Thursday, July 2, 2009

Day 5 Canada Day


Kamloops to Salmon Arm

Depart: 8:00am
Arrive: 6:03pm

Daily distance: 123.26
Time: 7:52.3
Odo: 575.3
Max: 42.8
Avg. Speed:  15.7km/hr
The Canadian flag that Laurel had given me is sticking out of the pannier and I'm off for what should be an easy Canada day ride. And why wouldn't it be easy, its as "flat as a pancake" between Kamloops  and Salmon Arm.
The young Englishman Philip that I met yesterday also rode Duffy Lake road. When he planned his trip, he, like the father son team Wayne and James thought it looked like the shorter route.  Philip was a really nice kid who just graduated with a degree in Physics at 21.  When he suggested I take the road from Kamloops to Chase on a road on the other side of the Thompson I had to consider it, after all, the road was "flat as a pancake"  he has a degree, he's 21 and he was British. What I forgot was he thought the Duffy lake road was the easier route, so off I went. Although it was nice to be off the main highway away from the noise and diesel smell, it was a tougher way to go, but hey, that's what's going to sculpt my glutes.
Leaving Chase I was dreading the hill before me but was happy when I rode up the whole thing in one shot, I'm happy with how much easier hills are becoming As I carried on, it was getting late in the day and  I heard a flopping noise, first flat. While I was fixing my flat, along came Philip, he kindly helped me repair the tire but I was secretly thrilled I had stayed ahead of him most of the day. Phil pulled into a campsite before Salmon Arm so we parted ways,  I hope to run into him again.
I am staying with our old friend Sue Shores and will take tomorrow  for a rest day.  and get my bike into Skookem Cycles to tune up the back wheel.