Land of the Living Skies

Ray and his wife Deb provided us with a great meal. Save Holly and her crew lot of time cooking.
Abandoned farms are plentiful in this area of Saskatchewan
Beautiful canola fields we saw along the way to Regina.
Old School House from 1906-1942 Smileyville
This dog came out of his yard while we were stopped for a sandwich. He was very friendly and ran beside us for almost 2k before he turned to go back.
Not many people pictures today. This is me enjoying the ride with the wind on my back.

The mud hole we had when we got to our stop in Kindersley. You can appreciate why we went to a hotel for the night. We were lucky to find a bed, we shared with another couple. The pipeline contractors have taken up most of the hotel room in Kindersley and area.
This was the sky, not at his worst, when we came into Kindersley.We thought it was going to go around us but it was treacherous for many riders who got stuck the hail and rain and wind.
We had good weather here, hard to believe that the skies got so scary.
Sunset in Youngstown, where we were treated to a nice dinner by the community. However, we had no showers. This was difficult to deal with this as we had ridden in such horrendous winds we needed a shower. Sponge bath in sink was the best we could do.
The landscape in and around Drumheller.
Terri and a local from Drumheller.

( I apologize the pictures are in the reverse order of our rides over the last few days)

July 12th and Day 16 of the tour took us out of Drumheller on Route 9 towards Youngstown. Lots of cannola and wheat fields the first part of the ride but then the land became pretty barren and dry. Odd herd of cattle could be seen in the distance as well as lots of little old deserted farm buildings. Headwind picked up after our lunch stop in Hanna and we still had another 45k to go. Just west of Hanna, we are in our northern most point of the tour. Few places to stop and get extra food or water today. The little community of Youngstown provided supper for us and will be doing the same when the second group of the tour arrives tomorrow. It was a delicious pot-luck meal with lots of choices. Today's distance was 140k.

July 13th and Day 17 takes us on to Kindersley and a distance of 149k. We started out with a great ride, with the weather being sunny and warm but could see storm clouds forming in the distance. We crossed into Saskatchewan around 1 pm and called home from the sign. Landscape continues to be mainly barren and dry. The winds began picking up and cycling was becoming difficult with the strong headwinds and the temperatures began quickly dropping. Storm clouds seem to turn around and come in behind us so we sure picked up our pace to get into camp before the skies opened up. Thus was the case for Holly and myself but a few weren't so fortunate and didn't have their raingear with them. We just got to the shelter at the park and the downpour began for a solid hour with tremendous high gusty winds and hail. The park became one huge mudhole. A few of the early arrivals to the park had their tents set up and fortunately, they survived the elements and a couple of the guys slept through the night rain and wind. Some of the cyclists got motel rooms and we were fortunate to get in a room with Sandra and Terry since they had a second double bed that was available for anyone who would like it. We did laundry and went to Tim Horton's for coffee and bagel. To bed late but felt great to be in an actual bed.

July 14th and Day 18 takes us on to Outlook and a distance of 154k. Well, the rain kept up most of the night but stopped but 0700 but the winds were still strong. About 10 of the cyclists took advantage of an offer from one of the locals to get shuttled to out next campsite in Outlook. The rest of us braved the strong crosswinds and made it to Outlook. Holly had taken the ferring off her recumbent bike for easier and safer riding. Lots of transport trucks passing as we struggled along this stretch. The first half of the ride was tough but after out turn at Rosetown, where we had lunch at A and W, the crosswinds decreased and the ride was enjoyable with canola and wheat fields. We came across an elk farm and had a chat with the farmer who had just fed them and then a little further down the road, we saw a herd of bison grazing. The land was becoming flatter the closer we came to Outlook. We had a long climb across a bridge over the South Saskatchewan River and up into Outlook. Again, there were very few places to stop and fill water bottles of get snacks along this stretch. Holly and I and one other female cyclists were the only women who rode this day. We are glad we did as so far we can say we rode EFI (Every F...king Inch) You will hear this term again.

July15th and to Craik with the distance of 119k. It was quite cool at 0600 but warmed up a bit later and just right for cycling. Today was a great ride with a trailwind most of the ride. Beautiful big fluffy clouds in the sky. Slightly rolling to flat farmland. Had our second bacon and cheese burger in two days at A&W in Davidson on route 11 and the terrific tailwind carried us to Craik. Went to the village to find a bank and drugstore. Lot of the little towns out west seem to be built around grain elevators and there was one smack in the middle of the town. The royal bank had no ATM machine!! Nice to get into camp early for a change. We had been followed for over two k by a big, friendly black lab? on this ride but he eventually got tired of the running.

