On A Mission

Today began with Peter and I reviewing some of my routing options for the day. This was followed by a group photo which included two moderately cooperative dogs. With route established and the photos taken, I was once again ready to move on. This time, to Mission – not before the customary stop at Subway, of course.

My first cycling trip in 2010 included a ride INTO Hope. And it was beautiful. Today the early part of my ride followed the same route OUT of Hope and it was equally beautiful – except for the fact that I was leaving Hope behind. Did I mention that I really like Hope? That said, I don’t think I’d feel the same way in February. But it’s not February. It’s August. And Hope in August is more than a little nice.

From Hope, there are several possible routing options to get to Mission. The main decision was whether I would travel on the north or south side of the Fraser River. Since I had travelled the north side in 2010, I decided to stay on the south shore. From there, my route would depend upon how much time I wanted to spend on the Trans-Canada Highway. Despite Google’s directions, I didn’t have as much choice in the matter as originally thought.

While I wasn’t planning on staying on the Trans-Canada all day, I found myself exiting earlier than expected as the highway officially became off-limits to cyclists at the exit to Harrison Hot Springs. And so I found myself cycling along parallel roads for much of the day. This really wasn’t a bad thing. There was MUCH less traffic and it really didn’t affect the day’s riding distance.

I arrived in Chilliwack around noon so it seemed like a good time to have some lunch. It also seemed like a good time to go into the Real Canadian Superstore to restock on Celebration Mix. I made one more quick stop at the Visitor Centre for a photo before hitting the road again. I was a little disappointed that my route didn’t lead me past any big “Welcome to Chilliwack” signs. Maybe it was for the best. Even though I wasn’t in Chilliwack for long, much of my afternoon was spent singing “My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone). How could I not?

The easy ride to Chilliwack became a somewhat more challenging ride to Abbotsford as the winds picked up. I suppose it was only a matter of time. Fortunately, I didn’t have to deal with anything other than the wind. While the Trans-Canada was very busy, I comfortably travelled along the appropriately named South Parallel Road until I arrived in Abbotsford. From there the wind was much more cooperative and the ride into Mission was painless. And, unlike Chilliwack, there was a “Welcome to Mission” sign to greet me. How nice.

Today’s ride came to an end when I arrived at my host’s house for the night. But it was a more than a bit of a workout to get there as tonight’s home was at the top of a very steep road. VERY steep. Technically my host, Gary, isn’t a Warm Showers host but I’ll call him that anyway. He’s actually the brother-in-law of Cindy, another Warm Showers host in Mission. She wasn’t available but she was kind enough to put me in touch with Gary who was available. Thanks Cindy. Very much appreciated.

And, of course, thanks to Gary too. Gary was a great host and very interesting to talk to. Plus, he makes a great (yet one of a kind) vegetable and egg casserole thing. I call it that because there was no official recipe, just a wide selection of vegetables that needed to be eaten. They all went into the dish. And they all went together very successfully. For those concerned about my vegetable intake during this trip, tonight would not be the night to worry. It was a good day for my arteries.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 104.17 km
Ride time: 4:57:30
Average speed: 21.00 km/h
Maximum speed: 61.44 km/h