Hildegard Von Bingen's Back Yard Blues: Monday, August 1st!

All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event -- in the living act, the undoubted deed -- there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask. -Herman Melville, novelist and poet (1 Aug 1819-1891)

I'm off to my brother's cabin for 12 days. Phil will send out the notice for Monday, August 8. August 15 doesn't have a hike leader yet, so if you'd like to lead the hike hang on to this email and "reply to all" to reach the group! See you hopefully on the 15th! Pam 

Twin Lakes Riders! First and foremost, a tremendous thank-you to Juggernaut Jimbo for doing such a flawless job of organizing the ride and managing the complicated logistics of bikes and drivers and cars! Thanks, of course, to all the other drivers who helped with the various shuttles. Then, what can be said about the bounteous hospitality showered upon us by St Hildegard von Bingen! I trust that the sumptuous feast did not empty the coffers of the Abbey for the lunch was fit for royalty, the surroundings nothing short of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon! See you next Monday, Abbess!!!

At any rate, what a way to see such terrific friends after being away from hiking activity for almost two months. Thanks to one and all for the more than remarkable outing, for the more than splendiferous luncheon, St Hildegard!!! Cheers, Patrizzio! Account of ride, if interested. Twin Lakes to Oliver, Field Report, Monday, August 1st: 

Up at 7:15 am as I was planning to join the  the hiking group's bike ride and I had plenty to do before I left the house at 8:50 am. In spite of the holiday we still have garbage collection so I wanted to be ready for the garbicians. With all the company we'd had there was more than the usual amount of waste to put out in the bin. Once the garbage run was completed I readied my riding gear and my bike for the car rack. The logistics for the coming ride were quite complicated. We met at the Home Hardware parking lot, as usual, and from there Jimbo dispatched three cars to Oliver, (I being one of them), two to stay at Hildegard von Bingen's house where we were having lunch afterwards, the other to take the drivers to Twin Lakes where the ride would start. The remaining vehicles went straight to Twin Lakes to wait for the rest of us.

Mother Teresa drove with me and we had a most pleasant time catching up on the way south. I'd not been hiking since the beginning of June so we had plenty to chat about. Once at Hilde's place  we did a bit of re-organizing as Luigi and her bike needed to be accommodated. She knew she would have to leave earlier than most of us, after lunch, so she had driven her car to Oliver. As well, Hilde's car was needed so after all the bikes and passengers were loaded, we headed up Fairview to make for the gas station, off 3A, at Twin Lakes. Having ridden this route quite a few times, I estimated it was between 30-35 km so it was close to 11:00 am by the time the whole group was back together. 

Aarturo had unloaded all the bikes from the vehicles that had come directly from HH, and even put air in the tires of those that needed pumping. As soon as the recent arrivals were set I snapped a few pics and we took off, carefully crossing 3A onto Twin Lakes Road and the ride was on. There is a decent hill almost immediately so those not used to such climbs struggled a bit to get to the top, some, (to remain anonymous, Dear Reader), having to get off their bikes and push them to the crest. Knowing the route and riding, more regularly than most in the group, on a very light bike compared to what the others were using, I was triply advantaged. Consequently, over the course of the ride I'd often go ahead, a couple of km or so and then turn around to ride back to just past the last riders in the group and repeat the process. 

Day couldn't have been better, sunny but not overly warm and the wind was out of the north at around 13 kph. Once we'd climbed the next, lesser grade beyond the golf course, and swung past the top lake of Twin Lakes, the road drops downhill, and steeply so at times, all the way to the intersection of White Lake Road. Here the grasslands open up to the southwest, the road hugging the base of the sere hills to the north. A few, short flat stretches but again, mainly down hill to the intersection of Fairview White Lake Road, not far from the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, so a glorious, delirious descent, hardly having to pedal at all. 

With the wind now behind my back the gradual climbs up to the parking lot beside White Lake were not as taxing as they might well have been. Most of the other riders were quite strung out behind me by the time I'd reached the parking lot so I circled back to go about halfway down into the small valley there before turning around to chase the stragglers. Group was ready to go as I came abreast of them and we headed off again. Great whoosh down not long after one leaves the flat stretch near the parking lot and we were soon approaching the cattle guard not far north of Willowbrook and my fillings hardly rattled at all as I zoomed over it! Jimbo was flying himself and he overtook me before we reached Green Lake Road. I wanted to take a short dipsy-doodle towards the community there so I told him I'd rejoin the group on Willowbrrok Road after taking Jones Way back.

Once I'd done that I didn't see the group on Willowbrook so headed south, imagining they were ahead of me. Cycled for about two km before I decided that perhaps they were still behind me so turned around and sure enough the lead riders soon came into view. Rejoined the tail and then proceeded to move up the line. Although most of the road is quite flat here there are a few short, reasonably gradual climbs as one moves from one part of the valley to another. Knowing this I went ahead and once at Seacrest Hill Road I turned onto it for a km or so before looping back. The peloton wanted to make a brief stop, in the shade of the large pines here, for drinnks and a bit of a breather, so I continued south, seeing a doe and her fawn on the left side of the road, the fawn melting into the brush as its mother eyed me warily, her large ears radar alert as I nodded to them and wished them good-day.

