs to be pumped up.

So finally a hint of civilization appeared a rest point so I pulled off to use the facilities. And to my luck which today was full of (God had a big hand in this day) where I talked to the vendor owner who told me the walk in camping no longer exists... so for a moment is was screwed. I was looking at a nearly 200 km day.... but he told me that there was a room in the building that can ne used to sleep in which he usually tells to cyclists.  I was hoping to make it further so he told me the facilities at the truck break stop 11km down the road has the same room. 

Once I got there it was after 8 and I figured that was far enough for today and I camped out in the room sleeping on my mat.

Someone on Buzz suggested I check out the old train tunnels near Hope so I was going to today bit after an hour of cool wind and lots of rain all I wanted was a Hot coffee so I resisted pulling off the highway and kept plugging down. The highway is nearly all down so you can get down pretty quickly. There it a small 2km climb near Hope.

Today my goal is to hit Harris hot springs to relax and refresh as its been days since I had a shower (rain doesn't count). So I will blog more from my phone tonight I hope.  I have to say I am very impressed with my HTC Hero phone running Android. I have yet to own a phone 6 months and still be 100% happy with it.

By cold river

Taking a moment in the middle of no where to replentish my water from the river before the next big climb. 30km from Merritt and 30 from the summit.

Merritt

So Sorrento was a great break and my day to Kelowna was a great trip. Farmer Dave gave me some yummy cucumbers for the trip and I readily enjoyed them on my breaks. I did have nasty pain in my tummy in the morning which really troubled me but was gone by noon.

I spent the afternoon in Kamloops by the river the gorgeous park and about 2 it got cloudy so I took a chance and kept on biking. Kamloops is 535m and I was sent to a camp ground called lake le juanne. Which I was sent on a back road to get there. I thought at time that t&e climbing would never end. I was so certain I was on a wild goose trail. But by 7pm I finally finished the 30km hill and made into the camp barely. Where I had a snack, set up my tent and crashed for the night. And the best part is that most of the hill climbing was done so the ride today to Merritt has been not to bad.  

Well phone nearly charged so I am about go get to Hope or at least the summit today. I biked 110 km yesterday and so far 50 today. It's another 115 to Hope and at least 50 to the Summit so either way I have a lot of riding ahead of me today.

Please remember 1 in 6en will het prostate cancer. You can donate to my ride by going back a few posts and I have a link on the posts prior to the ride to Vancouver.

Day 6 - Oasis

Today was my break from the battle of the tarmac and ?I have to say it was a day of physical rest and spiritual.  I stopped at Sorrento Centre which is an Anglican Church run resort and I had no plans to do anything today but rest and read my book.  But my day was very eventful with meeting many people, learning how Dr Seuss and the bible are related as well as exploring sustainable farming and its implications to a christian based community.  Not bad for a single day considering I wasn't going to do anything.  

Today started out with me reflecting on something that I've not really reflected upon and that is the idea of setting a goal and then executing a plan to take it on, persevering and taking on the risks involved to achieve the goal, in my case its a goal that also takes great amount of endurance and effort in preparation as well as in implementation. What was interesting is that the message this morning at church was on Jesus walking on water and how Peter took a step out of the boat, then his fear overcame him and he sank.  We in life so often have dreams and hopes that we kill because we feel that we can't do it, that "I don't have the strength, the knowledge, the lack of money, the ___ (you fill in the blank) to make it happen".  When in reality its our fear that is our real stumbling block. 

A song we sang today at the end reaffirmed this called Don't Be Afraid.

Don't be afraid, Gods love is stronger, Gods love is stronger then my fear.  Don't be afraid Gods love is stronger and He has promised, promised to always be near.

its very simple song but it recaps what holds us all back in life, I am glad that God is part of my life and that I praise Him daily for the good things and the bad things that happen in my life as He deserves all the glory, yes even on my epic bike trip to Vancouver as I could never have done it with out my faith.  

 So it looks like I will be taking the Coke to Vancouver which is only 450 km (or there about) meaning I will be in Vancouver Sunday if things go according to plan.  We shall see how the roads look when I get to Kamloops as there is still a lot of road ahead of me that I need to pound.  

Day 5 - Reprieve

So to recap yesterday my goal was a campground 30km from Revelstoke called Noah's Ark.  Its a cute little campground where they are in the progress of actually building an ark, I believe will be accommodations when its done.  Alas they were full so I trudged on and stayed at the Crazy Creek campground.  The site was mediocre but they have ambitious plans for the grounds.  I did enjoy the hot pools although for $10 I think its a bit steep for a glorified hot tub.  The water is pulled from the ice cold river and then heated.  But they do have 4 pools - 32C, 39C, 40C and 4C.  Yes 4C.... I dipped into it twice, and have to say its quite the shock to the body, although I do hear its good for the lymphatic system.

