Day 32,33,34,35 June 29, Winnipeg

And a happy Canada Day to everyone. We have arrived in Winnipeg and are taking two days to rest our legs,repair bikes and to be generally feted by friends and family.
David Johns Cook's Creek friends,Alan and Jane Burpee, provided us with a delicious BBQ last night,as well as a tour of the local museum which gave us an insight into the early settlement of the area. Friedly Manitoba is living up to it's reputation,as we were treated royally by these fine folk.
Although our time in Winnipeg is short, we have all taken the opportunity to see as much of the city as we can and of course to make the obligatory visit to MEC.
Serge and his son Stefan (friends of David J.) will be joining us for the next part of the trip with their destination being Toronto. We are looking forward to them being part of the team.
All in all, I believe that this collection of old bods is holding up reasonably well. All that clean living is finally starting to pay off. We are looking forward to continuing the journey east and experiencing new terrain, which is just around the corner. Our little mosquito friends are starting to make their presence felt but it is nothing that a little deet won't fix. The forecast is for 30 deg.tomorrow but a nice westerly breeze will more than offset any heat. -- TTFN --Pat!!

Day 31, Thurs. June 26, Carman 118.9 km

Today's winds were favourable and so it felt easier than yesterday. We stopped in at Swan Lake, 1 km off the highway, for coffee and spoke with the locals. This exchange is a fun part of the trip for us. We noticed lots of wind turbines again from Somerset through St. Leon. After about 76 km. we came to a rise and could see the Red River Valley stretched out below us. Dave 3 says that it used to be Agassiz Lake, left over from glacial days. A few kilometres of downhill and we came to Miami where we had lunch at the park. Again we saw a wonderfully groomed baseball diamond...seems to be a feature of these small prairie towns.
We arrived in Carman and easily found King's Park which has a separate shower building. You can tell what is important to us.
We are looking forward to arriving in Winnipeg tomorrow for a weekend of bike maintenance, catching up with family and friends, and perhaps doing some sight-seeing.
This quick catch-up was done by Yvonne. Wireless service has been non-existent in this area. We'll be in touch.

Day 30, Wed. June 25, Baldur, Man. 126.2 km

We left Deloraine at 8 despite the time change. The wind was at our backs and we had a great ride for 65 km past more marshy areas and lots of birds. Average speed for this section was 27 kph. The entrance to Kilarney, where we had coffee, had several gorgeous lakes and campgrounds. It looked like a thriving community.
Then we headed north to Ninette for about 25 km. It was into an ugly north-west wind and we stayed as a group going 14-15 kph. Ninette was disappointingly small but Pelican Lake had many pelicans and beautiful water which we enjoyed while having lunch on the shore. The drop down into Ninette reminded us of Princeton and the 1 km climb out was nothing at all!
We then headed for Baldur, Aleda's hometown, about 30 km further. The campground is by the school and was free, but had no showers. I went to the school for internet use but ending up getting showers for all of us in the school gym! Randy, the principal, stayed until 5 o clock so that we could take advantage of them. Thank you, Randy and Cheryl (secretary), for your hospitality and "happy last day of school" to you and the students.

Day 29, Tues. June 24, Deloraine, 116 km.

We left Carnduff about 8 heading east on # 18. We stopped after 24 km. for coffee in Gainsborough and happened to meet four ladies (who would be preparing a tea for after a funeral later that day) and the mayor of the town. It was the most memorable thing we did today except for crossing the border into Manitoba and changing our watches an hour ahead.
We are back on the Red Coat Trail again but here it is named the NWMP Trail. The area is a little more up and down with the trees being larger and the farms more prosperous-looking.
We were fighting the wind and/or the road surfaces today. There were only gravel shoulders with a sharp drop-off but they weren't a problem as the traffic was light and the vehicles moved right over for us. We spent 5 hours and 55 minutes in the saddle today with an average speed of 19.5. It was a tough slog, topped off with our first encounter with mosquitoes.

Day 28, Mon. June 23, Carnduff, 96 km.

