Day 1 made for a most auspicious beginning. Our send-off party was ten-strong at breakfast, and Caroline’s Aunt Polly even painted a banner for the occasion. Strange to be leaving a place for good, saying goodbye to some very dear friends, but also embarking on a big exciting adventure. Bitter and sweet at the same time… If only there was a single word to describe that feeling of mixed emotions.
Luckily, we didn’t have to say goodbye to everyone at the same time. Six of us set out on our bikes from the corner of Broadway and 10th, and by the time we reached the Pitt River Bridge after a leisurely ride on the Central Valley Greenway (and a harrowing one on the Mary Hill Bypass), our numbers had dwindled to three: Caroline, myself, and our good friend Alex Hall, who has accompanied us on almost all of our training rides these past few months. Alex came with us all the way to Abbotsford that day, and then biked another 20km back to the transit lines to get home to Vancouver.
As far as biking days go, this one was most excellent. The weather was cool and breezy, the terrain forgiving, the traffic not too heavy, and the scenery lovely. We made reasonable time to Uncle Harold’s house, and enjoyed a big meal at the Old Spaghetti Factory down the road. (I guess spaghetti must be one of the primary industries in Abbotsford, as they have at least one whole factory devoted to it in what seems to be a relatively small town.)
Harold, who has spent most of his life trucking in BC, was a huge help in plotting us a route out of town. Cyclists aren’t allowed on the Trans-Canada Highway between Hope and Vancouver, but Harold drew us a map (from memory) that kept us as close to the highway as possible on some beautiful back roads between Abbotsford and Chilliwack. Thanks Harold!
Harold, who has spent most of his life trucking in BC, was a huge help in plotting us a route out of town. Cyclists aren’t allowed on the Trans-Canada Highway between Hope and Vancouver, but Harold drew us a map (from memory) that kept us as close to the highway as possible on some beautiful back roads between Abbotsford and Chilliwack. Thanks Harold!
A personal anecdote to close things off for Day 1: My abiding memory of Harold’s house was formed on a family trip through Alberta and BC when I was ten years old. In his basement, I discovered a remarkably extensive collection of novelty baseball caps that lined the ceiling and walls of his rec room, and was hugely impressed. I had been looking forward to seeing those caps again, but to my great sadness, found that he had gotten rid of the collection last year. The only hat that remained was a big green hat with a three-dimensional bear head attached to the front. A harbinger of things to come? Let’s hope not.Stats for the day:
Average speed: 17.5 km/h
Maximum speed: 42.5 km/h
Steepest incline: Marshall Rd. Abbotsford (three blocks from Harold’s house)
Cross-Canada cyclists encountered: 2 (on a tandem, riding from Vancouver to Quebec)
Most interesting wildlife sighting: a small skunk trundling along somewhere in Burnaby
Most tears shed: Shirley Smiley
Aw, animal updates!
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