If it was easy, anyone could do it!

The story of the 2013 Craig Gives Back-2-Back

Cross-Canada Bicycle Tour

ALBERTA > BRITISH COUMBIA

DAY #66 Tuesday, October 8, 2013 Brakes dont fail us now!

Day#66: 85kms Lake Louise, AB to Golden, BC

This would be our second full day in the mountains and we could really stop every couple of
minutes to take more pictures of the awe inspiring scenery, however we did have nearly 90kms
to cover today from Lake Louise to Golden, and we did not fully know how challenging it would
be. We had expected a fairly easy day as we were descending today from over 1,600metre
elevation at the summit of Kicking Horse Pass down to Golden, British Columbia at an elevation
less than 800metres. And then we had a more challenging day tomorrow as we would climb to
the summit of Rogers Pass.
The day started with a gradual climb as we rose up from Lake Louise to the summit of the pass,
and then we started a steep decline down into the valley. It was a cloudy and cool day today, so
we were wearing our rain gear trying not to sweat too much as we climbed so we would not
freeze on the downhills.
There was road construction so we actually missed the Welcome to British Columbia sign as it
was laying down somewhere behind the gravel and large machines. We stopped at the look off
for the spiral train tunnels and we thought we had crossed into our final province and another
tourist stopped to talk and confirmed it for us. The railway line through this mountain pass was
built in the late 1800s by Canadian Pacific Railway and due to the elevation, contained the
steepest grade for a railway in North America. It was so steep that it required additional engines
on the trains and the line was susceptible to frequent accidents with trains heading both up and
down the pass. In the early 1900s the spiral tunnels were constructed to reduce the climb to a
safer grade. There are two spiral tunnels, one on either side of the Trans Canada Highway.

Both take the train into the mountain and it spirals around gradually climbing. The train
disappears into the entrance to the tunnel, only to later appear again as it exits out higher up the
mountain, only to cross over to the other spiral tunnel and repeat the process. After some
pictures, it was time for Bob and I to continue on.
The road continued to hug the side of the mountain pass as we descended down into the Kicking
Horse River Valley and then it would level out. The descent was so steep that I would hold the
brakes for kilometers, trying to keep our speed safe and within control. If our brakes failed, we
could easily accelerate to 80-90kms/hr and end up either sliding down the pavement alongside
vehicle traffic, or worse disappearing over the steep vertical drop just metres to our right. I am
not a fan of heights, so was pleasantly surprised that most of the route had us hugging the right
side of the valley so we were across the road from the sheer drop down into the valley.
The town of Field is located in Yoho National Park and as it was close to midday we stopped at
the visitor centre to take a break. Inside they had a hot fire burning in the wood stove and we
took the opportunity to hang up our clothing and dry out and warm up. It was the first time we
were warm since we left the Hostel in Lake Louise this morning.
The town of Field is actually on the other side of the Kicking Horse River and we crossed over on
the bridge as we had been told there was a great little restaurant and we hungry and had not
even covered half the distance we would need to cover today. From Field the road would remain
fairly level as we continued through the valley for another 40kms. With another 20kms to go to
Golden, it would be the longest section of the day with steep descents and also climbs as we lost
another 300metres of elevation. There were of course warnings to trucks when we first started
this morning that all drivers were required to carry chains in their truck in case of snow, and now
we would see our first truck runaway ramps. These were designed for any trucks descending the
steep descents that lost their brakes and were no longer able to control the speed of their truck.
If the driver of a runaway truck was able to keep the truck on the highway long enough to reach
a runaway ramp it gave them to save themselves, if not their truck as it was a sudden steep
ramp filled with coarse gravel that the truck would sink up to its axle and stop in a matter of
seconds. We hoped we would not see any trucks have to use it today!
The other interesting thing we would see today were overpasses not for vehicles, but for wildlife
to help keep them from crossing the road. We did not see any animals using the overpasses,
however we did encounter a small group of Mountain Goats drinking from a mountain creek and
a large male that held up traffic as it meandered across the highway.
We were now so close to Golden that we could see it down at the bottom of the valley, a long,
long way down at the bottom of the valley. As we approached closer the road hugged the side
of the mountain and wound its way around and after a few up and down sections it started to
get steeper and steeper as we could now fully see the town of Golden and the valley below. I
was so glad we had spent the extra on the hydraulic disc brakes as we had certainly tested them
today.
I had already done the research and knew where we were staying for the night and it was a
motel located inside the town. On the way there we would stop at the Sobeys store to pickup
supplies. Once at the motel we got settled and warmed up. It had been a long cold day, so it
was nice to finally get out of our sweaty cycling clothing. As we were staying right in town and
Bob had missed out on pizza way back in Moosomin, SK we decided to order delivery. Knowing
Bobs very strict diet of no vegetables, I had the pizzeria promise that one side of the pizza would
be as per recipe and the other side meat and cheese only. Pizza arrived, but not as ordered so
Bob spent the evening filtering out the mushrooms and green peppers. It was not Pictou County

pizza, but after a long day of cycling, it tasted like gourmet, at least to me it did. Bob was not
overly impressed.
DAY #67 Wednesday, October 9, 2013 Up, up and away!

Day#67: 84kms Golden, BC to Glacier, BC

We awoke early as we wanted to get started. The forecast was for a slightly warmer day than
yesterday, but still in the mid teens. As part of my morning ritual I was still looking after the
Achilles tendon on my left leg and keeping it taped each day. Although both legs were feeling
much better, I did not want to take any chances today as we had a long climb up to the top of
Rogers Pass. I taped them both and hoped for the best, but no matter what happened we were
now so close to our final destination that even if we had to walk up every hill, we could still finish
this tour.
We headed off to the first truck stop on the way out of town and stopped to load up on
carbohydrates and coffee. Besides getting a good breakfast and start to the day, every extra
minute we took to eat the warmer it got as the sun slowly rose above the mountain ridge.
Leaving Golden we followed the valley north, but it was not too long and we were crossing over
to the west side of the river and starting our first major climb of the day. We knew from looking
at Google Maps that we first had a climb that was five kilometers in length and after that the
road was up and down with no major climbs until we would enter Glacier National Park. Then we
would encounter the longest climb of the entire trip as we climbed over a 10km distance back up
to an elevation of over 1,300metres. It is never as simple as one long climb and then you are
there and it is flat or downhill. You climb, then downhill and lose elevation so you can climb back
up again only to lose elevation and then climb again. It makes for a long and tiring day, however

we knew that at the end of today after all the ups and downs we would eventually arrive at a
continuous climb which for 10kms would take us to the summit of Rogers Pass and to our stop
for the night. There is also never such a thing as a straight road through the mountains and we
put on many extra kilometers as we wound our way around mountains and through valleys
passes.
After a morning of climbing and descending we finally entered Glacier National Park and would
follow along the river valley which separated two mountain ranges. The beauty was incredible
with most of the mountains peaks covered in snow. Rogers Pass is well known for the
phenomenal volumes of snow that fall each winter and we would see evidence of avalanches on
both our left and right. Not far into the park we passed a section of road that had been covered
in a massive mud slide. A large portion of the mountain on our left was missing, leaving an open
rock face and across the other side of the road were the remains of the slide which had been
pushed aside by large equipment. It was a tangle of rocks and trees piled well over our heads as
by cycled past. As we progressed further through the valley we could see large areas of trees
that had been toppled like match sticks in a winter avalanche collapsed from the mountain tops.
As I gazed in wonderment of the beauty and danger in the mountains we came to the end of the
level valley and as the road turned to the right it also rose up towards the mountains.
Bob and I knew we had a 10km climb and then we would reach the summit of Rogers Pass and
our greatest challenge to date. We set a slow steady pace and would pedal until we could pedal
no more, stop, rest for a few minutes and repeat. When you are going uphill on a recumbent
there is no opportunity to stand up on the pedals and use your own body weight to help propel
you up the climb. On a recumbent it was your legs versus gravity and on our heavily laden bike
and at an altitude approaching 1.5kms above sea level, it was no easy feat.
As we rose higher the two mountain ranges closed in on both sides and we were now in the
middle of avalanche alley. We had now reached the first of four avalanche sheds that we would
pass through on our way up to the summit. We stopped just before entering the shed to rest as
we did not want to run out of energy half way through and we also wanted to get through as
quickly as we could. I had read stories of cyclists so fearful of sharing the dark cramped confines
of the avalanche sheds with motor vehicles that they would carry their bikes around the outside
through the brush. We were not going to do that. The first one was easy, not being more than
a couple hundred metres in length and well illuminated inside with wide paved shoulders. We
made our way up to the next one and again stopped before we entered to have a rest.
When we had stopped back prior to entering the first avalanche shed, there was a white park
pickup truck parked off to the side. I had not noticed anyone in or around the vehicle, but now
as we rested it pulled up behind us, stopped and a park official stepped out and walked up to us.
He spoke in what sounded like a strong British accent as he asked us where we were headed and
we told him about our ride. He said he was concerned for our safety in the avalanche sheds so
he would follow behind us with his hazard lights flashing each time we would enter a shed. We
had three more to go and we were not halfway up to the summit yet. We thanked him and then
we set off into the second of four avalanche sheds.
This one was nearly twice as long as the first one and it was so dark inside that it had lights with
motion sensors that came on as you passed through. We felt a lot more safe having our escort
and he followed along behind us on the paved shoulder even after we exited the shed.
Again at the start of the next avalanche shed we stopped to rest. Once more the park official
stopped and came over to talk with us. We had given him one of our business cards with the
Text To Donate instructions on the back and he had tried to donate while waiting for us. He
told us that when he sent the text that the acknowledgement and instructions to complete the

transaction came back in French, but he thought his $5.00 donation had gone through. We
would pass that on to Amelia back in Halifax, as that could be confusing if everyone was
receiving instructions back in French with no option to choose another language. Regardless we
were very grateful for both his donation and his help and we now set off through our third
avalanche shed and the longest of all four at close to a kilometer in length. The fourth and final
shed was much shorter like the first one, but it was set deep into the mountain on both sides so
with no windows on either side so it was very dark indeed.
Inside the avalanche sheds one thing I did notice were large trap doors on the side of the wall. I
assumed they were tunnels which served as emergency exits should you be trapped by an
avalanche inside the sheds. I did not want to even imagine how terrifying that might be! We
thanked our escort and headed off up the remainder of the climb to the summit. We only had a
few kilometers to go and when we reached the top we stopped and went inside the visitor centre
and sat down beside the fire to dry and warm our clothes. It was now late afternoon, but we still
had to reach our destination and we were not sure just what we would encounter and how long
it would take as it was not simply alongside the highway.
After warming up and drying out we gathered up our belongings and went outside, but as we
were preparing to head off we were interrupted by a bus tour. We were suddenly inundated
with requests to have pictures taken with us and odd looking bicycle, and when we did finally
have an opportunity to depart we were surrounded by a crowd that cheered as we pedaled out
of the parking lot. It was a fun experience to be the sole interest of an entire bus tour, even if
we were not able to communicate very effectively as none of them seemed to speak much if any
English and we did not speak Japanese.
We continued down the highway watching for signs of the Illecillewaet Campground as even
though closed for the season, it was through this campground we must pass to reach the Arthur
O. Wheeler Hut and our destination for the night. The good news was that even though the
evening was cool we were now just over the summit of Rogers Pass and we were descending so
the pedaling was easy and we were not sweating our way up another climb. It was only a few
kilometers and we turned off into the campground and made our way along the paved road for
just over a kilometer when the road ended and just up above us on the left we could see the log
cabin through the woods.
The gravel road that went up the hill was steep and rough so we dismounted our bicycle and
pushed it past the recently erected barrier with the bear warning hanging from it. We did not
mind the short climb, but we were a little concerned over being the sole occupants of the
deserted campground so we made little delay in getting up the hill and into the cabin.
When I called the toll free number to book our stay and pay with my credit card, I was provided
the numbers for the combination lock that secured the back door of the cabin. It did not work
on my first try so with the darkening day and bears lurking about my stress level started to rise,
but I met with success on my second try and Bob, Janus and I entered the cabin.
The first room we entered contained a woodstove, a large breakfast nook and a ladder that lead
up to the loft. We opened the door to the next room and it was a large kitchen complete with all
the cooking equipment you would ever require whether it was just for two or a large group.
Through the next door we entered the front sitting room with two large breakfast nooks in each
corner and a wood stove in the middle of the room. This was the front room and the next door
was the front door which took us out the front of the building onto a deck. The building was
rustic and beautiful inside and out. There was no electricity or running water. There was gas for
the lights and cooking stoves, but the only source of heat was the two woodstoves and luckily for
us someone had been there not too long ago as there remained enough hot coals to get a raging