James sent us off with a hearty breakfast and directions for following the detour through town. Soon we were on the highway going east. The topography is a little different now with gulleys with bushes, and roadside sloughs with various kinds of blackbirds. The traffic is quite heavy with many trucks ferrying huge pieces of equipment. There was a sense of something happening here in southern Sask. Sure enough, later in the day, we spoke with a young man who had just finished a shift digging for oil - his crew was working on its 20th job, working 24 hours a day and taking about 5 days to go down about 1400 meters for the oil.
There were no towns of note until Oxbow, where we had lunch. Just before Oxbow there was a downhill symbol (for trucks) and we were pleased to go down into the coulee and up out again....felt like home!
The campground is very basic but does have a shower!

Day 27 Sunday June22 Estevan 89k

We have travelled 2107k to date.

No favourable winds - fought headwinds all the way to Estevan (estimated up to 30kph with gusts to 40). The conditions forced us in pace line strategies - looking around for wildlife would have resulted in a much shorter trip, as we waited for crashed riders to heal in the local infirmery.

Adele's large family came through again - arrived at her sister Ginette, and husband James, house to be greeted with cold cerveza. This was followed (after riders were fumigated in the shower and laundry was done) by a delicious beef, salad, and ice cream cake dinner (embossed with "Hsppy Anniversary" for Dave2 and Guadalupe - 40 years!)

Adele's parents, Bob and Cecile, will be celebrating their 60th anniversary tomorrow - congratulations!

Finally, an editorial note for the future Manitoba section - Dave3 has been working diligently for many days to manage down our expections for his native province. We wait with great interest to see how the world unfolds!

Dave2

Day 26 Saturday June21 Weyburn 142k

The ride from Assiniboia was wonderfully assisted by Adele's uncle Ernie who, along with Brenda in the RV, transported bikes and riders past a nasty road construction site east of Assiniboia.

The only relief from flat visual deprivation was a brief stop at Ogema, where we observed a furniture auction supporting a local senior citizen's centre. Saskatchewan continues to have shown its tradition of supporting its people, while repecting their independence.

Our origiqal plan was to stop at Pangman, but favourable winds enabled us to continue to Weyburn - a long but successful day.

Six and half hours of riding, averaging 22kph, was an excellent test of both the resilience of our butts and the various compounds used to soothe them!!

Dave2

Day 24, Thursday, June 19, Assiniboia, 90 km

We are in the Assiniboia campground which is adjacent to an outdoor swimming pool. It is quite a lovely spot and we will be here tomorrow as well.

The cycling conditions today were wonderful. The sky was clear, the road straight, the traffic virtually non-existent and the wind was with us. We quickly rode through Kincaid, Woodrow (where Carol inquired at the Coop gas store about Graham Patterson, a local artist), and Wood River to La Fleche where we didn't find cinnamon buns or butter tarts but did find milkshakes and muffins. Then we continued on through Limerick to Assiniboia, an easy journey of 90 km. Apparently Assiniboia means "one who cooks with a stone"...that's appropriate because Pat is barbequing tonight!

Tomorrow, Day 25, will be a rest day. Adele will be taking us to view the petroglyphs at St. Victor where she grew up and perhaps go on to Willow Bunch where the Giant Beaupre was born.

Tomorrow night we will be having a French dinner prepared by Adele's mom. It will include tourtiere, ragout boulettes, coq au vin, fresh garden salad (Adele planted the lettuce and onions in May) and will be topped with Saskatoon pie. We have been doing very well with our cuisine, taking every opportunity to eat but I think tomorrow night's meal will be extra special.

All for now. Yvonne

Day 23, Wed. June 18, Hazenmore, Sask. 114 km

We tried for an early start this morning. However, Adele's glasses frame broke (duck tape works) and Dave 3 cut his left thumb with the bread knife. Otherwise, an early start on Hwy 4 heading south.

We passed quickly (following wind) through areas whose names reminded us that German POWs probably stayed here (e.g.Rhineland, Blumenhof), saw large hedgerows and of course, the usual dead gophers. The road surface was new and wonderful.

Eventually after 55 km we came to Cadillac where we had French fries and coffee in the relic-filled hotel dining/pub area. Dave 2 entertained us with a childhood ditty which some knew but which I'd never heard before. Here it is:
Great green gobs of greasy grimy gopher guts,
Mutilated monkeys' meat,
Pickled porpoise pus,
French fried eyeballs in a bowl of snot.
And me........without my spoon!
I think it must be a prairie thing!

