Day 9 Fintry to Mara, BC

 54.9 miles and 2,550 ft ascent

Last night's campsite on the shore of Lake Okanagan presented a number of challenges, among them the entrance/exit road, over 1 km long with a 7 to 10% grade.  I didn't expect to be able to ride the entire distance and was prepared to dismount and walk my bike to the summit.  I was surprised to find, however,  that after several days' ride conditioning, a night's rest, and a good breakfast, I did manage to ride the entire distance without suffering the indignity of a dismount and walk!

Presenting our typical breakfast:  porridge, French toast or pancakes, and scrambled eggs, all cooked by kitchen crew teams.  I was on teams Days 1 and 2, so get a few days off now to enjoy the labor of fellow cyclists.

 

Another campsite feature:  a modern outhouse.  Exterior and interior views follow.

We continued our journey down the west side of Lake Okanagan despite questionable weather conditions.   We have now ridden for two partial days and one full day down the 135 km (81 mile) long lake.  I packed a rain jacket in a pack strapped to the front my handlebars, and mounted a route cue sheet in a plastic bag behind them.  With rain in the forecast, I carried my rain jacket/vest in case it got cold.  It did rain, but not hard enough for me to don the vest.  I find it more pleasant to ride on the cool side, because  I perspire profusely with a non breathable jacket.

 

 

  Below is a view of the lake's headwaters.

 

There are  cannabis shops everywhere.  Evidently it is legal, at least here in the province of British Columbia. Some of the shops are even "drive by" arrangements where one can just drive through for weed.  

 

 

The moist environment makes  beautiful golf courses.  Gorgeous example shown below.  Probably not a good idea to visit cannabis drive through before golfing.

 

Stopped for lunch at A&W Drive-In, the premier fast food burger chain in Canada.  Consumed a burger, fries, and coffee to ward off the chill of the weather.  The food was excellent.  Canadian A&Ws use 100% grass fed beef raised in Canada.

Riding on, we passed British Colombian corn.  Growing up in Minnesota, I often heard it said that corn should be knee high by the 4th of July.  Perhaps, since Canada is a bit further north and has longer summer days, Canadian corn should be knee high by July 1st, their Independence Day.  Bring out the Maple Leaf flags!

 

 

 

Next stop for refreshment was a "mom and pop" convenience store.  Patrons had the choice of various beverages, among them those seen here, including local wine and my favorite recovery drink, chocolate milk! 

 

 

 

 

The liter of chocolate milk was excellent! The ideal recovery meal!  However, it was very cold, and since I was wet from riding in the rain and perspiring, I soon started to cool off too much.  As a result, I purchased a coffee  to warm up.

Another interesting item for sale at the convenience store:   Haskap Berries.  The Haskap is an edible blue honeysuckle, native to  northern hemisphere countries including Canada, Japan, and Russia.  They resemble elongated blueberries.

Ride soon ending for today.  More Canadian adventures tomorrow.