Day 28 Jackfish Lake to White River

"I want to live, I want to give,  I've been a miner for a heart of gold" (Neil Young) 

We had to put in a long day today because of the location of the towns; Marathon would have been too little and White River was feasible. Last night I called the Continental Motel and they started by saying that there was just a single room available and we should try the White River Motel. I called them and they said no vacancy. So I called the Continental again and booked whatever they had. When we arrived just before 4 pm there was a vacancy sign on we were assigned to a nice large room with a Jacuzzi. Go figure. 

Our ride to Marathon was the challenging part today because it started with the steepest and longest hill. After Marathon it was flatter and straighter. We had some nice views of Lake Superior and lots of small lakes. We also saw gold mines; the one that had a recognizable name was Barrick. Distance today 148 km.

Grandchildren’s ice cream question. What character made famous by AA Milne originated in White River? 

Day 27 Nipigon to Jackfish Lake

"Superior they said never gives up her dead" (Gordon Lightfoot )

Cool and sunny with no wind. It was a great day for bicycling along the north shore of Lake Superior. The road was good and the hills were as advertised. We had two challenging climbs on which we had to gear down and bear down. We set our sights on Jackfish Lake to get the most out of the day without overtaxing our bodies. Our Nipigon motel was next to a 24 h Tim Hortons so we were able to have an early breakfast and make it to Jackfish Lake comfortably. Since there is no food at Jackfish Cottages but it has cooking facilities,  we bought omelet needs in Terrace Bay. We are having a good dinner and breakfast of my own making. This evening's accommodation is excellent. 

Distance today was 125 km.

Day 26 Thunder Bay to Nipigon

"The legend lives on from the Chipawa on down of the big lake they call Gitchee Gumie" (Gordon Lightfoot)

Today started out with a cloudless sky and cool air; there was no wind to start with. The roads were generally very good with only a few narrow and rough spots. As we approached Nipigon we had a few stretches of headwind. We left at 8:30 and arrived before 4 pm so we made decent time. It was a really pleasant ride.

A highlight of the day was our first good view of Lake Superior at the Terry Fox memorial.

Day 25 Shabaqua to Thunder Bay

"There was thunder, thunder over Thunder......" (Don Raye/Robert Mitchum

When we awoke this morning, we were surprised to see heavy frost on the grass.  It was -1C but sunny. We ate the cold food that we had bought last night in the all-purpose store-office and then were on our way. Most notably there was no headwind so we really enjoyed the ride into Thunder Bay. Moreover the road shoulder was generally very good making it even more pleasant. 

Last night I booked a hotel room via Hot Wire and got the Airlane, which made Gramie smile because it is the only one that seemed to have a hot tub. We arrived at the hotel about noon and asked for checkin time. They said 3 pm so we went to Mr Sub for lunch. Gramie got a really good Greek salade and I had a smoked meat sub, we'll probably go back to the chain in the future. As it turned out the hot tub wasn't working, which was a big disappointment because it is so soothing to the butt after riding the bike. 

The other thing that I did in town was to visit a bicycle shop to see about my pedals because they haven't been reliable to release my shoes. We went to Petrie's and instead of new pedals I came out with my shoe clips and peddles polished, my derailleurs adjusted and a new crank bearing plus a water drain drilled in crank housing. Everything cost me less than 2/3 of the expected price of new pedals.

Ice cream question for grandchildren. You have seen two pictures of signs about watersheds. What is the term for this geographical feature? 

Distance covered today 72 km

Day 24 English River to Shabaqua

"Headed east on seventeen" (Blue Rodeo)

Our next logical stopping place after English River Inn would be Shabaqua at 125 km; Thunder Bay would be a bit too much. Today we started out with no rain and only a little bit of headwind;, and some sun. The ride to Upsala was a lot of funding with some ups and downs then we ran into some long straight flat stretches, which were not so interesting. We saw a couple of interesting sign posts and are showing them in the pictures. 