Then we changed to Hwy 13 heading east towards Ponteix which was to be our destination. Instead ,we decided to take advantage of the cooler day and the favourable crosswind so kept going towards Kincaid. However, we received a phone call from our tour director, Brenda, that the Kincaid campsite was an open field with about 200 squealing gophers and no toilets!

We stopped in at the Red Coat Inn in Hazenmore to have a soft drink, use the washrooms and to confer. Dave 3 went next door to the Coop and found out that we could camp in the little park across the way. Good news, but the issue of washrooms and showers came up. We decided we could eat dinner at the Inn to access the washrooms in the evening (we're quite flexible!). One thing led to another and the waitress, Bea, started to get involved in the problem solving. The final solution was that she had the keys to an empty house, we had our own towels and shampoo, and there were empty beds we could use. There was even a power hookup for the RV. We felt that the whole day had been serendipitous. It ended with real steaks at the Inn, a walk around town and a good night's sleep.

Day 22 & 23 - June 16 & 17 - Swift Current

Day 22- 81.6K Eagle Valley Campground to Gull Lake
Today's ride involved facing a SE wind for most of the trip. As we got into the Gull Lake campground, a huge thunderstorm hit us with full force. Thunder, lightening and hail greeted us. Yvonne was impressed! Jim and Ute's tent got flooded out and had to be moved to a safer location. The rest of us faired not too badly. A person in Regina was killed by a lighening bolt. Powerful!! Carol connected with a Grandmother from the Gull Lake Grandmothers for Africa.

Day23- 61.8K - Gull Lake to Swift Current
Land of the Living Sky dominated our day; riding under a blue, blue sky. As the day wore on the temperature rose and by the time we got to the Ponderosa Campground we were feeling very warm indeed. Today Yvonne has tied me the record for flat tires "2". Swift Current "where life makes sense!!" Tomorrow we are heading South to Ponteix along Hwy 13.

Day 21-Sunday June 15- Medicine Hat to Eagle Valley Campground

What a delightful day of cycling covering 94.3K over rolling prairie hills. The sun was an ever present friend with a few scattered clouds. This is a secluded area with few coffee shops -our only stop was a gas station in Walsh, close to the Sask. border. We saw several prong horned antelope resting in the grass, a coyote and Dave 2 identified several willet birds. A photo-op was necessary at the Sk border.
The RV suffered slight damage to a roof vent which only needed duct tape to fix.
Dave 3 had the first tire failure- a huge bulge which slowed him down only slightly. Here we are at Eagle Valley Campground 4.5K from the Maple Creek turnoff- one of the nicest places we've stayed.
Pat and Ute made a spectacular dinner tonight- authentic elk and beef sausage from Premier Sausage Co., saurkraut with perogies and a cake topped with 2 candles celebrating leaving Alberta.
Tomorrow we are heading for Gull lake or ...
That's all for now! Adele

Day 19 & 20, June 13 & 14, Medicine Hat

This is a catch up entry from yesterday and today.


The only way to describe Alberta is big! There is a long highway with a wide shoulder, a big sky with everchanging cloud formations, a big wind that is constantly blowing (sometimes with us fortunately), big farms, and big hearts (we have had a lot of friendly toots along the way).


Yesterday we sadly left Chris and Terry and started to fly along to Lethbridge which we reached in record time! By lunch we were in Taber and decided to make our record breaking distance of 137.4 km by continuing to Grassy Lake municipal park. We quickly erected our tents as the forecast was for thundershowers and a dark cloud was looming behind us. Luckily for us the wind suddenly calmed and the warm sun shone for our dinner hour. However, the ever present wind came up and chased us to our tents once again.


Unfortunately this morning we awoke to heavy rain and locked bathrooms! They're not early birds here, unlike us. Before we headed out the rain stopped and skies cleared momentarily. We had a northwest wind on our shoulder all the way to Seven Persons where we stopped to purchase and taste various goodies at the Premium Sausage Co. As happens in Victoria the wind shifted during our brief lunch break. Now it was in our face all the way to Medicine Hat. Adele and I realized the full impact of a semi trailer and wind working together.....we were blown about!

