The first day was a gentle intro. Today didn't follow in it's footsteps. It was a much more demanding ride today. Our plan for the Trestles got ditched due to a lot of smoke in that area and we did a longer ride, the one from Oyama to Vernon. Our first ride was only 20 km. Today it was 40 km. with a head wind and an incline all the way to Vernon.
My butt and my knee were doing a little complaining by the time we got back to our starting point this afternoon, but I was expecting that since I haven't done much biking yet this year. It's like riding a horse. The first few rides you can expect saddle sores but after riding for a while the bum muscles toughen up and you're good. I don't expect the saddle sores will be gone by tomorrow's Trestle ride though.
A hard packed gravel rail bed was what we were riding on today. A brand new section that just opened up that runs all along Kalamalka Lake. One of the most beautiful lakes in the area. The crystal clear water is a bright emerald green, the result of limestone deposits left by receding glaciers.
In some sections of the trail there are huge walls of rock with unusual and interesting formations. There's so much beauty that a person doesn't get to see when travelling by car at 100 km an hour on the roads high above the lake.
There was five of us on today's ride. Betty, Kathy, Wendy, Diane and I. We had lunch at Alexandra's Pub then we checked out this little Rail Trail Cafe (shown below). Cute little coffee joint for bikers, or others, to stop and chat, or pull out a journal and write, while enjoying a specialty coffee or other beverage of one's choice.
By the time we got back to the house I was ready to go spend a relaxing hour or so by the lakeside of Okanagan Lake. I sat out by a tree with my book and journal until it was time to go help out with preparations for dinner.
Next we loaded up our bikes on Diane's bike rack on her car as she days it's her turn to drive tomorrow, (wish I had brought my nausea bracelets). Kind of her to offer but not necessarily a good thing for me since I can get car sick quite easily.
We finished off the evening with taking Gypsy for a walk. Then I retired upstairs to have a short soak in the tub, and now it's read and write time before I hit the sack and get some rest for tomorrow's adventurous day.
No comments:
Post a Comment