So a recap of my progress to date:

Day 1 - 105 km (Banff)

Day 2 - 85 km (Field)

Day 3 - 150 km (Rogers Pass)

Day 4 - 110 km Crazy Creek (Near Sicamous)

Day 5 -  95 km Sorrento

(Total 545 km)

Day 6 - REST REST REST

I woke up this morning a little late (7am) but that was intentional, what was not planned was it taking me nearly 90 min to pack up and have breakfast.  I didn't leave till nearly 8:30 and it was getting really hot out by then.  Today I did it in 3 blocks of roughly 30km each, the first was to Sicamous and that went reasonably well.  I did notice I'm not getting the same speed as I was on day 1 and I think that a day of rest for my legs is in order.  I made my stop at Dutchman's and had a delectable ice-cream cone, and bought some cheese for lunch. I also went to the fruit stand and bought some cherries and peaches.  They were so tasty.  Got to love BC fruit.

So part 2 I knew had a hill in it, what is not apparent when driving is how much uphill there is even when it looks flat.  I was almost in Salmon Arm and I thought I was done for, the road looked flat but my legs were saying they were tired, and I was barely making 9km an hour, it was so pathetic. To make matters worse is the heat was up in the 25C range by noon and that was also taking its toll on me.  As soon as I got into Salmon Arm, I detoured to the nearest McDs and had a refreshing ice cold pop and let my body cool down.  Once I had recovered I went to the mall where I bought an mp3 player so I can listen to something other then all the cars/trucks blasting by me.

I chatted with a couple other people there who told me that there was fires along the whistler road and it was most likely closed. In fact one of them thought that the valley was also closed due to fires.  If that's the case then I only have 1 option left and that's to take the Coquihalla but when I get to Kamloops I will check in at the visitor centre and see what the highways are like then. When I checked in at the visitor centre in Salmon Arm today, as of today the valley is closed due to debris but the lady there said it would be open later today.  And yes the Whistler route is closed due to fires.  I did strangely enough meet a lady there who was from Cochrane which was quite a surprise, she lives in Glenbow so just across the highway from me, some times this is such a small world.

As of today I have seen/met very few cyclists traveling.  I have met 2 people heading my direction (although they turns at Golden) and I've seen 2 people biking the other direction.  I had hoped to meet a few more by now, but perhaps August is the wrong time of year for cycling to Vancouver.  

So after Salmon Arm, I hid down by the peer all afternoon as the temperature crept up and up.  it was over 34C at one point and I was glad I was hiding under a tree and not biking in it.  I finally left Salmon Arm about 6pm and started the last leg of my journey to Sorrento (34km)  which was really nice especially as the sun started to set as it finally cooled off and became tolerable.  

I have now made it to roughly the middle at 540 km and tomorrow I am not even going to look at my bike. I think my legs need a day off and I plan on taking it very easy, in fact I'm going to book into the dining room and have breakfast, lunch and dinner all provided to me.  Its going to be great day indeed.

Day 3 Rogers pass

So I am such a fool. Who is crazy enough to take on 150 km in a day with the last 50 being all up hill and then there is the tunnels near the end of the day that are dark narrow and packed full of vehicles.

So I decides to take a chance and get a granny gear added to my bike. Currently it was 11:2ì and I was in luck and found a place in Golden on a Sunday able to change them to a 11:34  what means is that the smallest gear still has 11 teeth but the big gear now has 34 or about 20% bigger. Which really saved my Bacon as there is absolutely no way I could have done that stretch without the lower gearing. What I noticed is that when using it I would still peddle at about 9kmh but I was peddling easier and a little faster.

So I don't know which is scarier biking down a mountain in the middle of the lane as half the bridge was closed or biking up a mountain through the dark snow sheds barely moving and having to take numerous rest brakes in the them. 

I have to say that I did the last 15km hill all on heart. I took at least 2 hrs for me to bike it as I had so little energy left.  Un fact only a couple km from the top I sooooooo wanted to give up. But I made it to the top and booked a room at the hotel.  My body thanked me for the shower and hot meal. I might have been able to bike 5km down the mountain to the camping spots but at that moment I didn't care. All I wanted was to stop for the day.

Gopher molested me

Yesterday was day 2 and I was really not motivated to carry on. But after a pep talk I took the advice to just enjoy the ride and see how it goes. I could always quit at Lake Louise if I wasn't ok.

So at LL I took a break and had lunch at a picnic table. The gophers were very brave and tame. This point really hit home when I decided to rest my eyes for a bit and I fell asleep and I was startled awake by this gophers paws touching my calf.  I am sure the gopher thought he was going to due from my arm - foot waving.

So after my rude awakening I kept on going and made it to field about 5 pm. I had only done 85 km and was debating going further but was ok with stopping there. I did meet a lot of people at camp. Many who where there to hike.  Mental note: u should go back there for a weekend as its a very nice campground and many day hikes to do.

I like my tent a lot although last night u didn't peg