Day 23: Chilliwack, BC -> Manning Park, BC

Date: Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Start: Chilliwack, BC (Staying with family)
End: Manning Park, BC (Coldstream Campground)
Distance: 119km

The morning started with a coffee with Joel and Sarah.  We spent more time catching up, followed by a breakfast of steak, eggs, and bagels.  Our shared relatives had grown up in the depression, and there's a taboo in our family about leaving someone's house hungry.  Whether it was out of the goodness of his heart (it was!) or a fear of being haunted by my grandfather (who would), Joel made sure I left fueled for a big day of biking!

Deepest thanks to Joel (and family) for hosting, feeding, and catching up with me.  On top of all of this, I got to spend time with his incredible family.  I'll do my best to be back!

Fires had started north of Chilliwack and the air was smokey and misquite.  To the north the mountains were robed in ominous looking clouds, which was the smoke coming over.  I was heading east and it promised to improved as I moved, so I moved!

Just after leaving Joel's doorstep I managed to hit 1500km for the trip.  I moved along rivers that split off the Fraser and the landscape was full of dairy farms and fields as I rode along the banks of various rivers.  It was picturesque.  Eventually I crossed back over the Fraser River and back to the North bank where I rode back towards Hope, BC.  Riding East means the angle of the Sun is such that I get some shade from trees!

I made sure to take frequent breaks to hydrate.  It was going to be a long day and I didn't want to bonk! (Bonk means to "hit the wall")  The ride was wonderful as the sun hadn't reached it's zenith yet.  That was about to change...

I reached Hope and the temperature began to spike.

It was good to be back.  I opted for a mocha frappe concoction from The Blue Moose.  Ice, coffee, and sugar!  It hit the right note!

I noticed that my rear bike light was missing!  I wanted to make sure I had it in case of bad weather or riding late, so went to a nearby bike shop to pick up another one.  I oiled my chain, checked my tire pressure, and went to the grocery store for supplies.  I grabbed some cheese, salami, crackers, bug spray, and candy for the climb!  It was now sweltering heat, but I forced myself to eat because I had a looooong ride ahead!  I drank a hydrating sports drink Joel had given me.

Up ahead was Allison Pass, the first of the major climbs that Highway 3 had in store for me.  They've been monsters in my head and I was feeling intimidated.  It was time to start Highway 3.

I jumped onto the highway and took the right turn that would spend me down the Crowsnest Highway!

The road started on an incline, but after about 10 kilometers the climb became more serious.

Civilization is a thin veneer.  Given enough time away from population centres it begins to melt away.  It's happened to me in plenty of different ways throughout the trip.  Peeing on the side of the road.  Biting cheese straight off the block.  Riding with my fly open for air circulation.  But the temperatures were about to peel another layer of civilzation away...

The entire ride so far I've worn padded bike shorts, but over those I'd worn a pair of over shorts.  Call it modesty, call it shyness, call it a desire to maintain appearances.  Here's Wendell Pierce as Bunk Moreland from The Wire to explain:

Well it was time to stop keeping up appearances.  The overshorts had to come off.  I biked in my tight padded bike shorts.

It helped, but the heat kept pressing in...

I had to stop frequently on this climb.  I'd started it at 2pm and it was peak heat for the day.  It was only 6km but it was seriously taking it's toll on me.

I climbed the area around Hope Slide and at some point I reached the end of the climb.  I was at around 70km but iwasn't the end of the climbing for the day!

The road started a gentle downhill and though I enjoyed it, I was swearing under my breath because I know it meant more climbing ahead.  I went up and down and eventually reached Sunshine Valley, a small repost/RV outpost.  The valley pretty flat, and I stopped and considered making camp there for the night.  It was around

It was just after 4pm and I was still feeling good.  So I decided to press on to my original goal for the day: Coldstream Campground.  This would mean another serious climb up Allison Pass.  I took a break at the East Gate of Manning Park to eat, drink, and make sure I could make it to the top.

At 5pm it was time to set out.  I had to do another 40ish km for the day which would usually take around 2 hours but the climbing was going to add at least another hour on top of that.  If I couldn't get to the campground by 8:30pm I'd be risking biking during sunset.  I decided to take the risk!

I was feeling good.  The highway out of Sunshine Valley was flat and at time decending.  This kept going for longer than I would have liked.  It meant that the eventual climb was going to be steeper.  It did however offer some incredible sights and views!

Then the climb started.  It was 14km long.  At about 88km the road angled upward and didn't stop.  Allison Pass.

I climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed.  There was very little traffic thankfully, and the temperatures had finally broken for the day.  This made the difference and it turned out to be easier than the 6km climb earlier.

I stopped frequently for water and ate the candy I'd bought earlier in the day.  It all helped!  I was slow, but I didn't stop very often and kept going up.

Because it was late in the day I needed music.  Kate Murphy is the playlist winner this time!  Her spin class music was the drive I needed to get uphill.  Two in particular were:
1) Edamame - bbno$ feat. Brian Rich: not a song I would ever usually listen to, but it did the trick here!

2) Bicycle Race - Queen: That multitrack "BICYCLE" at the beginning gave me strength!

I pushed and pushed and pushed and then I did it.  I reached the summit of Allison Pass.

If anyone was around there I'm sorry, because I was hooting and hollering and just over the moon that I'd done it!

As you can see, it was now 8pm.  My estimate had been right on the money.  I still needed to go about 6km, but it was aaaaaaalllll downhill!

It was a great ride the rest of the way.  All downhill and coasting.

I reached the campsite just 15 minutes later.  I grabbed a site, pitched my tent, USED THE BUGSPRAY I BOUGHT BEACUSE THAT HAD BEEN A GOOD CHOICE, and made dinner.

Joel had given me a tin of makeral in olive oil.  I ate it with my usual instant mashed potatoes.  It was a good thing Joel wasn't there, because I could have kissed him.  It tasted incredible and was - I'm sure - the shot of protein I needed at that moment.

A total of 119km for the day, but more importantly I'd done just over 1700 meters of climbing (and most of it concentrated in two places).   I'd paced properly, ate, and hydrated well.  The first climb of Highway 3 was in the bag.  It wasn't the last, but there would be time for that.

I slept soundly, already missing all the friends and family of the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland.  But the first bit step East was done!