Travel Blog

Seeing Calgary

May 17, 2005

Calgary (sightseeing). DAY: 0.00km. ODO: 1,271km. AVS: 00.0km/h. MXS: 00.0km/h. ATM: 0:00. Finding an internet connection in Calgary has proven to be challenging. WiFi cafes are scarce, and the one close internet cafe I found would not let me connect my laptop. However, I have since found a Second Cup that provides free WiFi, so…

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Finally – rain

May 16, 2005

Banff to Calgary. DAY: 152.45km. ODO: 1,271km. AVS: 25.2km/h. MXS: 64.5km/h. ATM: 6:02. As I departed Banff, it occurred to me that I should stay an extra day to rest the irritated right Achilles tendon. It is the only part of my body that I have ever really injured, besides a little whiplash and some…

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A light day

May 15, 2005

Lake Louise to Banff. DAY: 65.79km. ODO: 1,119km. AVS: 21.2km/h. MXS: 59.0km/h. ATM: 3:06. The scenery today was the most beautiful so far. Leaving Lake Louise (that sounds like the title of a Nicholas Cage sequel where he decides to end it all by maxing his Visa card in ‘Saitoh’ outlet stores), I avoided the…

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1,000 km

May 14, 2005

Golden to Lake Louise, AB. DAY: 84.80km. ODO: 1,053km. AVS: 18.4km/h. MXS: 58.0km/h. ATM: 4:36. Another slow start this morning. I’m just not good at ‘early’. However, I was on the road by about 10:00. A shorter day in distance, but good climbs, and I stopped to look around frequently. 25km east of Golden, my…

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Rogers Pass

May 13, 2005

Canyon Hot Springs to Golden. DAY: 130.73km. ODO: 968km. AVS: 20.3km/h. MXS: 73.0km/h. ATM: 6:24. In the morning, I was up before 7:00, but since the woman at the desk had said the previous evening that they don’t open up for breakfast until 9:00, I laid around until 8, then got up and packed. I…

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There goes my budget

May 12, 2005

Sicamous to Canyon Hot Springs. DAY: 110.99km. ODO: 837km. AVS: 20.8km/h. MXS: 51.0km/h. ATM: 5:19. Another hot, sunny day (the weather report indicates rain coming Saturday, when I anticipate cycling through Kicking Horse Pass). Great roads again – the shoulders are mostly quite good), though there is generally a lot of truck traffic. After Revelstoke,…

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The perils of spandex

May 11, 2005

Kelowna to Sicamous. DAY: 126.35km. ODO: 726km. AVS: 22.4km/h. MXS: 55.0km/h. ATM: 5:37. I was up at the crack of dawn, for a soak in the hot tub and a dip in the pool before breakfast. However, I wasn’t on the bike and riding until the crack of noon, after all the eating, packing, and…

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The real rest

May 10, 2005

Local sightseeing. DAY: 0.0km. ODO: 600km. AVS: 0.0km/h. MXS: 0.0km/h. ATM: 0:00. Did nothing at all, except read, eat, and nap.

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Some rest day…

May 9, 2005

Local sightseing. DAY: 60.55km. ODO: 600km. AVS: 22.2km/h. MXS: 52.0km/h. ATM: 2:43 After a fabulous Flags breakfast, I departed for a “short ride into town” for a little sightseeing. The Flags is on the fringes of Kelowna, in the Glenmore area. I rode into town, had a cup of tea, and then rode out along…

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My first (and last!) flat

May 8, 2005

Okanagan Provincial Park to Kelowna. DAY: 51.13km. ODO: 539. AVS: 18.0. MXS: 65.0. ATM: 2:50. It rained during the night, but stopped as soon as I got up, which made breaking camp easier, and I just packed up and left. I stopped at The Two Chefs restaurant for tea and breakfast. It seems that it…

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The Okanagan

May 7, 2005

Coral’s to Okanagan Lake Provincial Park (north of Summerland). DAY: 120.58km. ODO: 488km. AVS: 20.0km/h. MXS: 54.5km/h. ATM: 6:01. I had not intended to travel this far, but that’s how it goes. Headwind all the way from Coral’s didn’t make it any easier. On arrival in Penticton (where I was greeted by a giant billboard…

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The first real mountain

May 6, 2005

Sunshine Valley to Coral’s Cabins & Camping (27km E of Princeton). DAY: 147.61 km. ODO: 368km. AVS: 21.4km/h. MXS: 67.0km/h. ATM: 6:53. More sunburn! Depart 8:30. Arrive 6:30. Allison Pass wasn’t so bad, though it is allegedly a bit higher than Rogers Pass. The big hill before Princeton seemed a lot worse, but perhaps because…

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The real trip begins

May 5, 2005

Ruskin to Sunshine Valley (past the Hope Slide). DAY: 121.36km. ODO: 220km. AVS: 21.2km/h. MXS: 75.5km/h. Here I am with my uncle, Phillip, just before embarking. His partner Elaine took the picture. Note the truckload of future firewood behind us that I avoided stacking by leaving on this trip: Stopped at Wenting’s again for my…

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My first rest day!

May 4, 2005

Ruskin to Mission, return. DAY: 33km. ODO: 98 Spent the morning, or what was left of it after I finally woke up at 10:15 (I’m unemployed – I’ll sleep in if I want to) tinkering with my brakes and tightening up my racks. After lunch I rode to Mission to buy a handlebar bag, spare…

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Day 1: On the road, finally

May 3, 2005

Vancouver to Ruskin. DAY: 65km. ODO: 65km. Left Vancouver at 2:30. Arrived at 6pm at Thompson Creek Farm, home of my uncle Phillip and his partner Elaine. We roasted giant t-bone steaks on the fire outside. For once, I slept through the whole night without those @#$% roosters waking me up. I guess I was…

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