Monday May 15 2006
7:00 AM We left Penticton and turned south and east to Grand Forks. Virginia led some seminars a few years ago when she was a consultant with the federal government and we had picked it as one of the places we would like to investigate to see if we would like to live there.
But first………….
We drove through Osoyoos and climbed Anarchist Pass. Up and over into a marvelous little village called Rock Creek. The countryside is similar to the Okanagan but not so open and a little steeper. I jumped on my bike at Rock Creek
and rode through Midway and Greenwood to Grand Forks. Greenwood is a very cool little place. The road climbs quite a bit. Most of the ride was through ranch land. Very dry and very beautiful. Square log ranch houses with red tin roofs and old brown post and beam clapboard barns. I saw many white tailed deer. There was very little wind and except for the climbs the pace was pretty good. The last climb finished at Eholt Summit above Grand Forks then a fast descent into Grand Forks for about 10 km’s. The valley emerges below with the Kettle River running west to east along the medicine line and the north south flowing Granby River converging with it at the east end of town. I rode through the town where I met Ginny at the Overwaitea parking lot. Some delightful Victorian detailed houses shaded by large willow trees on the main road.
Ride difficulty: 7 out of 10 (approx. 110 km’s)
Enjoyment factor 8.5 out of 10
The two of us walked through the downtown which is composed of mostly older heritage style buildings. We walked by the usual combination of clothing, hardware and bookstores. I dropped into the “Chain Reaction” bike store where I met Anton. We talked a bit and he invited me to attend their Wednesday night mountain bike time trial. That sounded pretty cool as it looked like it would be in terrain that I would never have found myself, you know, the stuff only the locals know. I thought I recognized Anton but didn’t say anything. Camping in town was not great so we carried on to Texas Creek on Christina Lake. Very nice site with good access to the lake. Ginny and I set up and then returned to the grocery store (Huckleberries) for supplies. Dave Stimson the former head joinery instructor at BCIT was standing in the aisle and we exchanged pleasantries. Then back to camp for a dinner of curried chicken on a bed of butter lettuce, grape tomatoes and green grapes garnished with mango chutney and coconut flakes. Did I mention what good cook my wife is?
Tuesday May 16 2006
6:15AM The lake is like a mirror as I slide the boat into it. No one is around. We had the campground completely to ourselves last night. The plan is to paddle the east shore northwards to the end of the lake. Then back southwards on the west shore. The lake is very high due to high temperatures which is bringing the snowmelt down from the peaks above via many streams and creeks. Almost all are at capacity and create a strong cold current hundreds of meters into the lake. These flows twist and rock the ski. I can feel the eddies and whirlpools grab the rudder and turn the boat sideways. Then just like that it’s back to the calm and serene. I have been told this lake is very busy in the summertime but right now it’s just me on it. Time 3.5 hours
Difficulty 2 out of 5
Enjoyment factor 5 out 5
Wednesday May 17 2006 9:00 AM Deer Point Trail. The trail head starts in the provincial campsite. The trail traverses the mountainside northward in Gladstone Provincial Park. The first 25 minutes is a substantial uphill. I broke out the trekking poles and trotted up the best I could. I should mention I have 4 litres of water, a first aid kit, long sleeved polypro shirt, matches compass and a whistle. Virginia and I have discussed my route and that I would turn around after 1 hour 20 minutes. It is agreed she will call 911 after 4 hours 30 minutes of my leaving. This is a very good trail to run. About 18” wide it is well maintained. It swoops around the gulleys on log bridges over streams and creeks. The ascents and descents can be run without an anaerobic effort. In a couple of places it traverses cliff faces and avalanche slopes with big drops to the lake below. About 10 km’s in length. I drank all 4 litres of water as the temp. was over 30 degrees Time 3 hours
Difficulty 3.75 out of 5
Enjoyment factor 4 out 5 (not a five because I am such a crappy runner)
