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I've just arrived in Auckland Airport and it feels so good to be back in NZ.   I had to unpack all my carefully-bundled luggage to get through Bio-Security; then pack it again to be transferred to my Rotorua flight.  Now I've got a couple of hours to wander around Auckland Airport; thank goodness for free internet!!

It was good having a 'holiday' in Vancouver before we left - we stayed at Jane's place for 4 nights; she was amazingly generous (well over and beyond any usual expectations - taking us shopping; and even to the airport!)  I had a dream shopping trip to Vancouver's famous MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-Op) - a bit like our Kathmandu but much better quality and CHEAP CHEAP prices.  So I now own a fancy MSR multi-fuel cooker for my next big trip....

On Wednesday Jimmy wanted to make phone calls and pack and catch up with people; so I headed up Grouse Mountain.  It was a stiff bike ride straight up (legs have forgotten how to climb already; after only a few days off the bike); then a 1 hour walk up to the summit.  It is called the Grouse Grind and it was much more effort than I thought it would be.  There were loads of people doing the Grind; all age groups.  The most irritating were the teenage boys who would pant right behind me; overtake, then stop for a rest; so I never got rid of them.   At the top was a gondola - the alternative route up - and a cafe, a souvenir shop selling "I want to Grind" T-shirts; and 2 grizzly bears in an enclosure.  They were rescued as orphan cubs years ago, and now live on Grouse Mountain.  While they weren't doing any wild exciting things it was still fun to see them - and they are surprisingly TeddyBear-like - they would sit with their feet straight out in front and rub their eyes; very cute and cuddly-looking!

There was also a really cheesey scripted Logger show - two guys acting like foolish loggers; but was fairly entertaining in that 'got nothing better to do' kind of way.

I nearly bought a pair of fashion gumboots to complement the two other pairs of shoes I have bought on this trip; but ended up with a hammock instead.  Jane would drop us off in town and give detailed instructions on where we could walk - we would make it about 200m to the nearest coffee shop/market/point of interest and just stay there!  I think we spent an entire afternoon just hanging around the Granville Island public market; eating fresh fruit and people-watching.

The flight home was long.  13 hours and a night-flight and I didn't sleep very well.  Fortunately the practice Manager at work offered me Monday off, and I accepted!

Safely back in Vancouver!

Sara mentioned the Foodbank she works for was doing a firewood-chopping morning on Saturday; with volunteers chopping wood and free pizza afterwards. I didn't even think of offering our services; but Jimmy suggested it, so we did. We had a great Saturday morning helping split firewood - Jimmy was a 'machine' (according to the others) on the splitter all morning; I had a couple of goes with an axe but didn't want to risk slicing my leg open, so left it to the boys. It was really nice to meet some other Whistler-ites; and they were astounded that two cycle tourists would spend a morning chopping wood... I think the wood splitting was a highlight of Jimmy's trip!

There was a table of refreshments for the hard workers; as we were packing up someone pointed out the black bear close by, nose twitching and sniffing in the direction of te food. It was the closest we'd been to a bear all trip! Everyone was completely relaxed about it; just laughing and talking loudly and the bear turned around and wandered off again. Saturday night we took Sara out for sushi at the local sushi bar; it was good.
Sunday we woke up to rain. We rode in the rain along Highway 99; it's a busy road, and with the wet road and rain we were getting splattered from all directions. Fortunately the rain stopped and by the time we arrived in Squamish the sun was out. There was a Classic Car Club event on in the main street with dreadful heavy rock music with "I want to smash your face" lyrics. Jimmy wanted a latte, so we went to a cafe (a cute cafe that combined a knitting class - women literally sitting around knitting - with a gelateria, and an organic bulk bin market). I ordered a $6 2-scoop gelato - and the scoops were so large they could barely balance on the cone. That was my lunch (plus the usual bread and peanut butter).

We continued on to Vancouver, past nice coastal scenery with the islands. It started pouring again as we neared Vancouver. We are staying back at Jane's place in North Vancouver; it felt a bit like 'coming home' to arrive back at the place that my journey began! We have 3 days in Vancouver (to shop, of course) before we fly out on Thursday.

Mountain Bike Mecca

On Thursday I signed up for a day of Downhilling - I didn't even think about the charge on my battered credit card as they kitted me out with downhill bike, full-face helmet, gloves and elbow and knee pads. Part of the all-inclusive deal was a group guide; and being off-season there were only two in our 'group' - me and an english guy on honeymoon. Our guide took us up the chairlift (the bikes take their own chair ahead of us) and we cruised down the single tracks. A downhill bike is so different to a regular mountainbike! The seat is at the level of my knees when I am standing on the pedals! (The guide told us we must never sit down - I wonder why they even bother with the seat) The helmet took some getting used to, as the bit that jutted out over my chin meant I couldn't see my hands or my front wheel - a bit like going hiking and not being able to see your feet.
For lunch I raced to my new favourite eatery (Splitz) and got another of their fabulous icecreams; and a large fries.
In the afternoon I had the guide to myself and he took me up a gondola, then another chair, right to the top - something that regular users can't usually do. It was magic being at the very top, among the old snow and rocks and mountain tops; with a bike. We cycled to the Peak to Peak Gondola; hid the bikes and took the gondola just for fun. We saw a few black bears way down among the shrubs. Back on the bikes again we bounced all the way back to the bottom. Most of the tracks (greens and blues) he took me on were great; there were a couple of really rocky and tree-rooty ones that I didn't like and had to get off my bike for.
My guide, Jason, was a bit arrogant and unprofessional in his manner; though perfectly nice to me. So it was quite funny when he fell off his bike on one corner....
Jimmy met me at the end of the day; and told me he had a Splitz icecream and fries for lunch as well!! Sara had made a huge pot of homemade vege soup - using alot of her homegrown veges - which hit the spot.
Today, Friday, we explored the free single tracks on our touring bikes. We stuck with the nice smooth 'easy' trails; it was great fun. We went to Splitz to get our icecream fix but they had a power failure and all the icecreams were back at the manager's home.... We're hoping to catch another one before we leave tomorrow.....