fire started and the front room quickly warmed up. Bob and Laureen heated their home back in
Lyons Brook with a wood stove so I left Bob to tend the fire as he was more of an expert than I
and I went into the kitchen to grab some large pots and headed outside to get water to cook
with from the creek running next to the cabin. I took the can of bear spray with me just in case,
but I certainly hoped I would not need to use it!
Back in Golden the night before we had gone to the Sobeys store to stock up on the usual, but
also to purchase food that we would cook overnight on the Rogers Pass. We wanted something
that did not weigh much, did not require refrigeration and could be cooked quickly. We wanted
good old Kraft Dinner! It did not take long to get the water boiling on the gas stove once I
figured out how to turn the gas on. There were gas shut off valves for every light and stove
inside the building, but after repeated failed attempts to start the cooking stove and lights I went
outside first to check the tank and then to follow the main gas line back to the cabin and on the
outside of the back door noticed the shut off valve which I turned on and we soon had both
lights and a hot stove. Before long we were relaxing in the toasty warm front room eating KD.
Bob and I had gone upstairs to check out the loft and it as high enough to walk down the center
with sloped roof on both sides and on the floor along both outside walls were two rows of
sleeping mattresses. The building had the capacity to house as many as thirty adventurers at
one time and you never knew until you arrived how many others may be sharing the building
with you. Based on the remaining embers in the woodstove, we knew that someone had been
there only a few hours before we had arrived and expected them to return at any time after an
afternoon of hiking in the mountains, but no one showed up and we were the sole occupants for
the night. Rather than sleep upstairs in the cold loft, we closed the doors to the rest of the
building and slept on the two benches in the front room. We had the light from the wood stove
all night and we each took a turn to rise up in the night and add another log to the fire. We
were warm and our bellies were full and we slept soundly and thanked our buddy Dave for
finding this cabin for us.

DAY #68 Thursday, October 10, 2013 Back down we go!

Day#68: 66kms Glacier, BC to Revelstoke, BC

We awoke in the morning to a very light snow cover outside. Bob had kept the fire stoked all
night and it was still nice and balmy inside the cabin. I had kept a pot of water on the stove
through the night to keep the air from getting too dry and now I could use the remaining hot
water to cook our breakfast, and yes you guessed it, Kraft Dinner again.
The goal for all who use the cabin is to leave it as good as or better than when you arrived, so
we washed and put away all the dishes we used and also cleaned up the front room and
restocked the wood pile. We then packed up and exited through the back door with Janus
remembering to turn off the main gas shutoff valve before we departed. We made our way past
the bear warning sign, out through the park and back out to the Trans Canada highway and
turned left towards the community of Revelstoke.
This would end up being the easiest day of the entire tour except of course for a day off. The
distance from the cabin to Revelstoke was less than 70kms and we would be losing 10metres for
every kilometer as we descended from over 1,150metres elevation down to just over 450metres.
When we had left Lake Louise and descended from the summit of the Kicking Horse Pass to
Golden we actually lost nearly 900metres of elevation, but as the descents were so steep we
were unable to fully enjoy and take advantage of gravity. My knuckles were white from tightly
gripping the handlebar grips and keeping pressure on the brakes as traffic passed inches to my
left and the land dropped away to the valley below on my right. Today the descent was gradual
for the entire distance to Revelstoke. Actually the road either descended down or was flat and

never seemed to be an uphill the entire distance. It was like heaven on the recumbent and we
had not enjoyed such effortless pedaling since Quebec along the St. Lawrence Seaway.
The beauty of the landscape of course continued as we neared Revelstoke with mountains on
both sides as we descended through the valley riding parallel with the Illecillewaet River. We
headed into the town of Revelstoke in search of lunch and to warm up as the morning had
remained cool and forced us to wear our rain gear which of course causes us to sweat
underneath. It is fine so long as you keep pedaling, however if you slow down or stop you cool
off very quickly.
It was early afternoon and I was in the mood to keep going, but Bob was in the mood for staying
put for the night and putting in a longer day tomorrow. It would mean we would do twice the
distance tomorrow as we did today, however we would be descending further and entering the
Okanagan Valley where temperatures would be warmer and the road would be fairly level, which
meant we would make good time just like today.
I searched on Google and found options for accommodations and we settled on one not far away
and still within the town limits so we were within walking distance of both a grocery store and
restaurants.
We made our way to the motel and received good news in that firstly there was a complimentary
breakfast and included a waffle maker which we absolutely loved and also they would allow us to
use their laundry facilities to wash our clothing which had not been washed since Calgary. Even
better, as I had done the laundry back at Louise and Waynes house, it was now Bobs turn to do
the laundry. It was nice to be pampered! I actually left Bob to do the laundry while I walked
down to the grocery store to purchase snacks for tonight and more supplies. Revelstoke is a
quaint little resort town and has one of the highest annual snow accumulation in Canada. Luckily
we would not get to see any snow, but I did enjoy my visit to the grocery store as it had
everything we would need and I enjoyed the customers and staff who seemed in no rush and
took their time and had conversations. It was definitely different here than the fast paced life of
the city!
By the time I returned to the motel, Bob was back with the laundry. Bob and I have different
laundry techniques as he returns my laundry sorted and folded, and I just toss the bag with his
clean items on his bed. If it was a dress shirt sure, I would see the point, but merino wool and
polyester do not wrinkle no matter how you treat them. To thank him I offered to take him out
to an Italian restaurant for spaghetti and we headed out.

DAY #69 Friday, October 11, 2013 I thought it was funny!

Day#69: 144kms Revelstoke, BC to Vernon, BC

We rose with the sun and anxiously headed off to get us some waffles. We had operated these
waffle makers before and they were virtually fool proof, but they had never met us! There were
two options for batter which I thought was a bit odd, but maybe they have high demand and
typically run out. Well actually once we had cooked them, Bob who is vegetable and fruit fussy
noticed that his waffle looked different then mine and then we realized there was the normal
batter, but the other one was a blueberry batter. Bob and I switched waffles and we were both
happy!
We had been spoiled by yesterday and we hoped for another day of nothing but gentle descents,
but we had a bit of a climb out of Revelstoke for almost 10kms. It was a cool morning, but
regardless we warmed up quickly so we stopped for a break halfway up the climb so we could
cool off and avoid getting soaked with sweat and then freeze in our wet clothes the remainder of
the day. That would end up being the one of two climbs of any challenge. The second one
would be at the end of the day when we arrived in Vernon almost 150kms away from our start
today in Revelstoke.
We would eventually arrive at Three Valley Lake which is a beautiful area with three mountain
valleys intersecting at a large lake. We took the time to stop and enjoy the gorgeous scenery
and gobble down some granola bars and then we continued on our way.

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We would soon come to a long line of traffic stopped on the highway. Just like back at the truck
fire just south of Wawa, ON, we stayed on the paved shoulder and passed the traffic on the right
side. Many of the vehicles we recognized as having passed us nearly an hour ago and here they
still were waiting to pass through whatever was holding them up. We eventually arrived at the
start of the line and we were waved ahead by the young lady holding the stop sign. She radioed
ahead and then told us to go ahead, but keep to the left of the road to avoid the heavy
machinery that was cleaning up after a very recent rock fall. She promised to hold the traffic
back as long as possible to give us a good head start. We thanked her and continued on our
way doing as she had instructed and with good reason as it was not just large machinery, but
also very large rocks and the pavement had some deep divots caused by the falling rocks. I had
seen similar damage previously coming through the Kicking Horse Pass and I had assumed it was
damage from large machinery, but now I knew the truth. The road was often cut into the side of
steep hills and mountains so no wonder with the freezing and thawing each winter that it was not
uncommon for rock falls to occur, but we were glad we were not close by when this one
happened!
We pedaled at a good steady pace enjoying the quiet road as traffic remained back at the
roadblock. Finally traffic was catching up to us, so after crossing a small bridge we pulled off to
the side of the road to let the traffic pass, but also to get pictures of a theme park across the
road. We had arrived at the Enchanted Forest.
Our next stop was in Sicamous. We actually stopped at the road sign welcoming visitors to the
town of Sicamous and I took a photo of Marvin the Moose attached to my handlebars with the
sign in the background. I sent the image to my niece Kristin along with the caption Does
Sicamous mean a Moose with the flu? We stopped for lunch in the town of Sicamous and I
checked our Facebook page and of course the picture had been posted within fifteen minutes of
me sending it to Kristin, but my caption had been left off. I told Bob I got censored! Often I
would send a long text to Kristin and she would shorten and paraphrase it for our Facebook
audience, however she had never totally rejected my posts before, so I sent her a text to see
why she did not like my joke. She was apologetic, but had not noticed the caption and quickly
added it to the image of Mickey Moose. Mickey had not made it into very many pictures, often
overlooked in favour of Flat Stanley and Charlie, so I had to ensure he was given the exposure
he deserved when we did post a picture.
Sicamous was actually the end of the Trans Canada Highway for us and we would now turn left
onto Highway 97A heading south into the Okanogan Valley and we hoped to warmer weather. It
had actually been warming up as we made our way west today and slowly dropped in elevation.
We had already dropped 200metres today, but would stay at close to the same elevation for the
remainder of the day as we headed to Vernon.
The next almost 80kms was on a relaxing narrow road where we had to be aware of traffic as
the paved shoulder was narrow and as we neared Vernon the volume of traffic became greater.
As a reward for pedaling almost 150kms to reach Vernon we ended the day by climbing up
almost 100metres, but then had the pleasure of a gradual descent into the city of Vernon. We
had a reception scheduled at the local Home Hardware on October 17th so now we were five days
early. We decided to stop and visit the Home Hardware and see if we could do the reception
tomorrow. It was short notice so if it was not convenient then we would simply have to stay in
Vernon until next week. We had made it through the two most challenging mountain passes and
with warmer weather here in the Okanagan Valley we were not too worried about taking our
time.
Luck was with us and the Home Hardware franchisee was more than happy to have us stop by
tomorrow as he was having a yard sale and there would be a radio remote on site so we could

