CCCT 2012 - May 30th

Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Wednesday, May 30th
 Day 11 - Rock Creek to Greenwood, BC. Trip 36.44 kms Time 2 hrs 11 mins Max 43.5 kph
We were both very tired from yesterday's ride over the Anarchist Pass so when the alarm went off at 6:00 AM I reset it for 7:00 AM and promptly went back to sleep. When I finally got up at 7:00 AM every joint and muscle in my body was aching. Bev boiled some water using a camp stove which she set up on a stool outside our room and made us a cup of tea and some instant oatmeal for breakfast. We shared a banana. I put some mixed nuts and raisins in my oatmeal to pad it out a bit and also had a Greek yogurt. I made myself a PBJ while Bev made a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. We finished packing our panniers and loaded them on our bikes. We then set off for Greenwood, BC, at 9:00 AM.
On our way to Greenwood, we met a young couple from Czech Rep, Philip and Irena, who were cycling in the opposite direction to Vancouver. They were on mountain bikes and Philip was pulling a 2-wheel trailer behind his bike. They were worried about cycling over the ANARCHIST pass!!! Of course we had to boast about how we had managed to do it in 7 hrs and were still alive to tell about it.
We made a pit stop in Midway and treated ourselves to a cold drink and a granola bar. We met a few "old timers" sitting outside the General Store and one of them remarked that he had passed us on the highway. Bev asked him "Why didn't you stop and pick us up?" To which he replied "I was going the other way!!!" After some very encouraging words we continued on our way to Greenwood. We saw a large deer at the side of the road. I slowed down just in case it decided to run in front of us which it did. It ran across the highway and gracefully jumped over a 4 ft (1 m) high fence. As we approached the outskirts of Greenwood we saw hat after hat on the fence post. There must have been over a hundred of them!!! We asked at the VC what the meaning of all the baseball caps on the fence post was? She said they belonged to the person who bought the property and that he was using them to "mark his property". Very strange!!! While in the VC we also got our BC passport stamped and asked about motels, etc.
We sat outside at a picnic table and had lunch before going on to check out the motels. The 1st motel was $69, the 2nd motel was $60 and the 3rd motel was $55 plus $5 to do our laundry (no folding) and wi-fi. We gathered our laundry and gave it to the motel manager. I checked out the wi-fi. It was then that I learned that my Mom had passed away the previous day at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, May 29th with my sister Theresa at her side. The motel manager had told us that if we needed to make any long distance calls in Canada we should dial 82 plus the number and it was free. I was able to call home to let my brothers and sisters know that I was aware that our mother had passed away. It was sad moment but fortunately Bev was there to lend me some moral support.
We waited some time for the motel manager to return our laundry. Finally when it still hadn't arrived Bev went to check on it and found that it was still going around in the dryer. The manager had stepped out to give someone a lift into town and hadn't told his wife about it. After folding and putting our laundry away we cycled back into town to have a beer at the SALOON then dinner next door at the Pacific Grill. We had an excellent meal. We cycled back to our motel instead of going back to the saloon to play some pool as I wanted to work on my blog. I put an ICY/HOT patch on my left shoulder and Bev put some antibiotic cream on her knee and put a gauze bandage over  it. Took a couple of Tylenol and was off to bed at 10:00 PM.

Restaurant deck back at Rock Creek

When we returned to the motel we went in to the little store by the office to buy some groceries for tomorrow's lunch. Bev picked a couple of mandarin oranges from a basket in the fruit section. When she went to pay for them the manager said there was no charge as they were the children's for school. He just kept them in the fridge.