Whistler: Disneyland for adults

The first views of Whistler were rounding a bend in the road and seeing a lake surrounded by trees, with mountains in the background. We got onto the beautifully paved bike path and followed the signs into the city. Any town or city that has paved bike paths has won me over already.

We arrived at Village Square and it felt like disneyland. There were downhill mountain bikers everywhere, and the chairlift was right in town. So I just sat and ate cheese sandwiches and watched the downhillers flying down the hill in quick succession; then get on the chairlift to do it all again. It was a bit daunting seeing them going over the huge jumps, and following so closely behind one another, but I later found out that those were not the regular trails; there were others near the exit too! We spent our first day in Whistler wandering around the shops; I was knackered. 6 100km days in a row probably had something to do with that.
I really wanted a McDonald's chocolate sundae (I've not had so many McDonald's sundaes back to back, ever, but they do the trick!). We got talking to a local, Tom, who tried suggesting 'local' eateries, including Splitz Grill. I think he was a bit put-out that we were going to go to McDonalds! I suddenly got tired of pushing my fully-loaded bike on the strictly pedestrian-only street and plomped myself down on a park bench and sent Jimmy off to get the sundaes. After we'd eaten the sundaes I felt a bit better and we wandered down to the supermarket to think about dinner. Jimmy popped off to find a liquor store and I minded the bikes. That's when I smelt KFC. I have not had KFC for years. I left the bikes and nipped in and got some chicken and fries. Jimmy came back and we noticed Tom's bike. I really didn't want him catching me eating KFC as well! We took off across the carpark; and by the time he found us I had finished and disposed of the evidence....
We cycled to meet Jimmy's friend Gaz, a kiwi rafting guide now based in Whistler. He rents a tiny 1 bedroom unit, up a pretty steep hill. We had a quiet night in; Gaz went out for a swim and we did the dishes - I laughed to Jimmy that here we were in a Party Town and we stayed in washing dishes....
The next day was our Day Off. I was feeling pretty jaded so went for some retail therapy which worked very well. I now own another pair of shoes, and another air mattress....
We went to Splitz Grill for a burger and I ordered an icecream as well. The icecream was a meal in itself! It seemed to be the best value in town and was divine. Two huge scoops in a waffle cone. I was elated.
About 5pm we went to a Warmshowers hosts house. She wasn't home and I ended up talking to her landlord upstairs - who immediately offered us her place to stay as Sara's is so small! The landlord was heading off to Vancouver so we have the place to ourselves. We are so lucky.

Highway 99!

We set off from Blue River in the rain, hoping things would clear. Google Maps said it was 120km to Bridge Lake (it was actually 180km). It was a long 100km to the next town, Clearwater - and I realised that there was no way Bridge Lake could be only 20km further up the road. I was ravenous when we arrived into Clearwater about 4pm and the first thing I saw was a Dairy Queen. There was no hesitation in stopping; and we ordered their special deal of "4 items for $6". I wolfed down my sundae; Jimmy had 2 burgers and a sundae - then I went back to the counter and ordered 4 more things (including a second sundae).... We decided to stay in Clearwater for the night; and headed to the supermarket on the way to the campground. "So, what shall we buy for dinner?" I asked Jimmy. He said "Oh, I thought that WAS dinner we just had".
The campground was by the lovely Dutch Lake and it was a lovely novelty to be able to sit at the picnic table in the twilight, with a clear(ish) sky and no rain...


The next day we turned off Highway 97 and headed up the hill from Little Fort. We'd been warned it was 'a bit of a climb' and it was. 12km of unrelenting uphill; which at 7km/hour makes slow-going. We arrived in Bridge Lake just as the rain started; luckily there was enough of a break in the weather to set up the tents at Sheridan Lake. We had dinner at Del's diner just up the road - it was a simple dinner but we didn't want to leave his warm, dry, cosy building! The prospect of sitting in a tent in the rain didn't really appeal...
The next day we rejoined Highway 97 and pedalled our way to Clinton. As we entered town we saw a campground offering $9.99 BBQ buffet; which of course got our attention. We went to the local museum and information centre and got talking to Mike, who has lived in Clinton for 40 years. We asked about the campground and BBQ buffet and he entertained us with stories about the owner; also called Mike, from Mexico. "He annoys me. No-one in town likes him. He said to me once "I think half the people in town don't like me" - and I said back to him "don't be so modest; it's more than that". Museum Mike then talked about the BBQ buffet "I'm not sure about the hygiene - I mean, no-one has actually DIED eating his food but...."
The campground did have a charm about it, and nice green grass to pitch a tent, so we stayed there; and had the buffet. The buffet consisted of various slow cookers containing mashed potato, zucchini casserole (amazing); fried green tomato curry (very nice) - but I could imagine he would use the same curries night after night.... We told Mexican Mike that we'd met the other Mike and immediately he said "What did he say about me? Everyone in town is just jealous that I make money". I think we met the two biggest characters of Clinton, and could imagine them butting heads at all the community events....

