July 23, 2019
Revelstoke - Halcyon Hot Springs, BC
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I was once again awake long before my alarm. This morning's breakfast was oatmeal in the room to help Jacinto lighten the load from all of the food he purchased. I went to the office at 8:20 for ice and there were Jim and Genny - all packed up and ready to go. 8:30 sharp depart this morning. Off we went. They had scouted out our bridge over the river. From google, it appeared to be a rough, grated metal surface. Luckily, there was also a walkway to the side. Over we bicycled. From there we went straight up, one of three significant climbs today.
The sky was bright and temperatures were warm. We were slightly concerned about overheating. That has not been an issue for the entire trip. We were riding delightful Highway 23. Traffic was infrequent. We did see the occasional logging truck.
Today Ken and Judy from Kamloops would be parking at the ferry and riding out to meet us. I presumed Genny was eager to see them as she did not stop at all. Ever. I stopped for a couple of photos and fell far enough behind I didn't see them again except for fleeting glimpses going around corners. Today's views were lush, tall vegetation. There were occasional cleared areas where water was visible. To the right, water was pouring down the walls with moss (lichen?) growing in many places and ferns growing from cracks in the rocks.I think we were lucky to hit this area on a sunny day - ferns don't grow in the wild if they aren't getting plenty of water.
I came around a corner and suddenly there we four cyclists! There were Ken and Judy. Ken has exactly Jacinto's bike - same year and everything. We chatted for a few minutes and then decided we should get going as we had a chance to catch the ferry without waiting too long.
We dropped down a steep descent to the ferry. I tried not to think about the inevitable steep climb away from the ferry . . . Ken and Judy had loaded their bicycles on their vehicle and were on the same ferry. I'm not even sure how long the ride took. 15-20 minutes? We were talking the whole time. Ken said they were also going to a hot springs tonight. He didn't think we'd want to go there, as it was up a long climb.
Sure enough, the grade away from the ferry dock was at least 10%. I stayed with Jim and Genny with some effort. My shirt was quickly dripping in sweat and in my mirrors I could see my face turning an unflattering shade of red from the effort of climbing.
I kept looking at the computer, trying to decide if it had counted the ferry distance or not. I hoped it had, because then I would arrive faster. I kept willing Genny to stop, but she didn't. I decided I would stop by myself. Climbing 1,000 feet in one shot is tough. I didn't want to do it. I decided to stop at 2,000 feet elevation, after 600 feet of climbing. Nah, I could make it to 2,100 feet. For sure I was going to stop then, if only to wipe the sweat off my face. Once I got to 2,100 feet, I could see the road leveling off in the distance. In the end I rode the entire way, but I certainly would have stopped if they had.
Clarifying comment - Genny told me over dinner that she was offended by the above statement. There were many times that they had stopped and I passed them right on by. Which is correct. We discussed this and circled back several times. I'm doing a good job keeping up on the flats and the descents. This is new. When we first rode together in Colorado, I would only see them in the morning as they whipped past me down the road. Now I have lost weight, I'm faster. I can keep up with Oren also, with the same exception of the climbs. When I was heavy, the climbs were really tough and I had to take frequent breaks in order to make the summit. After all of these years I'm in the habit of taking breaks on the climb. As exampled above, I'm capable of doing big climbs in one chuck, but it's not my climbing style. Genny says she's always done long climbs without stopping. Jacinto chimed in to say that's his preference also. I pointed out that Oren made a special comment one day on the Utah trip that he was only stopping because he didn't want me to put in the journal that he didn't stop.
Back to the original journal -
From the high point, we had 3-4 miles of downhill to the resort. It sure looked fancy to me. I wonder what the place looks like where Ken and Judy went. We went inside. No luck checking in. Jim and Genny wanted to have lunch and they were sure they could eat again at 6 PM, when we had a reservation for dinner. We parked the bikes to the side and locked them up. I don't the there's much chance of anyone stealing our bikes here. Jim and Genny once again scoffed at my lock. I once again stated my position that someone coming prepared to cut a lock/cable could cut their's just as easily as my thin metal cable. My thin cable will keep the casual theft of easy opportunity away. I could tell they didn't agree with my opinion.
We went in for lunch. The waitress was very nice, but service was glacial. It took a long time to get our lunch and coffee refills were slow. Genny's curry was excellent and my Monte Cristo sandwich was fine. The fries were served in a metal sleeve that helped keep them hot.
We were about half done eating when Jacinto came in. His shirt was so sweat soaked that I asked him if he had gotten caught in the rain. Nope, he'd had a few fat drops - but that was sweat. He ate the other half of my sandwich and drank coffee.
The check in lady stopped by to tell us our cabins were ready. We had already decided to try the hot springs after dinner, as they are open until 11. Off we went to the cabins. Up the steep driveway and up a very steep path to the cabin. Jacinto helped me push my bike up the path. I don't know how he got his heavy bike up there. Together we carried my bike up the remaining stairs. It's parked on the porch. His bike is inside. The bathroom is so large we could park a bike in their, except for clearing the bed. Genny says the toilet has a bidet feature. I have yet to check it out.
I think this is a nice resort. Our cabin was $209. before tax and that includes the hot springs. They have a variety of accommodations here. Jim and I had several discussions about the choices. We went for the cabins as they are closest to the food and the resort is quite spread out. There were some rooms that were cheaper, but they are further from the lodge.
OK - time to shower and check out the fancy bathroom.
We had a 6 PM dinner reservation. Genny and I both went for the pork tenderloin that the lunch waitress recommended. It was delicious. I could have easily eaten a second plate. We went back to the cabins and changed into our swim suits. The ambiance was perfect with an evening visit to the hot springs. They had a 99 degree pool that I found just right, not too hot, not too cold. There was also a 58 degree cool pool. Jacinto and I both dipped our toes in and called it good!
Jim and Genny are eating at the restaurant in the morning. I'm having oatmeal to reduce the supplies. Jacinto has a half of a Bomb Burrito left over . . . rain is in the forecast, but it shouldn't amount too much.
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Today's ride: 44 miles (71 km)
Total: 581 miles (935 km)
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