September 17, 2019
Christina Lake, BC –> Johnston Creek campground, BC

Distance: 104.6km
Ave: 19.6km/h
Max: 55.6km/h

Oh the joys of pavement! I passed the 1000th km early on today (1096km totally running trip to date), and now more than midway through my trip. And I also literally passed the town of Midway.

Despite the rocky start (the dinkiest ice cream cone ever for breakfast), the morning shaped up well. Dark clouds ahead and behind me, but I seemed to be riding in a sunny(!) blue(!) hole in the sky…
I had a lovely stop in Grand Forks, including a Farmers’market with good live music.

There was a good climb up to Eholt Summit (1028m), followed by a beautiful rest area with dock and lake where I met another cyclist (Roman from Switzerland) with whom I played leap frog.

However, the forecast rain did arrive – just as I was enjoying my second (and much more reasonably sized) ice cream of the day.

When I arrived at my intended campsite and found no shelter to speak of, it was still before 4pm, so I decided to continue. The helpful woman the Greenwood tourist info centre had given me a map that showed Johnson Creek a provincial campsite <40km down the road. There was also a private one at Rock Creek, but that involved a minor detour onto Highway 33, and Johnston Creek was only a few kms further west. If you look closely, you can see the sprinkler going in this photo – apparently rain adequate to drench a cyclist is not adequate to drench fruit trees!

I didn’t look at the shape of the road after Rock Creek. If I had, I would’ve surely predicted the enormous hairpin climb and saved it for tomorrow morning. As it was, I was surprised to find what is essentially a highway switchback. It afforded incredible views of the Kettle Valley and back down to Rock Creek.

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Aaaand Johnston Creek was closed.
I checked my maps. The only other option I could get to was the one in Rock Creek, and the was no way I was backtracking down that hill. So here I stay. There’s a signpost that has a little roof that is big enough to cook under, (although alas not sleep under).
So I’ve cooked up soup and fresh corn on the cob for dinner, and will soon crawl into what is hopefully a nice, dry tent.

Alice