Ice cream question for grandchildren. When we rode past the first sign post I seem to have lost an hour because the time on the cell phone went from 2:30 to 3:30 in an instant. Can you help Boppa find the hour he lost?  

A bit further on we saw a sign describing where the water goes. There will be another question tomorrow. The water scene is in front of the English River Inn. 

Generally speaking the big trucks have been good and have given us decent space. This afternoon one guy who was in the opposing lane slowed down and put his right tires on the gravel shoulder so that another semi could pull over as he passed us. We also saw our first westbound bicyclists; two young women who were unfortunately dressed in dark clothing that didn't stand out well at all. 

Day 23 Dryden to English River

"There is a town in north Ontario" (Neil Young )

Because of the distances between towns we had some decisions to make. From Dryden to Thunder Bay, it is 340 km, which should make for a nice three days of cycling. Nevertheless the towns with accommodation are not evenly spaced. So we had to get an early start, which would get us to Ignace at a time that would allow us to continue on to English River if we felt strong enough. We stayed at a Mom and Pop motel  next to the McDonald's and they started breakfast as early as 5 am. The wide paved shoulder lasted for about 50 km before it became quite narrow - as narrow as 30 cm in some sections. Nevertheless the shoulder was generally in great shape and smooth, making for very pleasant peddling. The temperature could have been a bit higher as I could see my breath at 11 am. The sun came out only in the last half hour. Our distance covered today was 163 km.

We arrived in Ignace in the early afternoon and called the English River Inn to make sure that we had a room. We got a recorded message and left our cell phone number. We had planned to pick up large subs at Subway to take to English River because there are no restaurants in English River. Wouldn't you know it, there was a scheduled power outage for Ignace and many establishments were closed until 4 pm. We decided to wait for our callback from the English River Inn by having a snack at the only restaurant in town with a generator. The bacon cheese burger and fries went down well. After we had finished eating, we received the callback we wanted and booked our room for the night. After that it was a nice relaxing 56 km ride to our hotel knowing that we were set for the night . We stayed here during our 2010 ride and is still as good as it was then. We were able to buy TV dinners and heat them in the microwave oven. Not elegant dining but they filled the cavity. 

We didn't see interesting wildlife today but saw plenty of scenic lakes. We also saw many nice people. At a construction stop,  the first vehicle had a guy from Quebec who gave us bottled water and invited Gramie to keep warm in his truck. While eating our snack in Ignace we met again a couple whom we had seen earlier at the hotel in Kenora. They had been watching for us and wished us "safe travels" again. 

Day 22 Kenora to Dryden

"On the road again" (Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson)

We left Kenora a little after 8 am in very light rain. We spent the first hour adjusting by peeling off layers of clothing that we had put on to keep dry. We also had to remove our glasses because they became increasingly difficult to see through. From Kenora to Vermillion Bay it was hilly and it rained intermittently. From Vermillion Bay onwards it was very flat and we had no more rain. Overall the ride was not difficult and we arrived in Dryden just before 4 pm. Distance covered today was 134 km.

Because of the rain I took only one picture with the cell phone so I am showing us on the road again. Nevertheless the scenery was great with lake after lake as far as Vermillion Bay. After that we saw farmland and cattle. 

We saw many vehicles pulling trailers carrying powerful fishing boats. Fishing season must have just started. Dryden or more correctly Wabigoon Lake is infamous because its fish should not be eaten by humans. Ice cream question- What toxic chemical do the fish in Wabigoon Lake carry? 