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get live radio coverage. This was great, so now we could head off and find a place to stay and
also get some supper as we had come a long way today, even if most of it was downhill!
We headed into Vernon and stopped at the local Super 8 Motel. Since we were spending all day
tomorrow at the Home Hardware, we would not be departing until Sunday morning and therefore
we would be spending two nights in Vernon. I explained our tour and mission to the owners of
the motel and threw myself on their mercy and they responded by offering us a discounted rate,
which we gratefully accepted. They even allowed us to store Janus inside the laundry room for
the night.
Bob and I got settled then headed out for supper and it was not long before we were sitting in a
Boston Pizza with two large plates of spaghetti and an endless supply of pop. It was always a
nice way to end the day.
DAY #70 Saturday, October 12, 2013 Thanksgiving at Safeway.
After getting breakfast in the foyer of the motel, we retrieved Janus from the laundry room and
we headed off for a days work at the Home Hardware in Vernon.
We arrived to a heros reception, well not really, but the staff at the Home Hardware were very
welcoming and a cheque for our charities was presented which we asked they either deposit
directly in the bank account that had been setup or forward it to the CNIB. Of course there is
always at least one comedian in the crowd and we took the usual ribbing about half the bike was
headed in the wrong direction, but even after hearing that joke for nearly 7,800kms and seventy
days, we still found it funny.
We would spend the entire day at there with Janus, Bob and I setup at the front entrance
between the entrance and exit doors. The radio remote was setup just ten feet away and the
radio announcer would motion for me to come over and we would do a live interview. We did
four or five through the day and tried to change it up each time and also to always include some
humor, but our goal was to get our message out and also have people to come to the yard sale
and see the only bike of its kind in Canada. It seemed to work as we talked to many people and
passed out dozens of business cards.
We were even treated to lunch! Dave from the CNIB office in Kelowna lives in Vernon and
knowing we were here for the day stopped by. His immediate impression when he first met us
was that he was even more impressed with what we had already accomplished. We were not
sure how to take that, but apparently he thought we would be much younger. I look young for
my age, but Bob looked old enough to be my father with his big grey cookie duster moustache
hanging off his upper lip. We enjoyed our lunch with Dave and the conversation never had a lull
as we seemed to talk about everything and anything. Dave was so enamored with us that
wanted us to come to his house that evening for Thanksgiving supper. He first had to clear it
with his wife, but that is where the plan went array. They already had company coming over and
it was not only a matter of having enough food, but also if they had enough room for everyone.
Sheepishly, Dave told us he had to withdraw the invitation as he had just been overruled by his
better half. We surely understood and really did not expect to be added to someones
Thanksgivings day meal plans with such short notice, but we did have fun teasing him about it.
Dave left and we finished at the Home Hardware shortly after, and headed back to the motel.
We had been at the Home Hardware nearly eight hours, but we did not mind as we had the
opportunity to speak to so many people and the day passed very quickly. The fact that the
owner of the Home Hardware allowed us to do the reception five days ahead of schedule was

12

greatly appreciated and we could now move further south and to warmer temperatures deep in
the Okanagan Valley.
We did have one errand to run before returning to the motel as we had almost exhausted our
supply of CraigGivesBack business cards. We stopped at the Staples office supplies store, but we
were told that any printing was done in Vancouver and was then sent out to the store. As we
were leaving tomorrow, picking them up at the Vernon store was not an option, so they
suggested we stop at the Kelowna Staples which was a larger store and the printing could be
done onsite. As we were spending three days in Kelowna this should work.
Back at the motel and we nestled Janus back in the laundry room and Bob and I headed out to
the Safeway down the street to pickup groceries and our own Thanksgiving dinner. We picked
up chicken, potato salad and pumpkin pie and headed back to enjoy it in our room and simply be
thankful for how far we had come and amazingly survived and continued on regardless the
challenges we had encountered. We were thankful for everyone who had helped us make this
possible.
DAY #71 Sunday, October 13, 2013 Thanksgiving in Kelowna.

Day#71: 55kms Vernon, BC to Kelowna, BC

It was time to continue so we packed up and left Vernon for Kelowna. We thought we would be
safe from any major climbs, however we would have two to deal with today, each about
100metres in elevation gain. The first one started just on the outskirts of Vernon and we climbed

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up and up and up. It was still early so we had lots of energy to climb and other than being good
and sweaty, we were rewarded with a gorgeous view from our now high perspective looking
down at Kalamalka Lake. This is truly a beautiful part of Canada.
We only had less than 60kms to travel from Vernon to Kelowna, so we had plenty of time to relax
and enjoy the scenery. It was also the warmest temperature that we had been able to enjoy for
some time, likely since before Sault Ste Marie back in Ontario.
Arriving in Kelowna it was a similar experience as when we arrived in Vernon with increasing
traffic and it becoming more and more precarious trying to stay on this main thoroughfare. As it
was early afternoon and we had nothing more than a few granola bars since breakfast, we
decided to stop at a Boston Pizza. It was on the opposite side of the three lane divided highway
that we were on, but no problem and after some careful lane hoping we made a left turn and
into the parking lot of a large shopping centre. We locked up Janus outside and headed inside
and before long we were both enjoying our favourite meal.
Just our luck today and the Kelowna Staples store was located in the mall adjacent to the Boston
Pizza restaurant, so after finishing lunch we headed over. The young man at the Staples store
almost guaranteed our business cards would be printed and ready for pickup tomorrow
afternoon. It sounded great and returning tomorrow to pick them up was no problem.
After our great experience at the hostel in Lake Louise, I had located another hostel in Kelowna
and after calling to confirm they had a vacancy we found a route on Google Maps that did not
include the highway we had just left. It was a fast trip as the road descended gradually down
towards the core of the city and Okanagan Lake.
When we arrived at Kelowna International Hostel, it was not exactly like Lake Louise Hostel.
Take away the large rustic building that blended in with the natural surroundings and switch it
with a bungalow that almost blended in with the other bungalows in the neighborhood, only this
one stood out with a colourful paint scheme and a large hand painted sign on the front. We
parked our bike and I left Bob to guard our valuables, or what we had that was of value to us.
I headed inside what was a house filled with students, migrant seasonal workers and even a guy
there older than us that was simply trying to get away from dealing with the personal issues of
his own life. The great thing was everyone was friendly, but my primary concern was where
could we secure Janus for the night. After some discussion with the staff we decided to lock it
up on the deck. We were going to lock it as this was a city and the staff admitted they had bikes
stolen that were locked underneath the deck. We hoped if we locked it up at the back and out of
sight from the street we would be ok and anyways who could ride it other than us! Also it was a
warm evening and a few of the young residents would be socializing out on the deck most of the
night and without knowing it keeping Janus safe with their presence.
This was now Thanksgiving Sunday and the residents and staff of the hostel had arranged for a
potluck out on the deck in the evening. As there were visitors there from not just across Canada,
but from around the world, there were some very interesting looking dishes being prepared in
the kitchen. As the kitchen was busy and Bob and I had nothing to donate to the meal, I headed
down the street and to the closest grocery store and returned with an assortment of cheese and
crackers. I even brought back a few Guinness beer. I got busy cutting cheese into small squares
and creating an attractive cheese and cracker platter. Out on the deck tables were pushed
together and all available chairs were taken outside. In total there were over twenty people at
the potluck, except for one as Bob had chosen to stay in our room down in the basement.

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As does most who suffer a disease that affects their eyesight, Bob suffers from night blindness
which makes it difficult to discern shapes from shadows. Bob is uncomfortable being amongst
large crowds as he has no peripheral vision, and that makes it difficult to move around without
bumping into people. There were a few lights out on the deck, but was still poorly lit and I could
understand why Bob opted not to attend. I had offered to take him down some food, but he had
filled up on granola bars and jujubes and so I left him after a couple futile attempts to coax him
out on the deck.
Four Guinness and a belly full of food from traditional Canadian fare to sushi and I was done for
the night. I left the youngsters to spend the balance of the night out on the deck. The
conversations from the deck drifted down into our open basement window, but soon I was sound
asleep.
DAY #72 Monday, October 14, 2013 The Wormans take us in.
As usual we were up early and keen to get some coffee and help prepare breakfast for the other
residents. The two staff members were up in their pajamas and showed me where all the
kitchen pots and pans were located. I mixed up some pancake batter and cooked up a few
pancakes. More than enough for Bob and I, but a couple other residents showed up so they did
not go to waste. Everyone else was sleeping in after a late night!
Bob and I cleaned up our dishes and then got our gear ready and brought Janus back down off
the deck. The staff had told us to let them know when we were leaving, so we gave them the
heads up that we were about to head off and they surprised us with a t-shirt each! It was a nice
sunny morning, but we were only headed a few blocks away today as we were planning on
staying in Kelowna until Wednesday morning.
Yesterday, we had received a text from Shane Worman inviting us to stay with him and his family
at their home in Kelowna. Shane, Lisa, Eric and Joel were the family I had the good fortune to
meet on Newfoundland. I was headed west and they were headed east. I was on Day #8 of my
bike tour and they were on Day #99 of theirs. I enjoyed meeting them in Newfoundland and
also both Lisas parents who were cycling with them as well. They were inspirational to meet as
they had cycled across this country together as a family. I always encourage people to do things
with their children such as register for and run a 5km race, however this was simply amazing.
So we did not have far to go today, not more than a dozen city blocks south to travel before we
arrived at their home. Shane was at work, Joel and Eric at school, but Lisa was there to greet us
and immediately made us feel completely at home. We stored our bike in the garage, took our
gear inside the house and Bob got his own bedroom and a got the large room around the corner
from Bob all to myself. Between us was our own washroom and shower. Once we had settled
in, Lisa had to head out to run some errands, so Bob and I headed out to enjoy the warm
weather and explore Kelowna. We first stopped at the Marmalade Cat Caf for lunch. The name
of the coffee shop made me want to go inside! It was busy, but service was friendly and the
food tasted great. We then headed further down the street and eventually ended up at a
grocery store to purchase supplies and also flowers for Lisa. They kept telling us to simply relax
and not worry about buying any food, but we wanted to contribute what we could and who does
not like receiving flowers!
We now headed back to meet up with the Wormans who had invited us to go, believe it or not
on an afternoon cycling trip around Kelowna and up to the top of Knox Mountain. The city of
Kelowna is essentially flat except for Knox Mountain which rises up 300metres above the
surrounding terrain.