July 16th and Day 20 with the distance of 124k to Regina. Another beautiful, sunny and enjoyable ride with lots of canola and wheat fields to admire and tailwind again today. This morning was even cooler than yesterday morning with John's thermometer reading 3 degrees!! but it did warm up quickly and we already had removed one layer of clothing before leaving camp. Had a good lunch at Subway in Lynden. Ray's wife, Deb, provided a delicious supper for the group. Great to have a rest day tomorrow since we will be riding for six days before our next rest day. According to the weather report last evening at the office, the Regina temperature was the lowest in the country with 2.4 degrees and broke the record which was set in 1906.

Until Kenora and provided we have internet access, stay safe and out of the wind.

Terri

Dino Says Hi

This picture is a out of order. It is the parting of the waters where one stream goes to the Pacific and the other goes to the Atlantic. On the new Trans Canada you miss this but they have a new Continental Divide sign.
This picture is also out of order. It is a group of us having our lunch break at a cemetery on the highway into Drumheller. Probably the first time we have been such a big group together since we left Vancouver.
A quaint house in Field, B.C.
Stopping in lunch in Field
Probably the only time I will be up a hill before Terri.
A lunch stop.
Jim Large, he has had 6 flats so far on this trip. He is such a trooper, always helping to load and unload the truck each day.
The climb out of Golden.
Overlooking Golden on the climb out.
The Continental Divide
A rainy day at Lake Louise.
Spiral Mountain
We thought this might be an interesting bike to try.
Oliver and Company at the Holiday Inn, where hospitality is number 1.
A beautiful mountain view coming out of Banff in the am.

A beautiful canola field on the way to Drumheller.
A great lunch out with Ron, Dean, my brother-in-law Charlie (on my right), Dean's sister Laurie and her daughter Elizabeth
The Badlands of Drumheller
Charlie thinks this might be a good option for his next bike.


What a wonderful rest day here in Drumheller, Alberta. We have a lovely spot here, it is sunny and dry, nice showers, laundry and two nights in the same place. What can be better? It is amazing what satisfies you when you are on the road as we are.

The ride here took us through some very different terrain and weather. The rest day in Golden was a difficult one with the tents being quite a piece from the truck, no power etc but we had good weather leaving town. It was especially difficult to do the 18km climb because it was first thing in the morning without a real warmup. Our destination was Field, in Yoho National Park, and as we were ready for a nice cup of tea we took a little detour into this little hamlet before heading to the campsite. Good thing, we missed a real downpour while having lunch. Once we had our tent set up we decided to take the side trip to the Takakkaw Falls, the longest cascading waterfall in Canada. Terri and I originally thought we would avoid the ride as it was quite a climb but we decided to take the plunge when others had come back and said it was worth it. I was glad to have left the panniers at the campground as the switchbacks had to be taken one at a time with a short rest in between. The weather was not great, cold and rainy so our stay there was just long enough to take photos and put the extra layer on for the descent. Our campsite was at the base of Spiral Mountain, the one where you can see the front and rear of a train at the same time. Unfortunately we did not see a train but could see the portals when we climbed out of the campgound the next day.

For some reason the first 25km of the trip from Field to Banff was the slowest 25km of my life. We had a climb through Kicking Horse Pass and the old highway was covered in heaves of pavement and we couldn't get up any speed. It was great to be passing through the border of Alberta and BC (1 down 9 to go) and from the old highway you see Divide Creek where the water seperates and one stream flows to the Pacific and one stream flows to the Atlantic Ocean.

A side trip to Lake Louise took some time but was worth it despite the rain. The shot of Lake Louise does not due it justice given the rain. I found it actually stressfull to be around so many people. After an expensive lunch at the Chateau we headed out again. I found out what it was like to fall on a Texas Gate. There were two coming out of Lake Louise (keeps the animals out of the area). I did not see notice of it and was on it and off my bike before I knew what was happening. No damage to the bike, it fell on me and the panniers kept it off the rollers. I have a huge bruise on my right arm but nothing broken and bike it fine. Thank God.