CCCT 2012 - May 29th

Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Tuesday, May 29th
Day 10 - Osoyoos, BC, to Rock Creek, BC. Trip 55 kms Time 4 hrs 46 mins Max 63.1 kph
We were up at 6:00 AM in order to tackle the ANARCHIST pass which has a summit of 1233m. We had instant oatmeal with fruit & nuts and banana and Greek yogurt for breakfast. After cleaning up and packing our gear on our bikes we set off for Rock Creek at 7:45 AM. Again there were no facilities on the way just a lot of great scenery but when you are climbing at 5 to 6 kph it's hard to appreciate the beauty of nature all around us. We had to stop many times to rest and walked quite a bit. The first 8 kms was an 8% grade! Many people stopped to talk to us and encourage us. Once we reached the summit after 7 hrs of climbing for 30 kms we had to put on our jackets and warm gloves for the descent.
A resident of Bridesville, BC, must have heard about us coming up the Anarchist and drove out in his VW Rabbit to invite us to stop by at the "red barn" in Bridesville for coffee. We had to get off the highway to pass through Bridesville (pop. around 46). I think there were more dogs than people as we managed to get everyone of them barking as we passed by. He was there waiting for us and came out to the street to greet us. We stopped and chatted for awhile but in the end politely declined his invitation to come in for coffee and see his new born baby. He even offered us accommodation for the night!!! Just a very friendly former Ontario resident.
We pushed on to Rock Creek and arrived at 3:00 PM very exhausted but quite satisfied that we had managed to conquer the Anarchist pass. I went into the Trading Post to ask about accommodations. The manager was busy serving customers lattes or some such concoctions. A customer suggested the Goldpan Motel which was part of the "truck stop" service station. We went over to the Goldpan and asked about the cost of a room for the night which was $65 - no wi-fi. The only wi-fi available in town was at the Trading Post. There was another hotel across the street and down a lane called the Rock Creek Hotel. It looked like it had been there since the "gold rush" days. I went in to ask about a double room for the night. It was $44.60/night with no TV and shared washroom down the hall. We decided we'd already had a rough enough day so returned to the Goldpan and checked in there for the night. I managed to talk the manager down to $60.
While I got settled in Bev walked up the highway to the PetroCan for some groceries for breakfast and lunch tomorrow. I was quite fascinated by the Rock Creek Hotel and convinced Bev that she should walk back over there for a cold beer. We found a quiet sheltered spot to sit out on the rear deck by the river side. There were multi-flower baskets and bird feeders hanging from the open roof. There were numerous species of birds at the feeders including GrossBeaks, Finches, Sparrows, Humming Birds, etc and a couple Lewis Woodpeckers which according to the hotel manager are quite rare. They were nesting in a tall tree that had been hit by lightning and was partially dead. We both ordered mushroom bacon cheese burgers with lettuce and tomato and mayo and the best home cut fries plus a couple of pints of beer for $42.50. Suddenly all the birds disappeared. The hotel cat was on the prowl. He certainly looked well fed!!!
After dinner we walked to the PetroCan for icecream. Ah but the icecream shop was closed!!! We ended up getting a "drumstick" out of the freezer in the gas station convenience store. On the way back to the motel we passed by the Trading Post which was already closed so no wi-fi.

Damn that hill!!!

Should have packed a bit lighter???

Rare Lewis Woodpecker

Grosbeak(sp)

Back in our room Bev wanted to watch TV but there was "no signal". Bev went over and got the manager who came over and checked the outdoor cable connections then came in the room and using a 2nd remote which was still on the bedside table she turned on the TV and voila we now had a "signal". Bev was very tired and was off to sleep by 8:00 PM!!! I did some reading and was soon off to bed myself at 9:00 PM. 

CCCT 2012 - May 28th

Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Monday, May 28th
Keremeos to Osoyoos 49 kms Time 3 hrs 12 mins Max 61.5 kph

We were up early at 6:00 AM hoping for an early departure. Bev made French Toast with Raisin Bread. Hmm!! Hmm!! very tasty. I put margarine and peach jam on mine. Also made myself a peanut butter & jam (PBJ) on Raisin Bread and buttered two slices for Bev for lunch later on. Before loading my bike I flipped it over and tried to adjust the wheels to try and stop the disc brakes from rubbing. No luck.

Just as we were about to leave a local truck driver came by and warned us about the hills and told us KEREMEOS was an Indian word for "Meeting of the four winds" which were very strong during the night.

We set off for Osoyoos at 7:50 AM. Bev had another fall going up the first hill out of town. Her foot got caught in the pedal clips. She scraped her almost healed knee from her previous fall and her left elbow. We stopped at the top of the hill and she put a fresh bandage on her knee.

We had to make frequent stops because of 9 very long and steep hills. I kept checking my watch altimeter and at hill #8 it read 685m. We arrived in Osoyoos at 12:30. There were no facilities to speak of just a lot of beautiful scenery.

When we arrived at the Visitor's Centre in Osoyoos we met a young guy waiting for the Greyhound bus to Saskatoon. Bev went in and asked about lodging while I watched our bikes. The VC recommended a motel at $78/night while "Buddy" said the Boundary Motel was cheaper. Bev walked over to a nearby garage and got cold drinks and a cinnamon roll to go with our lunch. We moved over to a bench in the shade to eat our lunch. It was a bit noisy because of a landscaping crew moving loads of stones and rocks.