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Thankfully the Wormans are well stocked with bicycles and Bob and I were not forced to ride our
recumbent up the mountain! We each chose a mountain bike and then the six of us left in a
bicycle convoy to follow the waterfront first through streets and then on bicycle and walking
trails. We were given a great tour and we had time to stop and visit a statue of Ogopogo, the
mythical sea serpent that inhabits the waters of Lake Okanagan. We also visited the Blue Bear
which made an appearance on the reality series, Amazing Race Canada.
We were so grateful to be on mountain bikes, as when we reached Knox Mountain the road
would serpentine back and forth up the steep incline. I dropped into a low gear and spun at a
high cadence up the hill, but it was not easy. I could not even imagine taking Janus up this
steep climb. Nope, I could not even imagine that and I would have stopped and tossed it over
the guard rail! It was nice to ride an upright bike and use different muscles for a change.
We all made it to the top and took the opportunity to stop and enjoy the view overlooking Lake
Okanagan. Then we had the pleasure of descending back down the mountain. Bob who being
legally blind did ride his own bike as he does quite often back home in Lyons Brook, only for his
own safety he will follow closely the rider in front of him hoping he or she avoids pot holes and
does not brake suddenly. We did all make it safely back down and headed back along the
waterfront and back to the Wormans home. We had a wonderful meal and also great
conversation as the Wormans had not only biked across Canada this year, but across the United
States last year and through Europe the year before. We also had the pleasure of listening to
both Eric and Joel practice on the piano. It was wonderful here and we slept soundly that night.
DAY #73 Tuesday, October 15, 2013 Goodbye cookie duster!
We rose to have breakfast with the Wormans before Shane headed off to work and Eric and Joel
headed off to school. Lisa was leaving to bike with the boys to work and Bob and I were going
to spend the day exploring Kelowna.
We retrieved Janus from the garage and headed along the waterfront trying to remember which
streets we had turned on yesterday as we tried to follow the same route back to the waterfront
park. Once we had reached the waterfront park where the statue of Ogopogo was located we
knew we had taken the correct route.
The surface of the waterfront walk is interlocking brick with a cement curb that was not much
higher than the bricks, but it separated the bricks from the lawn. It also meant the path was
straight rather than winding or when it did turn it was a right angle and with a bicycle that was
ten feet long it was not always possible to negotiate the tight turn without running across the
grass. It was a beautiful morning with the suns rays just starting to feel warm when I took a
corner and ran over the curb and grass. My wheel crossed over the curb fine, but the rear wheel
crossing at an angle began to slide sideways rather than roll over the cement curb. Then the
bike started to tip as the back end swung around so I quickly put my feet down to catch it and
stop it from falling over, however when I looked back there was Bob lying on the ground. To this
day we still disagree, as I say Bob fell off the bike on his own yet he insists it was an operator
error. I dont think we will ever settle it. Luckily it was so early in the morning there were no
witnesses around. It was not so much important to determine blame, but more important no
one saw us as after almost 8,000kms it would have been embarrassing.
We really had no schedule to follow today for a change and it was nice. We did want to visit our
CNIB contact Dave who had stopped to visit with us at the Home Hardware in Vernon. First we

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stopped at the Blue Bear for some photos. It was so nice just to take a day off and do touristy
things!
We did find the CNIB office and Dave took us around for a tour and we met all the staff.
Although the office itself is quite small they do have a room dedicated to teaching someone with
a sight impairment how to manage in the kitchen. It is amazing how many clients each CNIB
office across Canada looks after and also each office is responsible for large regions in the
Province.
Lisa and Shane are both cancer survivors and each year they arrange the annual Terry Fox Run
in Kelowna. I can only imagine how smoothly the run goes each year as Lisa seems very
organized. She had been working before we had arrived and had a list of media for us to contact
and one on the list was the CBC Radio studio in downtown Kelowna, but before we went there
Bob and I needed haircuts as our last one was a month and a half ago in Ottawa.
We were not that fussy, but also we did not need a fancy salon as we were looking for the basic
clippers to the head and all one length type of haircut. We found the perfect one and I went first
shaving my hair down to a number two clipper setting which definitely left it short. The shock
was not how short my hair was, it was a crazy looking electric contraption that the barber placed
on her hand and used to massage my neck. It was new to me and was definitely different. Bob
was next and I had to leave to visit the washroom and when I came back Bobs moustache was
gone! Bob always has a moustache and from Nova Scotia to British Columbia it had grown into
quite the cookie duster and almost covered his mouth. Even when he did on the rare occasion
smile for a photo you could not even see that he was smiling, but now it was gone. Funny, but I
think the reason he finally got rid of it was teasing from my wife with her Facebook comments
asking him to get it trimmed as it was mostly white and made him look old. I still tease him and
thank his wife Laureen for sharing the story of Bob being offered the seniors discount at a
restaurant in Newfoundland a couple days before they saw us off at the YMCA in St. Johns. I
am never going to forget that story even if he does shave off his moustache and he looks
younger than me. The good news for Bob is without the moustache which is mostly white, now
people would finally stop assuming he was my father!
We headed down the street and stopped at CBC Radio to see if we could get an impromptu
interview and surprisingly we were successful! When we eventually would return to the
Wormans, Lisa would tell us our interview was running with the regular news and we even got to
hear it too.
We did also stop at the local television station that was also on Lisas list, however we were not
so successful. They did want to cover the story, but the television crews were currently occupied
and they asked if we could return the next day which of course was not possible as we would be
on our way to Penticton. We left our business card behind with the link to our website and
Facebook page. Now we had one errand left and that meant a little bike ride back to the office
supplies store to pick up our new business cards.
We encountered two problems when we arrived at the Staples store. One was the young man
who took our order yesterday was not working and our bigger problem was our business cards
had not arrived and would not be there until tomorrow. The only solution was when our
business cards did arrive back from Vancouver at the store in Kelowna was to have them shipped
to the Staples store in Penticton and we would pick them up on Thursday. Friday morning we
would be departing Penticton and making our way west, so definitely had to have them in
Penticton by Thursday. It would be our last chance until Vancouver and we were now completely
out of business cards which made it much more challenging to get people to visit our Facebook
page.

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We had now finished our errands for the day and it was back to the Wormans. We took the
same route we had taken yesterday on a busy, but safe street with a bike lane and a gradual
slope down to the Kelowna waterfront. We had virtually no gear on our bike so we were light
and fast on this street. We easily passed any cyclists travelling in the same direction and one
cyclist tried to stay with us. We would quickly pull away, but he would catch up to us at the red
lights and started asking questions. Another great thing about our bicycle was with Bob or Craig
facing the opposite direction it was easy for them to carry on a conversation with any cyclist that
was following us and for the next kilometer Bob and this cyclist did just that.
We arrived back at the Worman residence by late afternoon, but no one else was home yet so
we stole away to a grocery store that was close by. They are all very healthy eaters so we
wanted to replace some of the fresh produce they had shared with us. We also needed to
purchase some additional supplies like soap!
We had another wonderful meal and with all six of us avid cyclists, there was always something
to talk about. Eric was the older son, but both he and Joel were so entertaining to listen to.
Both had a mischievous grin and liked to tease, but they were both amazing. They were so
excited about life and the experiences they had together as a family. You could just see the love
and respect they had for each other and it was one of the closest families I have ever met. I
know it is not possible for everyone to do what this family has done together, however maybe
someday Canada will focus more on creating infrastructure for healthy alternative transportation.
Then more and more Canadians will not only cycle, but cycle with their families and share similar
experiences. Maybe
Shane had self published a book of their cycling trip across the United States in 2012. I had
started reading and looking through the pictures the night prior until I could not keep my eyes
open any longer. I knew I would not finish it in two nights, but again I thumbed through it until
I fell asleep for our final night here in Kelowna.

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DAY #74 Wednesday, October 16, 2013 Scooters everywhere!

Day#74: 68kms Kelowna, BC to Penticton, BC

We had our final breakfast with the Wormans. Eric and Joel left for school and Shane was going
to go in to work late so he could see us off. Actually I think he had been wanting to take Janus
for a drive as who wouldnt, and this would be a great opportunity! We had gathered our gear
out on the back step and brought out Janus from the garage and Shane asked if he could take it
for a spin. We were glad to oblige and he took to it immediately and went up and down the
street a few times. No problem for him at all and we were impressed with how quickly he
learned as it was his first time on a recumbent. It is really not that hard so long as you stay
relaxed. Most people tense up and lean forward on the seat and then it becomes virtually
impossible to maintain your balance. You have to lean back against the seat and then it is easy
and the faster you go the easier to balance just like any bicycle.
We thanked our wonderful Kelowna hosts and mounted Janus and headed off along the
waterfront following the same route as the past two days. We had two options to travel from
Kelowna to Penticton, each about the same distance of 70kms. The difference was in the hills so
we chose the lesser of the two evils. We would travel the west side of Okanagan Lake and would
have to endure a couple of climbs of 200metres and the route would be up and down until we
reached the community of Summerland and finally we would feel like superheroes as we
descended down to Penticton. To go the other way we would have had a 900mere climb, but if
we survived it then we could enjoy nothing but downhill to Penticton after we reached the
summit.

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The scenery was beautiful and we took our time occasionally stopping to take pictures. During
one stop a vehicle pulled off the road and the occupants got out and came over and offered us
lodging for the night if we did not already have something arranged. Jimi and Janine gave us
their business card as they actually arrange bicycle trips through Europe. I wondered if Bob had
wished they had arranged our trip as they had a support vehicle!
Back home I had previously worked for a company in Moncton, NB, MacArthurs Quality Flowers
& Plants. While working there I often spoke with our accounting clerk Bev, and had met both her
children Nick and Alicia who had worked there during the summer. Well Alicia was all graduated
from university and now working and living with her husband Chris in the community of
Penticton. Through Facebook she had asked if we would like to stay at their house when passing
through. Originally we were going to stay an extra night in Kelowna, but wanting to see her we
changed our plans. We had already booked a one night stay at the hostel in Penticton and they
had waived all costs for our stay so I did not want to appear ungrateful to either so we would
split our stay with one night with Alicia and Chris and the second night at the Penticton Hostel.
While on our way to Penticton we decide to stop in Summerland to have lunch. We turned off
the main highway and it actually quite little bit of a pedal to reach the downtown where all the
shops and restaurants are located as it is a few kilometers out of our way and also uphill most of
the way. Along the way we are seeing electric scooter after electric scooter, with a single wheel
in the front and dual wheels on the rear. Some were just the basic model, but others were
outfitted with a roof and vinyl windows to keep out the rain. They seemed to be everywhere. It
was almost like the campgrounds back in Quebec! Apparently Summerland is a very popular
retirement community. Being in the Okanagan Valley it has a mild climate and it is less
expensive than living down at the bottom of the hill and right on the lakefront in Penticton.
Penticton is right on Okanagan Lake and actually the only thing separating Penticton from the
lake is the beach! Penticton was so flat we loved it and had no problems whatsoever getting
around. We met Alicia at the physio clinic where she is the Office Manager and her husband
Chris showed up on his bicycle as he was going to be our escort to their house. We have had a
few RCMP officers escort us before, but they were always in a police car. This is the first time we
had a police escort on a bicycle, however he was off duty and dressed like a cyclist not like a
policeman.
This country is so large, however in other ways so small as here we were across the other side of
the country and here we were staying with two other Maritimers. Alicia is from Moncton, NB and
Chris is from the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia.
We had a great evening together and in addition to being great hosts, Alicia and Chris were
terrific cooks. I just loved the pasta with an olive oil and herb sauce, but they confessed it had
been purchased premade from the local restaurant The Pasta Factory. It was now on my list as
a place to eat before we left Penticton!
DAY #75 Thursday, October 17, 2013 Two Thanksgiving dinners in one burger!
Once again we had a day off to do nothing but act like tourists in Penticton. Chris left early to
start his shift and we departed at the same time Alicia left to go to her job for the day. So it was
up to Bob and I to find things to keep ourselves busy today.
We first headed to the waterfront and beach. As we were staying inside the city limits for the
day and it was such a small and flat city I figured we would not encounter any mechanical issues
and so I left our repair kit behind. Not the best decision, Bob would remind me later.