We are looking forward to a relaxing evening except for Jim and I, the cooks!

Yours in passing, Yvonne

P.S. I want to say hi to Lindsay, Nathan, and Benji who are following our progress from Toronto.

Day 16, 17, 18 - June 10, 11, 12 - Blairmore to Ft. Macleod

Day 16- Tuesday, June 10- 92.5 K
Day 17- Wednesday, June11-Weather break
Day 18- Thursday, June 12- Rest Day
As you recall, there was some indication of ice on our tent. Was this an indication of what was to come??? The first thing we noticed was the wide shoulder on this Alberta highway. We came out of the foothills with some headwind until we reached the Pincher Creek Husky Station, heading to Fort Macleod. As we headed out back onto the road the eastern headwind felt like a gale. Carol's friend Chris couldn't wait until we reached her home in Fort Macleod and drove out to search for us. We normally cruise at about 20 km per hour, but the conditions slowed us to more like 13 kmh.
What a heartfelt welcome we received from Terry Malone and Christine McKnight. Terry (manager of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump) organized an incredible series of experiences at the Jump for us. From a buffalo stew dinner to sleeping in the lodge (instead of teepees since the weather was too vile) to listening to the Blackfoot interpreters-Stan Nowlton, Peigan; Trevor Prairie Chicken, Blackfoot and Sioux; and Josh Crow Shoe, Peigan.
During the dark and stormy days we wiled away many hours at a new local bakery/cafe called Rahn's, where we recouped all the calories we had burned. Today was the most relaxing we have had here. We rested, wandered about town and got our laundry up to date. During all this time we have had free run of Chris and Terry's house. We would like to thank both of them for the fabulous welcome and many, many kindnesses they have shown us.
We are now ready to face whatever the elements offer us. Tomorrow, come hell or whatever, we are heading at least as far as Lethbridge or beyond. We have to get that far because there doesn't seem to be anything except blades of grass between here and there. By Adele and Carol

Day 15- Monday June 9- Elko to Blairmore

The day started pleasant enough but once again the rains came down on us. As we followed the Elk River towards Fernie the weather continued to be a challenge. However the awe inspiring scenery more than compensated. We travelled through the Crow's Nest and over the Continental Divide (rivers now flow East to Hudson's Bay). We were welcomed royally at the Alberta Visitors Center. We got our tents up at the Lost Lemon RV campground inbetween rain squalls. This is the life, seeing rainbows and eating leftover chili. There was actually ice on the tent when we got up this morning.

By the way, thanks to Sandy and Glenda, we have consumed all their case of wine. Now we are forced to pay up!! Until later, Pat & Adele

Day 13 and 14- Sat/Sun June 7&8 -Elko

Leaving Creston, a tail wind assisted us through the Kootenays to Moyie Lake. It was a wet ride but we were able to get our tents up in between showers. Leaving Moyie Lake, the weather looked benign. However, this didn't last and we were back to same ol' wind and rain. Pat taught us the efficiency - synergy of a properly executed paceline which we used to cover the distance to Elko. The odometer has now clicked over the 1000K mark. Tomorrow the Alberta border!!!

Regretably, 2 members of our Sea to Sea group have decided to leave our tour in Cranbrook. We wish them well.

Effective Monday, June 9 a new blog will be used to record our journey. Please save this new blogspot address. Adele and Pat

http://cyclingseatosea2008.blogspot.com/

Previous Postings

Day 12- Creston 55k
Started riding over rolling hills along the coast line of Kootenay Lake enjoying the amazing views. The climbs became steeper and longer as we approached Creston. The wind and rain picked up pace so we convened at the Dairy Queen and are presently ensconced at the Creston Valley Motel. There is nothing like watching those dark clouds swirling surrounding the Kootenay mountains.by Adele
Posted by The Sea to Sea 2008 Group at 9:22 PM 0 comments

