Day 19 June 18 114Km, 519m Vertical Climb, Clear and even warmer.

Oh oh. What happened last night? Yer can’t beat a fried breakfast after a late night. I’m going to have to start doing the fried eggs though. Tim B. should stick to the scrambled ones. Late start today. It was 11:15 before we were rolling south into the Cypress Hills but we did have the benefit of a north west wind pushing us along. After 42km we turned left onto the Red Coat Trail, route 13, to head east on a nice straight and quiet road. Well, bless my little cotton socks if there wasn’t a bend in the road after 31km. That raised the excitement level for the next 20 minutes when all was suddenly superseded by the sighting of our first buffalos. I think some of the bulls were being crafty and stalking some cows that were on the range too but I might be wrong. We also saw two cemeteries on opposite sides of the road with magnificent views across the prairies (not that anybody apart from us seemed to be enjoying them). It must be pretty dry around there because there were good solid wooden crosses that were apparently 50 years old. A wooden cross in the ground wouldn’t last 5 years where live. We pushed on to Ponteix where we were able to pitch the tent on a lovely bit of fresh cut grass next to the rail track. As they only get about 3 trains a week we expected and had a peaceful night. But I’m getting ahead of myself. We were too late for the shops so we had to eat out and the only restaurant in town had an All You Can Eat Wings Night. What more could one wish for? Being a bit late we didn’t get any salad so we made up for the loss with lots of wings.

Day 18 June 17 120Km, 458m Vertical Climb, Clear and warm.

Walsh to Gull Lake. The sun was up early and so were we. A cuppa tea, a cuppa coffee, decamp, a wave to Shelley and the squirrels and we were off. It was only 2km to the Saskatchewan border but 40 to the visitor centre where we took our first break. Tim B. sorted out maps etc. in the Centre while I sorted out a large cone of ice cream at the ice cream parlour on the edge of the car park. We moved on a couple of minutes to the cross roads at Maple Creek for a warm lunch at the gas station and then onwards to Gull Lake. For accommodation in Gull Lake we decided to try the hotel which looked pretty run down and thankfully Laura, behind the bar, had a two bedroom apartment with kitchenette available about a block away so that’s where we ended up. After a quick visit to the shops, a cooked supper (Tim B. needs some practice on the sunny side up eggs), a shower and a change of clothes it was off back to (yes you guessed it) the bar. When we were asking for a room Laura had said that she shuts the bar around 9pm if it is quiet so we hot footed it over there around 8:30. Laura was still there with a couple of local customers and we were soon busy chatting away. Bob Wellmann told us all about coyote hunting, steer roping, bronco breaking, the importance of different types of sage with their high protein content that are essential for the survival of buffalo and cattle on the range and about how many cow/calf pairs can be kept on a section (that’s a square mile). What do you get when you cross a buffalo with a cow? A beefalo. Yep, we learned that too. You know you're having a good day when the bartender buys you a drink. Anyway, sometime after midnight we decided to leave the serious drinking to those that don’t ride bicycles and staggered off back to our room and conked out within seconds.

Day 17 June 16 116Km, 321m Vertical Climb, Clear blue sky and getting warm.

Bow Island to Walsh. Well I didn’t avoid the mossies. They bit my bum through my cycling shorts, both cheeks, back of both thighs, both knees, face and left wrist. So, first move after decamping was to visit the hunting sports shop in town to get some insect repellent. Bow Is. is not a very big town (about 10 shops) but the sports shop is Canada’s largest supplier of hunting bows and we got free education on the relative merits of crossbows and longbows and no insect repellent. When the need arises get a longbow because it shoots further and insect repellent at the foodstore because it is cheaper than the hunter’s odourless variety.
Eventually we got on our way through the prairies. We saw an occasional bend in the road and it went gently up and down most of the time. The prairies are not flat, they may seem like it to you folks in cars but that is probably because you’re asleep most of the time. We stopped in Seven Persons at the only cafe in town where all seven persons were having lunch. The microwaved toasted sandwich was not a success. Next stop was Medicine Hat where, after a more nourishing lunch break, we changed on to the Trans Canada Hwy for the last stage to Walsh situated just before the Saskatchewan border. Walsh is two gas stations and a few houses near the RR track. We saw there was a restaurant and bar so we set up camp on the small campground next to the Shell station. Shelley came over from her home to give us some advice on where to put the tent and when we asked about the location of the advertised washing machine she said it no longer worked so she took all our dirty laundry and put it through her machine. Now wasn’t that nice of her. Toilets and hot showers were available so after we got cleaned up off we went to do some shopping only to find that both gas stations only sold junk food, so off to the restaurant which was closed and lo and behold so was the bar. As we were the only people on the camp site we sat and chatted to a few Richardson Ground squirrels before turning in for an early night.

