When you’ve got so much fatigue swimming about in your system that you can’t really ride a bike… well, that’s still no excuse to not go on a biking road trip!
Especially not when you get to ride in this sweet van:
We stopped in Golden on the way over; first for a ride – well my role in the trip was largely chilling in the van reading books, listening to podcasts, and painting watercolours while everyone else rode bikes. So I didn’t go for a ride. But I did join everyone in checking out the Whitetooth Brewery after. Â The beers were tasty, but very hoppy.
We were staying in the lap of luxury outside of Salmon Arm, in an Air BnB so fancy it had a birdhouse inside it!
I am aware that birdhouses aren’t necessarily a mark of high sophistication for many. I stand by them as the mark of a house that is delightfully whimsical, and thankfully still had a decent kitchen. And now I can say I’ve slept inside a birdhouse.
For the actual race I was a course marshall, stationed out near the end of the loop. I’ve raced the last four years, so it was odd not to be on my bike. But it was also pretty fun to be hanging out on course cheering everyone on, especially as so many Canmore-ites make the pilgrimage out to race each May.
To keep myself entertained, I acted as course photographer too – so here’s shots of all the road trip crew:
As you can see, it got a little wet and muddy out there. For a while I was hiding under a tree as it hailed like crazy.
Most people say you should wear a jersey with bib shorts. But what do they know?! Life would be boring if everyone did what most people thought was the normal thing to do.
Everyone should have this facial expression when riding their bike up a hill.
Kat was there! She was racing solo again, and she won a thing too.
Danika got a woodallion!
Then it was back to the birdhouse for ludicrous amounts of food. I’m pretty sure we had roasted brie, apple pie, and icecream sandwiches made from fresh-baked cookies, and that was all on top of a big dinner!
Bikes were washed.
Men cooked manly things on the BBQ.
And we also spent some time soaking in the hot tub, of which there are no photos because cameras and hot tubs do not get along.
On the way home we went to Golden to do a run down one of the easier trails on Mount Seven. The guys shuttled me up and I actually got to ride my bike which was sort of fun, but also made me very aware of how wrong my body was feeling. And photos were taken, but I can’t seem to find them anywhere.