Day 11- Thursday, June 5- Castlegar to Boswell- 110K
After an early morning rain, packing up wet tents, we headed downhill into Castlegar where the Kootenay River merges with the Columbia. Highway 3A provided a great vantage point for seeing the Brilliant, the Keenleyside and Bonnington power generating dams. On to quaint Nelson and crossing Kootenay Lake on the Balfour ferry. What a scenic route it was. Many of us wish to return to further explore this region. Avoid the Bayshore RV Resort near Boswell. Bad attitude. Need I say more!!110 K our longest day so far. TTFNby Adele
Posted by The Sea to Sea 2008 Group at 4:39 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Day 10 Wednesday June 4 at Castlegar, 71k
The rain is not only in Spain - also in Christina Lake. Its amazing how much water a tent can hold - packed! Fortunately it stopped annd remained cool and overcast nearly all day - a major benefit for a 34k pre downhill to Paulson Summit at 1535m.The pass itself was mundane and desolate, and the anticipated rest stop had been removed - presumably to release funding for the Olympics. Resources were available to create bicycle eating rumble strips on the high speed downhill run to CastlegarYvonne and Horst kindly went ahead (by about an hour) to set up camp. Dave3 had a flat which provided time for a nutrition break for his supervisory staff (Jim,Ute,Carol,Dave2)Your humble and obedient blogger, Dave2
Posted by Yvonne at 4:48 PM 5 comments
Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Day 9, Tuesday, June 3, Christina Lake 90 km today
We were away at 8 a.m. today with clouds overhead. We followed undulating and curving roads through beautiful West Kootenay landscape. Several signs along the way suggested that we could cross the border into the US only between 9 and 5. We followed the Kettle River, then Norwegian Creek after Midway. Like all creeks and rivers we've seen so far they were high and fast-flowing.The first real town we came to was Greenwood, and apparently it is Canada's smallest city. Greenwood had a booming copper mining industry until the end of WW1. Then its population rose again with an influx of Japanese who were relocated during WW2. At one time Greenwood had a population of only 2000 but surprisingly had 14 hotels and an opera house with 1000 seats. We enjoyed cinnamon buns with cream cheese at the Copper Eagle Cappucino and Bakery. I also bought a butter tart for the upcoming summit. A local resident was eager to tell us that he had cycled solo across Canada and he found BC to be the easiest province!!Silly man!We continued on with hills and slight downhills and were completely taken by surprise when we saw the Elhot Summit 1028 meters sign. We took the mandatory summit photo and I guiltily ate my butter tart. Then we started a 21.5 km downhill ride into Grand Forks.In Grand Forks we went our separate ways. Some went to find the bike shop, others went to have borscht local style, I went to the library and then we all met to eat lunch in the municipal park and to trade stories. Then we started another downhill ride, this time the 21.6 km were not so easy as we had a headwind all the way to Christina Lake. The weather is threatening, the campground is not overcrowded and we're all looking forward to the challenge of the Blueberry Paulson on our way to Castlegar. We'll all be sleeping cozy and comfy and hopefully dry in our tents tonight.report by Yvonne
Posted by The Sea to Sea 2008 Group at 7:29 PM 0 comments
Monday, June 2, 2008

