I woke to the smell of bacon and had the luxury of a morning shower while Scott took a quick look at my bike. The plan was to ride down to Trail to meet Joan and so with Lisa and Tom waving us off we were on our way. A very short time later (and with 9km racked up in the blink of an eye) we hit Trail. Scott and Joan shepherded me down the road to Castlegar, riding in front to break the wind and set the pace, pointing out the rumble strips and debris on the road. It was a beautiful day as we rolled up and down beside the Columbia River. I felt like Clara Hughes (she recently completed a big ride across Canada) with my own personal escort and was sad when they had to turn back, but not before they had led me to a side road to avoid the highway to Nelson.
Bikes on Scott's deck ready to go.
Lisa and Tom waving us off (you might have to zoom in to see them!!).
Joan and Scott my awesome support crew, I wish you guys could ride across Canada with me!!
The second half of the day was considerably slower but very scenic on a quiet road and Joan had recommended a cafe for me to stop at. I got into Nelson and headed to Elaine's place where I left my trailer and went back to check out the historic downtown, the old tram and beautiful river pathway and parks. Nelson is a funky place with an alternative vibe nestled into the hillside on Kootenay Lake.
Park on the shore of the lake with the coolest outdoor gym.
I spent a wonderful evening with Elaine, her son Dylan and his girlfriend Mara. Elaine cooked lots of pasta followed by homemade ice cream and we talked and played card games until late. They were so friendly and had lots of questions about my trip. Again I was spoilt with a shower and comfortable bed. The inevitable where are you headed to next came up and before I knew it Elaine was calling her friends in Kaslo to see if they would put me up for the night!!
The day before
I took a rest day on the Sunday in Rossland. Scott cooked bacon and eggs, I did a load of laundry and sat on his deck with stunning views of the mountains and updated my blog. It was perfect. In the afternoon I got introduced to one of the favorite summer sports in this area, huckleberry picking!! We went with his friends Joan and Dave to a secret location armed with a 4 litre pail each, I got the impression we would not be leaving until they were all full!! We found some great spots and picked the little berries that look like a blueberry with a sharper taste. Less than 2 hours later and with 20 liters of berries between 5 of us we headed back to Joan and Dave's place where she whipped up a rhubarb and huckleberry crisp which was soooo good. Her and Scott hatched a plan to ride out with me the next day, they are road bikers which is unusual in these parts where mountain biking is the thing to do. Indeed Scott was expecting his friends Lisa and Tom later that evening for a week of mountain biking. Joan asked if I had a place to stay in Nelson, knowing there are plenty of campgrounds around I have not been booking anything, so she insisted on calling a friend who might be able to give me a bed for the night and so over the phone I met Elaine and got directions to her house in Nelson!! We arrived back at Scott's place in time to see Lisa and Tom and chatted on the deck until it got dark.
Rossland.
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