Day Seven - Kamloops to Salmon Arm (well close by)

The wonders of technology. Here I sit outside in a beautiful campground and yet I am able to connect to the internet.

I'll start with a couple of pictures from last night.

Here is the little playhouse where I was blogging from. At first, I started out on the porch, but it started to rain so I moved inside

See there is my chair

Can you see me in there?????

And then Eric had a problem with a cable on his bike so Mike and Michel got to work to help him.

Here they are trying to get things organized.

In no time, they had the cable replaced. Michel asked me if I was still having trouble with my gears. YES - at times, my bike is like an automatic - it changes gears when it wants!!!!!   So my bike went on the stand and they lubed the gears and cables and chain (OK - I got a few digs about it - yes - I MUST take better care of the bike). It seemed to work a bit better today, but I don't think the gear issue is completely fixed. However it was better.

Here are our tents set up. And NO - none of those trailers on the hill came crashing down!!!!!!!

Adam is our fearless truck driver and we are learning so much from him. He keeps trying to tell us stuff and saying it is FACT!!!!   He is pretty funny and making the trip enjoyable from a logistics point of view. BUT - look at this..............

 What does this look like to you????

When we arrived in camp, we looked on the information board in the truck for the location of the showers. ACROSS THE RIVER!!!!!!!!    Hmmmm - that doesn't look like a river to me!!!!!   We all had a good laugh about that one.


And camping requires that each person become creative. The coffee maker went on the fritz a day ago. Now for me that was no big deal, but for some - that was a CRISIS. And so at breakfast this  morning - here is Bill getting his fix.....

Water was boiled and then poured manually through the filters. I guess it worked!!!

Now let me tell you about today. I took some pictures this evening in camp, but I only have ONE picture from the ride.

The day started out with a HUGE descent - almost 13 KM. Hey - this might be an easy day?????   Well that was soon proven to be incorrect when we hit a BIT of a head wind. Oh yeah - that wind just whipped down the valley like there was no tomorrow.

Michel, Neil and I were together (our paces are about the same - more or less - OK - so the guys are stronger, but they put up with me!!!)  We ended up in a paceline (following each other) and we switched the leader after every TWO KM. Michel would ring the bell on his bike when it was time to change!!!!  That was more than enough to be out front in the wind. Of course - you couldn't really look at too much scenery as you were focused on the wheel of the bike ahead of you so you didn't crash. I kept calculating in my head how many more turns at front I had to do and that was the ONLY distance I was counting!!!!!   When you are behind the others, well there are times when we were coasting!!!!!!


THEN it started to rain. Now the good thing about the rain was there wasn't much wind, but we were 35 KM from camp. At first, it was a drizzle. Then you start to feel the water trickle into your socks. Then it started to rain a bit more and then it was POURING. I mean the windshield wipers on a car would have been hard pressed to keep it under control. Oh well  - we are out  - might as well enjoy the ride. At one point (I think my brain was gone by then - I was smiling at the fact that we were SOAKED - yep - I think I lost my mind!!!)

Then we took a detour (according to the map) through Salmon Arm and WHAT THE HELL??????   What are all these hills????  I am NOT kidding  - there were some wicked hills and then we ended up back on the highway. As everyone came in tonight - there were some wicked stories of the hills. Even on a good day, after 120KM - those hills were ugly, but when you are cold and wet - well..........   At least we all made it to camp safe and sound. And everyone was happy after they got in. That's all that counts.

But it rained on and off for a bit after we arrived in camp so our campsite is a bit muddy. I shall show you tomorrow.

I call today a character building day.  While the conditions could have been a bit more adverse (and I doubt my shoes will be dry by tomorrow even though they are stuffed with newspaper), the day actually went by quite quickly and we have another great story to tell!!!!!!  

A couple of vets from previous years of Tour du Canada met up with us in the campsite. Len and Jay and a lady whose name I have forgotten. Great to hear their stories!!!!

I have left my phone in the truck which is WAY down the hill for the stats (had to come to the campsite office for WI-FI) so I will post that information tomorrow, but we did about 132 K and our average speed was 20 something which is excellent for the conditions.

I would really like to lay things out to get them dry. Hopefully tomorrow at camp we will be able to do that. I had left my big rain jacket and the rain hat on the truck. I think I shall be packing that with me tomorrow and of course - it will be dry as a bone!!!!!!   BUT - I know - you  want to know how the flender worked??????  Oh yes - it worked like a charm - while the rest of me was SOAKED, my butt was nice and dry!!!!!!

We had a late dinner today - the group got a bit more complicated meal than we have had previous, but everyone was OK with that. I mean what else can you do?????  People are starting (OK - lots are already in bed - it is now 9:30) and it is getting dark.


Oh yes - I forgot this is a picture of Neal having pie and ice cream at a fruit stand somewhere along the way where we stopped for lunch. No rain at that point!!!!

On that note - I am off to bed.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!



Hello to everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    I miss you all!!!!!!!