June 2, 2008 .Latest newsl
Day 4, Thursday, May 29, Mule Deer Campsite, Manning Park 56.5 kmAfter a great breakfast in both lodgings we set off into the fog heading east. We could not see the hills ahead of us which might have been a good thing. The shoulders had rumble strips and gravel left over from the winter so we cycled in the traffic lane and moved over when necessary. Fortunately there was not much traffic and finally the sun came out after two short climbs. We followed the Skagit River as it crossed the highway several times. Most of us saw a black bear just across the highway (which reminds me that two black bears visited the premises of the B & B during the previous evening). We also started to see snow in the woods beside the road. We reached the Allison Pass Summit (1342 meters) 37.5 km into the day’s ride. It was a challenge and we congratulated ourselves at the top. We now started to follow the Similkameen River as it wound its way down the mountains. It seemed to be downhill, but not really, for 10 km into Manning Park Lodge area where we had a lunch in the sunshine. We were entertained by Columbian ground squirrels (according to Dave 2) and cowbirds (according to Brenda). We had a relaxed visit, then headed for a further relaxing 10 km downhill to Mule Deer campsite. At our nightly fireside chat led by Pat M. we discussed perhaps heading as far as Hedley tomorrow. All possibly attractive to bear things were put in the RV and then we headed to our tents.Report by YvonneDay 5, Friday, May 30, Gold Mountain RV Park, Hedley 92/5 kmAfter a breakfast with hot chocolate but no coffee we set out in crisp but sunny weather. The ride didn’t seem as difficult as yesterday’s; we regrouped to shed clothing at the base of the climb and arrived at Sunday Summit (1282 meters) after 24 km of cycling. The downhill started gently then became crazy with 2 km of 8% grade…Adele and I reached a maximum speed of 60.1 kph. From the summit to the bottom of the first downhill was 20 km, then we had another long and scary downhill right into Princeton. Our arthritic hands were hurting from grasping the brakes.Brenda had found a laundromat for us; while our clothes washed we ate our lunches on the sidewalk in front, trying to get some shade. I had my first coffee of the day.We arrived in Hedley just after 4 p.m. after a long flat but slightly downhill stretch of almost 40 km. Of course Brenda was there ahead of us and had put out the orange cones. The highlight of the day was that Adele had to buy everyone a beer because she got the first flat of the day.Day 6, Saturday, May 31, Osoyoos at the private home of Adele Moeller’s uncle Dennis Bissonnette and his wife, Carole (reported by Carol)The ride into Hedley from Princeton was absolutely gentle downhill along the Similkameen River. This morning, leaving Hedley, we immediately got into rolling hills and the day had promise of considerable heat. We stopped to see the old gold mining facilities stuck onto the side of the mountain just past Hedley. It sounded amazing, but not all of us could make out the old buildings far up the mountain.We rode into Keremeos where we saw the unusual sight of a horse and rider on the sidewalk – though the scene seemed not to be so unusual to the residents of the small town. Brenda had located some neck things with crystals in them that one soaks in water so the crystals swell up and get soft and retain the sense of coolness on the neck. This was supposed to help in the heat. Several of us bought one – including me. Unfortunately, as it turned out, we didn’t have the water available to soak them just there and then.Further on along the road we were looking for a shady spot for lunch. Since we were in a desert, this was hard to find. Lo and behold, a few picnic tables and umbrellas showed up at the end of a lane leading from the road. Some people even noticed it was a small local winery called Seven Stones. Well, lunch turned into a wine tasting session and most of the cyclists bought bottles of what they called fine wine. You get the picture.By now the heat was blazing down, no shade, a desert, and increasingly sharp hills with a mountain pass (Richter) coming up. Don’t forget those wine bottles in the panniers. Needless to say, this ride turned into perhaps the hardest so far, though the last bit downhill into Osoyoos was pleasant.Adele’s aunt and uncle live right on Osoyoos Lake so we ended up enjoying the heat that was such a problem earlier.Day 7 Sunday, June 1 Rest day at the Bissonnette’s in Osoyoos – reported by CarolThis report will be shorter than my first, as all we did was eat and sleep and lie around all day. It was not without its excitement, however, when overnight a wind and rainstorm blew through the area. Our tents were absolutely drenched and the occupants were universally happy that we had decided to take the day off before tackling Anarchist Mountain. I won’t mention the food, except to say that it did include cheesecake brought from Kelowna by Dave and Brenda’s RCMP daughter, Clover, who was passing through on her way to Chilliwack to take a work-related course.Day 8 Monday, June 2 – Kettle River RV Park - Reported by CarolWell folks, we came, we saw and we conquered the mythic Anarchist Mountain today. Jerry Porter, you will be so proud of us! After that what more is there to say. Here are some of the details. As almost everyone knows, Anarchist is about 30 kms of more or less straight up, culminating in a summit at 1233 metres. It is reputed to separate the sheep from the goats, so to speak. We left Osoyoos at about 8:30 on a cool and threatening morning, which was a good thing. Although the climb was relentless, we took it in stride and reached the summit after 3 and a half hours. We then put on warm clothes and began our descent into Rock Creek. By now the weather was really threatening with dark clouds all around us. The wind rose and we almost froze on the way down. Dave Johns went so far as to say he enjoyed the climb more than the descent. I don’t know how many people agreed with him, however. By Rock Creek, a storm was imminent. Most of us decided to make for the RV park just 8 km away. We must confess we got somewhat wet and put out tents up in the rain. A few decided to stay in Rock Creek, drink coffee and then come on. I was in the “make for it” group, so naturally the “wait it out” group had sunshine all the way for their ride and they put their tents up in sunshine, too.
Posted by The Sea to Sea 2008 Group at 8:43 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Day 3, Sunshine Valley (May 28)
After gentle wild rabbits and noisy trains during the night at Agassiz we discovered that our power source for the RV was not working. We did not panic....it was our problem, not just Dave's. So after a diligent search Dave went in the RV with Brenda to find help. Meanwhile, in gorgeous and in gorgeous scenery we cycled through the valley to Hope. On the way we heard the great news from Dave that he had connected with a mechanic from Hope who met them, led them to his house (on his day off!) where they started to go through a check list. Meanwhile our intrepid Brenda began to think some more and said "Has anyone checked the master switch?" Needless to say the power was back on and lucky Dave was able to cycle from Hope with us. After coffee at Rolly's Restaurant (a hunk for a waiter!)we started out towards Highway 3. Now we were in the mountains and the timing for 16 kms was way off! We did well, considering...had a wind behind our backs to aid us and to cool us off. Jim and Ute saw a black bear by the road (Ute makes a good lookout)that the rest of us with our heads down didn't see. We arrived in Sunshine Valley mid-afternoon. Four of us are staying at Mountain View B & B (Tony and Joyce are our wonderful hosts...they remembered Carol from her trip 5 years ago). The rest of the gang cycled up, up the mountain to the Billabong Lodge. We socialized in the lodge, revisiting the day's events and finding out that we had climbed about 690 meters. Dinner of pork chops amd scalloped potatoes prepared by Horst and Patricia was well-received....great to have an oven. Tony and Joyce have allowed us to do a wash and use the computer for this update. On another note I did get my latest granddaughter; read an email from my son Rob that baby Samantha was born at 6:59 pm on Monday and mom and baby are doing well. Now I only have the cycling to worry about. We are heading to bed early, feeling satisfied with our day. Probably won't be a posting for a few days as we will be at Mule Deer campsite im Manning Park tomorrow.hello from Yvonnep.s. (Want to add a thank you to Patti and Hugh who also came out to Swartz Bay to see us off on Monday.
Posted by Yvonne at 8:00 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, May 27, 2008