Day 21 Falcon Lake to Kenora

"This is a place to run..... they call this land Ontario" (Delores Claman)

Because the forecast was for rain beginning around noon we got up at 5 am and started pedaling at 6 am. It was dry and 7C with SE wind of 15-20 kph i.e. a headwind. We were definitely in the Canadian Shield with its rock cuts and bogs. We didn't see any signs of impending rain so we just rode without rushing or pushing ourselves. We arrived at the Comfort Inn about 10:30 but couldn't check in. After brunch at St Timothy's we picked up hotel vouchers for the Kenora Recreation Centre then went to Canadian Tire for padlocks. The Recreation Centre was gorgeous with multiple pools, water slide, arena and hot tub. The latter had really strong jets and was hot. Excellent. We soaked and swam to our hearts content and found that it was pouring rain when we came out. A local fellow drove us back to our hotel. For dinner we went to a place called Yesterday's and the special of the day was prime rib with salad, vegetables, baked potato and Yorkshire pudding. With great determination we managed to clean our plates. The weather forecast for tomorrow looks good so we plan to cycle for a full day. Needless to say we are glad that we got here early and didn't have to ride in cold heavy rain.

Day 20 Winnipeg to Falcon Lake

"From this valley they say you are leaving. ... Just remember the Red River Valley " (Many artists )

Sunday afternoon at Nicole and Curt's cottage was spent relaxing with the family. On Monday we started the window project, which involves cutting a hole in the wall so that they can install a window that was brought out from their home in Winnipeg. Curtis and I removed a sheet of paneling to expose the studs and wiring. It was then possible to determine where the window should be installed. Tuesday was spent in Winnipeg playing with the kids, doing laundry and gardening. We decided to stay through Wednesday evening so that we could watch Estelle play soccer but that got rained out. It also gave Gramie and I a chance to go back to the cottage to remove old studs and install a new one and change the wiring to accommodate the window. 

This morning we walked the kids to school and day care then started pedaling at about 9:30. To leave the city we took Kimberly to the Gateway bike path and then used Talbot to the Panet bike lane. From there we used the shared lane on Regent to Plessis which we followed to the Trans-Canada Highway. We were careful and the cars treated us well. After we gained the highway we biked to Centre of Canada signs and took a picture. Subsequently we made good time and decided to shoot for Falcon Lake, a distance of 147 km. They are predicting heavy rain on Friday starting around noon. So we thought that we might be able to hustle over to Kenora first thing on Friday morning

 and sit out the rain in a hotel. We arrived in Falcon Lake at 6:15 pm.

Most of the ride today was flat with very little headwinds, quite a difference from the ride across Saskatchewan. Just before we arrived in Falcon Lake we encountered some headwinds for about 25 km. The paved shoulder lasted for the first 100 km and was in great shape; it really made riding a pleasure. Today we saw bison, deer and a wolf. 

Day 19 Russell to Gull Lake

"It is a moody  Manitoba morni" (The Bells)

The combination of continuing headwinds and the long weekend covinced us to call Nicole to see if she pick us up and take us to their cottage. We rode Hy 16 toward Winnipeg until Nicole met us in their SUV. Thus we were able to ride about 30 km on good roads. We enjoyed a great day at the cottage with Nicole and Curt, our grandchildren and Curt's parents. This will probably be my last posting for a few days. 

The picture was taken at Gull Lake. 

Day 18 Yorkton to Russell

From Yorkton we could set either a short goal or a long one - i.e. Russell or Shoal Lake. I thought that the short goal was more reasonable given that the winds were strong and from the northeast again. In the late afternoon we crossed the border into Manitoba and entered a new time zone making our arrival in Russell in the early evening. 

Our distance today was 99 km, which isn't bad considering the headwinds. 

While having breakfast in Yorkton we had a con with two guys who were working on the railway to Hudson's Bay. They were replacing railway ties using complete set of dedicated machines that included a spike puler, tie remover, tie installer, spike inserter, ballast tamper and grader. They changed 4000 to 6000 ties a day. It was nice to see how proud they were about their work. Since Dad worked for the CPR after WWII, we had lots to talk about. We said goodbye by saying that we would sing The Canadian Rail Trilogy for them as we biked along.

