Another adventure has come and gone. Four weeks on the bike and 1771 miles later I am home.
Special Note: David has written and published a book, "Bicycling the Canadian Rockies" - "A Planning Guide and Stories of Seven Trips." It's a complete guide with maps, profiles, list of hostels and campground, bike shops, packing lists, sample itinerary, pictures, and much more. If you would like a copy it retails for $12.95+S/H. It can be ordered from David via his e-mail address at: dsiskind@earthlink.net
This years tour (for me) would be:
Part-1: Jasper to Banff with a side trip to the Yoho Valley. On this trip would be my friend, David and his wife Dana and two other couples from Minnesota, Chip & Laura and Gary & Marcie.
Part-2: Banff to Seattle with David, Jim, and Marv. I had met Jim and Marv on last years tour of the Rockies.
Part-3: Seattle to Eugene, OR with David. We will spend a few days at my house in Portland before heading for Eugene. Once in Eugene I would head home to Portland while David would head east to Montana before taking the train home to Minnesota. He should be home around Sept. 6.
Due to riding STP (Seattle to Portland) I joined the official tour of the Canadian Rockies at the halfway point, Jasper, Alberta. Getting to Jasper was an adventure in it's self with one small world story. By now most of you know I love small world stories. (For my STP story see the “Seattle to Portland” link on this website)
Thursday 7-18:
I left home on my bike for the Portland Amtrak station just 15 miles away. I was early as usual so my bike was the first to load along with 4 other bikes. My 12:30pm train was on time and I was off for Seattle where I had reservations at the Youth Hostel for the night. Arriving in Seattle on time, of course my bike was the last to be unloaded.
I loaded the bike with all my gear and started to ride the 3 miles to the Hostel. As I came around the side of the train station there was a large crowd of people so I got off the bike and walked it. It was such a nice day I found myself walking the bike further than necessary. When I was well passed the crowd, I got on my bike and rode the short few blocks to the water front bike path that I would take to the Hostel. On the bike path I headed north towards the Hostel. I could see up ahead the little trolley that runs along the water front coming my way. All the others who were on bikes or walking on the bike path sped up to beat the trolley. But again being such a great day I stopped and let the trolley pass in front of me. Getting back on the bike I saw that the stop light just in front of me was about to change to red (the walk light had turned to red). So I sped up to make the light.
As I crossed the street I saw out of the corner of my eye Scott (my friend who rode STP with me) waiting to cross the street . He had just gotten off work and was on his bike heading for home via the ferry to Bainbridge Island. I pulled up next to him and said "do you want to go for a ride?" Scott had offered to let me stay at his house but I declined due to having to catch the train at 7:45am the next morning and I was a little worried about the timing, with having to take the ferry from his house to the train station.
The look on his face when to realized it was me was just great. He said come on over to the Island and stay at his place. Well, how could I say no. The window of opportunity for running into him was about 15 seconds or less. I figured I was destined to stay with him. If my bike had not been off last, if I had not walked the bike a longer than necessary, if I had not stopped for the trolley and if I had not sped up to make the light I would have missed Scott completely. Pretty neat.
The visit was as wonderful as only you can have with someone who you had just ridden 200 miles in one day the week before and not to mention sharing the adventure of riding coast-to-coast in 1998 as we both did and where I first met Scott.
Friday 7-19:
The next morning we were off for the ferry in plenty of time to make a very important stop for a HOT FRESH BAKED cinnamon bun which are available from a little stand just before you get on the ferry. Can life be any better, fresh cinnamon bun, Starbuck's coffee, a beautiful morning, on the way to a great adventure and a good friend to share the 30 minute ferry ride to Seattle with. Life is good. Thanks Scott far a great visit and for being a great friend.
There was no problem with catching the train to Vancouver and we arrived on time. Getting through Customs was no problem. My first task was to change American dollars into Canadian dollars. Returning to the train station I packed my bike for the ride on VIA (Canada's Amtrak) to Jasper. I had plenty of time since my train did not leave until 5:30pm. On the two Amtrak trains I did not have to pack my bike because Amtrak has installed racks for holding bikes (Yaaaa for Amtrak).
Boarding the train I found it not crowded and I had two seats all to myself, meaning I might get some sleep tonight. The sad part of the timing of this train was that we would be going through the most beautiful parts of the ride during the night. Oh well, I will be ride back across British Columbia in a week anyway so I would not only see the country up close but smell and feel it also.
5:30pm came and went then 6:30pm passed. We did not leave until 7:30pm, two hours late due to an electrical problem. Night fell and I did get some sleep. The next morning I had breakfast with Ed and Joan from New York. This is what is so great about train travel you have time to meet great people and enjoy their company. Of course you wonder if you will ever see them again (it is a small world, isn’t it?)
Saturday 7-20:
Arriving 1 hour and 45 minutes late in Jasper I figured I would be riding to the first overnight all alone as I was sure the others would have already ridden on. I was wrong as there was David waiting for me, thanks. After a quick bit to eat we were off for the Hostel at the base of Mount Edith Cavell only 19 miles away but with one steep 8 mile climb at the end.
As we left town I noticed about 5 or so pennies on the side of the road and did NOT stop to pick them up. I had decided to miss the first day so that I would not worry about finding a coin each day as I have on passed tours. After missing the first day I did find one or more coins each and every day anyway. Total coins count will follow later.
Also for the recorded I did not miss a shower on any day. Note to Scott: last year when we hiked down stream from the Mosquito Creek Hostel to take a shower (really just a splash in a very cold river) is was not necessary. Right behind the sauna is, and was then, a shower. How did we miss it!!!!!
Let the adventure begin.
Saturday 7-20:
19 miles to Mount Edith Cavell Up the hill we rode to our over night at the Mount Edith Cavell Hostel. This is one of the most beautiful places there is. You are surrounded by high mountains with snow and glaciers all over them. The day started sunny but by the time we got to the Hostel it was cool (48 degrees) with a light shower every so often.
Mt. Edith Cavell is 3,363 meters high and towers over all the other mountains in Jasper National Park. In the Cirque Valley on the northeast slope of the mountain is the famous Angle Glacier - suspended as if in full flight with it's huge icy wings outstretched. In a narrow valley below this spectacular setting is the rustic hostel.
Sunday 7-21:
55 miles to Beauty Creek Due to the poor road condition going downhill was as difficult as it was going up the day before. It was cloudy and cool but turned sunny in the afternoon. Today's Hostel was at Beauty Creek. The Hostel wardens greeted me with open arms as they remembered me from last year. They are a wonderful couple who really like their job. They built a brand new shower and it is BIG. The plans called for the shower to be 3 foot by 4 foot. But a mistake was made and it was built 3 meters by 4 meters (I am not sure if it was really a mistake or not). Any case this new shower is one of the best. The next morning the warden cooked an all you can eat pancake/coffee breakfast. He made chocolate chip, pineapple, apple, and blueberry pancakes. To start with he made one of each for me as a sampler. Life is good.
Beauty Creek was the place that for centuries natives and explorers camped alongside the placid waters of the creek where it flows into the Sunwapta River. Only 17 miles from the Columbia Icefield, the hostel provides access to excellent hiking trails, including the Stanley Falls that offers views of 8 waterfalls descending a limestone gorge.
