Easiest 128 km I have ever done!

I was late leaving the lodge this morning. I spotted six mule deer within the first hour of biking. The road started to descend, but then there were more climbs. I thought the climbing was over. Boy, I was wrong. I had one more pass to get through today - Sunday Summit. It wasn't marked on the map. The grades along this section were much steeper, but the climbs were not as long as the day before.

I stopped at the summit for the obligatory photo op, then I dressed for the very fast and cold descent into Princeton. The grades were quite steep - some in the 9% to 11% range, and plenty of turns and a little gravel to keep things interesting. At one point, I was keeping pace with a large transfer truck on the descent.

I arrived in Princeton around noon and stopped for lunch and popped into the community center for some internet access. The town was nothing interesting - just a few fast food chains and small stores.

I left Princeton, heading south on a road that paralleled the Sililkameen River running downstream. Roads following rivers downstream are a good sign, as I would learn today. I easily cruised between 25 and 30 km/h from Princeton all the way to Keremeos. The mountains changed from rocky and snow-covered to shear barren cliffs. I passed through the former mining town of Hedley with its old mining shafts and buildings high up on the mountain side. The landscape grew more arid. As I approached Keremeos, water sprinkers, orchards, and vineyards appeared. The air was hot and dry and the landscape was bordering on desert-like with sagebrush, antelope bush, and prickly pear cactus.

I set up camp at an RV campground right by the highway. I could tell that the truck traffic was going to be noisy, so I went into town to look for some earplugs. Everything was closed. The whole town practically shut down at 6:00. In desperation, I went to the medical center, hoping that they might have some there. I went in and there was a room with a bunch of middle-age ladies sitting in chairs arranged in a circle. There was a lineup, so I got in it. I asked the lady behind me, "Can I get earplugs here?". "I don't think so.", she replied, "This is a Weight-Watchers meeting!" I thought to myself, "Boy, have I got a weight loss plan for you! Hop on a bike and go across BC!".

I was right about the truck traffic. It was even worse than I imagined, since the trucks were engine-breaking as they descended into town. But hey, one hell of a view!

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