27 May 2008: Day Two
Most of us had very little sleep last night, mainly because of the the trains that passed close to our campsite at regular intervals during the night making horrendous noises! We will all have to wear earplugs in future, I suppose -- lots of trains around, it seems. The campsite was very comfortable, so no complaints there. After a huge breakfast together we set off again today in beautiful sunny weather, even hotter than yesterday. We arrived around lunchtime at our next campground in Agassiz, a ride of about 70 km from Fort Langley. The site is in a beautiful setting, but has rather sparse amenities, only two showers for the whole group to share, together with all the other registered campers! After setting up camp, some of use cycled into the town of Agassiz to find computers so that we could check our emails and add information to the blog. I have written up days One and Two, but this may be the last word from us for a while. Connections to the internet are hard to find in rural BC (and also in rural Alberta, Sask, Manitoba, and most of rural Canada, it seems!) I will connect again when possible. Know that we are all well and happy -- no worries!Pat K
Posted by The Sea to Sea 2008 Group at 4:38 PM 2 comments
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▼ 2008 (12)
▼ June (5)
Day 12- Creston 55k
Day 11- Thursday, June 5- Castlegar to Boswell- 11...
Day 10 Wednesday June 4 at Castlegar, 71k
Day 9, Tuesday, June 3, Christina Lake 90 km today...
June 2, 2008 .Latest newsl
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Day 3, Sunshine Valley (May 28)
27 May 2008: Day Two
26 May 2008: Day One of our Bike Trip across Cana...
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The Sea to Sea 2008 Group
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Here we all are, at the starting point of our big adventure: "Mile O" in Victoria BC, Canada, on the Pacific coast.