Cross-Canada

Let me tell you how incredibly crushing those mountains are. They are incredibly crushing. The Hope-Princeton starts with a muscle aching 12km climb up to the Hope Slide. There is no respite from it either. I found that I simply couldn’t keep rding so I would alternate between riding and walking the bike up the hill. Once I crest the climb I coasted down the gentle slope into Sunshine Valley where I saw a black bear. This fellow was a bit close to the road for my comfort so I didn’t stop but he looked up as I passed by to check me out. Probably judging if catching me was worth the effort.

Now I knew from my map that I needed to summit at Allison pass so after the slight loss in altitude I began to climb again. Now this climbing wouldn’t have been so bad if I hadn’t completely blown my legs on the previous hill. I also hadn’t eaten a proper breakfast and for some reason the protein bars just weren’t cutting it. Still, ever hopeful I kept on, looking desperately for that sign that would read “Allison Pass Summit 1342m”. It was a long time coming.

I didn’t reach the summit until 12:30 and after that quickly decended into Manning Park Lodge. By now I had been through most of the park, stopping only to take a picture of the West gate and the summit sign. The cold snowy weather which had been tailing me up the hill was finally catching up so I stopped in the lodge for a burger and some soup. It went a long way to re-charging my batteries. I knew from the lodge that the only camprounds available were at lightning lake and Mule deer Park. I wasn’t about to cycle into lightning lake so I would continue on to the Mule deer park. I made the Park by 2:00pm and with only 69km until Princeton I decided to push on.

Well, unfortunately no one told me there was another summit. Sunday summit to be exact although it wasn’t marked on my map. At 1282m it is nothing to sneer at either. Soon I was struggling again with aching legs, cursing the engineers who made the damn road. While I could see the Similkameen river sliding down the hill next to me, I climbed ever upwards! Why couldn’t the road just follow the river? I cried mournfully.

More alternating between riding and walking got me though that hardship, but not before I promised myself a hotel room if I made it. I decended into Princeton at 6:30 in the evening and the guy at the first hotel sent me to a place farther down the road. Again I lucked out as the second place was half the price and near a Greek restaurant. After a good dinner (Calamari) and a hot bath to sooth my aching legs I went to bed and crashed hard. I was asleep by 9:30 again and woke up only when Zuimei called from Japan!

Statistics
Distance: 136km
Average Speed: 18.9km
Top Speed: 66.6km (and I was braking hard)
Total distance: 373km

So on wednesday morning I woke nice an early, I was in bed by 9:30 so getting up early was easy to do. I packed up and headed out. I don’t really like to eat first thing in the morning so I figured I would stop in Langley where the Fraser Highway crosses the number 10. there is a Chapters there and a Starbucks. It took about an hour to get there but the riding was easy. Once I got to Starbuck’s I figured I could buy a map at the Chapters. I still didn’t have a map of BC yet and would be off the lower mainland map I had by the end of the day.

No problem thinks I, I’ll just buy a map at the Chapters…which doesn’t open for three more hours… Well I figured Chilliwack probably has a book store so I could buy a map when I get there. While I am sitting there drinking coffee this fellow, Don, starts asking me where I am going, how long I think it’ll take, you know the usual questions. Then he tells me about his cycling days and touring Australia and down the Oregon coast. When he found out I didn’t have a map of BC we ran out to his truck and grabbed his map and gave it to me! What a neat guy. Foolishly I didn’t get his address and I wish I had. He had been telling me about how his grandfather would give him maps from BCAA and he would mark his distance in yellow and pink highlighters, alternating each day to show the distance travelled, I would like to send him the map back with my distances marked on it.

So I bombed down the Fraser Highway to Abbotsford which is pretty easy riding. It is mostly flat and there is a decent shoulder on the road so you are not too close to traffic. I zig-zagged across the countryside avoiding the Trans-Canada as much as I could but in the end I needed to actually get on it and it wasn’t that bad. Trucks were very respectful and gave me lots of room, frequently pulling into the other lane. In fact the only bad ones are BMW owners. Don’t ask me why but they are the only ones who don’t seem to want to give me any space. Weird.

So after travelling through the farms and the smell of cows I made it to the base of the Hope-Princeton. I found a good campsite for the night and ate well in preparation for the mountains the next day. Apparently I was not prepared enough…

Statistics
Distance: 156 km
Average speed: 19.3 km
Top speed: 53.5 km
Total distance: 237km

I made it my Dad and Betty’s place yesterday safe and sound. I decided to forgo camping in Penticton and ride hard to Kelowna. here I will spend a few days recouperating as my muscles are aching.