Day 16 June 15

Lethbridge to Bow Island. We left Lethbridge at 11 AM and headed down the road to Medicine Hat. We have changed the planned route to avoid going directly thought the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. We met 2 cyclists on the route who had gone through Cypress Hills and they lost their third companion when his bike was destroyed by the gravel roads. Since we both have road touring bikes we decided to play it safe and stay on the paved roads. Unfortunately we will have to go on the Trans-Canada which we were hoping to avoid. David, our host from Lethbridge accompanied us for the first half day and then he returned to Lethbridge. Near Tabor we saw two farms with strange looking Alberta Beef. We carried on to Bow Island, where we camped at the municipal park. Hallelujah the camping was a success. Since we are saving so much money by camping we ate out at a Chinese buffet. What a great way to avoid the mosquitos. We slept OK and woke up warm and dry.

Day 15 June 14 Rest day in Lethbridge

The longest trestle bridge in the world near Lethbridge
Day 15 June 14 Rest day in Lethbridge

Day 14; June 13; 101Km; 363m Vertical; Average speed fantastic

Pincher Creek to Lethbridge. What a ride. This has to be dedicated to Achim. Chain to the right Maenner und gib ihm. Average speed to Fort Macleod over 49km was 33.3kmh. Boy o boy what a strong tail wind can do. Tim B did want to stop for some reason (take a leak/photo, I dunno) but I told him at this speed no way.
We were due to stay with David & Sonia in Lethbridge so David had decided to cycle the 50km to Fort Macleod to meet us. Well, he had a lot tougher time getting there against the wind than we did with the wind. We beat him there by about an hour and a half and were ready for a third cuppa tea when he staggered in to the A&W (that’s like a MacDonalds to you Europeans but a different company). After a suitable period of recuperation for David we rolled slowly through town viewing the historical locations like the oldest theatre (that’s theater to Canadians) in Alberta and the Fort where the Mounties established there western outpost back in 18something. After this bit of sightseeing we left for Lethbridge, did a few photo stops along the way and still had an average of 28.8kph over the 101km. Eat your heart out you guys in Cologne.
We successfully closed out the day with Sonja and David and neighbours Charlie and Mike down at Pop’s Pub where we emptied two 60oz pitchers and three 100oz towers. Hey Bob we drank ‘em dry of Rickards Red so we had to switch to Molson Canadian for the last tower. Good going huh.

Day 13; June 12; 121KM, 860M vertical

Fernie to Pincher Creek. After doing laundry and shopping for more cold weather gear, we left Fernie at 11:46. The day started with warm sunny weather and a tail wind as we followed the Crowsnest trail for our last day in British Columbia. We headed up the last section to the crowsnest pass and went over the continental divide (and the BC/Alberta border) at 3 PM. From now on it’s all downhill. At this point we expected bad weather but the sun continued to shine and the wind continued from the west . We had great weather all day. We saw more mountains today than the last 12 days in BC.
As we descended to Pincher creek we passed the Frank Slide where the mountain side broke off and slid into the town killing 70 people. We stopped at the memorial but even 1KM down the road the rocks still surround the highway.

Day 12; June 11; 99km; 522M vertical climb

We got on the road at 11:00 while the sun was shining and the temp was 15°C. The nice weather lasted 30 min and then the temperature dropped as the day went on. 30km before Fernie the weather turned miserable with heavy rain and the wind in our faces. We put our heads down and pedelled faster to got to Fernie before the snow started. For the first time in 4 days we got to town before the stores closed and went right to the sports store to buy some cold weather gear. Now it should get warmer!
Road Conditions: The roads in BC are good (far better than Quebec). We are travelling the Crowsnest Highway and it has a nice shoulder for cyclists to ride on. Sadly after Creston they started putting a rumble strip on the side of the road. Unfortunately the installer wasn’t sober and it also wanders a bit. It makes life very difficult for the cyclists since we have to ride on the Highway or in the gravel. I say remove the rumble strip and hand out free coffee.
Another sad fact is the number of roadside markers we have seen for deceased motorists. When we stop to look at the markers it is usually easy to guess how the accidents happened.