Snowy peaks, a river and vineyards

We cycled to the Boundary Motel which was a couple blocks further up the road. A room with kitchenette was $69, I talked him down to $60. We unloaded our bikes and put them and our gear in the large room. Bev walked to a nearby shop for groceries while I checked out the wi-fi. Excellent. Lay down for a short nap while waiting for Bev to return from shopping. I wanted to do some laundry in the kitchen sink but Bev was against it. We decided to wait until tomorrow. Bev started preparing sauce for pasta. I helped peel and chop the onion, etc. Filled in my journal. My left shoulder is still a bit sore. Watched some TV. Fi xed Bev's handlebar horn which had gotten bent out of shape from her fall. Checked my rear brakes again. Noticed my rear tire was cut up pretty bad from all the sharp stones at the side of the road on the paved shoulder. I put my spare tire on. After pumping it up to 100 psi noticed it had a cut in the side. Had to use some duct tape to make the repair. Very tired. Off to bed at 11:00 PM.

CCCT 2012 - Sunday May 27th

Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Sunday, May 27th

Bev looking very spiffy in her new bright yellow vest

Our motel room was a bit warm and dark so Bev opened the bedroom curtain to let in a little bit of air and light. I had a fairly good nights sleep in spite of the bedroom curtain tickling me on the forehead every time I tossed and turned. We got up at 6:00 AM and finished packing. We had some breakfast in our room before leaving Princeton at 8:30 AM. We cycled to the Visitor's Centre but it was closed. Bev noticed the "CLOSED" sign on the front door and stayed up on the highway. By the time she pointed this out to me I had gone down to the centre and had to cycle back up a steep incline to get back on the highway. Bev certainly is a lot more observant than I am, especially so early in the morning.
We set off on #3 Hwy for Keremeos via Hedley. It was mostly downhill with a tail wind and a nice paved shoulder which was a bit rough in some spots. A vintage/classic car rally passed by going in the opposite direction. Great looking cars out for a Sunday drive. There were several Triumphs including a TR4 and a TR3. We saw several deer at the side of the road as we were leaving Princeton. They were in someone's front garden in the shade of some trees. They looked liked silouettes and were standing so still that we thought at first that they were statues.
We arrived in Hedley at 10:30 AM and went in to a butcher's shop to use the facilities, buy a cold drink and have a snack. We cycled on to about 10 kms from Keremeos and stopped at a "View Point" for lunch.While in Hedley we had got some fruit, ham, cheese, etc. for our picnic. There was no one around but as soon as Bev went off to use the great outdoor "facilities" a couple vehicles pulled in to catch the show!!! She decided to "hold on" for bit longer.
After cycling 70 kms at a fairly decent clip we arrived in Keremeos at 1:00 PM. The Visitor's Centre was CLOSED.. We decided to find a motel with wi-fi for the night. We picked the Alpine @ $49/night. We did our laundry and hung it out on the tree next to our room to dry. It was very hot and windy. Bev went shopping for breakfast groceries while I settled in and checked out the wi-fi. It took me an hour to get a connection. Very frustrating.
\After a short nap we went out for a walk and ended up having dinner at the Riverside Bistro. I had to get a "doggie bag" as I couldn't finish my dinner. Something very unusual for me!!! Once back at our motel room we brought our laundry in and folded it and packed it away for an early morning departure.

Roly before his jersey split!!!

Can't remember what it was called but it was huge

Bev had the baked lasagne - I helped a bit

Did some work on my blog before going off to bed at 10:00 PM.

