Day 6 – Kelowna to Enderby (T.D.: 106km, S.T.5h58min)

After a blissful rest day spent in the care of Aunt Marion, we (foolishly) coaxed our still-recovering muscles back onto the bikes and out of Westbank. Fully aware that a heatwave had descended upon the Okanagan Valley, we (naively) imagined that a 100km day would still be manageable – never mind that the greater Kelowna area had transformed into a fiery furnace of hellish heat. Not even the discovery of a flat tire on Caroline’s bike could convince us to stay put and relax another day until the temperatures cooled down. We would pay for our ambition. Dearly.

Well, not so dearly – but we did start to show signs of sun/heatstroke around the 80^th kilometer. But here I am getting ahead of myself again. The day did start out with a flat tire that Caroline patched up with military-style diligence and aplomb, and we had crossed the bridge into Kelowna before the sun had risen too high. It was a nice ride on designated cycling routes out of the city, and we were able to stay off the main drag until kilometer 30 or so. The next stretch of highway into Vernon was a spectacular ride through the lake district – rivaled in beauty only by the Coquihalla. It was some hot though. And no shade to be found. Things hit a nadir when Caroline got her second flat of the day, which we fixed on a secondary road beside Lake Kalamalka under a blisteringly hot sun. Luckily, we weren’t far from Vernon, where we found respite in a lovely city park. Here, we had a picnic lunch in the shade of a weeping willow, while a nearby water-park dispatched a fine mist every so often to cool our sunburnt skin.

After this mid-afternoon siesta, we decided we could risk the road again, but found the temperatures had only risen. After a particularly brutal stretch through a construction zone near the Kamloops turn-off, we were so desperate for shade that we found ourselves huddled beneath a tiny pine tree near the entrance to a mobile home park. There, a kindly man took pity on us – bringing out cold oranges and offering his garden hose to cool us down. Temperatures had reached into the 40s by this point, so we took our time before getting back on the road. We reached Enderby as the sun was setting, and enjoyed a dinner of fish and chips in an air-conditioned restaurant. The cook informed us that the heatwave was forecast to continue in the coming days, and we decided to change our plan of attack once we settled in at our riverside campground. The day had been a lesson in what not to do – namely, ride 100 km in a heatwave – so we made arrangements to cut our next day in half. It would prove to be a shrewd decision.

Stats:

Av. Spd: 17.6km/h

Mx. Spd: 48.9km/h

Most unfortunate incident involving roadkill: Caroline riding over a dead bird. A plump dead bird.

Most prevalent type of roadkill: Plump dead birds.

Best wildlife sighting: A plump marmot on the railing of the bridge into Kelowna. He was alive.

Worst Shoulder Award: The 10km stretch between Winfield and Oyama. There’s a sign indicating that this stretch of road is due for construction this year.

Angel of Mercy Award: The guy in the trailer park with the cold oranges. God bless him.