The words a father speaks to his children in the privacy of the home are
not overheard at the time, but, as in whispering galleries, they will
be clearly heard at the end and by posterity. -Jean Paul Richter, writer
(1763-1825)
Hello Tame TT, aka Big Bad Al! Thank you so much for your very kind words and best wishes. Certainly appreciated. I'm more than delighted to accept the condition you outline so consider it a deal!!! As I mentioned in my last message I do hope to join group for some of the debriefing sessions, this coming Fall, all going well for me, once I'm up and about and can "hobble" the necessary distance! My chauffeur will probably insist on coffee, for me, for first little while but who cares as long as I can enjoy everyone's company.
Lady Dar and I drove up here to Little Shuswap on Friday afternoon to spend next few days with very good friends, Ruth and Rick Toews, who have a marvellous cabin on the lake here. Went for a great, if wet, ride, earlier today. Account below, if interested. Thanks again, for the support, Al. All the best for now. Must away as the bridge table calls! Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: View from deck, towards Shuswap, and bridge fiends, late yesterday afternoon! View towards Chase this afternoon.
After a fabulous breakfast of fried potatoes, mint and lamb sausages, (from T-Bones, in Penticton), omelette with Romano, and sliced garden beefsteak tomatoes, (Bought from a roadside kiosk at the top of McLean Creek Road, just up from Synchromesh, this past Thursday, when wine-tasting, thereabouts, with Kathleen and Stefano, where one drops one's coins, on the honour system, into a small cash-box attached to the display shelf.), all courtesy of Lady Dar, washed down with Ruby Louise's industrial strength cappuccino, I was more than ready to hit the road for Scotch Creek. Having ridden here before I had a pretty good idea that a loop to that community and back would give me a 50+ km ride.
Forecast suggested a few showers but it was dry when I set out. Nevertheless I wore a light rain jacket, just in case. Had brought my Brodie with its mountain tires, as opposed to my Trek, primarily due to the fact that we plan to visit the Myra Canyon Trestles on Monday, on the way back to Penticton, and I knew it would be a better choice for the KVR. At any rate, after slurping as much water as I could, (I forgot my camel-pack and hadn't remembered that my Brodie didn't have a water bottle holder!), I pushed my bike up the fairly steep driveway from the cabin, almost on the water, to the start of the road above. Once there I was ready to go and made my way along the roller-coaster-like series of small hills until I hit the flats near the local band school, about 3 km from where Ruthless and Ricardo have their gorgeous cabin, right on the tip of the last point across Little Shuswap from Chase, about a fifteen or twenty minute boat ride away.
Just as I cycled past the school it started to drizzle and from the look of the misty, grey cloud cover I expected I might be in for a wet outing. Seemd to clear as I left Little Shushwap Lake Rd and turned onto Squilax-Angelmeont Rd making for the bridge which spans Shuswap and Little Shuswap. I only went as far as the intersection of Turtle Valley Rd, just above the Trans-Canada Highway, where I turned around and headed back along Squilax-Angelmeont Rd, making for Scotch Creek. By this time it had started to rain quite steadily, although not overly heavily. My jacket kept me reasonably dry but I knew my sneakers would soon be soaked if the rain continued. (Although I have pedals for clip-on boots for this bike i have yet to exchange them for the regular pedals which only have toe-clips.)
Fair bit of traffic along this road, (many large pick-ups pulling a wide assortment of utility trailers, caravans, boats, etc., RV's and other commercial trucks of one sort or another), so I was very happy to be on larger tires given the slick surface of the road. As well, often quite a bit of gravel on the shoulder so I had to pay close attention to the vehicles whizzing by and the ever-changing road surface. However, once past Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park, (For any of you, Dear Readers, not familiar with this park, "it stretches along the banks of the Adams River, between the south end of Adams Lake and the western portion of Shuswap Lake. It's known for one of the largest sockeye salmon run in North America, and is named after Roderick Haig-Brown, Canadian writer and conservationist."), the width of the shoulder improved and I felt a tad more comfortable when passed by speed-demon Albertans, in particular!
Fairly flat going and most picturesque when the road curves around a number of bays on the Shuswap. Not long, thereafter, a decent climb up a long gradual grade to descend over a narrow, one-lane bridge, where one must yield to oncoming traffic. I didn't as there was enough room for a cyclist to cross safely and I was soon in Scotch Creek itself. Had close to 24 km on the clock by then so I took an exploratory dispsy-doodle down Hilliam Rd as far as where it intersected with Hilliam Frontage Rd. Given the weather and the time I'd said I'd be away decided I'd save this area for future exploration, so turned around and retraced my steps. Didn't take long and I was back on Squilax-Angelmeont Rd.
Had just nicely dried off by then when it started to drizzle again and now I was also heading into a reasonable head wind, about 6 kph NNW, so not only were my sneakers starting to squelch but I could feel a bit of a chill from the breeze. Nothing to do but push on and although last long stretch on SAR was really very busy the spray from the passing vehicles didn't really make me any wetter than I already was so I counted that as an odd blessing of some sort, Dear Reader. Only about 4 km of this free bike wash and then I was back on Little Shuswap where I had the road almost completely to myself. The closer I rode to the cabin, the lighter the rain became and I even enjoyed the two or three fairly steep hills I had to climb as the effort required sent warming blood coursing through my veins. By the time I was carefully descending the decent but hard-packed sand/gravel driveway, (I certainly had no desire for another spill, Dear Reader, especially since my latest lacerations are healing so nicely, aided and abetted by licks from both Sansa and Arya, the Toews' delightful pooches!). the sun had even managed to peek out from a few rents in the low cloud cover and I was beginning to dry off, yet again.
Although gang had said they would be back from golfing nine holes at Talking Rock, the local course I'd passed on my ride, by 1:30 pm and I was back right on the dot, the car was not in the driveway so I knew I'd have to search for a house key. No luck and the dogs didn't seem to be able to open the door in spite of following me form window o window as my search progressed around the perimeter of the house. 9In fact, I did come close to finding it in a utility shed but wasn't able to spy it tucked out of sight as it was!). No never mind as the golfers, perhaps more sodden than I, arrived about ten minutes later so all was well. Quick mug of java and a hot shower and when rest were showered and changed themselves it was off to the bridge table to finish off the last rubber we'd started the night before, after a more than fabulous lunch of Little White's delicious borscht with biscuits and raspberry jam, all her home-made fare! Map and Stats for ride:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1336472967#.V8s5BnG_Ggg.email
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