The next day we turned onto the fantastic Highway 99; a highlight of the trip for me. It is a narrow tourist Highway with no trucks. We cycled first through the Marble Canyon which was dramatic with it's sharply rising rock faces. We stopped at the Hat Creek Historic Ranch and had a coffee and muffin. Jimmy was eyeing up everyone else eating large hot breakfasts; and said "I'm still hungry". So we ordered pancakes with an extra side of hash browns. Out came two plates of pure carbohydrate. We both suddenly felt quite daunted just looking at it! I wolfed down the hash brown (which was just pieces of potato fried up); then started, quite a bit slower, on the pancakes. I was really quite full even before I'd finished the first of the three pancakes, but as I had ordered them I had to eat them..... I gave up halfway through the last pancake and couldn't face another bite. Having an overfull stomach while riding does take away from the enjoyment of the experience somewhat (and Jimmy enjoyed teasing me by saying "pancake" and hearing me groan); I just can't believe I keep making the same mistake over and over.....
Usually I need to eat every 20km of cycling; but after the carbo-loading at Hay Creek it wasn't until mid afternoon and 60km that I could face looking at food - Jimmy thought that was very efficient and suggested we make a regular habit it loading up like that..... (he was kidding).
We arrived in Lillooet and camped at the Cayoosh Campground by the river.
The next day we were heading from Lillooet to Pemberton. Various people had warned us about the 'big climb' out of Lillooet and we were curious to know what it would be like - different people have different ideas of what 'big' is; and we'd done a few big passes already, so we weren't worried. It was nice and cool at 8am and there was no wind. A good start.

The quiet road wound it's way up the valley, with snow-covered mountains coming into view. Stunning. It was a steep grade (13% in places) but the seal was good, the road was quiet, the scenery stunning and distracting. We were loving it.

After about 10km we had some downhills, and were saying to each other that it was disappointing the uphill was over - was that ALL? We spoke too soon.
The steep grades were over but the relentless uphill continued for kilometres. We arrived at the beautiful Duffy Lake, after 50km of uphill.

I was expecting the promised downhill to begin. It didn't. We continued up. We were expecting to do 100km this day, to make it to Pemberton; and I started to doubt we would be able to. I was running through my mind what food we had if we had to camp out a night - not much. It would be strict rations of muesli, 1 egg, 1 sausage, 1 bread roll, no milk with our coffee.....
Finally, by about 2;30pm and 68km of uphill we reached a sign that made us smile "Steep grades downhill next 13km"
.
It was up to 15% gradient on the downhill and you could smell the brakes from the cars. Jimmy's rear brake overheated and stopped working.... I was flying ahead of him so didn't know until afterwards. I said mine must have been fine as they didn't get used much....
It was a wonderful feeling cycling the last 15km into Pemberton. Suddenly my energy returned and the flat (it was even slightly uphill as we were following a river upstream) felt like a downhill.
Pemberton is cute. It's tiny, with just a few shops. It's a flat valley, surrounded by hills and mountains. I like it. Immediate first stop was McDonald's for a sundae. Then we headed to our Warmshowers hosts, Niki and Anna. It was a magic evening swapping stories about cycle touring (always a popular topic) and life in general. It was also magical sleeping inside and on a bed..... In the morning Anna offered to make her special porridge; which i have to admit was better than mine (and I think my porridge is pretty good).
Today we are off to Whistler, a 'short' 32km uphill ride; we are running ahead of schedule with a few days left up our sleeves. We pretty much have only 2 cycling days left - the rest will be spend exploring Vancouver and shopping!

Heading West on the Homeward Journey

While I was writing my last post Jimmy was in an Outdoor Shop. He wanted to show me a top he liked. I said it looked a bit 'try-hard' - and that's when the shop assistant explained it was a women's top.... Then I noticed the bike shorts on the next rack. Below the knee 'Smart Wool' cycle shorts. Yes, come to think of it, my knees were getting a little chilly the past few days.... So I walked out of the store with a new pair of bike shorts. And matching wool socks. I'm starting to feel a little fashionable!
We went to the pub for dinner - and had the same great burger and fries deal we'd had the night before! It was Jimmy's third identical burger; and my second. It was unbeatable so why change a good thing?
The next morning we loaded the bikes again and left Jasper. It felt good to be on the road again. The weather was pretty overcast so the mountaintops were obscured. There were "moose 30km" warning signs, but we didn't see any. Apparently they are still 'away up'. It was a fairly easy 120km ride to Valemount - generally downhill, with a tailwind. I can't believe we are still getting tailwinds now that we have changed direction and are heading West!
We arrived in Valemount about 3pm, gaining an hour in the day by crossing a time zone. Valemount is a very sleepy, tiny town with a few shops and a grid of 'suburbia'. We cruised through the streets to find our Warmshowers host's house. It was a weird feeling cycling along the deathly quiet streets, past permanent-looking trailer homes, in varying degrees of 'done-up-ness'.
It was a real pleasure to meet Tom and his friend Peggy; both keen cycle tourists. Tom's place is lovely. He's a carpenter so has renovated his trailer with gorgeous wood panelling and framework. We'd found a New Zealand wine in the liquor store, which we had with the lovely dinner Tom made.

The next day was pretty overcast, but still a tailwind which was just incredible. We arrived 90km later in Blue River about 2pm. Blue River is even smaller and sleepier than Valemount. We weren't sure what to do in Blue River all afternoon so considered pushing on a bit further. But the next town (and campground) is 90km away, in Clearwater! It really feels like we are out in the sticks here. We got some supplies from the small grocery store (I made myself sick on blueberry flavoured australian licorice) and headed to the Blue River Campground. Jimmy spotted some Teepees and, as it is only $3 more to stay in a teepee than our own tents, we are staying in a teepee tonight! AND it has fullsized mattresses inside!!!
Luxury.... There is a 'loungeroom' - an openair area with a roof on - with TV, cooker and tables; so I have been glued to the TV (watching US Masterchef - while cooking and eating a considerably less exciting packet soup) and generally feeling quite relaxed and pleased about how the day has turned out. Tomorrow we hope to make it to another Warmshowers host in Bridge Water.