Monday 7-22:
35 miles to Rampart Creek Tonight we would stay at a Hostel that we did not stay at last year, Rampart Creek. It was a good climb up to the Icefields with a great downhill on the other side. The day started cold but as usual turned sunny and warn. The night before at the Beauty Creek Hostel we met several men who were taking a 3 day mountain/glacier climbing class and today was their final exam. At the Columbia Icefields Chalet we look through a small telescope and saw the climbers descending from their successful climb. It was nice to see that they made it OK.
Also at the Columbia Icefields Chalet while having a snack, Ed and Joan from New York (the couple that I met at breakfast on the train to Jasper) came up to me to say hello. It was nice to see them again. Yes, it is a small world.
Tuesday 7-23:
42 miles to Mosquito Creek It was another great day. We ate a second breakfast at the Saskatchewan River Crossing. Then it was up and over Bow Pass and on to the Mosquito Creek Hostel. This Hostel has the nickname of "Moosequito Creek" due to the size of the mosquitos. While I did not see any “moose” size ones there sure were plenty of them. Last year I did not notice any of the little pest.
Wednesday 7-24:
41 miles to Whiskey Jack Today we made our planned detour to the Yoho Valley and the Whiskey Jack Hostel. We would stay two nights at this Hostel. The main purpose for this years tour of the Rockies was for David and Dana to say good-bye to Olga who has been the warden of this Hostel for many many years and was planning on retiring at the end of this season. After the tour was on it's way they found out that Olga had retired at the start of the season. This was David's 8th tour of the Canadian Rockies with his first being in 1973.
Over Kicking Horse Pass (the Continental Divide) we rode with a stop in the town of Fields to buy food for two days. Lucky for us starting today we had a car with us so getting the food up the steep hill to the Yoho Valley was not a problem. The second night at the Hostel I would be doing the cooking along with Marcie. Those of you who remember what a very kind man gave me from his dinner plate last year will have no trouble knowing what I wanted to cook.
Thursday 7-25:
25 miles - still at Whisky Jack Hostel While all the others went for a hike today I rode back down the hill to the town of Fields where I had a second breakfast at the "Truffle Pigs Cafe" rated as one of the best restaurants in BC. Due to this being my 2nd breakfast I just had a stack of pancakes and they were very good, light and fluffy. After breakfast I rode around town which did not take very long. I found a place where I could sit and write some postcards as I wanted to mailed them at the local post office. As I approached the post office the postmaster was sitting out in front sunning herself. Don't you just love small towns.
I had packed a lunch so that I could stop at the switch-back on the way back up the hill and have lunch while watching the cars, vans, RV's, and buses try and make this very difficult part of the road. This switch-back is shaped like a "Z" with very tight corners. The "pro" bus drivers have a system that works very good. They go up the first switch-back forward and then back up the next. They then go up the last one forward. Doing it this way they do not have to make any turns on the tight corners. There are signs directing other, mainly large RV's, to do the same but no one sees them. Also there is a sign at the bottom saying that no trailers are allowed up this road. As I sat there eating my lunch chaos was in the making. Almost none of the RV's (most were rented) could make the turn blocking traffic while one of the passages got out to try and help the driver turn around and go back down. Several times I had to get up and go and help out. Once a RV got stuck the cars coming from both uphill and downhill would not stop to give the RV room to get out of his mess. I would try and stop the cars and back them up in hopes that the RV could get turned around. At one time a different RV driver got around the seconded turn and then froze. This was a big time mess and took sometime to get it straighten out.
The reason for so much traffic going up this road is to see the wonderful Takakkaw Falls, there is a picture of the falls on this website just click on the link "Canadian Rockies Tour 2001"
Soon it was time for me to head up the rest of the hill to the Hostel and get ready to prepare dinner. Those of you who guess steak for dinner were correct. I Bar-B-Qed steaks on the grill to order. Yes, life is good.
Also staying at this Hostel was a group of 9 young men (in their early 20's) from Holland who had been on the trail for 4 days. Their dinner, this night, consisted of the following (I did not see everything, but this is what I did see):
Bacon cooked just enough to make it transparent
Large link sausages
Chicken breast
Steak
Beer
Tomatoes - fresh
Each one had all they wanted of the above and they topped it off with a stack of pancakes (two large boxes of mix was used). Oh, to be young again.
Friday 7-26:
64 miles to Banff This was the last day of the official tour and we woke to RAIN. The first real rain of the tour. As we left the rain lighten up a little and by the time we reach the main highway the rain had stopped. Back over the Continental Divide we rode. Near the top is a restaurant where we planned on stopping for a snack. Just before I got there the skies opened up and it poured. I got wet due to not having time to put on my rain gear. By the way the rain-covers on my panniers keep everything inside dry. My panniers are made by Robert Beckman of Bend Oregon and a simply the best. We all sat in the restaurant until the rain let up and then headed for Banff via Lake Louise and Lake Louise Village where we stopped for a lunch. In Lake Louise Village David and I bought matching bike jerseys that said "Canada" on them. From this time on we would be know as "Team Canada, Masters Touring Division, Subdivision Downhill.”
By the time we reach our over night at the Banff Hostel I was dry. The first flat on the tour (of the 7 riders) happen to Chip about 1/4 miles from the finish. After getting cleaned up we all went out of dinner and to say our good-byes.
Arriving at the Banff Hostel was Jim and Marv who would join David and TOB for the next part of the tour.
Now to the found coins and stuff. I added two more bandannas to my collection which now stands at 183. I picked up one red one and one blue one. There were a few others but I did not stop to pick them up. As for the coins found:
Pennies = 73 = $0.73
Nickels = 10 = $0.50
Dimes = 24 = $2.40
Quarters = 26 = $6.50
Total = $10.13
I must be getting old as I did ride past a lot of coins. I also made sure that I spent all the Canadian coins while I was in Canada.
There were several screwdrivers along the way that I did not pick up. I did pick up one 8" Adjustable End wrench, Craftsman brand. The wrench was found on the way to Eugene so I did not have to carry it very far.
I did not have a flat tire for the whole 1771 miles. The bike ran very well and only need a little air in the tires every so often and a little oil on the chain once in a while. I reduced the size of the bag on top of my rear rack by putting the sleeping bag and sleeping pad into my panniers. I then put my tent and it's rain fly into two small stuff sacks which I bungeed on the top of the rear rack. While we carried tents all the way we did not use it. We stayed either in Hostels, motels, or in private homes. We did use our sleeping bags and pad at times.
Saturday 7-27:
48 miles to West Louise Lodge We are now four and heading ultimately to Seattle, WA (Jim & Marv), Eugene, OR (Tom) and East Glacier National Park, MT (David).
The weather was great with some light headwind as we headed west and into British Columbia. It was decided that taking the old road over Kicking Horse pass would be the most fun. In order to do this we had to make the climb up to Lake Louise. On the way we took a road that was closed to all motor traffic. As two of our riders rounded a curve in the road, there in the middle of the road was a BIG black bear. The bear looked over his shoulder at the two riders and then turned away. He then look back again and I could tell he thought he could “take” the two riders. Just then the other two rides came around the corner and the bear changed him mind and moved on. I guess there is safety in numbers!!!!!!