The ride to Banff was cold and wet and it was too bad our rest day was not there. I could have used it after the day I had and our campsite was so far from town we could not get back in. It was also my cooking night. The guys on my crew are wonderful and had things underway by the time I arrived. Supper and breakfast the next day was a hit. We have lost two of our cooking crew today. One was a TDC vet that was only travelling part way. The other has had to suspend his trip due to a bad recurring knee issue.

We said goodbye to the mountains as we headed out of Banff to Airdrie via Canmore and Cochrane. I had a nice chat on the phone with Helen, a friend from my days living in Calgary. Our ride to Cochrane was great
through the Indian Reserve. We felt like we were riding in Bruce County actually. We had all the possible weather, sun, rain, thunder and lighting looming nearby and 10 minutes of solid hail. Our lunch in Cochrane at Tim's was well deserved.

The climbing into Airdrie caught us off guard and the head wind made it difficult to really benefit from the downhills. Our stay in the yard of the Scout Hall was, well what can I say, it was grass, showers and washrooms a long way away. We were fortunate to have the kindness of the Holiday Inn on our side. Oliver's hospitality in letting us use the laundry facilities was very much appreciated and we got to stay out of the rain for a couple of hours with some excellent company. He even made us coffee and shared the CD he and his band produced.

The ride from Airdrie to Drumheller started out cold and damp but ended up dry, sunny and hot. It was a great ride, nice rolling hills and long stretches of secondary roads. It took awhile to sink in just how beautiful a ride it was when I realized that we had no BC traffic to deal with. It was peaceful and beautiful. The canola fields went on forever as did the road. Some wondered if that would be what the prairies would be like. We were assured they were actually flatter.

Having lived in Alberta for 10 years, this area was not totally foreign to me but I did not remember the town itself. As you know it is known for the dinosaur history but neither Terri nor I ventured to the museum. Terri enjoyed her day at camp getting her to do list done and her postcards signed and mailed. I spent a wonderful visit with my brother-in-law who came down from Stoney Plain (near Edmonton) for a time of getting caught up on each others lives and families. He and his friend Dean are very interested in my bike and are considering a long trip like Tour du Canada when Charlie retires. We shared a meal at O'Sheas with Dean and his sister, Laurie, neice Elizabeth and another friend, Ron It was so good to see family.

Yesterday was mail day. Both Terri and I got parcels from our husbands, what a treat!!! Thanks Don for the cookies and Mike for the chocolates.

Tomorrow promises to be sunny and 27. Our evening dinner will be courtesy of the Youngstown community. They traditionally put on a meal for us.

To date we have travelled 1345 km. Thank you all for your support on the blog and on the Tour du Canada site. It is very encouraging and uplifting.

See you on the road!!!

Up and Up We Go

Crazy Creek Suspension Bridge

Terri's cooking crew, Renee-Lise, Graham, Larry and Terri, and we did supper on July 4th and breakfast the next morning.
Alex and Mike of Tour du Canada 2006, met us at the Kamloops by-pass with refreshments and snacks, July 2nd

Holly pounding in the Last Spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Good stretch needed after a long, slow climb!!