Edith Cavell, Jasper

Our big lunch lasted us until we got to our campground for the night; Mt Kerskelin campground, another basic National Park campsite with no shower and just pit toilets. I was desperate for a wash due to missing a shower the day before, so had no choice but to plunge into the glacial stream. It felt so good to be clean! The ranger came by to check our tickets and Jimmy asked if there were any bears. "Oh yes!" she said cheerfully. "And we have a wolf around too".
Jimmy wanted a small dinner so we had one of the freeze-dried meals he'd been given weeks ago that he'd been carting amongst his clothes in his bag. It was an uneventful night in the tents - I just put my ear plugs in and forgot about being in a National Park full of wild animals.... In the morning we awoke to rain. This meant a lesiurely breakfast and 3 coffees while waiting for the rain to stop. We eventually packed our gear and hit the road, stopping at the Athabasca Falls just 4km down the road. We were ravenous! It had been 2 hours since breakfast by this point, but still felt funny to be so hungry after only 4km on the road.... The falls were cool, lots of water gushing.









We turned off the highway and headed up the Edith Cavell road, a 14km climb up a dead-end road into the mountains. There were sightings of a female grizzly bear with cubs, so I made sure my bear-bell was ringing as we cycled up! The clouds were looming rather ominously, but kept shifting and giving hope that we might get some good views of the mountains... We arrived at the hostel at 2pm to find checkin was not until 5pm! So we continued the 2km on up to the carpark and glacier walk. Which is when it started sleeting. We were both cold and Jimmy muttered about heading straight down the hill to Jasper (20km away). I really wanted to stay in the hostel, despite knowing it was another 'rustic' hostel with no hot showers. We were cold and hungry (a now familiar feeling) and let ourselves into the hostel kitchen and made some hot soup. Within minutes the sun was out again and the sky started to clear. By this stage we weren't in the mood to hike back up the road to visit the glacier, so just relaxed at the hostel. Gradually it filled with hikers and other holidaymakers; with the warm fire and cooking smells from dinners it was very cosy. I sat in a corner and drank wine offered by a german couple who spoke little english.
The next morning we flew down the newly asphalted smooth road back to the main highway. It was so cold we had to stop and put plastic bags over our hands. (I already had them on my feet).

It was a nice short down-hill ride into Jasper; our first town in days. Jimmy was really looking forward to going to McDonalds but unfortunately they didn't have one. I think Jasper prides itself on allowing few of the chain stores to set up shop.
We wandered into a pub on Sunday afternoon; where there was a local acoustic jamming session in full swing. It was nice to sit in a warm pub drinking chardonnay and listening to the men singing and playing. That evening we went to the movies and saw "Eat Pray Love"; it was surprisingly good. I was expecting american cringe; but the cinematography was fantastic.
Today is our 'day off' - spent exploring the cycle trails surrounding Jasper. A day of cycling without luggage is like a day off, really!

Tomorrow we start on Highway 16; our turning point as we are now halfway through and heading back West towards Vancouver. We've done about 1600km now.... I have a new bike seat - I reluctantly had to give up on my Brooks saddle in Banff - I had to concede defeat that if 10,000km of touring still hadn't 'broken it in' to a good comfort level then it probably just didn't suit me. I now have a saddle called "megasoft" and it seems to be working fine...

Magical Icefields Parkway!

Our rest day in Banff was spent wandering the shops. Banff reminds me alot of Queenstown - full of tourist souvenir shops and sports shops; and well-kept tidy streets and buildings. The Cascade Gardens were amazing, just spilling colourful summer flowers. That's one thing I can't get over: the amazing arrays of flowers everywhere we go - mainly in hanging baskets. Like a celebration, of the short summer.
The next day we checked out of the hostel, stored our bags downstairs and set off for a dayride around Banff.

We visited Lake Minniewanka, then Lake Johnson; then took on a mountain bike track which was good fun on the non-suspension touring bike!

All up it was about 30km of touring around Banff, a great chance to see the mountains better. We picked up our things and set off from Banff in the early afternoon, with a very foreboding sky. You could see the rain in the mountains all around.

We arrived at the Johnston Canyon Campsite, and when we checked in the warden said "there is a grizzly bear hanging around, the bear warden is keeping an eye on it". Needless to say I didn't sleep all that well in my tent that night.... The next day we talked to another warden about the bear; apparently the bear warden has been 'hazing' the bear - firing rubber bullets at it to make it more wary of humans; and to keep it away from the campsite.

The next day the weather wasn't that great so we stopped early in Lake Louise. The forecast was for rain and -2 degrees overnight - so that made the decision of booking into a hostel easy! Jimmy got burnt in the unpredictably hot shower, and they refunded his night's accommodation fee.
As we were heading off the next day we bumped into a group of cycle tourists doing a fully supported cycle trip of the Icefields Parkway. The guides gave us some snacks "take more! we like to look after cyclists!" and told us where they would be meeting for lunch "Come on over, have the leftovers; they'll just go to waste otherwise".




The weather was stunning the day we left Lake Louise - the mountains were crisp against the blue sky, with stripes of snow at the tops....