CCCT 2012 - May 26th

Cross Canada Cycling Tour 2012 - Saturday, May 26th
After checking out of motel at 7:30 we cycled to the nearest McDs about 2 km away for breakfast. When I asked for porridge I was told they only had "oatmeal". Huh!!! Well OK - I'll have some of that and yogurt with fruit and nuts and a decaf coffee please. The coffee was cold so I had to go  back and get a refill.
We left Chilliwack at 8:00 and cycled to Hope arriving at 12:10 PM. We went into the Visitor's Centre to ask about camping on the way to Princeton. We were told there were only 2 campsites open. One at 20 kms from Hope and one at 59 kms at Manning Park. There were no facilities available at either campsite so we would have to bring all our food and water for 2 days of camping. We then went over to a Subway for lunch and discussed our options. Neither one of us fancied cycling up the mountain pass so we agreed to try and hire a taxi to drive us to Princeton. Bev went across the street to a garage and made enquiries. She came back with a ride to Princeton for $225 (regular fair was $275) so we felt we were getting a pretty good deal considering we would be saving 3 days of cycling over a killer pass and 2 nights accommodation and meals. We waited 20 minutes for the taxi driver to arrive. He showed up with an older model Dodge van which still had all the seats in it. We struggled to get the head rest down on the rear seat and even with it collapsed there was no way we were going to get all our gear and our two bikes in the back. Frank said his wife had a pickup truck and would go home and get it and be right back. When he returned we quickly loaded our gear and bikes in the back.
While we were loading our stuff 2 guys went by on their fully loaded bikes headed in the direction of the pass. They yelled out "Hey, get those bikes off that truck!!! You can do it!!!" We had a good laugh but decided to ignore them. We set off for Princeton at 2:30 and arrived at 4:00 PM after a bit of a white knuckle ride. We passed the two cyclists who were off the road in the ditch. Not sure what there problem was. Frank was going to fast and by the time I realized that it was the same 2 cyclists who had dissed us we had gone much to far to stop and see if they needed help.
Once we arrived in Princeton I took some photos and we thanked Frank for delivering us safely over the pass. A shop owner came out to see what all the fuss was about and offered to let us camp in his back yard, etc. We thankfully declined his offer and asked about a motel. He recommended the Princeton Motel across the street. It was $60 for a nice room for the night which included wi-fi, TV, fridge, etc. After unpacking and putting our bikes away in a shed we walked down Main Street to look for a suitable establishment where we could partake of some cool refreshments. We stumbled upon a Legion where a Memorial Service was being held for a dearly departed member. We went in and had a couple of cold brewskies. While we were waiting to be served one of the locals, who had ridden into town on his horse, came to the door and had the horse stick it's head inside. By the time I got my camera out of my handle bar bag he was gone. When I got Serbio, our mascot, out to take a photo one of the local members said we should have a Legion ribbon which she went and got for us.
We then walked over to the Elbow Room Deli, which had been recommended to us, for dinner. Excellent dinner for 2 with dessert (rhubard and strawberry pie with ice cream for me and rhubard and strawberry tart to go for Bev) came to $43.31. We bought some groceries for breakfast and went for a walk after dinner. I mentioned that we should get some peanut butter and Bev got up while I was eating my dessert and went across the street to get some. She paid $6.19 for a small jar of Kraft peanut butter!!!
Once back in our room at the motel I tried to log onto the wi-fi network but it was futile. I went over to the office where I thought I might have better luck. In the end the manager decided to lend me his notebook. It didn't work any better back in the room. I wonder if the problem was the fact that he had metal roofing that could be interfering with the router signal? I went back to the office and was able to establish a connection and was able to check my email, etc. The manager then gave me 2 muffins for our breakfast. It was late and time for bed. Presently in Balfour, BC. Bev is sound asleep. Had a tough ride from Castlegar.

Serbio enjoying a pint at the Princeton Legion

A famous bridge in Princeton

CCCT 2012 - May25th

Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Friday, May 25th
Woke up at 4:00 AM when the birds started singing after a very restless night. A bit to chilly for camping in my opinion. Got up at 7:30. Bev prepared chopped up hot dogs, red pepper omellets on the camp stoves for breakfast. She also boiled the two remaining eggs for later and made some herbal tea. I finished off the Peach juice. It took a while to get our tent and all our gear packed up and so it was a bit late (9:30 AM) before we set off for Chilliwack.
We were unable to stay on TCH #1. No bicycles, etc allowed. We had to find an alternative route. I went into a service station to ask for directions but the attendant, not being a cyclist, was not able to help. I ended up having to buy a map of the local area which helped get us to Chilliwack via backroads, etc. We had to cope with very strong head winds most of the way so I convinced Bev to take turns drafting alternating every km.
We stopped at a Rest Area for lunch and at a Visitor's Centre to get directions to campgrounds/motels. Because of my most negative "camping" experience last night I insisted on staying at a motel. We ended up at the Rainbow Motor Inn on Yale Road @ $69 plus taxes for the night.
After unloading our bikes and putting them away in the room we showered and rinsed out our cycling clothes. I lay down for a nap until 5:50 PM. Bev convinced me to walk to the Market Store but we didn't see anything suitable for breakfast. We went into a nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner but there were only 2 other customers. I then realized they were not licensed. I definitely needed a cold beer so we walked up the street a bit further to a 2nd Chinese restaurant which was licensed and had several more customers. We ordered Singapore Noodles, Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls, egg rolls, 2 beers and red wine. It was $52.52 but well worth it as we were really thirsty and very hungry after cycling 45.5 kms in 3 hours. Like I said we had to cope with a very strong head wind most of the day.
Once we returned to our motel I checked my e-mail and FB. Bev checked her Gmail. I filled in my journal and decided to have an early night and hopefully an early start in the AM. I was to tired to work on my blog. Plus my left arm/shoulder was quite sore. I put an ICY/HOT patch on it and went to bed.