Soon we were off back roads and on Trans Canada Highway One where we would stay until the town of Hope at which point we took Highway 7 into Vancouver. Tonight we stayed in the West Lake Louise Lodge. Splitting the motel bill 4 ways made it very affordable and certainly more comfortable. We worked out a very good system at the motels. We would get a room with two beds and take turns sleeping in the bed while the other two would sleep on the floor in their sleeping bag and on their sleeping pad, still a lot better than sleeping in our tents on the ground.
Sunday 7-28:
65 miles to Donald Station This was a mixed day with sun and a few rain drops. The plan was to get as close to the Famous Rogers Pass or should I say Infamous Rogers Pass as we could. Thus making the climb easier the next day. I have heard about this pass for years and was looking forward to see just how steep it was. But we still have today's ride with lots of downhill which was thrilling in places.
As we approached the foot of the pass we found there were only two places to stay. We chose one of the two campgrounds/RV parks and it was a very good choice. We could have camped but this place had some rooms to rent. Now don't get the idea these were motel rooms. They were more like a long prefab trailer that was divided into a lot of small rooms with just beds in them. The room were so small that our bikes had to stay outside on the porch for the night. There were hot showers available and a kitchen/TV room for our use. The kitchen had a refrigerator, coffee pot, and a sink. The TV received one channel so there was no discussion as to which station to watch. The cost for the four of us for one room was $44.80 (Canadian).
Now it was time to find FOOD. A few miles back we passed a sign that said "Cafe" and pointed to a road to our right. We had looked down this road but could not see anything, besides this road was not paved. After unloading the bikes we headed back to find this cafe. It did not long to find the place but it was closed. We talked to the man who came out of the cafe and he told us that the cafe was only open for one year about 3 years ago and that they have just not gotten around to taking down the sign. And besides we were the first in all this time to even stop and ask about the cafe. Lucky for us the place we were staying had a small store. So shopping we went.
We found some hot-dogs and buns (in the refrigerator), three cans of bean and one can of beef stew. Other items to help round out our dinner was, chips, candy bars mustard, and cold drinks. Now we faced the following problems:
How to open the cans?
How to cook the food?
What to put our food in to eat it?
What to eat it with?
Marv had a can opener on his pocket knife.
We bought some wood to use in the outside open fire pit.
In the kitchen there was some plastic spoons.
Also in the kitchen was some Styrofoam cups.
What more could we ask for. Starting the fire want great and soon there were cans of food sitting on the grill with their lids sticking up in the air. Next the hot-dogs went on and soon began to burn. The cans starting to boil and stirring them was not easy. Buns were put on the grill and also began to brown (sometimes a VERY dark brown). Soon dinner was ready and boy did it taste great. Life it good.
Clean up was easy as it can be, we just dumped it all in the nearby trash can. After this most wonderful dinner we all went to watch TV (mainly because the mosquitos were fierce). With only one channel TV did not last very long and soon was replace with listening to the radio. Both the TV and the radio looked like they came from the Goodwill. I turned on the radio and it worked. This radio had several bands so I turned to a short-wave band and searched for the radio station WWV (the radio station of the USA National Bureau of Standards giving the exact time). Soon we all, except for Marv, had our watches in our hand and setting the time. This may not sound very exciting to most of you but for us it was great fun and we would over the next days check with each other it see how close our watchers were. Life is not only good but simple when you are on the road with everything you need on your bike.
Monday 7-29:
80 miles to Revelstroke Since last nights dinner was so great you can only imagine what we had for breakfast. I had a can of cold beans and two slices of bread.
The climb over Rogers Pass started almost at once. First we rode over the bridge that crossed over the Columbia River and then it was up out of the river valley. Then the road went up and down for a while. After about 20 miles we found a restaurant and had a real breakfast. This restaurant was more than just a restaurant it was kind of an upscale hotel with a very nice dinning room. We were the only ones there since they do most of their business during the Winter.
On most of the uphill there was a light rain but it was dry on the downhill. As we got closer the pass the road got steeper and there was 5 tunnels to go through. Four of the tunnels we could see the exit as we enter it but one was long and went around a curve. There was a pretty good shoulder and it was fairly clean. I turned on my rear flasher so that I could be seen. Soon we were at the top and found another restaurant for lunch.
While the climb was not easy it also was not as hard as I had been told. But I must say that I have a real touring bike, meaning low gears and I was in pretty good shape haven ridden over 5000 miles so far this year.
Also going over the pass this day was a couple from Tasmania, two guys from Quebec, and one man from Alberta. The first two groups were pulling Bob trailers. I am thinking about doing the same when we (David and TOB) ride Route 66 next year.
Down the other side of Rogers pass we flew and on to Revelstroke our over night for today. We stayed at the Hostel and had a room all to ourselves. Revelstroke is a very nice town and has a great river front and downtown. While Jim and Marv went to the bike shop David and I rode around town stopping for a donut and chocolate milk. After dinner there we did laundry and then off to bed.
After last years tour of the Rockies I made some changes to my equipment. Some worked great and some did not work so good.
As I mentioned the lower profile of the gear on the top of my rear rack worked very well. I tried new pedals that was clipless on one side and just a flat pedal on the other. The reason for this was so that I did not have to cut holes in the bottom of rain booties to fit the clipless pedals into. This did not work very well as one foot (the right one) seemed to want to slip off the flat side pedal. I ended up cutting a small hole in each bootie.
When you stay in Youth Hostels most of them want you to remove your shoes when you are inside. Last year I walked around in my riding socks (white in color). This had two problems. One, the socks got very dirty very fast and second my feet got cold. This year I brought along a pair of slipper socks, black in color. I would just slip them over my riding socks which kept my feet warmer. Of course being black you could not see the dirt. For some unknown reason many of the Hostels have dropped the "shoes off" policy.
I bought all new rain gear and it all worked great. The rain jacket was water proof which meant I did get wet but from the inside, not from the outside. At least I was warm and not cold like last year. I have yet to have any success with any of those new miracle fabrics, which are supposed to keep the rain out and still breath. Maybe they work when you are just walking around, but not when you are working hard riding a bike.
Tuesday 7-30:
77 miles to Salmon Arm What a mixture of weather and road conditions we had today. It was cool with some clouds to start, followed by sun and warm. We had some light showers in the afternoon. Most of the day we were riding up or down. Not big hills just up and down. I really like an up and down day. It just seems easier to me.
As we rode through the town of Sicamous, where we had lunch, we (David and TOB) were now on familiar ground. In 1990 we, along with some others, did a tour from Portland to Portland. This tour took up the Okanagan Valley, down the Fraser River Canyon, along side the Hood Canal, and on to Portland. On this tour is were I first met David and his wife Dana.
As we approached Salmon Arm it looked like it was going to rain again so we took a room at Super 8 motel which was on top of a pretty good hill that dropped you down into town. The motel let put our bikes in their storage room which was very nice.
