quickie - day 8/9

Woke up in Osoyoos yesterday and made a beelien for Penticton, my old stomping grounds. Real easy ride, its changed a lot in 10 years. Took a photo by my old junior high school, went back to the Wal-Mart (theee hangout)... its pretty funny the looks I get stumbling to checkout with a load of chocolate bars spilling over, plus I'm picking the ones with the most calories (Oh Henry! at a whopping 320 cals and Mr Big at 310 by far the best)

We then went to Kelowna during a rainstorm and hoped Vlada's old friends would come through for us on short/no notice. Finally they got home from a camping trip, and were the most amazing hosts (Bratzo + Antonka). They fed us enough food in 2 meals for 2 weeks, and set us up in their trailer which was luxurious comfy. So me and G had our own beds last night. I've eaten way too much. We're going to Sicamous now just stopping off in Enderby.

ITs funny how little goes through your head on the road, most of the time its the next meal (chocolate bar or can of beans, mabe eggs?) or its the chafing shorts. Today after 2 hrs I realized I had both my top and my shorts on backwards which explains the pain. Trying to get into this Magister Ludi by Herman Hesse.

Calgary in a week or so. Hope the magic knee fairy comes tonight to heal G b/c in a couple days we're doing Revelstoke--Golden--Banff. (the last couple days doing about 130km, we're trying to push for 110+ avg)

Monday Funday!

Day 6-7

Sorry no photos yet, this computer is ghetto and I'm just trying to hammer these out before the time runs out. I ruined the day by burning 12 eggs for breakfast. Said goodbye to the RV camp owner Steve and his wife Dori and climbed a significant amount of hills again, passing several Ironman trainees on the way - before coasting downhill into Osoyoos in the face of wind that threatened to blow us off our bikes at any moment. Staying the night in another RV park, its pretty funny how we're always the only tenters. Osoyoos is beautiful, laid out in the valley and perfect for windsurfing. G went to a doctor who prescribed more of the same meds we already got. Need the rest.

Change of plans. No more #3. We should have always taken the #1. Anyway now we're going up 97 to Penticton then Kelowna, to hit Banff before going thru Calgary. No Cranbrook and no insane 1700m climb Salmo to Creston.

Pics coming soon. We're doing ok just a little burned but we just got a magnetic chess set (Sweeeet) and some really cheap wine (is it illegal to be drunk at 10am?). Have a good week guys.

Day 4-5

Long day, biked from 10 until 730 in the evening. Climbed to the summit of Manning Park, 1342m to camp. More beautiful weather and gorgeous views. 2 flat tire in a row for me within 30 minutes.

Next day made it all the way downhill Manning Park into Princeton, a truly insane downhill bend where we're just ripping past cars and holding on for our lives. The brake wear on my back tire, of course, resulted in another flat just as we got into town. G got a new seat, I got a new tire (this back tube is patched like Frankenstein), then after a long lunch we biked towards Keremeos, stopping in ghost town Hedley for a pint (2 in my case) served by a Briton. 8am to 8pm ride made for some up and down emotions but when we pulled into an RV park in Keremeos, the owner turned out to be Croatian so he hooked us up for free. Great guy.. Its ridiculously windy here.

Day 3

Started the morning off in nowhere on the highway woken up by several strange voices outside our tent. We'd been warned by a reserve patrolman that we were in a high crime zone so... in the middle of the night I heard steps and promptly jumped out of the tent knife and light in hand which was wonderful considering I'm completely blind without contacts. Biked 40 min to Chilliwack to get a new inner tube for G's bike at Ed's. Beautiful ride, gorgeous weather. Made it into Hope where a man passing by struck up a conversation.

He ended up offering to by us dinner, Dick, a high school principal from Nunavut with no shortage of tales about basketball, native kids and life in the North. Great guy, and a wonderful random act of generosity. Did you know starting wages for teachers there is $75,000 (plus $20,000 for living costs)? Maybe I'll go do that.

Day 1-2

So on the first day we leave Jericho at 230 pm and try to illegally walk across the port mann bridge but are busted, so we have to walk backwards on the highway. Then we accidentally circle Coquitlam to waste a good 25km. Then I get my first (of many!) flats. Camp out in Maple Ridge at 88km cycled and dark.

Next day is our first long inclince near Mission and almost die. But, coming straight down for 5-8 minutes is amazing and ripping around bends at 70kph. Our odometers both stop working shortly after. Roll into Agassiz and promptly pop G's tire via overinflation. There's no bike shop here and its late so we set up camp behind an abandoned restaurant (ends up being on a Native Reserve) where we spend the night jumping at shadows in fear of having all our gear stolen.

Eve of

After an injury here and a postponement or three there its 12 hrs to the moment. My bike has gear issues, which I attempted to fix at a shop today with only minimal effectiveness. I took it to another place where a mechanic gave me a free tuneup... 50 feet after leaving the shop my chain started skipping like mad and jumped off the cassette.

Friendliness doesn't equate to competence.I'll get it fixed at the end of tomorrow or Monday in Mission. G's tire valve also broke tonight, which will get replaced in the morning.

At least we're starting the trip off with no delusions of precision. The delayed start time even means there might be time for Goodbye Party part 3 tonight... see how that tequila feels when on the Trans-Canada Highway at 2pm tomorrow.

test

My buddy Goran and I are cycling from Vancouver, BC to St. John's, Nfld leaving June 9th - to fundraise for the Canadian Cancer Society. Check out the website at www.wheeltoheal.com or make a donation here http://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=222680&lis=0&kntae222680=27E2A0F53CE942369A7F0FE22D09A9B9&team=1829098