September 27, 2019
Vancouver, BC –> Victoria, BC

Distance: 42.4km (some cheating involved by taking the 620 bus to get through the Massey tunnel as I was not convinced the Alex Fraser would be open again and the tunnel shuttle schedule did not line up with mine)
Ave: 19.5km/h
Max: 52.3km/h

The replacement bolt for my front rack broke, so I came limping home with a pannier strapped to the back and a mess of zap straps on the front. I tried to out-run the clouds, but the clouds won. When cycling through the pouring rain, it is especially nice to know you are going home to a hot bath and dry clothes.

Trip Stats:
– Total distance: 1683km (definitely the scenic route – you could go Jasper to Victoria in under 900km if you wanted!)
– Highest speed: 77.7km/h (Flying down Glen Valley on route to Fort Langley)
– Highest elevation: 2135m (Bow Summit on the Icefield Parkway)
– Longest day: 152.7km (Fort Steele to Kootenay Lake)
– Slowest loaded day: 14.4km going from Castlegar to Christina Lake on the Culumbia Rail trail, which involved ~1038m elevation gain; close second was my 1774m climb day up to Manning Park at 14.6km/h.
– Fastest loaded day: 22.5km/h (Radium Hot Springs to Fort Steele… including a substantial quantity of Kicking Horse coffee)
– Flat tires: 0

The biggest downside was the unusual amount of wet weather. Many highlights: riding through epic vistas in the Rockies, swimming in Honeymoon Lake, stunning sunset over Kootenay Lake, mind boggling geological and engineered features (canyons, trestles, dams, hills, tunnels), satisfying fish&chips in Christina Lake, spontaneous boardgames and beer in Nelson, soaking the tired cycling muscles in various hot springs, cozy family and kitten time in Cawston, short hikes to wonderful viewpoints (waterfalls, lakes, valleys, glaciers), and no need for the first aid kit!

Overall, a great trip. Thanks for joining me!

Alice