Taken outside the shop, Beryl's Books and Beans in Sorrento
On the edge of Nicola Lake.
Three Valley Gap Resort
Mount Revelstoke
Holly was finally able to get a picture of Terri at the top of a climb.
Taken inside a snow tunnel
Approaching the first snow tunnel after Roger's Pass
Holly enjoying a bowl of cereal at Roger's Pass Summit
What a sign!!
Three Sisters Mountains
Canadian Pacific Railway Train passing along Kicking Horse River in Golden, near our campsite on rest day, July 6th.
Well, here we are back on the road again! Day 6th and July 3rd. ( I think!) Beautiful scenic ride along highway 5N along Lake Nicola. Around every bend in the road there is another picture to take of the splendid mountains. The day was warm and we had a bit of a tail wind. The landscape became drier looking and less trees on the mountains as we approached Kamloops. There was a Kamloops by-pass and, to our surprise, there were two guys at the corner with a Tour du Canada sign waving the cyclists in. Their names were Alex and Mike and they had done the tour in 2006. One was from Vancouver and the other from Penticton. They had drinks and snacks for the riders as they came by. What a kind jesture! I think they said someone had done that for them the year they did the tour and they wanted to "pay back" the deed. Then we had a real long descend into Kamloops going, of course, to Tim Horton's for lunch. Met a lady, Joan, who had cycled across Canada last year with her husband, starting right after she had retired. They went across a a bit further north and only had one day of rain the whole three months away and only had one flat tire and that happened in Newfoundland. Back on Highway 1 and another 45k to camp in Pritchard. Landscape still mountainous but dry and trees also suffering with pine beetle infestation. Distance today was 147k. Well, now into day 7. Had a very long climb out of camp this morning. Enjoyed coffee in Sorrento at a shop called Beryl's Books and Beans. Great riding with rolling hills and, again, beautiful scenery but heavy traffic. Thank goodness for nice wide shoulder. I'd say they are at least 3-4 feet wide. Had a delicious ice-cream cone at a fruit market in Salmon Arm. It was hilly on either side of Salmon Arm but sceneryis amazing as we cycled along Shuswap River and Lake and other small lakes along the route. We stayed at Whispering Pines at Mara and rode 97k. Today, we had a long descend to highway 97B. I clocked in on my odometer at 68k/hr.!!! One or two others topped at 73k/hr. Beautiful sunny day and not as hot as yesterday. Spectacular mountain scenery the whole day. Just can't take enough pictures. A few good climbs. We cycled through the town of Craigellachie, the site of the last spike ceremony for the transcontinental railway. We cycled by Revelstoke National Park and took some photos of Mount Revelstoke. It is just so amazing the trees on the mountains are so cylindrical shaped and tall! We stayed at Canyon Hot Springs for the night. Distance today was127k. Now the last day before rest day. Onward to Golden. Roger's Pass was a long climb but we geared down and everyone reached the Summit. All the long climbs cause me to gear down to the lowest granny gear and between 8-10k/hr. Before the pass, we had to cycle through three snow tunnels and then five after the summit. Had a very steep descend after the summit. Once again, a few more long hills that were just as tough as the climb up Roger's Pass. All the cyclists felt this was the toughest day so far and were glad to see camp. We also had a headwind most of the day. At camp in Golden, there was no hydro till after 10pm. So took a quick dip in the Kicking Horse River just to cool off from the ride. Water was extremely cold and moving fairly rapidly. Everyone should have an opportunity to experience the spectacular beauty of our Great Rockies. Our rest day today, July 6th was rainy off and on with a heavy downpour mid-afternoon.

Biking in the mountains is very deceiving. The road seems to be flat or downhill but your gears and legs tell you you are climbing. We haven't figured out quite the reason why but we think it has something to do with looking up at the mountains. The other spectacular thing is that despite how steep the side of the mountain is, the trees are perfectly straight, reaching for the sun. It is an amazing sight.

We will be crossing Kicking Horse Pass in a day or two, that should be fun. Enjoy our blog and comments are appreciated.

Terri and Holly

Happy Canada Day from ClayBanks

Spanish Banks Beach, Vancouver, Mile 0

Any place will do in a pinch.
Having a break at the Big E cafe on the way to Hope.
The old railway tunnels for the Kettle Valley Railway Line. A series of 5 tunnels through the mountains.
We are each assigned a crew to cook with. This was our first supper and the following morning we did breakfast. Terri,Ray and Tom are my crew. There is one member missing, Vic, he was in the shower.
The guys get to load the truck. That is my tent bag.
Going up the Coquihalla Highway
The snow sheds for vehicles. We went on the outside on a gravel trail.
We made it to the top.
Merritt is the Country Western Capital of Canada. They have a lot of buildings with murals of famous people.
A mural of Tim McGraw.
Our Campground for the rest day.

We are currently in Merritt, British Columbia, the Country Western Capital of Canada. We are on a rest day but for a rest day it has been very busy. Laundry and getting organized after a few days on the road can be quite time consuming. It is very hot 29 and they say we will have this weather for the next several days. At least biking creates a bit of a breeze. This town reminds us of an old western town and while we did not partake in any celebrations at Rotary Park, Terry and I donned our Canada Day hats when we went for breakfast and shopping.

To get into Merritt we had a very long climb up the Coquihalla Highway for about 15km at about a grade of 7 which isn't terribly steep but it was very long. The summit is 1200m. All of the group were able to make the climb and as far as we know no one had to walk it but we all took breaks on the way up to take some breath taking pictures.

Our first day out leaving Vancouver was full of excitement. Pictures at Mile zero (a different mile zero than Victoria) and everyone was keen to be on the road. The ride out of Vancouver went through residential streets and several steep hills. Once out of the city proper the scenery has been amazing. I forgot how beautiful the mountains were. And yes we can still see snow atop some of them. Terry and I have had no bike issues but one of the riders had her first flat.