5:00 PM Somewhere in the bush north of town. Grand Forks Cycling Club mountain bike time trial. I arrive and the only guy there is kitted out to the nines riding a team edition S-Works with all the SRAM goodies. The next guy shows up. He has obviously been working on the farm as he has his work shorts on and no shirt, I think he is a Doukabour but I am not sure as he won’t talk to me and only looks at his shoes. He does have a top of the line Santa Cruz Blur and 0% body fat. I pre ride the course with these two guys and within 200 meters I am in cardiac arrest. It’s about 36 degrees out and the sweat is pouring into my eyes faster than I can blink it out. Parts of the track climb up and around the dry clear draws and gulleys and other parts are incredibly fast descents through lodge pole pine forests. These always are followed by a sharp vertical switchback which I am always in the wrong gear for which facilitates an enormous effort to catch up to the guys ahead. The guy with no shirt is not even sweating when I get back to the start line. I on the other hand am weeping and wondering how I can back out of this gracefully. By now about a dozen other racers have shown up. I recognize Anton now, you know him too, he is the guy that always finishes races about and 1 hour in front of you. I manage to finish in the middle of the pack behind a 14 year old girl and just in front of a 65 year old blind guy. Length of course 5kms. They seem to think I am OK as they invite me out for their Thursday night sprint interval ride. I hope I can recover in time Time 16 minutes
Difficulty 4.75 out of 5
Enjoyment factor 4.75 out 5
Thursday May 18 2006 10:00 Paddle to the south of the lake. I have changed my foot position to raise my knees slightly and I am delighted to find I have a lot more power. It seems easier to sit up straight and reach forward to spear the water on the paddle entry. I loose a little stability but I think I will become accustomed to the new position. Fartlek interval with emphasis on stroke technique. Very hot Time 2 ½ hours
Difficulty 3.5 out of 5
Enjoyment factor 2.75 out 5
5:30PM Its 36 degrees as I meet up with the boys. The route leads up the east side of the Granby Valley then loops down the west side with a 15 km cool down along the border. There are 7 marked sprint zones. The winner of the previous sprint leads out. Some zones are as little as 200 meters in length or as long as 1200 meters (this being the final one). We ride at a comfortable 30kph between them. I completely missed the first sprint and am last. Anton wins and leads out the second sprint, I follow his wheel then jump to another as it passes by. I manage to pull around this fellow and win the second sprint. I am now a marked man and for the rest of the night I can manage only seconds or thirds. What a great workout. Very disciplined group, everyone kept to the proscribed schedule. The pace was quite fast but I never seemed be in trouble. The route was beautiful. Very much like Penticton’s Green lake road only a little twistier. We were chased by a dog and one of the guys remarked that the group had been chased by the same dog for 12 years and that he was getting a little slower. About 80kms. Time 2 3/4 hours
Difficulty 4.5 out of 5
Enjoyment factor 4 out 5
7:00 AM We left Penticton and turned south and east to Grand Forks. Virginia led some seminars a few years ago when she was a consultant with the federal government and we had picked it as one of the places we would like to investigate to see if we would like to live there.
But first………….
We drove through Osoyoos and climbed Anarchist Pass. Up and over into a marvelous little village called Rock Creek. The countryside is similar to the Okanagan but not so open and a little steeper. I jumped on my bike at Rock Creek
and rode through Midway and Greenwood to Grand Forks. Greenwood is a very cool little place. The road climbs quite a bit. Most of the ride was through ranch land. Very dry and very beautiful. Square log ranch houses with red tin roofs and old brown post and beam clapboard barns. I saw many white tailed deer. There was very little wind and except for the climbs the pace was pretty good. The last climb finished at Eholt Summit above Grand Forks then a fast descent into Grand Forks for about 10 km’s. The valley emerges below with the Kettle River running west to east along the medicine line and the north south flowing Granby River converging with it at the east end of town. I rode through the town where I met Ginny at the Overwaitea parking lot. Some delightful Victorian detailed houses shaded by large willow trees on the main road. Ride difficulty: 7 out of 10 (approx. 110 km’s)
Enjoyment factor 8.5 out of 10
The two of us walked through the downtown which is composed of mostly older heritage style buildings. We walked by the usual combination of clothing, hardware and bookstores. I dropped into the “Chain Reaction” bike store where I met Anton. We talked a bit and he invited me to attend their Wednesday night mountain bike time trial. That sounded pretty cool as it looked like it would be in terrain that I would never have found myself, you know, the stuff only the locals know. I thought I recognized Anton but didn’t say anything. Camping in town was not great so we carried on to Texas Creek on Christina Lake. Very nice site with good access to the lake. Ginny and I set up and then returned to the grocery store (Huckleberries) for supplies. Dave Stimson the former head joinery instructor at BCIT was standing in the aisle and we exchanged pleasantries. Then back to camp for a dinner of curried chicken on a bed of butter lettuce, grape tomatoes and green grapes garnished with mango chutney and coconut flakes. Did I mention what good cook my wife is?