Day 17 Foam Lake to Yorkton

"The wind is from the east
Blowing hard across the plains" (Ian Tyson)

We looked at the weather forecast and saw that we would be getting 20 kph winds from the NE. For us that meant headwind and sidewind. We had hoped to bicycle to Langenburg but were prepared to cut things shorter if necessary. By noon we had been working hard against the wind for long enough and I felt tired after the previous two days. Gramie fell asleep at a picnic table in Theodore. I suggested that we stop at Yorkton where we could get a nice hotel with all the amenities. So we checked into the Quality Inn, which gives us access to a hot tub and breakfast for less than the room in Foam Lake. 

LeeAnn asked me which was harder steep hills or the wind. Now I can say that climbing steep hills is physically harder but for a relatively short time. Wind is psychologically harder because you can't see it and you don't know when or if it will end. Then the crosswinds that we experienced yesterday were downright dangerous. 

In addition to agriculture there is potash mining around here. We have seen long trains carrying grain and potash westward. We have also seen pipe lines on wheels aka trains of tanker cars.

Distance today 95 km.

Day 16 Viscount to Foam Lake

"Tonight I heard the wild goose cry" (Frankie Laine)

After yesterday's battle with the wind we decided to get out early before the wind started. This resulted in starting peddling in -3C temperature. We wore lots of layers of clothing all day. The ride today was much easier and more productive than yesterday as we made it to Foam Lake a distance of 162 km. 

Today we saw more ducks and geese, and interestingly a large flock of pelicans. Eventually we found a sign that explained all these birds. We were in the area of the Quill Lakes, which are saline and have fresh water marshes feeding them. They host millions of migrating birds every year. 

One of the pictures that I am posting today is of the Viscount Hotel; it was much nicer inside than outside. 

Day 15 Saskatoon to Viscount

"They call the wind Mariah" (Jim Ed Brown)  I called it many other things today.

Today started really well with a nice clean ride out of Saskatoon via Circle Drive. On the way we crossed a river whose picture is attached; grandchildren what is the name of the river? The temperature was pleasant and the winds were gentle. As we made the turn eastward leaving the city we faced a moderate headwind. It grew in strength and then about noon it became very strong and then it us crossways from the north, 40 kph gusting to 60 kph. Eventually Gramie and I couldn't handle the turbulence of the passing freight trucks and we had to walk long stretches of the road. By late afternoon we realized that we had to stop soon because the north wind brought low temperatures. We checked in at Colonsay and found that the hotel was temporarily closed. So we had to ride and walk to Viscount where we got a hotel room and a meal. These small town hotels  (here and in Cut Knife ) had a common room with kitchen facilities.  We hope that tomorrow treats us kinder.

Distance today 84 km.

Day 14 Cut Knife to Saskatoon

"See the field behind the plow turn to straight dark rows" (Stan Rogers)

After a good sleep and a snack in the morning we headed eastward to the Battlefords, which we targeted for breakfast. 

Please pray harder because the wind wasn't at our backs but was in our face most of the day. The first part of the ride was through an area with ponds; we saw lots of Canada and Snow geese on the water and in the air. The farmers were working their fields today with montrous tractors pulling huge tillers and seeders. One tractor had 12 large tires. We crossed one river twice today. What is its name? Reilly or any grandchildren? 

Our initial goal for the day was Langham and that seemed optimistic when we were fighting the wind. Nevertheless we made good progress and changed our destination to Saskatoon at the last minute. We registered at the Comfort Inn about 7:30.  pm. Distance today 183 km.

Day 13 Wainwright to Cut Knife

"Who has seen the wind" WO Mitchell 

After sailing along the roads yesterday, I sort of expected similar conditions today. But that was not to be.  We didn't see the wind but we certainly felt it in our faces as soon as we started riding eastward. It took us until about 12 noon to get to the Saskatchewan border. There the road became Hy 40 and the biking improved as the shoulder became smooth and wind shifted about 60 degrees counterclockwise to become an asset. 