We had a wonderful day's ride (we are in the mountains at last!!) and arrived about 100km later at Rampart Creek. We were tossing up whether to camp or hostel - due to the cold - so we checked out the hostel first. It was a cute bunch of rustic buildings in a lovely setting, with just a german couple lounging outside. The warden wasn't all that effusively welcoming and said "you do realise these type of hostels have no running water, no electricity, no shower and pit toilets?". Charming. But still sounded warmer than camping, so we took it. For $27 - EACH. Not long after we'd had our early dinner a whole hoard of Adventure Backpackers turned up with their shouting guide. Some of them actually had backpacks; the rest trundled heavy suitcases from their van across the gravel to their rustic dorm-room. We escaped the now crowded kitchen and sat outside drinking our coffee with the german couple. Jimmy says his food intake has increased dramatically since I joined him (he was cycling by himself for 2 months before he met me in Vancouver). He used to just buy himself a Subway for dinner - now I am doing big pasta cookups!

The next day we set an alarm to get up and use the kitchen before the masses. After a nice bowl of hot porridge we were on the road by 8am. It was cold!! Fortunately there was a big hill to climb which warmed us up very effectively. We arrived at the Icefields tourist centre in time for lunch. There were buses of tourists mingling around, lining up to take the bus onto the Columbia Icefield. We were mooching around looking for some food when we came across a restaurant offering a $20 buffet. We were sold. So we sat at a window seat looking over the glacier, with a huge plate of food each. We were in heaven. Until we'd finished, and the food sat rather uncomfortably in our stomachs. I reminded Jimmy that he'd just been telling me we shouldn't eat so much.... Fortunately it was downhill with a tailwind after lunch; allowing time to digest. The scenery as been just great. The Icefield Parkway is a tourist highway (it is not a main route to anywhere; only tourists want to use it); so the traffic is fine; the views are fantastic; the road runs along a valley with towering cliffs/mountains off to each side. We haven't seen many wild animals, just a few deer and loads of squirrels. Still no bears, for which I am not at all disappointed!

Banff!

From Kimberley we continued cycling north-east, and got our first views of the Rocky Mountains. We stayed in Skookinchuck campground and bought a can of chilliconcarne from the tiny convenience store. Mixed with spaghetti it tasted surprisingly good!

The next day we headed towards Radium Hot Springs. We met a Japanese cyclist heading in the opposite direction. His yellow ortlieb bag was patched with duct tape - "a squirrel got into it. So after that I slept with my bags inside my tent - and woke up one morning with a bear walking around my tent! I yelled "help me!" and started clapping..." It was early morning and all the caravaners were fast asleep; no-one came.... The bear got a fright and scratched his tent before leaving.... We were able to pass on the advice we had been given by other cyclists - to put all food bags in the back of the bear-proof rubbish boxes. We also asked if he knew about Warm Showers; he said "oh, I just wash in the river". He was travelling very budget; sleeping in rest areas under the 'no camping' signs "I go to bed when it is dark and leave early". Neither of us was tempted to try to copy him; we like our hot showers too much!

We arrived in Radium Hot Springs just before 5pm. The sun was still fairly high in the sky so we decided to push on a further 26km to a campsite in the National Park; up over a pass. I was initially keen to try the Hot Springs; until I realised it was just a commercial swimming complex swarming with people. I didn't feel in the mood to wander around with my bikini, white torso, brown arms and ridiculous tan lines. All I wanted was a shower....

We entered the Kootenay National Park through the cool Sinclairs Canyon - and had to purchase a pass at a toll gate. $20 for every day we would be in the Park! And the Park is huge; encompassing Banff and Jasper - so we would need at least a week. I got the annual pass and am hoping to sell it on to some other hapless cyclist at the other end....

The ride up over the pass was fine; quite scenic. Jimmy saw a little black bear cub. On the other side of the pass we got the full view of the Rockies - and with the late afternoon sun it looked fantastic. The road was quiet; it was just a dream. We finally arrived at the Park campground - pretty setting but basic with no showers.

The next morning we woke up to drizzle. We had a slow breakfast, hoping the rain would stop and the sky would clear. It didn't.

The ride to Banff (110km) was in cold rain most of the way; we stopped at a campsite for a cookup - a random assortment of couscous and pea soup - which warmed us up very nicely. We flew down the second pass; I had gloves on but Jimmy didn't and by the bottom he could barely move his fingers. We arrived in Banff, the pinnicle of our trip, cold, tired, hungry, wet. The forecast was for more rain so we checked into a hostel. The hostel reception guy was Australian. Jimmy asked if there was a place we could put our bikes; the hostel guy thought for a moment and said "tell you what, I'll give you a private room for the cost of 2 dorm beds and you can put your bikes in your room." We found our room and it was like Heaven - 2 huge beds, pillows(Jimmy is travelling without one; he even almost bought a pillow in one of the outdoor stores; I told him it was a silly idea - who wastes precious space on a pillow?), and room for the bikes. I felt a little bad spreading my wet tent around the room to dry.....
I had the best ever sleep in the real bed (I love my Big Agnes sleeping mat, but nothing will ever compare with 20cm of REAL mattress...and real sheets... and 4 solid walls and a roof and carpet.....)

After a lovely breakfast of bagels and cream cheese ( I was so hungry I couldn't wait to have mine toasted); we wandered around chilly Banff, but at least the sun is out! Now off for more retail therapy and lunch..... (Jimmy says it seems all we do is eat)

A taste of Austria in Canada?