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The Okanagan Valley is known for producing a lot of peaches and on the beach they have one
massive tribute. We stopped to get a picture at the large peach statue and then I had to find a
public washroom so I left Bob on his own with Janus. When I returned Bob was relaxed and
sitting on the rear seat talking to a couple that wanted to talk about the unique features of our
odd looking bike. Bob had not even noticed that his tire was now flat. I accused him of
sabotaging our bike just so he can spend longer in Penticton hanging out at the beach. It was of
course not Bobs fault the tire was flat, but it was now Lloyds fault that we could not repair it as
I had left the repair kit behind. I knew there were at least a couple bike shops nearby so thanks
to Google Maps I found The Bike Barn, who coincidently were going to be at the reception
arranged for us at the Home Hardware in Penticton the day we were to depart.
We walked Janus a few blocks to the bike shop and when we arrived they took us in right away
into the back shop and quickly they had the rear wheel off. The issue was that a sharp section of
the broken rim had worked its way through the electrical tape that I had wrapped it with. They
added another layer of rim tape and installed a new tube and then Janus was ready for the road
again. They fixed it right away and refused to take any payment. The employee that worked on
our bike said he would see us tomorrow morning at the Home Hardware.
Now it was getting close to noon and for whatever reason I had a craving for a hamburger and
fries. We had asked Alicia and Chris if there was a food bus merchant downtown and they both
immediately recommended Burger 55. It was not hard to find, but it was not in a bus, however
it was in a tiny concrete building. It was standing room and takeout only, but had picnic tables
outside. Bob of course had meat with a bun and no onions, tomato or lettuce or anything
resembling a vegetable. I ordered a Thanksgiving Turkey Burger and I also doubled it up. They
warned me that doubling up it was well over a pound of food, but I had no reservations that I
would be able to eat the entire thing. It did taste like turkey dinner and included cranberry sauce
and potatoes. I could have eaten a second one, but we had to get going. We now needed to go
to the Staples store and hopefully pickup 500 new business cards.
Again no issue getting around as Penticton is so flat and traffic was light. We were at the Staples
store and I left Bob to stay with Janus while I ran in to pickup our package. The lady behind the
desk was busy and therefore had minimal patience. She could not find my order nor any record
of my order so I was about to leave disappointed when she said she would check one last time
and eureka, there were our business cards. There was still no record of the order and nothing
indicating the cost, so out of frustration she told me to take them free of charge. I definitely
appreciated it, but I think rather than generosity it was more due to the work to contact the
other branches and locate the order record was more effort than she was willing to invest. I
guess I got lucky as a penny saved is an extra penny towards our three charities. Outside Bob
was again explaining our tour to someone and now I had a business card to hand him so he
could visit our Facebook site. It did not matter where we stopped, it was almost inevitable that
at least one person would stop to ask us questions. It is the reason we kept exhausting our
inventory of business cards.
Now we had to head back to Alicia and Chriss house to gather our belongings as tonight we
were staying at the Penticton Hostel free of charge! Alicia arrived home from work before we
departed and we decided that we would all go out for supper tonight and The Pasta Factory
was on the short list for options! We left for the Hostel.
We saw Penticton as a very safe and quite city, but Chris being a police officer knew Penticton
quite well and was a little concerned that we would be staying in an area of the town that he
visited fairly often on police business. It was close to the downtown and business area of town
as many hostels are so that they are convenient, but it looked docile to us. We did feel good

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that the hostel had a garage and we were able to store Janus inside and the door was locked.
With the weather gradually cooling the hostel was not full, but there was an eclectic collection of
residents. The building was older and had been cut up into separate rooms, however it was
comfortable and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. We even got a tour of the
main floor which had a couple good sized sitting rooms and then a nice large shared kitchen. I
imagined this must be quite the happening spot during the peak tourist season.
We had settled in and then Alicia and Chris arrived right on time. We did end up going to The
Pasta Factory and the food was good and again we enjoyed our companions. Chris has a great
sense of humour, and we enjoyed his perspective on his work and how he enjoyed it and some
of the funny situations he had encountered. Time flew and before we knew it we were dropped
off back at the hostel. We thanked Alicia and Chris for their hospitality and headed into the
hostel where we would go straight to bed to get a good night sleep, as tomorrow our adventure
would continue and we would be leaving the Okanagan Valley and heading towards our third
mountain pass, though it would not be near as challenging as the previous two and definitely
easier than the one that would still be left.
DAY #76 Friday, October 18, 2013 76.5kms/hr!

Day#76: 113kms Penticton, BC to Princeton, BC

We were up early as we had to get some breakfast into our stomachs and be at the Penticton
Home Hardware for our reception which was from 9:30am to 10:00am. We were spoiled today
as we had a group of local riders that would serve as our escort for a portion of the morning.

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Bob and I quickly biked to a downtown diner for breakfast. The restaurant did not open until
8am and we were early, but hoped it was going to open on time so we would not have to rush.
No one showed up at eight oclock to open and as the minutes ticked by, I became more
concerned we might have to start the day without breakfast which would not be good as we had
a climb to get out of the Okanagan Valley today. A pretty descent climb! A lone waitress finally
showed up and Bob and I and a local regular filed in and found a place to sit. The restaurant
had been well worn over the years and judging from the mens washroom this morning it served
as a drinking spot in the evenings. Coffee came quickly followed by our food and the waitress
was very talkative and wanted to know about our trip. Before we knew it we were back on the
bike and heading to the Home Hardware.
When we pulled into the Home Hardware The Bike Barn employee we had met yesterday was
there with a tent and had helmets and other items to give away for raffle draws to raise money.
We were also happy to see Alicia and Chris there to see us off. Later I would find out in a text
from Alicia that she ended up winning one of the bike helmets! We were also happy to meet our
escort crew which consisted of a half dozen men in their 60s and 70s all dressed in spandex and
sporting some very fast looking road bikes. They called themselves the CPP Road Riders, which
basically meant that if you were old enough to collect your Canada Pension Plan, then you were
old enough to join their bike group!
The Home Hardware staff came out for a group picture, and happily we had various media
present. We did a couple of laps around the parking lot with our escort group to allow them to
get pictures and video before we exited the parking lot and waved goodbye as we disappeared
down the street. The first portion of our ride today was very flat as we made our way south
from Penticton through the beautiful Okanagan Valley, but it was to end soon as we had to turn
and head west and up out of the valley. At first the members of our escort were impressed with
how fast we could make the our Janus freight train move along as we cruised at close to
30kms/hr through the flat portion, but then we started climbing and climbing up and up.
We had nearly 115kms to ride today and after 10kms of flat, we now had 15kms of steep climbs
and Bob and I geared down and got into a rhythm. Our escorts were 15-20 years our seniors
and they climbed the hill effortlessly without stopping, so if they did not take a break then there
was no way we were stopping to take a break either! Thankfully around two thirds the way up
an almost 500metre climb they had pulled off the side of the road to hydrate and eat. We did
the same and we were so thankful for the break as our legs were burning after the long climb.
Our escorts were terrific the entire time and they would take turns looping back and biking with
us. It was great to have the company and also they talked to us the entire time asking questions
and joking with each other. These guys were in terrific shape and why not, as out here in the
Okanagan Valley you can bicycle twelve months of the year. We were jealous.
As we reached the summit of our climb, the riders had stopped to say goodbye. I asked if they
were turning back, but they were not. They were going to continue on the same route as us, but
at the next exit would be turning left to head back to Penticton, while we would turn right to
head to Princeton where we would stay for the night. I asked why they were saying goodbye as
we were following the same route for the next while and they explained it was because the next
ten kilometers was a long, long descent into the valley and they knew they would not be able to
keep up with us and they were right.
We all headed off together, but as they had expected, our speed increased rapidly and the space
between us grew further and further. Back in the summer training with Craig we on occasion
had reached speeds in excess of 70kms/hr, and in Newfoundland had reached our maximum
speed of 72kms/hr. How fast we could go depended on a few factors including the quality of the
road surface, how steep the decline was and if there was a cross wind which could be dangerous

23

at high speeds. Well today everything was in our favour and even the traffic on the road was
very light, so I let out the reins and we kept going faster and faster setting a new speed record
for Janus of over 76kms/hr. We had put so much distance between us and our fellow cyclists
that even when we stopped for a washroom break they still did not catch us, however we had
been travelling at around 70kms/hr for well over 10kms. The kilometers go by quickly at those
speeds!
At the intersection where we turned right, there was a market selling fruit and vegetables so we
stopped to stock up on some healthy food. I bought a half dozen fresh pears and ate two before
we had even left the parking lot. We had been surviving on granola bars and pasta, so it was
going to be interesting how my digestive system reacted to this sudden influx of fresh fruit.
The scenery was again beautiful, but the mountains that surrounded us appeared much more
arid than the snow topped peaks we had seen through the Kicking Horse Pass and Rogers Pass.
There were also massive boulders that seemed to have been dropped from the sky as they were
oddly sitting in middle of fields and alongside the road. We had been biking now for most of the
day and it was late afternoon when a vehicle stopped ahead of us and a gentleman around our
age with two teenage girls waited alongside the road for us to arrive.
The ride from the farm market until now which took approximately three hours was almost
entirely uphill. It was not a steep climb by any measure, but it was uphill and so we kept a
steady although moderately slow pace. The three people now standing on the road beside us
were from a local retreat that was designed to help out children with challenges. They asked if
we would consider returning back over five kilometers and speak to the children at the retreat.
They thought for us to talk about our ride and about giving back was the perfect inspiration for
the audience we would have. I feel bad about this to this day, but I could not commit to going
back. The time it would take back track and then to speak to the children, we would never make
up the distance and time to reach Princeton before dark and there was nothing in between.
They had no way to transport us and Janus in their vehicle and therefore we would be adding
another ten or more kilometers to our distance today. We regretfully declined their offer, but we
reciprocated and offered to speak with the children if they were able to bring them that evening
to Princeton. They did not have a vehicle large enough to carry all the kids so that was not an
option either. We thanked them for stopping and asking us, but for the safety of the team I had
to make the decision to continue on.
We had stopped a couple of times to refuel with granola bars and by now I had eaten all the
fresh fruit I purchased earlier. We were getting nearer to Princeton where we would stay tonight
and I started to get an uncomfortable feeling that I would need to make a pit stop, but I was
hoping to wait. The landscape was dry with mostly grasses and the occasional small tree so it
had little in the way of privacy to offer. Finally I could take it no more and I quickly stopped the
bike on the gravel shoulder while kept shifting my weight from one foot to the other as I
impatiently searched and found our emergency toilet paper roll. I sprinted across the field, found
a deep ditch that gave a bit of cover so not to shock any traffic passing by. I swore to myself I
was going to stick to our regular diet for the rest of the trip and avoid any more close calls. We
did only have two changes of biking clothes!
When we reached Princeton we headed up the main street and ended up in front of the building
that housed the local newspaper. Thanks to a local resident who knew the editor of the
newspaper, we ended up being interviewed out on the street. We then had three options for
local accommodation and we took the advice of our new found acquaintances, we headed off to
the Ponderosa Motel.

