After last night's wind and clouds, this morning dawned sunny but not too warm. Nevertheless, sun was a marked improvement to the weather we have experienced for the past several months. Before that, however, our reveries were rudely interrupted just after 5:00 a.m. by a group of people loudly talking outside the motel. At my advanced age, 5:00 a.m. is just too early for anything except for a trip to the bathroom.
We started the day with breakfast with the Griffins, then loaded the car and bikes for the day's ride. While we were standing there a family with a little girl came to the car parked beside us. The mother told us that the girl loved the bikes so I invited them to have her sit on a bike and get her photo taken on it. The mother seemed happier than the little girl. She took a photo and then I took some of the two of them, leaving two happy people.
Today's ride had us backtracking to Chilliwack to Mountain View H-D so Garry could buy a new helmet, which he did. The dealership had many bikes that had already been sold and some of the new ones are quite beautiful. The Street Bob is particularly striking. This is the same bike the guy on the ferry was riding yesterday morning. I love the tank paint job.
After short stops at London Drugs and Chevron to fuel the bikes we headed out to Highway 1. As we were merging six motorcycles passed us, so we pulled in behind them. Another rider joined us so all nine of us rode most of the way to Hope at a little more than average speed. Traffic was moderate until we hit construction and two lanes merged into one slowing us down greatly.
After a burger break in Hope and some basking in the sun it was time to think about shooting some motorcycle video of the trip across the Cascades. It took some time to sync my remote to my GoPro Hero10 but when I pulled out my chest mount to put the camera in its case I had brought the wrong case. So no video. Colour me verrrry disappointed and irritated at my own stupidity for not checking things properly before leaving home. I always say that on every trip I either forget or mess up something. So far this trip, that was it. And the scenery and riding here is so spectacular it would have been great to have some of it on video. Sadly, not this time, though.
Highway 3 (The Crowsnest Highway) took a real beating in the storms last November and much of the road surface on the west side of the mountains is very rough. I hit a few real boneshakers on the first part of the mountain ride. The road improved however, and after a brief stop at the Manning Park Lodge we pushed through to Princeton where the temperature was in the mid 20s. Standing in the parking lot I actually felt hot for the first time since last August. It was awesome!
Manning Park Lodge
Princeton took a real hit from the flooding Similkameen River in November. Several houses were condemned, with businesses flooded as well as schools. The Chevron station was closed as well as the Dairy Queen from flooding I suspect.
We rode through Keremeos and on to Osoyoos, arriving at our hotel after riding around Osoyoos trying to find it. I miss my motorcycle GPS! I'll have to see if I can get it installed when I get home. I don't like being lost!
Highway 3 east of Princeton runs level along the river and further on if one looks closely it is possible to see lengthy cuts in the hillside above the highway. Further on to the south of the highway are more cuts in hillsides and just before entering Keremeos a long red bridge crosses the Similkameen River. Much of the roadbed for the highway, the cuts on the hillside, and the bridge are the remnants of the VV&E (Vancouver Victoria & Eastern) Railway. Further to the east of Keremeos near Cawston, the old railbed is visible for several kilometres as it runs along Highway 3. The railway was a a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway & was build to gain access to the mineral wealth of the Boundary country. The line to Princeton was opened in 1915 but was abandoned in 1937 so these remnants are all the is left after 85 years. Still, it is good to understand why these features exist and to know some of the history behind them.
Darlene and Gretel arrived after us and after getting settled in for the next two days we went out for dinner. Two things have been very evident on our trip so far. First, prices for meals have increased drastically in the past several months. Second, many places are short staffed. Tonight the boy who met us at the front of the restaurant looked to be about thirteen and our server was so young that she couldn't bring a glass of wine to the table. Nevertheless, the meal was good and a fine way to end a pretty great day.
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