Tuesday May 16 2006
6:15AM The lake is like a mirror as I slide the boat into it. No one is around. We had the campground completely to ourselves last night. The plan is to paddle the east shore northwards to the end of the lake. Then back southwards on the west shore. The lake is very high due to high temperatures which is bringing the snowmelt down from the peaks above via many streams and creeks. Almost all are at capacity and create a strong cold current hundreds of meters into the lake. These flows twist and rock the ski. I can feel the eddies and whirlpools grab the rudder and turn the boat sideways. Then just like that it’s back to the calm and serene. I have been told this lake is very busy in the summertime but right now it’s just me on it. Time 3.5 hours
Difficulty 2 out of 5
Enjoyment factor 5 out 5
Wednesday May 17 2006 9:00 AM Deer Point Trail. The trail head starts in the provincial campsite. The trail traverses the mountainside northward in Gladstone Provincial Park. The first 25 minutes is a substantial uphill. I broke out the trekking poles and trotted up the best I could. I should mention I have 4 litres of water, a first aid kit, long sleeved polypro shirt, matches compass and a whistle. Virginia and I have discussed my route and that I would turn around after 1 hour 20 minutes. It is agreed she will call 911 after 4 hours 30 minutes of my leaving. This is a very good trail to run. About 18” wide it is well maintained. It swoops around the gulleys on log bridges over streams and creeks. The ascents and descents can be run without an anaerobic effort. In a couple of places it traverses cliff faces and avalanche slopes with big drops to the lake below. About 10 km’s in length. I drank all 4 litres of water as the temp. was over 30 degrees Time 3 hours
Difficulty 3.75 out of 5
Enjoyment factor 4 out 5 (not a five because I am such a crappy runner)
5:00 PM Somewhere in the bush north of town. Grand Forks Cycling Club mountain bike time trial. I arrive and the only guy there is kitted out to the nines riding a team edition S-Works with all the SRAM goodies. The next guy shows up. He has obviously been working on the farm as he has his work shorts on and no shirt, I think he is a Doukabour but I am not sure as he won’t talk to me and only looks at his shoes. He does have a top of the line Santa Cruz Blur and 0% body fat. I pre ride the course with these two guys and within 200 meters I am in cardiac arrest. It’s about 36 degrees out and the sweat is pouring into my eyes faster than I can blink it out. Parts of the track climb up and around the dry clear draws and gulleys and other parts are incredibly fast descents through lodge pole pine forests. These always are followed by a sharp vertical switchback which I am always in the wrong gear for which facilitates an enormous effort to catch up to the guys ahead. The guy with no shirt is not even sweating when I get back to the start line. I on the other hand am weeping and wondering how I can back out of this gracefully. By now about a dozen other racers have shown up. I recognize Anton now, you know him too, he is the guy that always finishes races about and 1 hour in front of you. I manage to finish in the middle of the pack behind a 14 year old girl and just in front of a 65 year old blind guy. Length of course 5kms. They seem to think I am OK as they invite me out for their Thursday night sprint interval ride. I hope I can recover in time Time 16 minutes
Difficulty 4.75 out of 5
Enjoyment factor 4.75 out 5
Thursday May 18 2006 10:00 Paddle to the south of the lake. I have changed my foot position to raise my knees slightly and I am delighted to find I have a lot more power. It seems easier to sit up straight and reach forward to spear the water on the paddle entry. I loose a little stability but I think I will become accustomed to the new position. Fartlek interval with emphasis on stroke technique. Very hot Time 2 ½ hours
Difficulty 3.5 out of 5
Enjoyment factor 2.75 out 5
5:30PM Its 36 degrees as I meet up with the boys. The route leads up the east side of the Granby Valley then loops down the west side with a 15 km cool down along the border. There are 7 marked sprint zones. The winner of the previous sprint leads out. Some zones are as little as 200 meters in length or as long as 1200 meters (this being the final one). We ride at a comfortable 30kph between them. I completely missed the first sprint and am last. Anton wins and leads out the second sprint, I follow his wheel then jump to another as it passes by. I manage to pull around this fellow and win the second sprint. I am now a marked man and for the rest of the night I can manage only seconds or thirds. What a great workout. Very disciplined group, everyone kept to the proscribed schedule. The pace was quite fast but I never seemed be in trouble. The route was beautiful. Very much like Penticton’s Green lake road only a little twistier. We were chased by a dog and one of the guys remarked that the group had been chased by the same dog for 12 years and that he was getting a little slower. About 80kms. Time 2 3/4 hours
Difficulty 4.5 out of 5
Enjoyment factor 4 out 5
posted by Bill at 4:46 PM
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