Of course once we checked in the skies cleared and the sun came out. What should we do? Let's go for a ride around town. As I looked at this great downhill into town I was thinking we must be crazy because we have to came back up the hill to our motel. Nevertheless down the hill we screamed. I hit my highest speed of the day on this downhill, 42mph. By the way my highest mph for this tour was 44mph. I think some in our group hit the high 40's, 48 to 49mph. Last year on a tour David hit 59mph. My all time highest mph is 50mph.
After dinner, at a Pub behind the motel, we went across the street from our motel to Tim Horton's. This is one of those most wonderful donut shops. I bought a box of "Timbits" which are donut holes. You are supposed to get 20 but I am sure, since it was at the end of the day, they gave my over 30. Jim also bought a box and got about the same amount. We ate donuts throughout the evening. In the box was a mixture of 8 or so different kinds of donut holes. This would not be our last Tim Horton's.
Wednesday 7-31:
74 miles to Kamloops Last night while we were at Tim Horton's it was noticed that we could get food on all four of the corners at this intersection. It was then decided to go for a "four corner breakfast." Jim and Marv decide not to join us for this once in a lifetime event. So after having breakfast #1 in our motel (coffee, muffin, and fresh cherries) we headed to the next corner for #2. On this corner was a McDonalds, I had a sausage McMuffin with egg and coffee. Next it was to the mini-mart for some chocolate milk and #3. Now it was over to Tim Horton's for a donut and breakfast #4. Have I said "life is good"?
Another typical day, light rain in the morning with some sun in the afternoon. The only real difference was today we had a pretty good headwind. It was a hard day due to the wind. We just ground out the miles and soon there was our over night just ahead of us. It sure looked good. Since Kamloops is also a very interesting town with a great downtown we again took a motel room right in town. This motel let us park our bikes in a room that they did not expect to rent this night.
Marv and Jim rode up hill to checkout the Harley shop (Marv owns one). David went to get a hair cut while TOB cleaned and oiled the bike and then went for a coin walk. I had seen the coins on the way into town but just did not feel like stopping at the time.
Once we all were back together we rode into town for dinner. It was time for Pizza and we found one that turned out to be a VERY GOOD pizza. The place is named "Boston Pizza." On the way back to the motel we happen to pass a "DQ" (Dairy Queen - ice cream). Sure we stopped and I enjoyed a Hawaii Blizzard. Have I said "life is good"?
Thursday 8-1:
58 miles to Cache Creek For me this was one of the best days so far. On the warm side with lots of up's and down's. As we left Kamloops, after breakfast, we started to get back on Trans Canada One but there was a sign that read "NO Bicycle." What to do? Since we knew of no other way (I am sure there was another way, but there was no sign to help us) we just rode on and hoped to reach the edge of town before the police saw us. It was a long climb out of town which was frustrating for me as I wanted to get out of town as fast as I could. On the way up David found a wallet with all the credit cards still in it but no money. We talked about what to do and decided to take the next off ramp and find a business to leave it with them. Sure enough there was a gas station who took the wallet and said they would call the person.
I asked the attendant if there was anyway around this part of the freeway where bikes are not allowed to ride. They did not know of any but looked out the window to see if there was any police cars in the parking lot. The local police often eat at the restaurant which was part of the gas station. There were none. So we rode on. Just before we had to enter the freeway again we saw a sign that said "Bike Route." We took this road for less than a mile at which time it dumped us on to the freeway. At this point where bikes are allowed. The bike route was two blocks from the gas station and no one knew it was there. In 1990 when we passed this way it was OK to ride all parts of this road. At that time the road was not a freeway but just a highway.
A few more miles down the road and the new freeway (#5) took off to the left which also had a sign restricting bikes. This was not a problem since we had planned on staying one Trans Canada One anyway. On the good side most of the traffic took the new road. We were now following the Thompson River which will flow into the Fraser River two days from now.
With a great downhill into town we were at our over night, Cache Creek. Welcoming us was a DQ, yes we stopped. Again we looked for a motel. The first places we checkout had no rooms and the owner say that we would find no place in town that was as reasonable as he is. So we went across the street and got two rooms for a just a little more than he wanted for one room. You just can't trust what you are told as we will find out again later down the road.
Now, our motel had a special secret deal. If we paid cash there would be no tax added (Mmmmmmm). Sure, we paid cash. I asked if their was senior discount and the clerk said she did not know but would check with the owner. Later the clerk came by and gave me a 10% refund. She said the owner was happy to do this but almost no one asks for it.
The clerk also told us about a near by place for dinner. The name was "Sweetgrass Native Arts and Crafts Store." We were told that the lady was also trying to start up a restaurant. Today's special was Indian Taco's. It was not only the special but the only item on the menu. The place was two doors from our motel and when we arrived we were directed to the basement where two tables were setup. Also was a table with all the fixings for the taco's and drinks. The lady brought in Indian Fry Bread for us to make our taco on. Strange but pretty good.
At the other table was another biker. This was a man from Germany who not only rode without a helmet but smoked heavily. The lady asked us if we wanted to come back for breakfast, sure why not.
Friday 8-2:
81 miles to Boston Bar Today we woke to rain and it was heavy at times. But first we walked to breakfast and the lady was waiting for us. It was kind of like having your Mom make breakfast for you. We were the only ones in this very small room. The lady cooked up stairs and then carries it out the front door and down to us in the basement. By the way both dinner and breakfast very good. By the time breakfast was over with it was only raining lightly. We decided to take off and soon the rain ended. We did have a headwind all day.
What should have been a piece of cake ride turned into a lot of work due to the headwind. This section of the highway is named the "Cariboo Hwy." and follows the Thompson River, crossing over the river at Spences Bridge and on to Lytton where it now named "Fraser Canyon." I checked he map and sure enough it's "Cariboo" and not "Caribou," strange ah. Again it was lots of ups and downs with some off and on rain showers.
We stopped for lunch at small cafe near Spences Bridge. I started talking to a family that was having a picnic lunch near where we parked our bikes. The lady offered me some of her home made chocolate chip cookies. Have I said "life is good" and people are so kind.
We were all glad to see Boston Bar come into sight. There was only one motel in town and lucky for us there was still had a few rooms available, even if they were up stairs. We just parked the bikes in the hallway outside our rooms. After showers and dinner we walked to the edge of town and back. It did not take very long. All in all a good day, hard work but great scenery and nice people.
With such a great name as Boston Bar I thought I would give you a little history.
Boston Bar, pop 500, elev 1013'. Boston Bar, which began as a gold mining town, was named for a Dutchman who came from Boston to prospect in the 1860s. Because Boston was the home port to many of the ships bringing prospectors, local Indians called the newcomers Boston Men. Boston Bar is now a logging and trade center, with the Canadian National Railway passing through town. Also the Canadian Pacific Railway parallels the National on the other side of the Fraser River which flows next to Boston Bar.
Saturday 8-3:
65 miles to Harrison Hot Springs The day started clear and cold and ended warm and overcast. The start would be mostly downhill, through tunnels, as we followed the Fraser River as it drops to the valley below. We have been going south for the last two days but today when we hit the valley, we would head west. The scenery through this canyon is outstanding. As we rode along we could see several rafters floating down the river below us.
As the canyon ended the road turned flat which felt pretty good for a while. While ups and downs are work, flat roads tend to get boring. At the town of Hope we made a hard right turn and headed west towards Vancouver.