Day 11 June 10 108km: 5 C; 802M vertical climb

After a rough previous day we had a late start when we left the motel at 11:00. (Checkout time and the cleaning staff was waiting). We went across the road to the Laundromat and used the dryer before we finally hit the road at 11:40. It was raining and cool, so we only got 15km down the road before we stopped for brunch and tons of coffee. Today the road was relatively level and we had a nice tailwind, but the rain followed us for the first 60 km. We did not get snowed on, but the hills around us were sprinkled with white. After a tea stop in Moyie we actually travelled 30km on dry roads before the rain started up again just before our destination Cranbrook. Once more we had to check into the motel dripping wet and register with frozen hands.

Day 10 June 9; 126km; 1 C; 2117 M vertical climb

Ee bye gum. ‘ecky thump. Worra day. Leave Castlegar at 8.20 and start a 17km 744m climb in the rain over Bombi Summit. A nice cool descent over 9km and a fairly level 14km to Salmo. As wer wuz cold and wet we needed a Laundromat which took some finding’ cos it wer disguised as a derelict shed. We quick stripped off most of the wet clobber, chucked it in the dryer and then sat around half naked for the next half hour. Well that kept the local housewives away for a while. We got the now dry gear back on and tried to leave but Mr B. discovered he had a flat tyre so back into the laundry with a toolkit and front wheel to keep the now present housewife company while we fixed the puncture. Said problem solved and we shot off round t’ local caff fer a good ‘ot cuppa tea.. Then we ‘ad to get serious again. A 14km fairly level run to a junction and then the 23km and 1250m climb over Kootenay Pass. Now that should have been exciting but somebody who is in charge ’round here decided the heavens should open 5 minutes from the top. The said person in charge also decided to drop the temperature to 0.9C thus turning the rain to snow. Fortunately, there was a log cabin where we could change into dry kit for the descent. The 30km and 1244m descent was done on roads streaming with water at between 1 and 4 degrees. We wuz soaked and frozen within seconds. Apart from that we “ad a good day. Mines a pint. Cheers.

Day 9 102KM; 1362M vertical height

Another day, another pass. We started with a gentle downhill for 20 km to Christina Lake. We breakfasted on White Onion soup and a burger. It was probably a mistake since we never felt peppy the rest of the day. We climbed from Christina Lake steadily for 31 km. At times the grade was 9% and at times it dropped to 3%. It was 4:10 before we crested Paulson Pass and started downhill. It was downhill the rest of the day. With very little peddling we coasted 37km into Castlegar by 5:30. The weather again surprised us. We had a bright sunny day until the summit and then we got rained on. The temperature dropped from 22°C to 12°C on the downhill. The roads were wet and the fog over the wet roads was chilling. By the time we got to Castlegar we needed for a warm hotel room for the night.

day 8 june 7; 126km; 1675M vertical climb

So, after a day of rest (we were useless as tourists because we didn’t do anything but watch some telly and do some bike maintenance) we left town for a tough day. The road rose from the edge of Osoyoos and just kept going up for the next 25km to the top of Anachist Pass, 1231m high. And of course it was still cool and damp but at least it didn’t rain. From the pass we dropped around 600m down to Rock Creek where we stopped to warm ourselves up with some lunch and a cuppa tea. A few kms later we caught up with a young couple on mountain bikes towing bob trailers and they are also crossing Canada but they had started in Patagonia last Nov. been in Argentina, done the length of Chile and then flown to Vancouver to start crossing Canada. We didn’t say a lot. We left them near Midway and started our long gentle 30km climb up the Kettle Valley to the Eholt pass at 1028m and then enjoyed a 15km downhill, no pedalling and no need for brakes, to within 5km of Grand Forks. We are both knackered, full of chicken wings, other main dishes and large glasses of beer so we are off to bed. Night, night.