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Then Ponderosa Motel had a couple interesting things going for it. It served sushi, which we
unfortunately had arrived too late to enjoy. Well I would have enjoyed it, but Bob would not
have so it really was not an option anyways. The room was clean and comfortable and we were
able to take Janus in for the night, but the most interesting thing was actually outside in the
parking lot.
While I was in the office paying for our room, Bob had met Rick and his electric bike Light
Dragon, and was getting the full explanation of all the features of the vehicle. The vehicle had
been manufactured by Rick using the front of a typical electric scooter only the rear wheel had
been removed and replaced with two wheels and a box so was now essentially a three wheeled
scooter. It was also pulling a trailer and on the trailer and also the box of the scooter were large
solar panels. In the trailer were foam panels and with these Rick could construct a sleeping
space inside the trailer and the foam served as his insulation to keep him warm inside. He was
quite proud of his independence from the grid, however we wondered to ourselves why he was
here at the motel if he was indeed independent, but I suppose everyone needs a shower and
cable television every once in a while.
We would both be passing through the Allison Pass starting tomorrow. We would complete the
pass and be in Hope in two days, but it sounded like Rick would be a few days completing the
trip. To save the battery he would walk beside the scooter on uphill climbs and if the elevation
gain was too great, there would not be sufficient charge in the battery to reach the top and he
would have to stop on the side of the road and spend the night, allowing the solar panels to
charge the batteries during hours of daylight until he had power to continue on. He had started
his trip back in Thunder Bay and was planning to reach Victoria where he would spend the winter
living in the trailer of his electric scooter. He seemed to have a good grasp on electronics or at
least knew enough to sound like an authority. He could have been a genius for all I knew, but I
did realize quickly after speaking with him that he was committed to finishing his trip and I had
full confidence that he would.

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DAY #77 Saturday, October 19, 2013 Up, up, down, up, up, down, up, up

Day#77: 67kms Princeton, BC to E.C. Manning Provincial Park, BC

Today would prove to be the single most challenging day of the entire trip. We were in
Princeton, BC and at the base of Allison Pass, which was actually the lowest elevation of all the
other mountain passes through which we had passed to date. The total distance we had to
cover today was less than 70kms so we did have time to pace ourselves, but regardless it was
going to be a long and hard day of cycling.
First I had to prepare myself for the final mountain pass, so I taped both my legs as although I
no longer had any pain when I pedaled, I did not want to aggravate either injury and leave all
the pedaling to Bob. This would be the last time, but better safe than sorry. We packed up and
stopped for breakfast.
The night previous we had dined out for supper and although the restaurant was fairly new and
looked promising for a good meal, it was a bit of a disappointment as the value was not in the
meal and the food was, well unexciting. We even stopped at the grocery store on the walk back
to the motel to get some extra calories.
This morning we stopped for breakfast at an older restaurant and inside it was clean, but the
fixtures were well broken in. The breakfast however, was wonderful. It just reinforced my belief
that you cannot go wrong with breakfast. A couple of runny eggs, bacon and toast just taste
wonderful no matter how you cook them, and then add some pancakes and we were now ready
to tackle our next challenge. We would be in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains for the balance of
the day with no guarantee we would even have supper other than as many granola bars that we
could stomach.
After a wonderful breakfast, we left the restaurant and turned right onto the highway and started
to climb immediately. We would eventually gain almost 700metres in elevation, however we

26

would go up and then the road would go down and then up and then down, so ultimately we
climbed much, much more than 700metres, but at the end the day we would be 1,300metres
above sea level.
We reached the top of the first climb and the road flattened out and we started to pick up speed,
when once again there was a vehicle parked on the side of the road ahead of us. A couple was
waiting for us holding a newspaper which turned out to be from Penticton and Bob and I were on
the front page. Just by coincidence this couple had passed us and realized who we were so
stopped hoping to get a picture with us. Bob and I did not mind at all as it was still early and a
beautiful sunny day. Then just as we were about to pedal away, they wished us luck and the
gentleman pointed and told us we had a long climb today and I followed his arm out to his finger
and up to the horizon and then I saw it. It was the highway we were on winding back and forth
up the mountain until it disappeared out of sight. It was going to be a long day!
We continued on following the edge of a mountain on our right when we descended down into a
narrow valley and then the road turned left as it crossed a bridge and then even more sharply
left again and now we began climbing another mountain with the mountain on our right and the
cliff thankfully across the other side of the road on our left. The morning was cool and on this
side of the mountain we were in deep shade with the sun hidden behind the mountain. The road
was shiny and I was unsure if the moisture was frozen so we stopped so I could check. It would
really not be an optimal situation to have both wheels slide out from underneath us and risk
injury or damage to Janus. It was also a very narrow older section of road and we had to be
very aware of traffic approaching from either direction as there was little more than sufficient
room for two vehicles to pass by each other.
The climbs were steep, the descents seemed even steeper. We passed more runaway truck
ramps, where truckers could ditch if their brakes failed, we passed parking areas for truckers to
stop and check their brakes before they descended and we even passed evidence of a recent
truck accident which had dumped a load of wood chips on the shoulder of the road and in the
ditch. I do not envy anyone who drives this mountain pass in a camper van, let alone a massive
transport truck.
Every day it seemed the sun disappeared sooner behind the mountains that surrounded us, and
today was no exception. It also cools off quickly in the evening so we were glad we had now
finally arrived at E.C.Manning Provincial Park and we pulled off the highway. According to our
schedule we were to camp here at the campground and it was actually still open to campers this
late in the season, however all services such as running water had been turned off for the winter.
We and especially Bob were elated to find out it was the off season as we were after the busy
summer camping season and it was also before the skiers arrived at this resort, so we actually
were able to stay indoors at the resort for almost the same cost as a campsite. They helped us
to store Janus downstairs in the games room and we headed off to get something to eat before
the restaurant closed for the night. Yes, awesomely there was a restaurant right on site! I
ordered a very large and cholesterol laden hamburger covered with bacon. It was a luxurious
treat and the cost of our meal was amazingly reasonable.
Back at our room it was actually Bobs turn to do laundry, so that gave me time to send pictures
to Kristin for our Facebook page and also to send Craig an update on our progress. To reach the
clothes washer and dryer Bob had to leave the building and cross the parking lot. I did the
laundry the last time and to keep it fair we alternated. I had washed our clothes back at the
Wormans in Kelowna which was conveniently located just down the hall from the kitchen. It was
not quite as convenient for Bob, but we agreed to take turns and it was not my fault we were
staying at someones house every time I seem to do laundry! We cannot change the rules every
single time it does not seem fair for someone! It is just the way the cookie crumbles, and hey I

27

got us here safely so why not let Bob do laundry. He did not fold my clean clothes anymore as
he was on to me that I never folded anything. Even back at home I only fold cottons and we did
not have any cottons. Who folds underwear anyways!
DAY #78 Sunday, October 20, 2013 What happens on the road, stays on the road.

Day#78: 67kms E.C. Manning Provincial Park, BC to Hope, BC

We were up early just as the sun was poking out above the mountains in the east and the
ground was covered in a heavy frost. It was cold, however would warm quickly and it promised
to be a sunny and reasonably warm day for us.
We returned to the same restaurant as last night, which happens to be the only restaurant and
had a hearty breakfast. We also had a conversation with our waitress and two ladies at the
neighboring table about our trip. They also told us about a man who was walking across Canada
pushing a three wheeled jogging cart. He had stayed there the night before us and therefore we
should catch him if not today, then tomorrow for sure.
We retrieved Janus out of the basement and packed up for todays trip, which would be almost
the same distance as yesterday of less than 70kms finishing at Hope, BC. We could hope it
would be all downhill as it was from the summit of the Rogers Pass to Revelstoke, but we still
had a few kilometers to go before we reached the actual summit. Based on the incredibly
challenging up and down terrain yesterday, we were not sure what to expect today.
We headed west and continued a slow and steady climb until we reached the summit which was
marked by a sign which seemed to welcome us to the 1,342 metre elevation. This being late
October the sun was lower in the sky as it arced from east to west and this left sections of the

28

south side of the road shaded all day from the suns rays and at the summit there remained a
snow bank from the snowfall that had occurred nearly three weeks ago. It was almost melted by
the warmth of the day and what remained was covered in grey and black gravel and debris, but
it was there. We still had our two studded tires hanging off the sides of Janus, but we were
very, very happy we never did have to use them.
The road was just as yesterday with steep descents, steep inclines, narrow sharp turns and I do
not know how a truck driver would maintain their sanity if they had to pass back and forth
through this mountain pass in the summer, let a alone the winter. The highway did eventually
start to level out as we descended into the beautiful Fraser Valley. It was as beautiful in the
Rogers Pass and we could have stopped every few minutes to catch even another breath taking
photo, and we did do this, but we also had to continue to make steady progress to our final
destination.
As we neared the town of Hope, we passed the site of the Hope Slide, which was the largest ever
recorded landslide in Canada and occurred back in 1965. Four residents lost their lives and the
total volume of rock involved in the landslide was estimated at 47 million cubic metres. This is a
rugged and beautiful part of Canada, but the power of mother nature always prevails.
We arrived at Hope and it is a beautiful town situated at the base of a large mountain. At the
entrance to the town there were gas stations and also a very busy restaurant, and busy was a
good sign it would be a good place to get some supper. While we sat inside eating our meal and
looking out the front window, at least a dozen diners stopped and looked and discussed amongst
themselves the very odd looking tandem bicycle parked outside. Janus always attracts attention
just as I always knew it would.
We finished our meal and we were now right back on our original schedule after spending the
extra time in the Okanagan Valley and we also were planning to stick with the schedule and as
planned use our tents one last time and we headed off to the Coquihalla Canyon Campground.
The campground itself was very, very nice nestled in under a grove of very tall and large
evergreen trees. We tried to book a campsite, but after explaining the nature of our bike ride the
owner refused to let us camp for the night and insisted we stay in their vacant trailer which was
only used when their daughter and her family visited. I could not see Bob as he was standing
behind me when the owner told me this, but I knew he was smiling as Bob did not like camping
in the cold and it very likely would be a cold night again as it was cooling off already.
We put our gear in the trailer and locked Janus to the trailer hitch and covered it from view with
sheets of old plywood that were leaning against the trailer. The campground was essentially
located right in the town, so we did not know what the potential was for unwelcome visitors and
we wanted Janus to be there when we woke up in the morning. With everything now in order,
we left to visit the local grocery store and treated ourselves to bananas, chips and smoothies.
Back at the trailer we were well setup with heat and hot water. We had a full washroom and
could have a hot shower before we left in the morning. The only downside was there was
essentially only one bed. It was a double bed, and we both had our own sleeping bags, but still
it was different. We had never had to share a bed the entire trip until now and although neither
of us favoured the arrangement, we put up with it. My worst fear was that Bob would snore all
night, but we were both so tired someone could have backed up to the trailer, attached the hitch
to their vehicle and drove away with us inside, and I do not think we would have woken up.

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DAY #79 Monday, October 21, 2013 Our last century ride.

Day#79: 154kms Hope, BC to Delta, BC

With our night together over, we quickly showered and cleaned up the camper and then one
quick stop to thank our hosts, but it was early and no one was around. We headed up the road
around the corner a couple of times and then arrived back at the same restaurant we had supper
at the previous evening. I knew this was a great spot last night and now I was even more
convinced as there was a lineup to be seated for breakfast. Breakfast was just as wonderful as
supper and we left with full stomachs ready for the long day ahead and today was definitely
going to be a long day.
Our original schedule had us taking two days to reach Vancouver, however there were some
changes made to the schedule. It would make things both harder and easier, but both Bob and I
had agreed on the changes. Originally we were to travel from Hope to Mission, a distance of just
over 100kms and then the next day travel almost 70kms into the city of Vancouver. We would
then spend two nights in Vancouver and on Wednesday we had a reception to attend at the
YMCA and CNIB office and then we would travel to Delta to then spend two nights with my
cousin Kelly and her family. Kelly had grown up in Moncton, NB and we had visited often when I
was a youngster. She had been living in British Columbia for quite a number of years now, and
although she returned home to visit, it was going to be nice to see her and spend some quality
time together. It was a friend of hers that was an avid cyclist that suggested we change our
intended route from north of the Fraser River and through Mission to a more southern a flatter
route through Abbotsford. Trust me, Bob and I were all about flat and nothing interested us
more than a route with no hills, but this would add quite a few kilometers to reach Vancouver, so
we decided to go directly to Kellys place in Delta and also to do it in one day. After we had
pushed hard to reach Calgary I had promised Bob that the rest of the trip would be easier and
we would keep daily mileage to under 100 kilometres. This would be the fourth and last time I
would break that promise as Bob would remind me, and we would have to cover approximately
160kms, or a century ride to reach our destination today.

