Day 6
As I've moved southeast from Merritt the land scape has gotten progressively more arid. Dusty scrub brush pops where tall trees used to be, shade disappears, and the breeze dries your throat. To get to Osoyoos you hit the real extreme of British Columbia desert. There's a huge climb to conquer before you ride down into the valley where the town cradles a narrow lake.
I left early though and the ground was just heating up as I rolled in. After resting at the beach I decided I should do another stretch of cycling to camp at a provincial park near Rock Creek. I had been warned twice that there was a big climb going east on highway 3 but I thought it wouldn't be too bad. Big mistake. It turns out "big" can also mean endless. I kept going up and up but at least some clouds obscured the sun. Switchback after switchback passed behind me; I started taking more and more breaks as the ride went on. Finally I made it over the summit but the sun was setting and I was 15 km away from the site, feeling miserable.
I would have been sitting in a hotel bed, eating local fruit, if I was a smarter person. I finally made it to Johnstone Creek at 10-something exhausted and with little water. A family also staying the night informed me the pump was broken. Awesome.
Day 7
The big ride up the night before meant a big ride down in the morning. I filled up on water and Okanagan cherries and it felt like last night was just a bad dream. After a stop lunch in Midway, which is adorable, I'm off to Grand Forks. I'm pretty sure there isn't a mountain in the way.
Great pics!!!!
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