A little way into Saskatchewan we lost the roller coaster road and made better progress. The road rolled a lot because this area is full potspoon lakes,which in turn were filled with ducks and geese. I saw a flock of at least 1000 snow geese in a field. No wonder that there is a generous bag limit on snow geese. Today our distance traveled was 112 km. The only alternative was to force on to North Battleford but we didn't have the energy for that. In fact Gramie had a short nap in the middle of the  afternoon. That's how she got into today's pictures. 

Day 12 Nisku to Wainwright

"Frog went a courting and he did ride uh-huh " (Bob Dylan )

After last night we slept a bit longer this morning and took until 9:45 am to get on the road. From the motel we rode east on Airport Road to Hy 21 then south to 617, which we hoped would go eastward right to Hy 14. Unfortunately it turned into a gravel road so we went south on 834 to 26 then east to Hy 14 near Kinsella. One of our options was stay in Irma but the tail wind was so nice that we continued on to Wainwright. We didn't start out to ride 212 km today but it happened. So many thanks to all who wished us good wind at our backs and prayed for good winds.

The morning started warmer and the temperature in the afternoon was probably the highest yet. We had sun and clouds but no rain. Just before we got to Kinsella we noticed that the leaves on the trees were showing nicely. I don't know if it is due to geography or time. Although today's pictures show straight roads and big fields, there are many small lakes and ponds. They all had lots of water fowl making me wonder if they are still migrating along the eastern Alberta flyway. Another thing we noticed was the croaking of the frogs wherever there was water.

There military exercises ongoing at the base here so we had to stay at Best Western. We probably would have stayed here anyway because they provide breakfast and a hot tub. 

Day 11 Wildwood to Nisku

"And that's what friends are for " (Gordon Lightfoot ) 

Today's goal was navigate our way around the Edmonton traffic and visit friends. It was cold last night and it felt good to wear mitts over my biking gloves. We left before 7 am and rode for about an hour before having breakfast. Eventually we left Hy 16 for 16a just before Stony Plain and got on Hy 60 southbound after Spruce Grove. By then the temperature was up to about 20C. We got into the Quality Inn Nisku about 4:30 pm and covered 137 km. Riding took a bit more energy today because the wind was sometimes against us. Reilly, what is the name of the big river that we crossed this afternoon?

Most important of all was having the opportunity to visit friends. Lorne and LeeAnn invited us and Carolyn to their home for a great dinner and evening. It was so nice to catch up with them and Carolyn. Boppa has known Lorne since 1961. So Grandchildren which of you was born when Boppa had known Lorne for half a century? Anyone ready for ice cream? Carolyn and Gramie began taking exercise classes together at the Y over 20 years ago.

I didn't get the evening pictures on the cell phone so my pictures for today show a coal train and Hy 16. The area that we saw today once had a huge strip mining operation. The bucket on a dragline was big enough to carry an earth mover.

Day 10 Hinton to Wildwood

Perfect riding conditions. After breakfast at the Ramada we left Hinton in 10C weather. Hy 16 climbed a bit to Obed summit which is described as the highest point on the Yellowhead. At 1161 m it is 33 m higher than Yellowhead Pass. That was about the last really good view of the Rockies. Now we had the rolling hills flattening out to the true prairies. The riding conditions were so good that we arrived in Edson at noon. There we stopped for break and sustenance and wouldn't you know it - fixing the second flat tire. By 3 pm we arrived at Niton Junction where we had projected a night's stay. We decided to go on to Wildwood - that gave us 170 km by 4 pm. The local legion was having its monthly dinner so we joined them to enjoy a meal of ribs. They were very welcoming; we ate with a local who had lots of stories. 

The pictures are of Obed summit, our view from our room in Hinton and one our last views of the Rockies. 