Today we cycled along the freshly-asphalted 30km RailTrail between Cranbook and Kimberley - our only proper try of a Canadian Rail Trail so far. It was great. We are now in Kimberley, where the central city area has been revamped into Alpine German/Austrian style, with the painted wooden facades, a 'mozart' cafe and a Bavarian Bratwurst diner. It's very nicely done; very clean; clever stone paving on the traffic-free road - just slightly artificial! Had a divine (cycling makes everything taste so good) cinnamon swirl at the local Bakery and Tea House. After checking our emails we'll be popping in to get another one!

Tailwinds, icecreams and goats

Well the time in Nelson was great. We went back to the Outdoors shop again the next day - Jimmy really wanted to buy a plastic chopping board (he refused to go for my idea of recycling an old icecream container lid). I think he was just feeling left out that he hadn't bought anything yet.... The shop assistants were so lovely, and they called my accent 'cute'.

From Nelson we had a primo day cycling; up the Kootenay Lake and across the lake on the free vehicle ferry (anything that is free is by definition, good). Across the other side of the lake were some surprising climbs, then nice downhills. We arrived in a tiny 'artisan' village. There was a traditional woven broom maker (whose claim to fame was making 300 brooms for the Harry Potter movies and promotions); artisan blacksmith, glass blower etc etc. It was a cute place to stop for coffee; and at the cafe I just had to order the 'chocolate brownie to live for'.

After 114km of rolling hills running fairly well beside the lake (= scenic ++) we arrived in Creston. I got some food for dinner, and by the time we got to the campsite we were cooking in the dark; our latest dinner yet. It's now getting dark by 8pm.

Today was another 100+km day (tailwind most of the way - I think we've had a tailwind every day!); though not nearly as scenic as yesterday. Highlight was "Two Scoops Steve's Icecream" in Yakh. There was also a 'goat's milk soap factory' next door - a large old villa with a veranda out front. The veranda roof was grassed, and 2 goats were happily walking around on it! There was a ramp at the side for them to walk up and down from the ground.

We've arrived, rather tired (familiar theme) in Cranbrook, the biggest city in a while but rather rundown looking. It's windy; I think there is a storm brewing. There is a 30 percent chance of rain in the next day or so - after all the sun we've had (Jimmy's had 1 day of rain in 2 1/2 months) it feels a bit surprising that we might have some water come from the sky. And for some reason the time has gone forward one hour since we arrived in Cranbrook. We certainly didn't pass any sign stating we were crossing a time zone! All seems a bit odd as we are still in the same State in Canada.

We're heading towards Radium Hot Springs; then across to Banff...

Retail therapy in Nelson

I'm was a bit worn out from lack of sleep due to a self-deflating air mattress and mild pyelonephritis; so I went shopping.
The shop assistant at the outdoor store was so helpful. I was eyeing up the Thermarest Neo-Air mattress, but decided it was too narrow; my elbows kept falling off. Then she showed me others and I pounced on a fabulously comfortable yet compact green Big Agnes mattress - the only one left in stock. It was then I spied their MSR tents. I own an MSR Hubba Hubba and love it - lightweight, easy to put up - but it leaks (12 months of accumulated cycle touring over 4 years has taken it's toll). Their MSR tents were on sale - less than half the price they sell for in NZ.
So I walked out of the store with not only a new air mattress, but a new tent to match... My old tent is now sitting in the post office ready to take the slow boat back to NZ.
I celebrated my slightly manic purchase with a licorice and ginger icecream (the ginger was great).
I feel I haven't written that much about what the cycling is like here. Very different from cycling in NZ or Europe - the options pretty much are highways or small gravel roads. Jimmy isn't keen on going offroad (too many broken spokes) so we are sticking with the highways. The highways are fine - wide shoulder and well paved; but with the big distances between towns and just being on a highway we don't tend to stop much along the way; hence the big distances. Also, the scenery hasn't yet been as spectacular as I was expecting; though it is improving (getting more rugged) each day. It won't be long before we are in among the Rocky Mountains! Everyone we meet tells us how great Banff and the Icefields Parkway highway is; so I'm chomping at the bit to get there. Only 513km to go.... (And no, a bus is not an option! Well, it is, but I don't want to)

Sunny Nelson (BC)

It was a 120km day to arrive in Grand Forks - fortunately the last 10-15km was primo downhill! Our warmshowers hosts, Randy and Cheryl were fantastic. They are planning their own major cycle tour (of the world, pretty much) so we spent the evening swapping ideas about cycle clothes, tools, gear, gadgets. They hadn't really come across Down Jackets; I think we convinced them to get one each. They told us about GPS cameras (never forget where you took a photo ever again); mobile walkie talkies for on the road; UV water purifier...

The next day was 100km to Castlegar; I think Jimmy was pretty keen to see if we could make it all the way to Nelson; but I was starting to fade. It was another hot day, with the heat radiating back off the black asphalt; and another 1500m pass to cross. The scenery is becoming more rugged; more the Canada I was expecting, so I'm getting more and more excited about getting to the mountains. By the time we arrived in Castlegar I was knackered. We'd done 690km (fully loaded) in 7 days.... We were both starving (3 cinnamon rolls and 6 sandwiches (each) during the day had well worn off) so we went to a chinese restaurant. Jimmy wanted sushi, but as soon as we walked in the door and saw a huge plate of noodles we both knew what we wanted. I ordered a 'combo' which was a huge plate of 4 different dishes - pork balls, chicken balls, noodles and veges. Jimmy's plate of noodles was big enough to feed a small family. We noticed everyone else would take the leftovers home in takeout containers. I was eating so fast I was almost forgetting to breathe. About 2/3 of the way through my stomach started hurting - actual pain! But I didn't stop eating. I really did not think Jimmy would be able to finish his; but he did - and then finished the rest of mine. I was still clutching my stomach when we arrived at the campground. We saw a black bear on the way to the campground and commented to the campground manager "oh yes, there are 3 of them that hang around; don't worry they haven't yet entered the campground".