Bikes and tent

Bev

CCCT 2012 - May 24th

Cross Canada Cycling Tour 2012 - Thursday, May 24th
Well I'll have another go at trying to get this day in our CCCT posted. I typed it up last night and then tried to add a photo and the Notebook froze up on me and I lost it all. So here goes again.
After getting off the ferry in Tsawwassen and fixing my flatted rear tire we were not much in the mood for cycling any great distance in spite of the flat landscape. We cycled as far as Ladner and found a motel for the night. The next morning we were up early and set off for Abbotsford at 8:00 AM. We had to stop at the first Timmy's along the way for breakfast. As we were having breakfast it started pouring. By 9:00 AM the rain had eased off to a steady drizzle. We put our rain covers on our panniers and got our rain gear on and set off once again for Abbotsford.
We stopped in Cloverdale for insoles at a Shopper's Drug Mart for Bev who had forgotten to pack her orthotics. We also got some groceries at a Market Place for snacks and lunch. The lady at the deli counter made up a fresh sandwich for us with ham, cheese, lettuce and mayo. She even dried the lettuce so our sandwiches wouldn't get soggy. We had a granola bar and some Greek yogurt before setting off again.
Our next challenge was negotiating a 12% hill. We both had to get off our bikes and walk a few hundred metres to get to the top. We found a shady spot and had our lunch and shared a bottle of Gatorade.
Somehow we managed to miss the turn for Abbotsford but luckily hadn't gone very far before Bev felt we were heading in the wrong direction. We were able to get directions from an elderly lady just pulling out of her driveway. She told us we just had to go back about 1/2 km and take 40th Street to get back on the Fraser Hwy. We soon arrived in Aldergrove and stopped at a McDs for a much needed Smoothie and took the opportunity to top up our water bottles.
We arrived in Abbotsford around 2 PM after cycling 66 kms in 4 hours. We decided to find a camping place and stop for the night. The Aloha RV camping ground looked very inviting and was only $20 for the night. Although I was a little miffed about the fact that it was .25 cents for the ladies shower and $1.00 for the men's shower. When I said this was discrimination the camp ground manager said that when the ladies shower  breaks down it to will cost $1.00. We were shown to a nice green patch of grass with a picnic table and lots of cedar trees for privacy. We unpacked and set up our tent, etc. We had to go back down the road for groceries and when we got back found out that the laundry facilities would be locked up shortly. We quickly got out of our sweaty cycling gear, gathered all our other washing and managed to get a load of laundry done. I decided to go for a shower while Bev was dealing with the laundry. She must have used up all the hot water because no mater how I turned the tap and how long I waited I could not get any hot water. I ended up having a very cold shower. I was not a "happy camper".


Our 3-person tent in Abbotsford



Serbio tucked in for the night

Bev, being the expert camper that she is, setup the camp stoves and proceeded to prepare a gourmet meal of chopped up red peppers, celery, tomato and boiled hot dogs. We washed it down with some Peach Nectar and herbal tea. No wi-fi or TV available so it was off to bed rather early. I had trouble sleeping. I was quite cold from my shoulders up and kept sliding down on my memory foam mattress. Somehow, in spite of all the highway traffic noise, the creatures rustling around outside our tent, I did manage to get some sleep until the birds woke me up at 4:30 AM!!! Meanwhile Bev was sleeping soundly all wrapped up in her "mummy" bag. So much for my first night of camping on the CCCT!!!