Day 7 Rest day in Osoyoos

Day 6 June 5 88km; 12°C; 838 M vertical climb

We started out with a gentle downhill and a tailwind. After a mid morning snack at Keremeos we continued but the weather changed and the wind turned against us. The official wind was from the south at a speed of 9kph. In the mountains the wind was funnelled directly into our faces. At one point while we were taking a break in the shelter of a rock, the wind blew my 40 KG bike off it’s kickstand at it ended upside down on the handlebars and the seat. Not bad for a 9kph wind. We are entering the area of Osoyoos, which is the only desert in Canada. It never rains here, but today it rained . However we had a steep climb to the final pass of the day and the wind and rain was at our backs. It gave us a good boost up the hill. We had a 2 km downhill run into Osoyoos and pedalled all the way down into the wind. We have a rest day tomorrow and we will relax in Osoyoos. Shortly before Osoyoos we came across Spotted Lake. It contains all sorts of minerals and salts that are good for you. We didn't try it.

Day 5 June 4 105km; 6°C; 806 M vertical climb; top speed 70kph

We rode from EC Manning park to Hedley West today. Most of the route was downhill with one major pass to climb. There was a great change in the weather as we sumited the last pass and headed down hill. It got warmer and dryer immediately. Tim G got up to 70 kph downhill. Unfortunately when I was set up to take pictures on a downhill, Tim had to pass 3 trucks because bikes are faster than cars downhill. We met Barry and Wendy on the road while we were taking pictures of the downhill runs. I got a great picture of Wendy also. The last 30km of our day we were on an old seldom used road. We had a peaceful 30km ride from Princeton to Hedley West along the Similkameen river. We are overnighting in a cabin on the banks of the Similkameen River

Day 4 June 3 67km; 6C; 1571M vertical climb total

We left Hope at 10:15 and immediately started climbing. The whole day was uphill as we climbed over Allison Pass and into EC Manning park. The rain started shortly after we got on the road and the temperature dropped as we rode higher and higher. Life was a little more interesting as we rode past a young black bear feeding on dandelions by the roadside. He didnèt seem interested in cyclists. On 2 occasions we had long down hills where we got chilled. At 6°C with a wind blowing through your wet clothes there is no option but to focus on the road and keep going. At one of our many rest stops we met a husband and wife couple who had ridden across Canada last year. We met them again at the lodge in EC Manning Park and had supper together. Barry and Wendy gave us good tips and good moral support for our trip.

Day 3 10C, 61km, 227m Vertical Climb

June 2 We left Chilliwack and headed for Hope along highway 7. It was cold wet and miserable. We had quiet roads and busy roads. Getting passed on highway 7 by logging trucks was a soggy treat. We rode all the way to Hope in the rain and once we got to Hope the rain stopped. We toured Hope in the afternoon and enjoyed the chainsaw carvings. Hope is the chainsaw carving capital of Canada.

Day 2; 14C, 117km, 466 meters vertical climb

June 1 We left Tsawassen bright and early at 9:15. We had a good ride to Chilliwack although the weather was a bit cool (14). We are avoiding the trans-Canada highway and riding the back roads as much as possible. It is longer but more peaceful and quiet. We had a beautiful stretch of road 20km long, dead straight and bordered by beautiful farms and houses. We arrived at Chilliwack at 5:00 and stayed with Anson, our host for the night. We had a good evening with Anson, who is 80 and more active than both of us.

May 31 Day 1

May 31th, 2008 We got an early start today and caught the 7 AM ferry to Vancouver Island. Unfortunately early means rushing. We rushed out the door with no map, no cell phone, no spare tube and no ferry schedule. We survived because we met a lot of friendly people on the road. We made it to mile 0 By asking a lot of people for directions and we had our picture taken by the first passerby we found. On the way back we had a good tail wind and got to the ferry in good time for the 4 pm ferry. Unfortunately there was no 4 pm ferry and we had to wait for the 5pm ferry. While we were boarding we discovered my tire was flat and we had no spare. Fortunately we met a group of girls who had done a 2 day bike tour and gave us their spare tire because they had just finished their tour. So we completed the day in good shape, just a little late. We’ll be better prepared for day 2. Tomorrow we head for Chilliwack.

Vancouver

May 29th, 2008 We both arrived in Vancouver ahead of schedule and with all luggage intact. We assembled our bikes at the airport and rode 4 km to a bus stop and then took the bus to Tsawassen. We rode to Shelia’s and and were treated to supper and great beer.
On May 30th Sheila took us to the Big Ridge Brewing Company where we tested their selection of 6 different unique brews. Good selection and the Porter was outstanding. Tomorrow we see Vancouver and then Saturday we get serious and ride to Victoria to visit mile zero of the TransCanada highway.