Salmon Arm to Vancouver

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Salmon Arm to Vancouver

We said good bye to our friends Bill and Robin Dawes on Thursday morning in Salmon Arm and headed west. We stopped in Sorrento and visited the graves of my mother and father. I think they would have approved of our adventure - they were always ones for travelling and trying new things. They are buried in the small Anglican churchyard beside the highway in Sorrento. Though it is only a stone's throw from the highway, it is peaceful there under the huge cedars. I was surprised by the power of the emotion I felt on this visit. I do miss them.

On we went to Kamloops. We stopped at a lookout above the Thompson. We went from the almost rainforest around the Shushwap to near desert conditions around Kamloops. There were signs warning of rattlesnakes around the lookout.

Michele took a turn driving as we started down the Fraser Valley. Not the best place for her to first experience driving in the mountains. The views are spectacular but also a bit queasy inducing. She did very well. It started raining as we descended the valley past Lyton and Boston Bar. I suppose you get used to all the twisting and turning and vertiginous vistas, but I had to drive slow and firmly fend off the strange compulsion I was having to just drive over the edge and be done with it.

Thankfully we made it safely down to Hope where the rain really started coming down. I had been observing quite a few cyclists grinding their way up the hills in the rain and I felt sorry for them. I hope the weather is better when I take my turn, although I suppose the rain is cooling.

We took Highway 7 on the north side of the Fraser as it is less busy than #1 and it is the way I will take out of Vancouver as bikes are not allowed on the TransCanada between the city and Abbotsford. After Mission, the traffic steadily increases until full on urban flow happens about Maple Ridge. Although from this point the highway passes through a number of municipalities, it all just seems like one big city. To a hick like me, the driving was pretty white knuckley scary, but we survived. Luckily #7 turns into Broadway Avenue, which is only one block over from the street on which Emily and Du live in Kitsilano.

We have had two wonderful days visiting with Emily and Du. They have treated us royally and it is such a pleasure to see how well these two incredibly creative souls suit each other.

I bought new biking shoes at MEC, a softer saddle and some sort of super dooper bum potion. Hopefully these will help me to have a more comfortable time on the road tomorrow. We walked down to Jericho beach this morning and dipped Allan's wheel in the ocean and so I am all set to start the journey back. We picked Sunday to leave as the traffic will be lightest for both me on my bike and Michele in the car.

Here we go!

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Photos

Emily, Du and Michele
In their back yard where grows grape vines and a fig tree!