64.7 miles 2, 760 ft ascent
Finally got a good night's sleep, and ready to ride early this morning. Left camp at 07:00 and arrived destination camp at 12:30. As we all carry our lunches with us, I prepared peanut butter and jam sandwiches, as well as gorp for lunch.
Today was hot, so I decided not to wait for other riders to mass up and rode off alone. I was the third rider out and the fifth to finish. Riding solo provides infinite opportunities to stop and take photos.
The morning ride followed the Tulameen River. No cars passed me in twenty miles. Great place for a peaceful morning ride.
Looking across this meadow to see the Tulameen River. There are two horses in the foreground. Some of my Canadian companions speculated that these were wild mustangs in the open range valley.
The highlight of today's ride was seeing an adult brown bear run across the road 100 yards in front of me as I rode toward it. I peered into the trees where it entered as I rode past, but, sadly, it had gone to far to be seen again, and there was no opportunity for a photo.
Canadian cattle guards are mean ones. I stopped and walked across this guard. Two British riders rode across the first one, then decided to walk the second. Riding across these babies is dangerous!
After getting knocked off of my bike when a dog ran out in front of me early in June, I definitely had no wish to crash into a North American Big Horn Sheep. Locals say though shy, they are seen often, however, they evaded us today.
MMMMMM! Large fruit growing operation along today's route. These are either peaches or apricots. Fruit stands are frequent sites along the roadside, although it is too early for ripe fruit.
Vineyards along the route too, surprisingly!
Lake photographed from our campsite.
Our last riders arrived in camp 4 hours after I finished. Riding in the heat must have been exhausting. They may have stopped for respite and a long lunch.
At night in the campgrounds, all of our bikes are parked together with a heavy steel cable running through all the frames to secure the bicycles. Canadian cyclists tell me that bike thievery is rampant here. Everyone carries a lock on their bike to lock it up while unattended. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have higher priorities than dealing with bicycle crime. Thankfully, I have not experienced rampant bicycle theft in the USA.
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