Today was Saturday and there were a lot of fishermen along the river. From what I could see fishing was very good as almost every fisherman that was returning to his car/truck had a fish or two and they were good size.
Also being Saturday I was a little worried about getting a place to stay at Harrison Hot Springs which is a resort type town. Of course we could always camp. Traffic got heavy as we rode towards Harrison Hot Springs. With just a few miles to go and we stopped for a snack at a little mini-mart. There I met a had a nice chat with a couple from Germany. We said good-bye and they drove on to Harrison Hot Springs.
We followed, but on out bikes. Once in town we started looking for a motel that still had a vacancy sign out. Wow, there was one and it was right on the lake front. We went in and at the counter was the Germany couple who had just gotten the last room. So on we rode up the main street and down the back streets. Even the in-town campgrounds had no vacancy signs out. "STOP" the cry went out, a motel with vacancies was spotted. As we rode into the motel the manager came out and confirmed he had several vacancies and he would make us a special deal, 2 rooms, upstairs, for $40 Canadian for each room. We also found out that Monday was a holiday in British Columbia, "BC Day" making this a three day weekend. Was this our lucky day or was it to good to be true?
Well, it was a little bit of both. Sure the rooms were available even if they were a little on the small side. After unloading our gear into our rooms I noticed that the room next to mine (and David’s) was empty and looked (looking through the window) like it was being remodeled. So I asked the mgr. if we could use this room for our bikes and after a little thought he said yes. As I open the door to this room it sure smelled funny. It turned out that these upstairs rooms had some sever water damage and only our two rooms had been repaired. The room that we were going to put our bikes in smelled so bad it made me sick. Our room being right next to this bad smelling room seem to get a little of the bad smell. I have a very good nose so it bother me more than the others. It smell like mold and rot. We did not put out bikes in the room. I could smell this bad odor all night and woke the next morning not felling the best. I am 100% sure that no one except for some desperate bikers would have even considered staying in the room I had. Jim and Marv's room being on the other side of ours was a little better.
After dinner we walked the lake front and check the restaurant for what time they opened for breakfast. We found one that had a great view of the lake and opened at 7am. As we look at the menu we noticed that they serve corned beef hash for breakfast. Boy that did sound good, so this would be the place tomorrow's breakfast.
By the way there is a hot spring and the best place to enjoy it is at the Harrison Hot Springs Hotel. We did not check to see if they had any vacancies, but I am sure we would have not wanted to pay the price. In the middle of town is a public pool that is supplied from the hot spring. We looked inside but it just looked and smelled (chorine) like any other public pool. Besides it was small and was packed with people (probably needs all that chorine).
(for the fun of it I just check our AAA guide for Harrison Hot Springs Hotel and found the price to be $197 to $284 for 2 people, a little more than the $40 we paid for our smelly room)
The lake that this town sits on and it's surrounding mountains are very beautiful. There is a great walk along the shore of the lake. These surrounding mountains are known as Sasquatch country, where sightings of the legendary apelike creature twice the size of a man have been reported dozens of times.
For Jim and David: Today I checked my watched against WWV. It has lost 2 seconds in 28 days. I guess I had better buy one of those fancy ones that sets it's self daily or many I should accept mine the way it is and be 2 seconds late. (I got an e-mail from Jim today, Sept 5, and his watch is off by only 3.5 seconds)
Sunday 8-4:
87 miles to Vancouver Last night we had rain, lightning, and thunder so it was no surprise that we woke to rain. Most of the morning and into the early afternoon it rained and heavy at times. I got a chance to wear all new my rain gear and it worked great. Of course the problem is the time it takes to put it on, then take it off, then put it on, then take it off (you get the idea).
But before we hit the road we went for breakfast at the restaurant we picked last night. Several of us ordered the corned beef hash. Now let me tell you, the view out of the restaurant window was great, the place was clean, the service was good, but the hash was the worst. It is really hard to describe but I will try. The corned beef part was like dried tasteless jerky and the potato part (the worse thing) was like macaroni that was split in half and dried out. This so call potato was yellow in color, tasteless, and on the hard side. Sure we ate it, or most of it.
We hit the road less than satisfied with breakfast. Soon the light rain turned heavy so we made a quick stop at a mini-mart where we had a snack. I put on all my rain gear and rode on by myself. Down the road a bit the others caught up with me and passed me. As I approached the town of Mission a local man who was parked in his car yelled at me as I rode by. I turned around to see what he wanted. He pointed out a black bear that was across the field. The man told me that in all his years living in the area has never seen a bear this close to town and certainly not this low in the valley.
I caught up with the others at a gas station/mini-mart on the edge of town. David asked the clerk if there was a any place to eat and the clerk said no. So David bought a cold sandwich for lunch. I did not know how big the town was but I just could not believe there was no place to eat so I asked the clerk again and he also told me there was no place. I went outside and asked the young man who was pumping gas if there was a place to get some hot food. He said "sure" the main town is just up ahead, about one mile, and there is all kinds of places to eat, even a Tim Horton's. Again you just can't accept what locals tell you (especially those who what to sell you something).
We rode into town and found that Tim Horton's was packed so we went to another place near by and ordered a hot lunch. After lunch on we rode. The traffic got heavier, there was more and more business's and more and more signals. Yes, we were on the edge of a big city, Vancouver, BC.
Marv asked David if we were on the edge of Vancouver and David said "yes." What he did not say was the it was 30 miles across town to where we were staying. On we rode. We began to get split up due to missing signals. It was and has been understood that we would regroup whenever there was a turn. Hwy. 7 branch to the left and we were on 7A. Hwy. 7A turned into what looked like a freeway but bikes were OK and from the signs we saw they were encouraged to take this road into downtown Vancouver. Hwy. 7A had a great shoulder for riding.
On we rode, passing through China Town, downtown Vancouver, and towards Jericho Beach which is on English Bay. Soon we were riding on a series of bike paths and walk ways.
Just as we passed Granville Island a man on a bike stopped us. He asked us about our tour and David told him that we started in the Canadian Rockies. He asked how we like the climb up to the Icefields. Somehow it was mention that David has done the climb 16 times (8 times from the South and 8 times from the North). The man said he has done it 200 times. We found out that he use to lead tours of the Rockies and has published a book about the area (about 12 years ago). David's eyes lit up and he said "your Larry Barnes and I (David) just bought your book when we were in Banff”. So here we have another small world story, author meets author. The man just happened to be at this place when we passed by and he just happen to stop us to talk to.
The man rode along with us and helped point out the way. After a long day we finally arrived at the Vancouver Jericho Beach Hostel. Our riding time was 7.5 hours and we were all very happy to be there. After checking in and unloading our bikes we headed to the business district for dinner. Dinner was at a very nice upscale Italian restaurant. David and I shared a pizza and then it was on to McDonalds for some ice cream before returning to the Hostel. It was getting dark but David still tried to clean and oil his bike. He would find out the next day, in the light, that it's hard to clean and oil the bike in the dark.
This Hostel was one of the largest ones we stayed at with hundreds of beds. It also has a great place to store our bikes. We did laundry, planned our next few days, took showers, and headed for bed. By the way if you are a Youth Hostel member the cost for a bed is $16.