Day 9 Jasper to Hinton

"We'll sing in the sunshine" (Gayle Garnet)

We decided to make a shorter day because we wanted to take in the views and Hinton is the most logical next stop. Although it was crisp this morning, it was sunny and warmed up a lot in the afternoon. Riding conditions were ideal as the road was excellent, the wind was at our backs and we had a lot of downhill. 

Today we saw gorgeous mountains in all directions. We saw 5 elk, one deer, ducks, geese and swans. We also got views of the Athabasca River. (Ice cream to the first grandchild who can tell me what body of salt water this river drains into.)

As a result of the great biking conditions and shorter distance we arrived in Hinton around 1:00 pm. We are in the Ramada Inn, which has a hot tub, pool, exercise room and breakfast at a great rate. From our room we can see the mountains.  Life is good. We rode in the sunshine today.

Day 8 Valemount to Jasper

"It's good to be Alberta bound " (Gordon Lightfoot)

The Canada's Best Value Inn at Valemount was very suitable for us and we left with our engines well fueled for the day. The first section was along the Rocky Mountain Trench to Tete Jaune Cache. Then we headed eastward on Hy 16 and did our vertical for the day over the ensuing 25 km. By midafternoon we were taking pictures at the Yellowhead Pass sign. We kept crossing the Fraser River almost right up to the Alberta border.

Today we saw more wildlife - a black bear and some elk. In talking with a CN worker we learned that there are lots of bears around but they are mostly by the railway tracks because there are so many grain hopper cars and they leak a bit of grain all along the tracks. 

The main views of the day were the mountains. Everywhere we looked we saw beautiful mountains and had to keep talking pictures. Mount Robson was impressive, but it had lots of competition. 

On arrival in Jasper we looked for one of the chain hotels but didn't find what we thought we needed so we looked at whatever was close to where we were standing. We are staying in a private suite that had a no vacancy sign and a child play out front. After talking with her and her father we ended up being the first clients of the season. Our host knows some faculty at Queens.  The town of Jasper is not as big as I remember; it didn't take us long to walk the entire business section. Everywhere we looked from the town, we saw snow capped mountains. 

Day 7 Avola to Valemount

Before setting out today, I oiled the bike chains and pumped up the tires. All the tires needed air probably because the temperature was low. I rode for a long time wearing knitted mitts over my cycling gloves and also an extra sweater. It wasn't until the last 25 km did take off my biking jacket and just wore a safety vest over my long sleeved shirt. The route was nice with good paved shoulders and few hills; there was only one grind of 3 km long. Today was a day to look up because there were beautiful mountains all around. 

After 39 km we stopped in Blue River for a nice breakfast. Unfortunately my front tire went flat as we left the restaurant; while I was changing the tube Susie walked to the general store to buy some snack food. About half an hour later we saw a black bear; it was as expected  - kind of thin and wearing a scruffy coat. We have seen relatively little wild life so far - 2 elk along Coquihalla Pass, 13 deer toward Danny's and the bear.

We anticipated a height of land for most of the day because we started in Thompson watershed and were headed to the Fraser watershed. It was only at about 20 km from Valemount that we saw more downs than ups. With the flat tire it took us almost until 5 pm to arrive in Valemount. We stopped in front of the Canada's Best Value Inn and got a spacious room,  hot tub and breakfast for tomorrow morning. After a good hot soak, we had dinner, patched the tube and wrote the blog. The server at the Chinese restaurant had a kid who went to Queen’s. 

The pictures show some of the mountains and the bear although you'll have to find the little critter. 

Day 6 Barriere to Avola

Today we tried something different with respect to fueling the engines; we decided to bike for a couple of hours to Little Fort for breakfast. That seemed to work quite well so we will try that again when the travel conditions are right. After looking at the elevation profile for today, we thought that we had a sharp hill about 2/3 of the way.  We never found it; it must have been an illusion that we were happy to accept. At Clearwater I spotted a DQ so we stopped and had soft ice cream cones. They were big and filling; not the kind that Ben and Gabriella would like. Just for Boppa. Some 125 km later we pulled into the only accommodation in Avola- the Log Inn Pub. We picked Avola because 125 km is a good distance.  We have a cabin, and the showers and bathrooms are in the main building. Nevertheless it works; we had showers and sauna before eating. Our host Larry is a really nice guy and he made us great burgers and a salad. 