30

The first portion of our trip today had us following the south bank of the Fraser River until
according to instructions we turned exited the Trans Canada Highway onto the very broad and
flat valley floor. We actually had very detailed directions, which indicated approximately how far
we would travel on each road and when to turn left or right and I had spent much of the prior
evening going through in detail. The large valley would be a mix of both rural and urban. Once
we had left the highway we followed a quiet rural road that ran adjacent to a meandering
stream. There had been rain just before we had arrived and now with the warmth of the
morning there was a mist rising up pavement as the water was quickly evaporating. We made
our way through the countryside, through the cities of Chilliwack and then Abbotsford until we
made our way to the Canada-United States border which we would follow straight as an arrow
until we reached our first hill. We were expecting more flat, but now we were encountering hill
after hill, up and down, up and down. They were not especially large hills, but they were steep
and we had now been cycling for around seven hours. It seemed kind of cruel to put these hills
at the end of the day when we were most tired, however we persevered.
We worked our way through White Rock and skirted the southern limits of Surrey and then we
began the final climb up to Delta and hopefully a hot meal! It felt like the final 20 kilometers
took the same time as it took to pedal the first 140kilometres, however it was done and we had
arrived at Kellys and she had a fresh pot of wonderful chili set out for us. It was quite hard to
comprehend just how close we now were to our final destination.
DAY #80 Tuesday, October 22, 2013 Best Kraft Dinner ever!

Day#80: 12kms Vancouver, BC to Vancouver, BC

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We were up early to see the Kellys children off to school and also Kellys husband Dave off to
work. We met everyone last evening and now they were off to do things they would normally do
on a Tuesday and we would essentially have an easy day. Not a day off as we had disassembled
Janus and packed it into the back of Kellys minivan and she was going to drop us off in Stanley
Park this morning. We would then bicycle around the park and gradually make our way to the
Hampton Inn & Suites which was across the street from BC Place where the CFL football team
the BC Lions play. Ultimately we would bicycle back to Kellys house in Delta, but we would
spend today and part of tomorrow in the city of Vancouver. I just have to say that it is so
beautiful here on the west coast with lush tropical like rain forests and the constant presence of
mountains on the horizon. It is something you cannot fully appreciate until you are here to see it
in person.
My sister Jennies husband Tim travels a lot for his work and builds up points to use for free
accommodation and had booked a room for us to stay free of charge back in Calgary, but we
ended up staying with Louise and Wayne, Craigs relatives. Tim still wanted to donate the cost of
a hotel, so it worked out that we could use it in Vancouver and the upside was the Hampton Inn
has a do it yourself waffle maker. Bob and I love waffle makers, we love them!
Kelly dropped us off at the western entrance to Stanley Park and we put Janus back together,
attached our bags and gear and set off to explore. The forest was nothing like I had seen
before, it was moist and lush and plant life grew everywhere. Trees were tall and their trunks
were massive and sometimes greater in diameter than our bicycle which was ten feet in length.
We bicycled around the entire perimeter of Stanley Park, pausing now and again to take pictures
including some beautiful shots looking across to the waterfront of the city of Vancouver. There
were other cyclists, runners, walkers and so many others there to enjoy the beauty and
tranquility of the park. It was humbling and so emotional to finally be looking out over the
Pacific Ocean after such a long journey that had begun as a dream three years ago.
We made it to the hotel and checked in. They helped us store Janus in the room with all the
rental bikes they have on hand for clients. I do not think any city in Canada is quite at the level
of Montreal when it comes to integrating cycling into the transportation grid, however Vancouver
is close. Having a mild climate helps and there are bicycles everywhere.
By now it was late afternoon and Bob and I headed out to look for a place to get something to
eat. Before we started however we headed across the street to the Terry Fox Memorial at BC
Place. It is actually four statues of Terry with the one in the distance being the smallest and they
each increase in size as they become closer to you. It is as if it is 1980 and you are standing on
the side of the road and Terry Fox becomes larger as he gradually approaches. On a large
screen behind the statues, images of his diary are shown. Two of the screen shots that are in
the pictures I took reminded me of just how incredible of a human being he was. On March 3 rd,
1977 at the age of 18, Terry was diagnosed with cancer in his leg. Doctors amputated Terrys
leg six days later. It was simply amazing that only three years later he was running across
Canada on the one leg he had left.
Back to the search for a restaurant and we were concerned the restaurants might be a bit on the
expensive side for two budget minded cyclists, but after walking around we could simply not pass
up the aroma of a pub that was just across the street from the hotel. The Back Forty drew in
customers with the smell of smoked meat as they had a large metal smoker right in the parking
lot. I do not remember what Bob had, but at the waitresss recommendation, I ordered the Mac
& Cheese with pulled pork. It was amazing and even today I still remember how good it was.
It was an easy day for us with less than 20kms pedaled, but we welcomed the rest and turned in
early. It was also a good time to send Craig an update.

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DAY #81 Wednesday, October 23, 2013 Dont look down!

Day#81: 32kms Vancouver, BC to Delta, BC

We were up early to enjoy the complimentary breakfast, but especially the do-it-yourself waffle
maker! No whipped cream for me, simply waffle, fresh fruit and yogurt made a healthy yet
slightly decadent breakfast desert!
The offices for the CNIB and YMCA were actually in the same office building and today there was
a reception arranged for 10:00am. We had over an hour and just over 10kms to get there, but
you never know how long it will actually take in the city with traffic and street lights. Through a
combination of streets, bicycle lanes and bicycle paths we arrived just ahead of schedule which
gave us the opportunity to meet all the staff before media arrived and cake was served! There
were short speeches by our hosts and then Bob and I had an opportunity to speak. The foyer of
the building was crowded with staff and visitors. Even relatives of friends from back home were
there to welcome us and we had an opportunity to speak with them after the events finished. It
was so rewarding to Bob and I to receive such appreciation for what we had accomplished, but
we always reminded everyone that this would never have happened without Craig. We were
now a team of three and only days away from completing what we had started to work towards
almost three years prior.
We left the reception and continued through the city of Vancouver following mostly a bicycle path
that took us to the first of three large bridges. The first two bridges were nothing compared to
the third span which extended across the very wide Fraser River and rose high enough that large

33

ships could pass underneath. There was a pedestrian and bicycle lane separated from the
motorized vehicles. It seemed to extend out over the side of the bridge and was not much wider
than my handlebars. I do not like heights and I refused to look over the side of the bridge and
also I refused to lose contact with the surface of the bridge with my feet. I felt so uncomfortable
that I did not pull my legs up and clip my shoes into my pedals, but left Bob to pedal us up the
gradual incline to the center of the bridge until we could coast down the other side. I simply had
the feeling that if I clipped in on this narrow aisle I would somehow clip my handlebars on the
railing on either side of us and we would crash. It was good to get across and now we simply
had to follow a rough gravel trail which would bring us to Delta and up the hill and a few streets
later we were back at Kellys.
Today was a very big day for CraigGivesBack as today the rest of the team was due to arrive at
the Vancouver airport! Laureen, Andrea and of course Craig who now had his cast off his wrist
and was anxious to start cycling again were arriving. One surprise was that our nephew Briley
was also coming out to be with us for the final days of the tour. Kellys mother-in-law was
picking up the trio at the airport and while she was doing that Kelly and I left Bob to wait at the
house while we headed off to Safeway to pickup supplies as we had people to feed!
At this point I do really need to recognize the generosity of my employer, Sobeys Inc. Even
though we did not realize our goal of acquiring a sponsor for our trip, between what was donated
by my fellow employees and also received from Sobeys corporate donations, they were by far our
single greatest contributor to our trip. As Bob and I pedaled across the Prairie Provinces, Sobeys
made contact with my wife Andrea as they wanted to contribute $5,000 towards the cost of our
trip. We actually had already raised sufficient funds to cover the cost of our trip prior to our
departure back on August 4th, however we did encounter the unexpected cost of getting Craig
back out to join the tour. They therefore provided sufficient Air Miles to cover Craigs flight out
to join us in Vancouver and the balance was given in Sobeys Gift Cards. The Gift Cards we would
actually sell at face value later when we returned home so the money could be deposited and
divided equally amongst our three charities.
Kelly and I arrived back with groceries just as the others arrived from the airport. I had not seen
my wife for almost a month and a half and Bob had not seen Laureen for over two months so it
was an emotional reunion. It was also good to see Craig looking healed and fit and ready to
rejoin me on Janus. We had many, many stories to share with Bob and I telling tales from our
travels and Andrea, Laureen and Craig sharing news of all the developments back home. Kelly
and Dave were wonderful hosts and the evening flew by.
DAY #82 Thursday, October 24, 2013 Back to school.
Everyone was up early to see all those who had to go to school or work off for the day. For us it
would be a bit of a lazy day as we had but one thing to do today and that was to take Flat
Stanley, Flat Blind Charlie and Janus and visit my cousin Kellys grade three class. They had
been following our adventures since we had first started and according to Kelly had many
questions for us.
One thing I had to get done this morning and since we were staying at Kellys and the clothes
washer and dryer were conveniently located in the basement, it was of course my turn to do the
washing. I collected up all the laundry from Bob and myself and headed downstairs.
After that I had to disassemble Janus and put it in the back of Kellys van which we were driving
to the school as Kelly had arranged for a drive to the school for herself so she could leave her
van behind, but she would be driving back with us. We were to arrive at the school just after the

34

lunch break and we were to be as quiet as possible as although the students knew we were
coming to visit, they did not know it was today. It was a secret!
When we arrived at the school I parked as far away from the playground and school as possible.
We took Janus out of the back of the van and assembled it in the parking lot. A couple students
saw us and came over to the fence to watch and then of course the gig was up. I know who
you guys are! she said! I bet you dont! I responded. You are here to visit Miss Zayoncs
grade three class. she replied. Sometimes the best plan is to simply plead ignorance, so I said
This is a school? I had no idea! Then we were saved by the bell as she had started to call
her friends over, but now they all ran back to the school to start afternoon classes. We waited
until they had all filed inside and then we walked Janus over and in through the front doors.
Kelly met us at the front entrance and we followed her into the classroom. The children had
arranged their seats in lines three deep and sat wide eyed as we walked in with a ten foot backto-back tandem recumbent. We spoke in order with Craig first, followed by Bob and then myself.
I was amazed at how quiet and attentive the children were. When we finished they each had a
question and a comment for us. One of the questions was about our breakfasts and how much
we eat each day. Kelly had told me they were following us on Facebook and one thing they were
mesmerized by was the pictures of our breakfasts that we would post. They looked so good and
there was so much food. I think they expected to meet three overweight cyclists, but that we
definitely were not. Even after every student had the opportunity to provide us a question and
make a comment there were more questions and hands would shoot up again and again and
again. We had been speaking with them for more than an hour now and we still had their
complete attention and they were still in their seats. It was pretty incredible considering they
were all 8-9 years old. One of the best experiences of this entire project was the opportunities to
speak to children. Craig and I did it together in front of over 1,500 children at the We Day
conference at the Pictou County Wellness Centre before we had even started the trip, and today
Craig, Bob and I shared the experience. I loved it.
It was a beautiful sunny day and after we had finished inside the classroom we all headed
outside along with Kelly and her class to give them a live demonstration. This was Craigs first
time back on the bike since Newfoundland and he had a grin from ear to ear when he got on the
back. We did a few laps around the paved area of the playground and the children would clap
and cheer each time we circled back. After we finished we were surrounded by the children and
they had even more questions. One little girl asked if I would autograph her arm, but I politely
declined the offer. I do not think her parents would be overly excited for her to return home
with my name etched in ink on her, however it was cute. All the kids were cute, but now they
were starting to show the limit of their attention spans and we thanked them and they thanked
us and then Kelly herded them back inside.
We put Janus back in the back of the van and waited for Kelly to finish work and then we all
headed home. It was a great day and British Columbia was now experiencing a spell of
unseasonably warm weather and we all were enjoying it immensely. We headed back and spent
the evening with Kelly and her family. We had one more day to relax and then on Saturday we
would continue the tour and head over to Vancouver Island.