Monday 8-5:
55 miles to Ladysmith (on Vancouver Island) We ate breakfast at the Hostel. This Hostel is big enough to support it's own restaurant. After we ate we went to get out bikes from the enclosed and locked area. Yes, there were still there. Of course we could have taken any bike we wanted. But since our bikes were the best of the lot we took our own.
Bikes loaded off we rode. Today was a pretty nice day with only a few very light showers. We retraced our route using bike paths and walk ways to downtown Vancouver. On the way we made a stop at Granville Island and did a little tour. It was to early in the morning for much to be going on. This place would be great to tour in the early evening after having dinner at one of it’s nice restaurants.
We found our way through Vancouver and in to Stanley Park. This park is considered as one of the finest natural parks on the continent. You can lawn bowl, watch a cricket match, swim, golf, play tennis or checkers, jog, or go bicycling over some 50 miles of roads and trails. Also featured is a children's farmyard, rose garden, miniature stream railway and a totem pole displays. The riding was great through this park.
We could not do everything that this park had to offer as we had a ferry to catch which was still some miles away at Horseshoe Bay. So off we rode over Lions’ Gate Bridge into North Vancouver. We had two choices for roads, Trans Canada One or Marine Drive which is a scenic byway. Of course we took Marine Drive which meant lots of ups and downs as the road follow the rugged coast line The road had very little to no shoulder to ride on. Also there was a lot of traffic but the cars gave us a wide-berth. Strangely enough the ride while frantic (to make the ferry) also felt sort of peaceful.
We got to the ferry with an hour to spare. After buying our tickets we headed back into town (about 3 blocks away) for food. This ferry takes you across the Strait of Georgia to Naniaimo on Vancouver Island. Taking a ferry when you are on a bike is always fun. Bikes and walk-ons don't need to line up and are the first to board. Now on the other end it's even more fun as bikes and walk-ons are the first to depart. Most ferry's have a special walkway for the walk-ons but the bikes get to use the main road. They give us about a 3 minute head start before turning the cars, RV's, buses, and trucks loose to chase us down. Yes, we ride like mad to try and stay in front of this mad rush of vehicles which have just been turned loose after being penned up for a while.
Marv's rear tire was starting to going bad, meaning the tread was beginning to breakdown along the rim. Our plan was to stay in the town of Ladysmith which we hoped had a bike shop so that Marv could get a new tire. It did not. While David looked for a motel I stopped everyone I saw and asked them if they knew anybody in town that was a biker. I hope, if there was someone, that they might have a spare tire to sell Marv. We found only bikers who ride mountain bikes and of course these tires won't fit our road bikes.
David found a nice motel with a little patio for our bikes. Now it was time for dinner which we had to ride a miles or so to get to. After an OK dinner, but not great one, at KFC's (the chicken was dry and did not taste like our KFC) we headed for DQ. While enjoying our ice cream we discussed Marv's tire problem. Marv said he would either ride until it failed and then hitchhike into Duncan (which we knew had several bike shops) or find someone here in Ladysmith who would take him into Duncan tomorrow.
Marv went to work to find someone to take him to Duncan. Within a very few minutes he found someone (who was also enjoying DQ) that was planning to drive into Duncan tomorrow.
Ladysmith, is on the 49th parallel and is noted for its scenic position between mountain and sea. Founded during the Boer War, Ladysmith was named for a sister city in South Africa.
Tuesday 8-6:
57 miles to Oak Bay We agreed to meet Marv at 10am at a restaurant in the town of Duncan. This would be one of those very special days that happen when you are on tour. It started with a great breakfast at a nice little restaurant in Ladysmith. The weather was cool to start and warm to end the day. No rain at all.
After a few miles on the highway David lead us on to a wonderful back road (which he is famous for finding). Soon we reach the town of Chemainus. A lumber and manufacturing town, Chemainus added tourism to its economy with the creation of murals. More than 30 professional paintings on the walls of buildings portray the history of the Chemainus Valley. Subject range from North America Indians to dramatic depiction's of the logging industry. What a great find it was for us. We rode through this town stopping to look at these murals. They were outstanding. If you are ever in this part of the country this town is a must stop.
Reaching Duncan we stopped at the agreed to meeting place. Marv was not there but the man who drove him into town yelled at us for across the street. He said Marv had gotten his tire and was looking around town. So what to do? That question was easily answered, David and I rode back a mile to Tim Horton's. We each had a "wedge" (a wonderful very large wedge shaped donut) and something to drink. Soon Marv and Jim showed up and on we rode.
Our next stop was at Mill Bay to catch the Mill Bay to Brentwood ferry which is billed as Vancouver Island's most beautiful shortcut and is the oldest continuously operated salt water ferry service in British Columbia.
This ferry first sailed in November 1924. The ferry ride is 3 miles long and bypasses Victoria and the Malahat Mountain Section of Trans Canada Highway by crossing the Saanich Inlet. The ferry is very small carrying only about 19 cars but of course we had no problem getting on. It sure was a beautiful ride.
On the ferry we met a passenger who gave us some directions on getting to Oak Bay, our overnight for the next two days. He also told us not to miss the “Red Barn” which has the best ice cream for the best price on the Island (music to our ears).
Once off the ferry it was up and down all the way to Oak Bay. We did stop at the Red Barn for lunch and ice cream. Boy, the man was 100% right. I got two super large scoops of ice cream for $1.50 (about $0.96 USA).
Now for a word about our overnight stay in Oak Bay. Some 20 days earlier and before I joined the tour David and his party stopped for lunch at The Crossings (where the Icefield Parkway crosses the Saskatchewan River) there he met a lady, Barbara, and her daughter who were on vacation. Barbara is also a bicyclist and was interested in our tour. David mentioned that he and three others were going to head West once the official tour of the Rockies is over. Barbara offered to put the group up in her house if we got to her neck of the woods, Oak Bay. Oak Bay is just a few miles east of Downtown Victoria. Wow, how great. For those of you who have been to Victoria know that this is not an in inexpensive place to stay and to have someone open their house to us was just wonderful.
Note: by "official tour" I mean the Banff to Jasper to Banff part of the tour. This is called the official tour since it is the organized part and what happens after this part is over was up to those of us who are riding it.
David lead us right to Barbara's house (boy is he a great navigator). We did give her a call to let her know that we were on our way. She welcomed us and gave us a tour of her house. Two of her there three kids were not going to be home so we could use their bedroom if we wanted. Here is how it all worked out: David - took one of the empty bedrooms, but sleep on the floor in his bag.
Jim - took the other bedroom and also slept on the floor in this bag.
Marv - took the flat roof and slept outside in his bag.
TOB - took the downstairs music room and slept on the floor in my bag.
We all had "Therm-A-Rest" pads to put under our sleeping bags.
David and Barbara when shopping for dinner while the rest of us took showers and got unpacked. We cooked and ate dinner while Barbara went to review a friends play. Sure we cleaned up our dinner mess before Barbara got home. What, you think we are barbarians!!!!
What a special day, great weather and breakfast, super large donut, wonderful town to explore, peaceful back roads to ride, beautiful ferry ride, outrageous ice cream and a new friend. Life is good.
