Kamloops ("Where the rivers meet") 7-16-09

Yesterday, we rode 60 miles from Merritt to Kamloops. Early in the day, we followed Nicola Lake

and stopped at the Quilchena Hotel along the way.


We filled our water bottles and looked around.


We did not realize that this would be the last business we would pass for the next 45 miles!

The scenery was gorgeous



and not too hilly


but the weather got hotter and hotter. After lunch, several of us realized that we wouldn't have enough water to last through the day. Dean and I stopped at a ranch and pumped clear, cold water from a well to fill our bottles.

There was a long (4K), steep (9%) hill just before Kamloops, but then a big reward: a huge downhill into town. We are staying in the dorms at Thompson University.

Bud and Jason cooked up a BBQ of steak and pork chops for the carnivores and salmon for the rest of us, with salad and baked potatoes.

The student rec center serves free ice cream on Wednesday nights so that was dessert. We can pound a lot of ice cream; I bet this is the last time they give it out to the local bike trip.

The reason we are staying in dorms tonight is to give us a better appreciation for camping. These dorms are arranged as "quads" (4 singles with a shared bathroom in the middle). My quadmates are Dean, Vince, and Lynda. The worst feature is lack of ventilation or air conditioning; I slept with my door open most of the night to keep from suffocating.

After relaxing all day, our group split up for dinner. About half went to the Commodore Lounge, while 8 of us went to Peter's Pasta.


Not only was the food delicious (homeade pastas and sauces and desserts) but Peter (the owner) was our waiter. He kept us laughing all through the meal, then took our photo at the end. If you're ever passing through Kamloops and want a great meal, go see Peter.

Everyone on the trip (no, no.....MOST people on the trip) are getting nervous about the next few days of riding. We have 3 long mileage days in a row as we head for Jasper and the Rocky Mountains. But Mike is not worried.


This is his 5th time riding this exact same trip! Since he is one of the fast riders in the group, I don't see him during the day and haven't gotten to know him well yet. But I have started asking him questions about the next days' routes, as in: "Mike, what is in the town of McLure? Is there any espresso shop there?" Then, I get a blank stare from him, until he realizes he does have some memory of the route. "Oh, hey! Just as you leave town, there's a great Dairy Queen."