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DAY #83 Friday, October 25, 2013 Bonus time.

Just in case we were delayed through the mountain passes, I had booked a day off in our
schedule and this was that day. We had no set plans and were looking forward to just enjoying
the city of Vancouver with Kelly, Craig and our spouses.
Once we had everyone ready, we all loaded into Kellys minivan and headed off with our first
destination being for Bob and I, a return to Stanley Park. It was overcast and cooler, however
this was Vancouver so any day without rain is considered a sunny day! We walked along the
seawall and posed with the totem poles and then headed off to visit the Vancouver waterfront,
where we posed in front of the torches which had been constructed for the 2010 Vancouver
Winter Olympics and simply walked around until we got hungry and we stopped at a for lunch
before heading back to Kellys house in Delta.
We did some more sightseeing and then ended this relaxing day back with Kelly and her family
for the evening. Tomorrow the tour would continue.
DAY #84 Saturday, October 26, 2013 Sorry, peripheral vision only.

Day#84: 33kms Delta, BC to Sidney, BC

We were up early as we had to catch the ferry from the mainland to Vancouver Island. Kellys
oldest son drove Andrea, Briley, Laureen and Bob to the ferry terminal. It is less than 30kms and
less than 30 minutes in a vehicle, but for Craig and I on the bike we would take over an hour.

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The great thing was it was essentially all downhill or flat from Delta to the BC Ferry Terminal in
Tsawwassaen.
There would be no camping on Vancouver Island as no one in our group had a tent or sleeping
bag other than Bob and I, so we reduced the amount of gear we took so we could travel light.
The population of the province of British Columbia is much like that in Newfoundland where most
of the population lives in one region of the province. In Newfoundland more than half of the
population lives on the Avalon Peninsula which includes the capital city of St. Johns, and it a
similar situation in British Columbia where more than half the population lives within the region of
Vancouver. People are attracted to British Columbia not only because it is beautiful, but in
southern region including Vancouver and Vancouver Island, it is quite a mild climate compared to
the rest of Canada. So this all leads to a high population density and therefore the ferries run
regularly through the day and they are usually always carrying a good number of commuters.
The ferry we boarded was no exception and there were also a number of cyclists heading over
the island.
Craig and I found seats inside on the ferry and after sitting for a while I left to take a walk
around the deck and look at the scenery. Having now bicycled across the country, I can honestly
say that the most beautiful parts for me are the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast. We are
lucky to have the beautiful coastline in Atlantic Canada, but out here it was like the Atlantic Coast
on steroids. Everything was larger, more impressive and absolutely spectacular. As we made
our way through the channels between the smaller islands it was simply gorgeous. You honestly
cannot fully appreciate the beauty of the Rocky Mountains or the Pacific Coast unless you are
here.
We arrived at the ferry terminal at Swartz Bay and the first to depart are the cyclists and those
on foot. Craig and I get Janus positioned for departure and we start walking out of the ferry
between the parked vehicles when I hear a shout from the rear. This was a quick lesson for me
in looking out for Craig as I had just walked him face first into the drivers side mirror of a bus!
Luckily he was wearing his bicycle helmet and the surprise of being struck in the face was the
greatest injury suffered. It was a quick reminder to me of the difference between Bob and Craig.
Bob had tunnel vision and no peripheral vision so would have seen the mirror, but Craig could
see nothing in front of him and only shadows showed in his peripheral vision. Oops, my bad.
Andrea, Briley, Laureen and Bob had caught the earlier ferry and then the bus right to Victoria as
they had rented bicycles so they could bike with us tomorrow, the final day of the tour. Craig
and I now simply had to bicycle the less than 8kms from the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal to
Sidney, where we were to spend the night before continuing on to Victoria tomorrow. We
arrived in plenty of time so stopped at a Subway for lunch and then headed off towards Victoria
knowing we would soon meet up with the group on their way back from Victoria with their rented
bicycles.
We did not have to bike too far out of Sidney when we met Andrea, Briley, Laureen and Bob on
their bicycles. We turned around and headed back to Sidney and got settled in at the Sidney
Travelodge. For supper we all headed out to the Charles Dickens Pub for a great meal and
shared a lot of stories and laughs. Finishing our meal, we walked through the centre of Sidney
and enjoyed the sights in this beautiful town. Again no late night for us as we had an early day
tomorrow and amazingly we had traveled well over 8,100kms, but only had just over 30kms to
cover tomorrow.

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DAY #85 Sunday, October 27, 2013 Now what do we do tomorrow?

Day#85: 31kms Sidney, BC to Victoria, BC

We awoke early to another beautiful day in British Columbia. The sun was shining and what
started as a crisp morning was quickly warming up as the sun rose from the east. We all
gathered in the parking lot of the hotel with our bicycles.
Craig would be on the back of Janus with me and Andrea, Briley, Laureen and Bob would each
ride a rental bicycle. We now were waiting for a cyclist from Victoria that was on her way to act
as our guide from Sidney to the Terry Fox Memorial at Mile 0 in the city of Victoria. For most of
the way we would follow the Lockside Regional Trail and then the Galloping Goose Trail into
Victoria where we would leave the trail and follow city streets to our final destination.
While we waited for our guide, a video camera was being attached to my helmet by a camera
operator from Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) which is a television channel that produces segments
or documentaries on people with physical or mental challenges and how they overcome them to
be active in society or like Craig and Bob to do something quite exceptional. They had been at
other CraigGivesBack receptions to obtain film footage and content and were planning on
eventually putting it together as an episode about Craigs journey, and now Bobs too. We had
to be at the Terry Fox Memorial by 11:00am so we left at 9:00am to give ourselves sufficient
time to arrive on time and not be rushed or stressed. We wanted to enjoy this our final day after
eighty-four days on the road.
The trail was mostly paved and easy to navigate, but occasionally it would end and we would
follow along on streets until we rejoined it. Having a guide made it easy as she had travelled this

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route many times and knew exactly where to go. It was actually a very well used trail for
cyclists, runners and walkers and it became busier the closer we came to the city of Victoria.
For the first half of the trip I had the video camera attached to my helmet and with Craig and
myself in the lead most of the time, it was simply a view of my handlebars, my feet on the pedals
and the trail ahead. When we stopped for a quick break next to a field of pumpkins, Bob and I
exchanged helmets so we could give AMI an alternate view which would be that of Janus from
behind and Craig would be facing the camera. With Bob having tunnel vision he was able to
follow us in relative safety so long as we communicated any upcoming stops or obstacles in the
trail which would require us to swerve to avoid. We would travel like this until Bob asked we
switch back as my helmet did not have a visor that shaded the bright sun. One side effect of
Retinitis Pigmentosa that both Bob and Craig suffered was that bright light actually was painful to
their eyes and therefore both typically wore baseball caps or sunglasses that wrapped around to
block out as much light as possible.
We had now reached beautiful Victoria located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and we
had moved from bicycle trail to city streets. We were met by another cyclist and now our little
convoy had swelled from six to seven bicycles! We were now nearing Beacon Hill Park which was
the location of the Terry Fox Memorial and marked Mile 0. Beyond the park we looked out over
the Pacific Ocean, but there in the park was a small crowd waiting to welcome us to the terminus
of our 85 day, 8,200km trek across this beautiful big country.
Even before we could get off our bicycles, cameras were rolling as both AMI and CTV were there
to record the event. We had some applause and then the media ushered us and Janus to the
front of the Terry Fox statue where we did our address to the crowd, thanking them for being
there on this beautiful day. We followed our usual order with Craig, Bob and then myself. Craig
who had invested so much to make this trip possible and then being able to rejoin for the finish
was visibly emotional and it was more than understandable as we never could have started
without him and of course would never of had finished if not for Bob.
Then representatives from our three charities, CNIB, YMCAs and Canadian Guide Dogs for the
Blind were present to speak as well. There were a few puppies destined for future employment
as guide dogs present and the cute little guys attracted a lot of attention.
Also there to welcome us to Victoria were some ties from back home in Pictou County. The two
ladies we had met at the fundraiser at Carvers Coffee House in Pictou were there. They were
vacationing on the east coast and promised to be there when we arrived in Victoria and true to
their word they were here. Also was Adrian Burrow, now attending university in Victoria, and the
son of Craigs swimming and running buddies Vee and Dr. Randy Burrow. And then lastly the
couple that spoke on behalf of the YMCA were originally from Pictou County and now invited us
back to their home for lunch.
We were then very busy trying and say hello and thank everyone who was there to welcome us,
and also being pulled away by the media for more interviews. We were in no hurry today as we
were there with our friends and family and simply wanted to enjoy the moment for as long as we
could.
With the interviews over, people came to offer congratulations one last time and say goodbye as
the crowd began to dwindle until it was our little bicycle group and our new hosts waiting to
bicycle with us to their home for pizza. On the way to their house we were stopped by a
gentleman parked along the street who was just getting out of his pickup truck and amazingly he
had been in St. Johns on August 4th when we first began and now was here on the final day of
our tour. It is amazing how incredibly large this country is and also how small.

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Top left: Day #66 Kicking Horse Pass, Top Right: Day #66 Kicking Horse Pass, Middle left: Day #67
Not wanting any achillies tendon issues in the mountains, I kept them taped, Middle right: Day #67
Rogers Pass, Bottom left: Day #67 First of many snow sheds, Bottom right: Day #67 View from the
summit of Rogers Pass.

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Top left: Day #67 Our accommodations at the summit of Rogers Pass, Top Right: Day #70 Vernon
Home Hardware makes a donation, Middle left: Day #72 Biking with the Wormans to the top of Knox
Mountain, Middle right: Day #75 On the waterfront in Penticton, Bottom left: Day #76 Rick and his
solar trike, Bottom right: Day #78 The beautiful Fraser Valley.

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Top left: Day #80 Terry Fox Memorial at BC Place in Vancouver, Top Right: Day #82 Craig Gives Back
visits a Grade 3 Class in Surrey, BC, Middle left: Day #85 The media is waiting for us in Victoria, BC,
Middle right: Day #85 We address the media with the Terry Fox Memorial behind us, Bottom left: Day
#85 A celebratory picture, Bottom right: Day #85 85 days and 8,200kms later.

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