Wednesday 8-7:
64 miles in Victoria to just mess around Breakfast was cereal with fresh fruit and boy it sure was great. You do get tired of bacon and eggs all the time.
Barbara had a class at the University so one of her friends, Sally, took us on a riding tour of Oak Bay and on to Victoria. We rode along the shoreline enjoying the rocky coast and the beautiful homes. After a very nice stop for coffee and a goodie we were back on the road again. Sally got a cell phone call reminding her that she was missing a business lunch. Bike riding can make you forget these unimportant things. She headed for her lunch while we headed for downtown Victoria.
The plan was to meet Barbara after her class and she would show us some of the local bike paths. There are several very nice paths that crisscrosses this Island. Since Jim and never been in Victoria it was suggested that he and Marv should spend the day visiting this most wonderful and beautify city while David and I meet Barbara. So that is what we did.
It is always amazing to me that when you meet someone (Barbara or Sally) they worry about keeping up with us when it generally works out to be just the opposite.
We met Barbara as planned and we were off to Sidney on a bike path that was mostly paved but had some dirt places. She was just zipping along and we were following. This path lead us pass a farm where there is a hog pen right next to it. We stopped to watch these huge hogs woollier in the mud and give us strange looks. The chickens would stand on the hogs backs and also give us strange looks.
We had lunch in Sidney before heading back to Oak Bay. It was our day off and we still rode 64 miles, of course what made it great was we did not have all our gear on the bike.
Back at Barbara's house the group decided to go to see the Air Show, which featured the Snow Birds, and then have dinner. This show was so close that it could be ridden to, which was a very smart move. I did not feel up to par so I passed on the show. I think I got a little cold and did not have enough to eat. So off they all went. I went into the back yard where it was warm and cleaned and oiled my bike. Once done with that I rode a short distance and had dinner at a restaurant named "The White Place." After dinner I felt pretty good again. The Air Show had just ended and traffic on these small local streets was very bad. No one was moving except for us on bikes. It sure is fun to zip in and out of traffic while no one else is moving.
I reach Barbara's house just as the others returned from the show. Our group of 4 and Barbara and a friend decided to go to dinner. Even through I had dinner I decided to go. After dinner we rode, in the dark, back to the house.
Marv had planned on leaving the group and flying home from Seattle on Saturday. We had adjusted the tour so that Marv would be able to reach Seattle by Friday so he would not miss his plane. Jim also decided to join Marv and return home from Seattle. This was very nice of Jim so that he and Marv could ride together while David and I headed in another direction.
Thursday 8-8:
70 miles to Port Townsend, WA We were all up and ready to go by 8am. Jim and Marv headed for Victoria to catch the ferry to Port Angeles and then on towards Seattle. David and I would head north to Sidney and catch the ferry to Anacortes, WA.
Barbara rode along with us for a few miles. Good-byes and thanks were said and then there were two (David and TOB). We got to our ferry with time to spare. Getting through immigration was very easy. I did have my Passport with me.
This was a very nice ferry ride through the San Juan Islands. We had a snack on the ferry but was now was paying with US $$$$. It's always great to be back in the USA.
Off the ferry, we rode south on Whidbey Island taking the Adventure Cycling (AC) route which MEANT lots of hills. We crossed Deception Passed and rode passed the Whidbey Island Navel Air Station. I have been through area before but we always took the main road. This time we took the AC back roads. While it was more beautiful riding along the coastline the hills were assume with two VERY steep ones. Short but steep. We made a stop in Coupeville for a snack before riding the last few miles to catch our second ferry of the day.
This ferry would take us to Port Townsend and our overnight. Once the ferry docked we raced to stay ahead of the traffic. Our Hostel is one mile from downtown Port Townsend in Fort Worden State Park, up the hill from town.
Fort Worden State Park, is 443 acre park was part of an important system of coastal fortresses guarding the entrance to Puget Sound established in the 1890s. The large, grassy parade ground remains and the handsome Victorian houses along Officers' Row have been restored. The rhododendron garden contains more than 1100 plants. Some of the restored Victorian houses are available for rent for family vacations. Our Hostel was very nice and with a great shower. We rode back into town for dinner at a Mexican restaurant.
Friday 8-9:
83 miles to Shelton All this tour I have been looking forward to reaching Shelton because on previous tour to this town I had the most wonderful Broasted Chicken dinner in the world.
We woke to a very warm morning which would end with a hot afternoon. Today's ride would be along side the Hood Canal with some shoulder to ride on but not a great one. Food was not easy to find at the times we wanted to eat. We made a stop at a mini-market where I heated a Beef and Been Burrito in the microwave. Well, it was food (I think).
Traffic began to get worse and worse. Later we frond out the Hood Canal Bridge we stuck open forcing traffic our way. Of course are you can imagine the drivers were not all that friendly to us. But soon Shelton was in sight and our motel was right next door to the restaurant and the great Broasted Chicken.
This first thing I did was to walk over to the restaurant to see what time they started serving that wonderful Broasted Chicken. The answer I got was "we are out of chicken." “What I said, out of chicken" and the answer was "yes out of chicken." How can a restaurant be out of chicken? Disappointed did not describe me I was devastated (well, not really).
We walked around town looking for a place to eat and visited some of the shops. Finding a restaurant we had dinner. I don't remember what I had but it sure tasted like Broasted Chicken. On the way back to the motel I stopped again at the Broasted Chicken Restaurant as I just could not believe they were "out of chicken" in fact I was ready to offer to buy some for them at the local Safeway. This time a different waitress said that the problem was that the broaster was broken. This made more sense to me.
Back at the motel we loaded with bike with all our dirty laundry and headed off to the Laundromat. While our laundry was washing we walked over to the DQ for some ice cream. My life was now getting back to normal.
Today I found my first bandanna of the trip. For those who don't know I have been collecting lost bandannas since 1979 when I found my first one while riding home from working at Wacker in Burghausen, West Germany. It was the colors of the Bavarian Flag. I now have 183 bandannas. I think I will stop when I reach 199 and then write a letter to Willie Nelson asking for one of his to complete my collection.
Saturday 8-10:
82 miles to Centralia After such a great day yesterday we woke to overcast skies that stayed that way until the late afternoon. Again we rode on the AC route with great back roads. Yes, there were hills. One hill was marked 16% but lucky we went down this hill. Of course I am sure some of the uphill's over that past few day we that steep. Today my bike computer turned 30,000 miles. This bike is four years old. I have 5 other bikes which I ride but this one gets the most miles. I found my second Bandanna, a red one the other one was blue.
We crossed the STP (Seattle to Portland) route a few times which brought back memories of a few weeks ago when I rode this ride. As we rode through Centralia I asked the lady where the Wal-Mark was as both David and I needed to do a little shopping. She said it was just down the road. So on the I-5 Freeway we rode to Wal-Mart. After shopping we went looking for a motel.
Now life gets confusing. Centralia and Chehalis are so close together we did not know just which town we were in. We wanted to stay in Centralia but thought we were in Chehalis but found out we were in Centralia. Sure I know you all think these guys must have been on the road to along. I assure you that was not the case. It's just when you are on back roads it's not always clear just were you are.
