Vineyards above Lake Okanagan With our entry into Summerland, yesterday, we entered into the vast Okanagan Valley, home to a massive 85 mile long finger lake carved out by the glaciations of the last ice age. This valley is rich in glacial silts and is one of the finest agricultural belts in Canada, particularly for fruit and wineries. Our ride today went north, along the western edge of the lake along Highway 97. It was jaw dropping spectacular, but unfortunately, the highw

The thrill of cycling lies in the unexpected, and today was filled with surprises! We anticipated a challenging day, preparing for anywhere between 7 to 9 hours on the bike. We set the alarm for 6:00 AM, enjoyed a fantastic pancake breakfast at Billy’s Café, and were on our bikes by 8:00 AM. Our plan was to cycle the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, but we quickly realized that after just 10 minutes on the trail—sandy and filled with dips from ATV vehicles—conti nuing would prevent

Our route today: 60 miles, 24 on gravel. Elevation gain: 2,500'. Descent: 3,000' 6 hours We have been looking forward to this ride for a while now. We had read about it a month ago and knew we wanted to try it. However, we were looking at the section of the Kettle Valley RailTrail which runs from Princeton to Summerland, B.C. However, once we started out on it, we realized very quickly that the condition of the trail was subpar, at best: very sandy and diffic

This morning, we continued our ride through the North Cascades. The road took us through a beautiful forested region along the Similkameen River. We rode alongside the river for a while before starting a long ascent toward Sunday Summit. This climb was another grueling effort, similar to the one we faced yesterday when we ascended Allison Pass. The roads are quite unforgiving, as there are no switchbacks to give your legs a break. It's essentially a constant seven or eight-de

This morning I woke to the smell of smoke...the kind that makes you think of a campfire or a forest fire. The hazy air outside my window at the Manning Park Resort told me it was the latter. Apparently there have been some big blazes in the area in the past few weeks, but what we are seeing and smelling are just the remnants. I am glad. I have seen way too much devastation from forest fires in my life. We started with another breakfast of pancakes ( sans strawberries) an

Yesterday was about hope, and today was about discombobulation, challenge, and a genuine sense of freedom. This morning got off to a rocky start. We awoke early at the Alpine Motel, knowing we were finally heading deep into the North Cascades Mountains, where there would be no water stops, steep climbs, and bears. Our minds were racing with various tasks: finding a place for a solid pancake breakfast, ensuring we had enough water for over five hours of climbing, packing preca

Our route and stats for today. Ride profile This morning started with pancakes—my favorite way to kick off a big bike ride! They even came with a warm strawberry compote, which tasted like heaven. We knew this ride would be challenging, as we had read several blogs about climbing Allison Pass, the long uphill stretch on Highway 3 (The Crowsnest Highway) out of Hope, B.C. Thank goodness for those pancakes, because I certainly needed them; the stories were true. We climbed toda

Heading East I spent a great deal of time thinking about hope today since Hope, BC, was our destination, and it’s a pretty cool name for a town. I suppose it served as a theme for the day. It began with the hope that we would finally escape the heavy traffic extending far beyond downtown Vancouver. We rode through both Abbotsford and Chilliwack before crossing the Fraser River, finally reaching a point where the river meets the mountains. We entered a beautiful gorge that rem

Our route and stats today. Day #2 of our ride is now complete. I can tell that I’m still not used to staying in the saddle for extended periods! Tonight, I’m feeling a bit bruised down below, and my legs are tired. Our route was mostly flat, which meant we had to pedal almost continuously. That’s a lot of revolutions for my legs! I’m also still adjusting to carrying the weight of the packs; it always takes a few days to get used to it. Starting off is tougher too—there’s some

Vancouver, B.C. to Abbotsford, B.C. Our route and stats for today After a hiatus in our hometown of Portland this summer, we are off to explore our northern neighbors once again, this time focusing on the western section. We began today in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, and plan to work our way eastward across the Canadian Rockies to Calgary. Weather and time permitting, we may even continue further or circle back south into the States to return to Portland, Oregon—ou

Getting ready to head out of Vancouver, B.C.! It’s been about three months since we returned from our ride from Montreal to Halifax. During this time, we’ve been at our home in Portland, Oregon—a place that the President of the United States has referred to as “hell on earth.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The city is clean, eclectic, welcoming, and rich in natural beauty. I’ve spent summers in many places around the world, and Portland ranks among the best. Most o