The next day we rode a nice 40km to Nelson and pitched our tents in the cute City Campground, just seconds from the city centre. We're having a day off today. I went to the doctor and got antibiotics for the urine infection that I've been trying to ignore since I got to Canada (great patient, I know). It came to a head last night when my kidney started to ache...

Out West

It was a 30km climb up out of Osoyoos. We set off at 7:30am and had a tailwind (love the prevailing westerly); so it was a slow slog but my engine didn't overheat. I did need a couple of nectarines to get me to the top though.

The downhill was magic and 7km just melted away. We arrived in a small village called Rock Creek where there small Saturday Market was in full swing. We got a pack of 4 cinnamon rolls which we demolished while standing there - then Jimmy went back for more. There was a cute rustic coffee shop that used to be a school. Further down the road we met some cycle tourists heading in the opposite direction.

Now we are in a cute cute town called Greenwood; it is Western Themed; with nicely painted wooden buildings and hanging baskets spilling summer flowers. We're stopping for the free library internet before our last 40km to GrandForks where we are staying with some warmshowers hosts.

Summer Fruits!

We are in a bike shop - Jimmy has now broken 3 spokes in as many days - and they are letting me use their computer. We are in a border town called Osoyoos; and I had my first Tim Hortons Ice Cap (chocolate slushy drink; recommended by a warmshowers cyclist).
From Princeton we cycled Highway 3 towards increasingly dry land, with irrigators spraying water into the midday sun. At Keremeos (famous for it's summer fruit) we stopped and went crazy buying nectarines, apricots, peaches and apples. We've done 114km by 3pm today as Jimmy needed to get to the bike shop before the weekend. Tomorrow we will climb Anarchist Pass (1234m), heading for Grand Forks. I'll need a few bagels in my bag to keep my spirits up!
But I must say today I feel like I've found my stride; day 4 of cycling (we've covered big distances compared with what I'm used to) and I'm starting to feel good; though the bum hasn't gotten used to the saddle yet.

Cycling, camping, Canada...

We set off from Vancouver, me eager to try to follow the TransCanada cycle trail; Jimmy patiently following. Almost immediately we crossed a large bridge with a nice cycle lane and life was good. We then had to ask directions to get onto the coastal cycle path on the other side; we followed some of the guy's instructions then nipped down a steep walking track as a short cut. We arrived at a coastal walking/cycling path that was teeming with people. There were water parks with jets of water for the kids; Jimmy cycled through it to cool down. Then someone (and then another) yelled to us "wrong way!". It was then I realised all the cycling traffic (people on tandems; kids on bikes; rollerbladers; everyone) was heading in the opposite direction to us. By this stage we were close to the city so kept cycling against the flow; pretending to be ignorant tourists. We then got lost in the downtown Vancouver trying to follow other bike routes; then found the Adanac (Canada backwards to the observant); a cycle path across Vancouver. It went through the suburbs, past huge homes, with matching Dodge and Crysler 4WD trucks in the drive. I picked up my first bagels of the trip from a factory outlet we passed. I kept stopping to check the map book (Joy used to love that); whne we finally left the suburbs we ended up on a dike path which was nice until we got detoured back to the busy 4-lane highway. We were planning to cross a new bridge to an island to camp for the night; but it seemed the bridge would not take bikes; so we continued on to the ferry - which was no longer runny. Plan B: continue on to the next campground. It was a relief to arrive in Matsqui campground after 95km for the first day. It was a DOC style simple campsite with longdrop toilets and no showers. And cost $21 canadian for a pitch. Ouch. We were just about to set our tents up on a nice grassy patch when the guy next door told us we had to tent on the gravel - the ranger had moved him off his grassy patch. Jimmy had just gotten his tent out and sleeping bag out of it's bag when a lady beside us said "you can't camp here! Don't you know I have paid for this pitch and I have a large trailer arriving?" By this stage you can imagine we were a bit fed-up so we filled up our drink bottles and sloped off 50m down the trail - and freedom-camped for the night. I didn't sleep that well - I couldn't believe how noisy our site was; trains would pass in the night - must have been hundreds as it felt continuous; each blaring their horns.... and then my new insulmat air mattress decided to convert to a self-deflating one, requiring me to blow it up in the night (I had one that did the same thing before - should have learnt) I was a bit bleary-eyed the next day. I was still determined to follow the TransCanada trail so off we set (Jimmy suggested highway 7). We kept losing the trail (same od story) and ended up in a city with busy 4-landed highways and takeaway stores. We were in Abbotsford - totally off our route. By this stage I was fedup too; so we jumped on Highway One - actually the small road parallel to Highway One - and headed towards Chilliwack. After the stops and starts of trying to follow the cycle route it felt good to be on a road and getting somewhere! We stopped off at a warmshower host in Chilliwack; just to say hi as it was too early to stop for the night. I asked about the TransCanada trail from Chilliwack but she advised against it "there is no road! You will be on walking trails". That was all we needed to hear. So we followed her advice and took Highway 7/9 to Hope. The highways are wide, usually 4-laned (2 each way) with wide shoulders for us cyclists. So they are easy to cycle; just not so scenic just yet. But it was magic to arrive in Hope after a 111km day. I was exhausted (should have done some training!) and nearly fainted in the Information Centre. A Dairy Queen hot chocolate sundae soon fixed things. I think this tour will be a tour of Fastfood joints; I'm going to try something from each different one. There is A&Ws, Taco Bell, Boston Pizza, Red Rooster...
From Hope we climbed 1300m to Mannings Pass; a hard day of uphill slog in the heat. We quickly realised (after 13km) we were going to run out of water, with no guarantee of a place to refill. A car was pulled over so I asked for some water. "some what??" "Water" "What??". I had to piont to my water bottle. "oh, water, sure! I filtered it myself". He pulled out a 4L water bottle and started to fil ours. I couldn't help but notice large white floaties coming through "oh, that's lime. I squeeze lime juice in". Phew.
We arrived at the campground at 5pm. Same story as the other public campground - $21 and please camp on the gravel, and no showers. At least there were no trains going past this one. My sleep again wasn't the best - this time I dreamed of bears (we met some cyclists from up north and got all the stories); and my mattress self-deflated slowly overnight.
Today, after a breakfast of tasteless 'cooking 9 grains cereal' we hit the road. After some screaming downhill (punctuated by slogging uphill), we arrived in Princeton, where we are going to a private campground with showers and grass to camp on. Bliss.