Biking conditions were very good today as it was warm enough but never hot. The road was good and the traffic was busy but not overbearing - I counted 28 vehicles in 10 minutes. 

Day 5 Westbridge Kamloops then Barriere

We were up before 7 am for another breakfast of fresh eggs, home sourced bacon and sausages. Can't beat these. We drove to Kamloops to meet cousin Peg and Russ for lunch. After that we dropped the 4Runner at Budget where the bikes were unloaded and re-assembled. We started through Kamloops around 1:30 pm and soon were on Hy 5 peddling north. This was mostly a very nice two lane highway with a decent paved shoulder. It was really pleasant riding with most lying gentle ups and downs. The scenery was great.  We arrived in Barriere about 5 pm and checked into the Monte Carlo motel for the night.

Blogger does not seem to support attached pictures so I will send some directly to the grandchildren until I can find a solution.

Day 4 Rest Day in Westbridge

We arrived at brother Dan's farm about 8 pm for our visit; Shirley, Shelley, Maya and Jeannette Spooner were there. Devon came on Saturday. On Saturday morning Dan took me to the market in Rock Creek where I got to visit with Eddie and Mary Lautard. It was fun catching up and reminiscing with them. On the way home we visited with Ian and Bev Smith; they are good friends of Dan and Shirl. When I was 14-15 I worked for Ian's father, Neil. Susie spent time with Shirley and Maya. After dinner, Liz and Brian dropped in for a visit so we got to visit with them too. Lots of good family time.

Day 3 Merritt Kamloops Westbridge

Great day!!!!  After a very good and filling breakfast, we started up Hy 5a through the Nicola Valley. Th weather was great as were the roads. This is cattle country and the breed that was dominant was black angus. The road was very good for bicycles and the traffic was light. We stopped at the gate to the Guichon Ranch where Kanji spent part of a summer when he was a kid. Great memories. The only strenuous climb was for 3 km shortly before Kamloops. We rode about 90km and arrived at the car rental place just after 2pm.
On checking in they told us that they didn't have a compact car but would we like a free upgrade to a Toyota 4Runner. After ensuring  that our bikes would fit in the back, I removed pedals and loaded our bikes. We were in Westbridge in about 4 hours.

Day 2 Coquihalla Pass

On waking up this morning we were greeted with lots of fog,which wasn't a good omen for the day. Nevertheless we carried on with a large breakfast at Home Restaurant to fuel us for the day.  We left Hope using Othello Road as suggested by a biking Web site. It was a mistake because it was very steep and took a lot out of our legs. Once we got on the Coquihalla Hy #5 it was a lot easier for the next hour. Eventually we hit the steepest section which wasn't as steep as Othello Road but it went on for tens of kilometers. As we approached the summit the rain and wind picked up and the temperature dropped. We added warmer clothes and stopped at a heat convenience where I booked a room for tonight at the Quality Inn in Merritt. When we started down from the summit, we gained a lot of speed 30-40 kph without peddling. We got to  Merritt and were in a lovely spacious and clean room before 5 pm.
Shortly thereafter we hit the hot tub for nice long soak, which was very relaxing and good for the leg muscles. Around 7 pm we went to the attached Japanese restaurant for an excellent meal. We are really enjoying ourselves in this motel.  They also have a hot breakfast , which we will use to prepare us for day.
Stats. Elevation at the summit 1244 m/4081 ft. 115 km. Time 6:43. Fog at start, very light rain and cold  at summit and sunny and 18C in Merritt.