Nevertheless we found a motel, Travelodge, and got their last nonsmoking room. The local motels were full due to an Air Show. The room we got was the “Family Sleepy Bear's Den." Now let me tell you about this wonderful room:
It had a fun-for-kids Sleepy Bear decor
A free library of special kids movies
A free Sleepy Bear gift
Free Sleepy Bear drinking cups
A framed picture of Sleepy Bear on the wall
A bedspread with Sleepy Bear in playful poses
A comfortable Sleepy Bear TV chair
Sleepy Bear lampshades
Sleepy Bear pillow cases
Best of all it was upstairs with no rooms below you. So next time you travel stop at a Travelodge try and see if you can get the "Sleepy Bear's Den."
We found a great Chinese restaurant for dinner.
Sunday 8-11:
76 miles to Kelso The day dawned with fog and low clouds, by 11am the sun was out for the rest of the day. We continued on the AC route with lots of hills and now more dogs that wanted to see how fast we could ride. Little did they realize that I can be pretty fast when I need to be. It was not really that bad as most of the dogs would stop at their property line. They were only doing their job.
We left the AC route and headed for the town of Winlock and "The Worlds Largest Egg." This egg is right next to the Amtrak track so that Winlock will be mentioned whenever a train would pass through town.
There it was "The Worlds Largest Egg" sitting up on it's platform. It's about 6 foot by 8 foot and painted red, white, and blue like our flag. I wonder why it did not smell rotten after being out in the sun for all these years. David explained to me that it was probably not a real egg but instead made out of concert. Boy, did that shake my world.
To get back on track we headed for Toledo and lunch. Toledo, home of St. Francis Xavier mission, founded in 1838 by fathers Blanchet and Demers. It is the site of the oldest mission in the Northwest.
Then it was on to Kelso and our overnight. After checking in we rode around Kelso and Longview. There was a nice, but with to much glass on it, bike path along the river. For dinner I introduced David to Izzy's. Izzy's let us park our bikes in their entryway.
Monday 8-12:
70 miles to Home, Portland, OR After breakfast we headed for the Longview Bridge which takes you over the Columbia River and into Oregon. This bridge is a real pain to ride over. There is NO shoulder, a high curb so it's hard to ride to close to the right side, and lot of traffic, including big trucks. It's always a great feeling once you are across this bridge.
We had a great tailwind as we rode south. With a quick stop in St. Helens for lunch and to say hello to Marty (my old running buddy) we were on the road again. It was getting hot. I lead David through downtown Portland and on to the Sunset Highway which took us over the West Hills and into Northwest Portland where I live.
The climb while short was very hot. The high temp for Portland this day was 100 degrees but in this traffic filled canyon it must have been much hotter. There were a number of detour signs for bike riders due to construction. This being my home I knew the way through this mess even if it was not the way they wanted bikes to go, saving several long climbs.
Arriving home there was Lois, Matthew, Charlie, and Samantha out in front of the house. It was great to see them.
Tuesday 8-13:
40 miles around Portland Today, David and I visited most of the bike shops in the area to see if they wanted to carry copies of his new book. River City Bikes bought all the copies (5) that David had with him and wrote him a check right on the spot.
The downside was we had to ride back over Sunset Highway again and today was hotter than yesterday. The high temp for the day was 102 degrees.
Wednesday 8-14:
47 miles on my favorite routes I took David on my favorite route along the West Hills and through the Tualatin Valley. It was another hot day.
Thursday 8-15:
77 miles to Salem David is going to continue on and will end his tour in East Glacier National Park in the state of Montana and expects to be home about Sept 6th. I will ride with him for the next two days. Today the route was of my choice and I chose I-5. I often ride this Interstate and find it nice. On my website under the link "Odds and Ends" I give the reasons I like this road so much. I am know as “Mr. I-5" to the motels that I stay at along the way.
For dinner we went to Tin Tin Chinese Buffet. These all you can eat places don't make very much money off hungry bikers.
Friday 8-16:
90 miles to Eugene Today was David's turn to chose the route so we were back on the AC (Adventure Cycling) route. Leaving Salem we did take River Road instead of the AC route which took us into the town of Independence, one of the oldest towns in Oregon. We were to early to have a soda at the old-time drug store which still has a counter that you can sit at.
I must say that the AC route today was great. Very nice back roads with light traffic. As we rode along we saw a farm house with two bikes on the front lawn that we for sale. We stopped not so much to buy but to look. Within seconds that lady of the house came out to talk with us. Again it just goes to show that when you think there is no one around, you are wrong.
On we rode, there on the side of the road was a sign that read "Bakery." We were in farm country there was no buildings around only a farm house across the road. Sure enough this sign pointed towards this farm house. A sign on the house read "Open on Friday's and Saturday's Only." Today was Friday so in we rode. Parking our bikes next to the house we walked in the front door. We were in a private residence, and in the front room, to our left was the kitchen. There no question about the bakery as I could smell fresh baked cinnamon rolls.
There was a steady flow of customers and most we locals who know about this bakery. We bought maple covered pastry and sat in the front yard eating it along with cold lemonade at $0.25 per glass.
On we rode and soon arrived in the town of Harrisburg. I knew this town as Cycle Oregon had stopped here. After a quick tour of town we stopped at the ice cream shop. David had a Sunday while I had a cone.
On we rode towards Eugene. We passed through the town of Coburg and home of the Coburg Cafe and it's famous 9 Egg Garbage Omelet. Did we stop? No, I am sorry to say. Lois and I have eaten breakfast here some years ago and enjoyed this wonderful omelet.
On we rode. I noticed a street name that I recognized that was a short cut to our motel. Which was actually in Springfield and not in Eugene. So we made the left turn soon there was our motel. I had made a reservation from home since Lois and Matthew would be driving down to spend this last night with David and to take me back home to Portland.
We had a farewell dinner and this years tour was over, for me. Then there was ONE.
Yes, it was a wonderful tour. Sure it was hard work at times but always great fun. We met some great people who were very kind to us. We saw some beautiful country. There was some great small world stories. We got wet at times and them dry within a few hours. We stayed in some great places and some not so great places. We ate some very good meals and has some very poor meals. This is all part of bike touring and it's great. Have I said "LIFE IS GOOD.”
Thanks David for a great tour and for being a great friend. See you next year on Route 66 where we will get our kicks.
Stats-1: from the time I left home to when I reached Eugene:
Total miles ridden = 1771
Number of days = 30
Total time in the saddle = 146 hours and 25 minutes
Average miles per day 59 miles
Average speed = 12.1mph
Longest day in miles = 90
Shortest day in miles = 6.82
Longest day in the saddle = 7 hours and 30 minutes
My highest max speed = 44mph
Flat tires = 0
Bike problems = 0
Weight Loss = 1.5lbs.
Stats-2: the actual tour from when I started in Jasper to when I reached Eugene:
Total miles ridden = 1728
Number of days = 28
Total time in the saddle = 142 hours and 08 minutes
Average miles per day 61.7 miles
Average speed = 12.16mph
Longest day in miles = 90
Shortest day in miles = 18.78
Longest day in the saddle = 7 hours and 30 minutes
My highest max speed = 44mph
Flat tires = 0
Bike problems = 0
Weight Loss = 1.5lbs.