Vancouver

It was a night flight and I slept OK, considering I was stuck at 90 degrees for 12 hours...

My luggage and bike arrived with me, which was a relief. I did start to worry just a little that my luggage in a black garden sack might end up in a skip rather than on the luggage conveyor belt; and my bike similarly wrapped in black rubbish sacks might meet a similar fate...

Jimmy met me at the airport and I gave him 3 blocks of Whittakers chocolates; I'm hoping he might share some with me!

We are staying with a warmshowers host in North Vancouver. Her name is Jane and she is a bubbly, welcoming woman. I'm quickly realising most canadians are like that. We went for a stroll around her neighbourhood - it's mid-late summer; warm (hot!); the gardens are perfectly kept with flowers spilling out of hanging baskets - and there are the huge american Dodge vehicles in every driveway. We visited some other Warmshowers hosts in the area - because Jane was curious to meet them - and had a great discussion about cycle touring. They showed me their steel-framed touring bikes, and their tan-lines from a recent tour. I am inspired by the break-points they had added to their bikes - so they can break their touring bikes in half and place in a travelcase. Brilliant.

It's now 7pm and still warm and sunny. we are having barbecued whole fish for dinner. Jimmy is helping Jane in the kitchen; by the sounds of things I'm best staying right here out of the way!

Tomorrow we will hit the road and start our cycle tour; hopefully finding the TransCanada trail along the way. We expect to make it to Chilliwack.

Forecast NZ: rain. Forecast Vancouver: Sunny 28 degrees

About December 2009 the feet got itchy again and I decided I was due for another cycle tour overseas.  I decided Canada might be nice.  And everyone I have spoken to raves about it.

I tried to rope somebody else into coming with me; but Joy is busy (some excuse about now having a boyfriend and she'd rather spend time with him); and various girlfriends were unavailable or indecisive.

Jimmy, who lives in Nelson, phoned to wish me Happy New Year - and when he heard of my plans he said 'Can I come?'

So my travel buddy this trip is Jimmy, a hostel owner in Nelson who also loves cycling.  He left NZ in June and flew to San Francisco; and has cycled his way up to Vancouver to meet me.

Meanwhile back in New Zealand I have been distracted by a charming chap called James, so preparations for this trip have been a little more patchy than in the past.  Breaking my little finger (playing volleyball of all things) 3 weeks ago also hasn't helped the cycle training.  I am hopeful Jimmy is not expecting 100km days into headwinds right at the start!

The vague plan (as Jimmy says, no plan is the best plan - allowing plenty of flexibility and spontaneity) is to head East along the British Columbia portion of the TransCanada trail (a biking/walking trail in various stages of completeness); then head north to the famous Icefields Parkway, then turn west towards Whistler and roll back to Vancouver along the Sea to Sky Highway.  

We have six weeks.

I have retired my beloved green cycle shirt (edition 2) as even I started to notice how thin it was getting.  I think it lost a whole layer of fibre...  so for this trip I have splashed out on not one but TWO new cycle shirts.  Actually, I bought 3 but left one at home.  I have bought a colourful New Zealand-emblazoned shirt; with scenes of the southern alps and other NZ icons.  My other shirt is a bit of an experiment, a Ground Effect part-merino long sleeved shirt, this time in a more subtle silver and purple colour.  Nice enough to even wear off the bike!  Other new purchases for the trip are an orange jacket; and a new Domex sleeping bag.  I'm sure I saw the exact bag in the shop 3 years before; and the shop owner thanked me profusely for buying it (I was in a 'buy NZ-made' mood that day). My very faithful bike shoes were not replaced; they have a few more kilometres left (nearly 6 years old, over 23,000km - after seeing the state of a couple of french cyclists shoes mine looked practically new); as do my 'go anywhere' black Keen shoes; and the same successful combo of Down jacket, touring pants, blue merino top, blue denim-look skirt....  in years to come I might confuse my different trip photos as i'll be wearing the same clothes in all of them!  Joy will be pleased to hear I did buy new bike tyres.

We are staying with a warmshowers host in Vancouver; I arrive 2:15pm Sunday, Vancouver time; about half an hour before I left Rotorua the same day!  I've built up plenty of good karma hosting cyclists this year, so am looking forward to meeting the Canadian hosts.  Unfortunately they seem a very active holiday-loving bunch, as I struggled to find a host in Vanouver who was not off touring themselves!

Jetting off to Summer...

Cycle Tour British Columbia 2010 is about to begin!!