Day 14: Clear Water to Blue River

I was plenty dark in the basement where I slept which also made it easy to sleep in. Jean had promised hotcakes for breakfast at 8:30 am, so I made sure I was up and dressed by then.

She went all out and served the delicious little pancakes with whipped cream, butter and sugared strawberries and rhubarb (from her own garden)! We chatted a bit, she grew up in the area and was a wealth of knowledge. 

I lingered until 10 am when I rolled out.

It was a beautiful morning, and I resolved to enjoy the sunny Sunday for all it was worth! There was rain in the forecast at Blue River so I tried to be mentally prepared for that likelihood. 

There's been a lot of Pipeline construction all along Hwy 5, guess they don't take Sundays off. I'm starting to recognize their trucks by the orange flags they fly.

I rode the first 50 km in silence, opting to listen to the sounds of nature (when vehicles weren't whipping by). Noticing how many rivulets of water are running down the mountain sides.

After I'd stopped at a rest stop I got the earbuds in and listened to a church service, seeing as it was Sunday. And then onto some Hillsong music.

It was so cool to see the mountains towering above and around me, covered in a rich blanket of evergreens.

I was in no rush...but part of me didn't want to spend more time on the road than I had to. I managed to miss a few rain showers... the roads still wet.

Wasn't particularly keen on riding in the rain...but this is BC...and apparently the mountains attract rain clouds.

It was after the climb that it started sprinkling and I knew I was in for it. Sure enough it rained. It was awkward knowing I would be camping and the chance of my wet stuff getting dry wasn't that good.

I can see snow covered mountains in the distance as I go ever northwards. 

My host had mentioned I could camp free at Eleanor park, but I'd already booked a site at the campground in Blue River and it was too late to cancel that.

Order of priorities when bike touring:

1. Get out of sweaty gross bike clothes, shower and into clean clothes.

2. Wash  bike shorts by hand and start the drying process.

3. Eat!!! (I enjoyed the hard boiled eggs my host had sent along along with tuna, lots of crackers, fresh cut up cucumbers and carrots. Figgy Newtons for dessert :)

4. Set up tent.

5. Get internet and do all the things...

6. Chill/journal/blog/draw and paint