Turned around after a few km and looped back to find my companions. Not long after I did, Jim "Faster Than A Speeding Bullet" Bryan literally shot by me, and I was eating the dust he left in his wake. Decided I couldn't let his breakaway go unchallenged so set off to reel him in. Took some doing, let me tell you Dear Reader, as he was really hurtling along. However, a gradual rise helped to slow him down and I was able to pull alongside, puffing more heavily than I care to admit, whereas he was cool as a cuke! At any rate, my legs still felt pretty good and I knew that the road would drop quite steeply, shortly, almost all the way back to Hilde's place so I set off to enjoy the exhilarating descent, very, very pleased that I wasn't having to ride the other way, as I'd done almost a month ago, during the GranFondo.

Once Willowbrook hits Fairview Road the real adrenalin rush starts as the road snakes down in a number of lazy curves and I logged my maximum speed here, 58.5 kph. Know that I could probably have pushed it over 60 kph if there had not been a slow-poke pick-up in front of me. Road surface is terrific and just made for low level flying! At any rate, I had 44 km on the clock when I rode past Hilde's place so I lopped back, up Fairview, after a mini-dipsy-doodle on Fairview Place, a tiny crescent behind Hilde's home, making for Sumac Street as I knew that I could ride it a bit beyond Road 5. I wanted to log at least 51 km for the day's outing and doing this would give me the distance I desired by the time I was back at Saint Hildegard's Abbey! 

Was a tad surprised to find that I was the first rider to arrive as I had thought that the peloton was not far behind me on the last set of hills. Anyway, I dismounted, parked my bike in the corner of the lovely back yard, took out my camera and waited for the troops. Jimbo was the first to arrive, followed shortly by St Hildegard herself. Not much later the rest of the gang appeared and we all repaired to the shade of the cool garden. What an idyllic spot. There was a large picnic table set up with an umbrella and chairs in a rough circle around it. Even without the umbrella much of this part of the garden was in shade from a large tree there. Grass was cool, cool on one's bare feet so a most pleasant sensation after the ride.

Didn't take long for the Abbess and her helpers to spread out a feast fir for royalty: a huge platter of ham; potatoe salad and bean salad; a large plate of mixed vegetables and dip; salsa and corn chips, antipasto; dill pickles; mini-pepperoni sausages and finally, slices of watermelon and cupcakes for dessert, if one even had room by this stage! More beer and wine, chilling in a huge tub filled with ice, than a party of drunken sailors could knock-back, even on extended shore-leave! What a truly wonderful end to a truly wonderful ride!

We sat around the table visiting and chatting with everyone, with those sitting beside each other or across the table. After about half an hour of enjoying the sumptuous fare in such relaxed, terrifically comfortable circumstances, Gallagher Lake Dave and his long-suffering wife, Dale, arrived with two friends in tow, Linda and Jim, (I think but please correct me if I'm wrong!), just having moved from Calgary to the same Gallagher Lake complex where Dave and Dale live. In fact, as I understand it, the Calgarians are staying with the Whittons until there unit is ready for them. 

More visiting, more snacking, more tippling and then a Hip Hip Hooray for the Abbess, Hildegard von Bingen and her free-flowing, unstinting hospitality! Jimbo, always on the lookout for a handout, suggested that this party become a weekly affair instead of an annual event and, having a quorum of hikers present, the motion was seconded and is now part of the OF Constitution! Great good fun and more laughs until close to 2:00 pm it was time to think about organizing the return to the gas station to collect the vehicles there. Jimbo did yeoman's service, putting five bikes on his car. three on the rack and two ont he roof. Bullet Man did much the same in terms of ferrying more bikes and even Gallagher Lake Dave took Mother Theresa and her bike in his car so that she could be part of the trip back to Twins Lakes.

St Hildegard came with us in Jimbo's car as she needed to collect her vehicle as well. Quite enjoyed the ride back as it gave me an even better opportunity to pay more attention to the surrounding terrain and long climbs than when riding, either up or down, as one tends to have to focus on the road itself, much more carefully, when cycling. Soon back at the gas station to unload most of the bikes and snap a few last parting shots. Farewell embraces for those going in different directions and then we headed for Penticton. I left my bike on Joltin' Jim's roof rack as it was just as easy to unload it when back at HH. Once there, did just that and thanking James for organizing the marvellous affair I waved goodbye to rest of gang there and made for home. What a superlative outing! What a stellar luncheon! What truly terrific friends! What a charmed, charmed life! Many, many thanks and Cheers, Patrizzio! Map and Stats for ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1284002545#.V5_piWGEU7s.email

Great Pictures Patrick...........Thank You. Hugs from Hildi Hilarious, and enjoyable illustrated read Thanks a lot. Josinta