On Tuesday I headed off anyway despite the bike issues figuing I could get them fixed somewhere along the way. The night before JR and I went though all the gear and trimmed out alot of it. Renee is going to ship it to Victor’s for me. The SAS survival guide and Lonely planet went as well as some clothes. I did keep my camera though now I wish I had just picked up a digital. The extra weight really hasn’t been worth it since I am not really in the mood to snap photos when I am riding, let alone change lenses.

So Tuesday morning Renee rode with me out to the ferries. It was really sweet of her since the trail could be better marked in places and I’m sure I would have lost time. Plus she had hurt her back doing squats or something so it couldn’t have been easy. The ferry rde was simple and relatively easy. You walk the bike on and off and then veer off from traffic to start. Eventually you need to join them again but there really isn’t much traffic once the boat is unloaded.

Once in Delta I zig-zagged across country roads to avoid the major routes only needing to get on the main drag (Hwy #10) at Surrey. While out there I came a cross an older couple painting “en plein aire” so of course I stopped and chatted with them a bit about paint. I gave them business cards and told them to check out the site. I should have offered them a special discount or something. While I was stopped Zuimei called which was really neat because I doubt I would have heard him if I was still riding. He is fine but misses me. Which is good because the feeling is mutual.

I had marked a bike shop on my map in my search for the rigid fork I needed. No one had it (but everyone could order it). I figured I would go in and see what they could do for me. It was a good thing I did. Rocky cycle in Surrey is a great shop. In fact one of the best I have ever been in. They sold me Psylo Race for at a discount because it had been used and installed it for free. Which is no mean feat becuase you have to take off a bunch of stuff, like the front rack.

They also trued the rear wheel which had greatly out of rack and had apparently been built wrong. (I won’t say where in Toronto I had it done but lets just say I’m not having much luck with bike shops there.) So these guys got me back on my way but now it was about 4:30 so I needed to look for a place for the night. Luckily the first place was full. I say luckily because it was really an RV park on a busy road. They sent me along down the road to the next site which was called Tynehead. It was a real camp ground with a park and grass and everything! A bit expensive though at $22/night.

It was nicely situated though near the Fraser highway which made it easy to get going in the morning.

Statistics

Distance: 81km
Average speed: 19.3km
Top speed 52km

More later…

So the plan was to start at Mile 0 and ride to my sister’s place. About 10 km. The idea was then tomorrow I could just head out from here and not have to back track to the start. Actually it was a good idea because it also gave me a really good idea of how my bike is going to handle…badly.

As you can see in the picture there is a tremendous amount of weight on the bike. It meant that when I started to pedal the handling was very wobbly. In fact the bike shuddered. I lowered the handlebars by changing where the spacer rings were on the head tube and that seemed to help. Also when we removed the yellow bag in the back, that also helped. Finally moving the heavier items to the back of the bike made it doable but it still isn’t where I would like it to be.

Also the fork I have on the bike now is too long for it and as a result when I swap forks I will find myself leaning forwards more. Good for the aero-dynamics, not so good on the wrists and back. ah well such is the life of a voyageur.

So it is raining. Not real rain, but that grey West Coast drizzle. This does not bode well for the start of this trip. Maybe it means I will get all the bad wether out of the way early. I will put my bike together today and see if I can fill the tires with the little hand pump I have. If not then I will need to buy a new one I think.

And I picked up some bear mace just in case. I think I am going to manufacture a bear mace and call it “El Dante bear Salsa”

I have arrived in Victoria. My bike and bags made it without incident but carrying the bags really made me realize the amount of stuff I am taking. I will attempt to do create an equipment list, as I repack today and tomorrow. I have pushed the launch day to Tuesday so I can load up my bike and try it out loaded. Maybe I will take some photos and post them. I realized that without a digital camera there may not be much in the way of pictures on this blog until I get home.

I miss Zuimei.

These photos came from my sister Renee. I think you click on them to get a better view

One sleep to go… Je suis pret

I just finished washing my bike in preparation for the flight to Victoria. I leave in two days, and will be on the road two days after that. Tonight I will take my bike apart and pack it up. Double check my equipment list and see what is missing. I still don’t have a map of BC. They were the only province that didn’t mail one when I wrote. I kind of know where I am going. Also I have my trusty iPAQ with built in GPS, so I will know the exact longitude and latitude of where I am lost. Could prove handy.

I started this blog in case anyone wants to keep up and for now it’ll become my dumping ground of pictures and junk. Once I get home again I will try and assemble it into something that is a little more concrete.