7/25/17 The Second Chance
Sometimes, in life, we are fortunate enough to be given second chances. Today we cashed in on one.
Leaving sleepy Revelstoke in the cool shadow of the mountains, we headed into the warmest ride of our trip. Shuswap Lake, with an area of 192 miles, was the first event of the day. Following its coast, dotted with tourist towns, the day heated up and we shucked our leather.
The Thompson Plateau, lying between the Coast and Columbia Mountains, is an arid yet fertile swath of geography, ironically sporting rivers and snow caps. Wine country, the terrain is so similar to California that I thought I had crossed back into the states. Irrigated farmland was a shocking green in contrast to the browned landscape surrounding it.
Our picnic high above Kamloops Lake was a total reversal of yesterday when at Bow Lake, shivering in every layer of clothing we could wear, we ate and ran. Today we basked in the sun, savoring every moment of warmth. Far below us, the expanse of the cool water lay, incongruous to the parched landscape surrounding us. What a difference a day in BC makes.
Route 1 from Kamloops treated us to our first serious smoke of the trip. It has been a puzzle for Jules, scout and reader of maps, to find our way to the roads we wanted to ride, around the fire closures.
After Kamloops the air cleared and from there we rode easily albeit hot. Heading where? To the one road that had beckoned us back to BC, route 99, the Sea to the Sky Highway. Last year, as we slogged along in rain and mist, small windows opened to tease us with a tiny slice of mountain or gorge. Knowing we were missing one of the most important rides in Canada and maybe the continent, we vowed to revisit. This year fire thwarted us at every turn, as we danced around the province looking for a way in. Today we found it!
Turning onto route 97, we were warned that the road was closed to the north, but was now open to Cache Creek where we planned to pick up 99. So we headed in with high expectations. At last we made it to The Sea to the Sky, starting at the sky.
And what a ride it was! Rising high above the Fraser Canyon, we rode the rim, catching glimpses of eons of work the river had wrought on the canyon walls. Diving into Lillooet, a small town that sits precariously in the ravine, we crossed the river into new terrain. Suddenly trees began to appear and the temperature dropped as we twisted and turned our way toward Whistler. At a fortuitous construction stop, we were waved to the head of the line as is often the case with bikes. In the fifteen minute wait, we chatted with other bikers, and then we were cut loose with no RVs or logging trucks to hold us back.
Flying up switchbacks that took us to heights overlooking a grand display of glaciers, Jules freed Rascal and let her soar. For miles he clutched and throttled, leaning us far into the curves. This part of the highway was why we returned. In full sun, we were gifted with all that we had missed, riding heads down in the rain last year. Screeching to a halt in Pemberton, we breathed deeply and once again exclaimed ,"Holy shit, what a ride!"
We were given a second chance, we took it and we won. Never giving up the quest for this road because of rain or fire, we persevered. So thrilled at this opportunity, we plan to ride 99 in reverse tomorrow. They say the third time's the charm!
Leaving sleepy Revelstoke in the cool shadow of the mountains, we headed into the warmest ride of our trip. Shuswap Lake, with an area of 192 miles, was the first event of the day. Following its coast, dotted with tourist towns, the day heated up and we shucked our leather.
The Thompson Plateau, lying between the Coast and Columbia Mountains, is an arid yet fertile swath of geography, ironically sporting rivers and snow caps. Wine country, the terrain is so similar to California that I thought I had crossed back into the states. Irrigated farmland was a shocking green in contrast to the browned landscape surrounding it.
Our picnic high above Kamloops Lake was a total reversal of yesterday when at Bow Lake, shivering in every layer of clothing we could wear, we ate and ran. Today we basked in the sun, savoring every moment of warmth. Far below us, the expanse of the cool water lay, incongruous to the parched landscape surrounding us. What a difference a day in BC makes.
Route 1 from Kamloops treated us to our first serious smoke of the trip. It has been a puzzle for Jules, scout and reader of maps, to find our way to the roads we wanted to ride, around the fire closures.
After Kamloops the air cleared and from there we rode easily albeit hot. Heading where? To the one road that had beckoned us back to BC, route 99, the Sea to the Sky Highway. Last year, as we slogged along in rain and mist, small windows opened to tease us with a tiny slice of mountain or gorge. Knowing we were missing one of the most important rides in Canada and maybe the continent, we vowed to revisit. This year fire thwarted us at every turn, as we danced around the province looking for a way in. Today we found it!
Turning onto route 97, we were warned that the road was closed to the north, but was now open to Cache Creek where we planned to pick up 99. So we headed in with high expectations. At last we made it to The Sea to the Sky, starting at the sky.
And what a ride it was! Rising high above the Fraser Canyon, we rode the rim, catching glimpses of eons of work the river had wrought on the canyon walls. Diving into Lillooet, a small town that sits precariously in the ravine, we crossed the river into new terrain. Suddenly trees began to appear and the temperature dropped as we twisted and turned our way toward Whistler. At a fortuitous construction stop, we were waved to the head of the line as is often the case with bikes. In the fifteen minute wait, we chatted with other bikers, and then we were cut loose with no RVs or logging trucks to hold us back.
Flying up switchbacks that took us to heights overlooking a grand display of glaciers, Jules freed Rascal and let her soar. For miles he clutched and throttled, leaning us far into the curves. This part of the highway was why we returned. In full sun, we were gifted with all that we had missed, riding heads down in the rain last year. Screeching to a halt in Pemberton, we breathed deeply and once again exclaimed ,"Holy shit, what a ride!"
We were given a second chance, we took it and we won. Never giving up the quest for this road because of rain or fire, we persevered. So thrilled at this opportunity, we plan to ride 99 in reverse tomorrow. They say the third time's the charm!
Crossing the Shuswap
Lake Shuswap
Goes on forever
What a difference a day makes
A rattlesnake kind of place
Irrigation from the river
Wine country
Kamloops smoke
California terrain
And then more of this
Another glacier show
What we missed last year
Wild ride to Pemberton
Just got back from a week at Okanagan Lake, B.C. Just a bit south of your path. 90 mile long lake with 137 wineries surrounding it.
ReplyDeleteDon't look back Napa, something's gaining on you!