DIARY - Week Four
DIARY - Week Four
We had a late breakfast and started on the road at 10:00. The first 1.5 miles was up hill then we rolled along for the next 9 and stopped by a lake with a small beach for the next hour. The water was very cold for paddling. We then continued on for a few miles before taking a leisurely lunch. At the 22 mile point we were stopped by a couple of motor cyclists one of whom was Jim. He had ridden about 65 miles out, to see how we were doing and had brought us another Canadian flag to replace the plastic one we had been given by Steven. (we now have 2 Canadian flags on our post).The rest of the run into Salmon Arm was uneventful and so we concluded an easy day on the road before having a swim at the motel pool.
The day started with the inevitable hill and progressed in a similar manner all morning. We stopped for lunch at Sicamous. The visitor information service advised that the next accommodation was 30 miles up the road. We opted for the pool and hot tub and will attack the road to Revelstoke tomorrow.
We had an early start and made good time on the flat roads and gentle climbs. We stopped at Craigellachie, site of the last spike that joined the Canadian Pacific across the continent, for coffee and ice cream. We had lunch at Three Valleys restaurant with just 10 miles to go. We met a few steeper hills toward the end of the ride but made good time into Revelstoke checking into a motel just before the rain arrived.
We are taking tomorrow as a rest day to plan our final ascent. We have been climbing steadily since leaving the coast and are now well into mountain country. The winds blow cold off the mountains and almost every peak has snow on the top. Tomorrow light snow is forecast for Calgary. We are considering hiring a car to scout out the land ahead as Pauline is concerned about what lies around the corner. Pauline is riding stronger all the time and getting better at pacing herself. The other day some chewing gum caught a stone onto her shoe which prevented it sitting straight into the pedal cleat. By the time we realised, her right thigh had become painful. This occasionally plays up on long climbs.
We hired a car to do some sight seeing and took the opportunity to drive to the top of Rogers Pass and see the route. Maybe not such a good idea. We also took the trailer and baggage with us and left it at the hotel for tomorrow. That was a good idea.
Today we started the ride with some trepidation, not helped by the 1.5 mile climb out of Revelstoke. The majority of the ride was a gradual climb which was energy sapping as we made our way towards the pass. At 22 miles we met our first steep climb and managed about 2/3 rds of the way up before we walked. The final climb to the summit started gently for the first 3 miles then steepened for the final 1.5 miles to the top of the pass and our bed for the night. The Best Western at the summit must be one of the highest. Today we saw an animal scavenging on the opposite side of the road, it looked suspiciously wolf like (we did not stop to investigate). Today was a tough day for both of us, however the scenery made up for it. At the summit there is still snow lying to several feet deep. For the last 12 miles even though we had unbroken sunshine, the cold air chills you quickly as soon as you stop working. We were both happy to get to our room, only to find no hot water for the first 40 minutes. Pauline has surpassed herself again today, beyond all expectations.
Today was supposed to be all downhill and a short ride but it wasn't quite like that. For the first 8.5 miles the only difficult bit was keeping the speed below 35 mph. Travelling at that speed into dark avalanche tunnels is excitement enough for anyone. We then climbed back up to the next pass where they were clearing a mudslide from the road. They have been working at this for over a week and are nearly finished. From then on it was predominantly level or downhill but the run in to Golden was far further than it appears on the map and an expected 35 miles became 51. On the outskirts of Golden is a rash of big name motels, but we bravely passed them all for the town centre accommodation with the local facilities, only an additional 2 miles DOWN the road!
Explored Golden (quiet on a Sunday). Tested the hot tub and sauna and had a relaxing day. Sent birthday greetings to Number One Son.