Day 3 - Manning Park to Osoyoos 193.2 km

What a huge ride.  I must confess, the pain of the this stage of the tour had become a dim memory after a year's time.

Out route today, plotted by my Garmin GPS. Click on the image to enlarge.  Total distance 193 km. Calories consumed (based on heart rate), 6,025 .  I could not eat enough all day. Still hungry.

Our elevation profile.  Looks like it's mostly downhill, doesn't it? Well, it was a pretty fun ride down from Manning Park.  But then, we 'hit the wall', about 25 km down the road. Sunday Pass. Beyond this, between 120 - 160 km, are undulating hills.  They look small, but they are 7-8% grade, in sweltering heat, slowing even the strongest riders.

<--The rustic lodge in Manning Park where we stayed the night

We woke this morning to solid rain outside. Have I ever seen Manning Park in the sunshine?  I'm sure it happens. Sometimes.  But every memory I have of this mountain is that it's a sodden hill, lashed by every rain cloud that hits landfall on the Pacific coast. At least this year, we were warm and our clothes were dry starting out.

Bob and Jill Payne starting out from the lodge.  Bob is optimistically wearing sun glasses-->

 Heading down the mountain, though, those nice dry clothes lasted about five minutes. By then, we were gripping handlebars with rain-sodden gloves and spitting water out of our nostrils.  I stayed for a few minutes with the large group, but then found I was getting cold and tore off down the mountain in search of warmer weather.  Amazingly, I caught up with Simon and James, then passed them when I realized they didn't have decent mudgards on their bikes.  Drafting behind a biker without mudguards, spitting mud that flies up into your face, is not exactly what you'd call a pleasant experience.  I carried on, ripping down the hill.  Until I hit the wall.  No warning, just an immediate and pretty tough climb to the top of Sunday Pass. What a great relief to find the support car at the top, waiting for us!

I turned back down the hill to pick up some of the others still coming up.  Before we knew it, however, we were back at the summit, joyously taking photos at the top.  And thank goodness, the rain started to abate.

Susan Edmison and Tom Evans-->

Descending down that mountain pass was a great reward. Especially after working so hard to climb it.  As we descended, the rain disappeared, replaced by a warm breeze that came in from the Interior. Riding through Merrit, in fact, the "breeze' became a heavy headwind, forcing us into a tight single to conserve energy.




 This time, I found myself riding with Martina, Rebecca, Justin and Kitty .  We worked together, shielding each other from the wind by rotating every two minutes or so so that the lead rider didn't have to face the headwind for very long.  The miles rolled by.

By the way, HELLO TO THE KIDS AT ROMAN, MADISON AND HAILEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!!!  It was such fun visiting your school a couple of weeks ago (If you have read about it, click here),


You will be happy to know I'm still looking for wild animals.  I found one, lurking in the grass,  by the river.  No, wait. That's me.







We have some pretty wild bike riders, though.

<--Here's Kitty. She thought that the road sign says to go "Up".  So she did.  As you can see, we're having a LOT of fun on this ride!!

Along the way, the lush green grass of the 'wet coast" was replaced by dry scrub brush. Little chance of rain here.  We progressively peeled our clothes off.  First, the rain jacket, then the balaclavas, leggings, and full length 'rain gloves'.  Water bottles emptied quickly.   You must keep up not only fluids but electrolytes on a ride like this, or the engine pushing power through your legs will simply quit from exhaustion.

<--A farm in the valley below us


At last, we made it to a delicious lunch, prepared by our fabulous support team.

Car outside of Keremenos-->

I could not help but marvel at the climate changes we experienced today. We had started out rain lashing into our eyes, gripping handlebars with sodden gloves, and now were stripping off clothes and rubbing down with suntan lotion. By the time we made it to Keremeos, it was sweltering. Actually, the heat was deceptive, for by that time the wind had changed direction and we were being pushed gently along from behind.  35 kph was practically effortless.

However, the drawback is that you felt as if you were in a vacuum pocket of dead air.  So there was no relief.  Just for fun, I rode up ahead on occasion, turned around and rode back to the group. What a difference. With the wind in my face, and my hot, sweaty jersey, it felt as if I was facing an air conditioner!  I just made sure I wasn't upwind of the other riders.

<--A 'fixer upper'. Just a little TLC, and you've got a mansion!

Finally, at long last, we reached the final hill, major climb in desert-like heat that sapped whatever energy that remained in us.  Whoever put that last hill there, at the 170 km mark of our ride, was just plain mean.

And then, at long last, we reached the summit, and a magnificent view of Osoyoos nestled in the valley below.  After a thrilling descent, we found ourselves at the Popular Motel, a resort we stayed at last year.  Situated on the east side of town beside the still lake, it was a lovely end to this big ride.

And there, to greet us, were the Kinettes and Kinsmen from the Princeton-Osoyoos-Oliver region, with a great BBQ dinner.  It was so good to meet John again, who had been there the year before, together with fellow kinsman, Matt, Diane, Diana and Laura and several others that I wish I could remember.

Matt and John, our BBQ hosts-->

The support we have received from the Kinettes and Kinsmen has been wonderful.

<--Our GearUp4CF team, with some of the Kinettes who helped host our dinner tonight.  Thank you!

Sunset in Osoyoos-->

And so... to bed.  But not before I get this journal done.  Tomorrow is another big climb, Anarchist Pass just out of Osoyoos, on the way to Grand Forks, about 125 kilometers away. The weather forecast is predicting 28 degrees tomorrow.  We simply must tackle this in the early morning, before the sun starts beating down.

- Stan


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