Stan's GearUp4CF Journal June 20th-29th 2009

Our new 2010 GearUp4CF Rider's Journal

2010-05-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

We have embarked on a new adventure. Check out our new Rider's Journal at http://gearup4cf2010.blogspot.com/

See you there!

Welcome to my GearUp4CF 2009 Journal!

2009-07-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

This Journal charts the preparations and the actual day-by-day account of a long trek that officially launched in February. It ended on June 29th, as we flew back from Calgary, with two major tasks being fulfilled.

The first task was to pump up air in my Trek 5200 bike and start pedaling on June 20th 2009 with my GearUp4CF friends, and keep pedaling, with a few stops to catch my breath and, hopefully some sleep, we reach Banff on June 28th, followed by a shuttle to Calgary and a flight home the next day. One thousand two hundred kilometers, in nine days. Was I crazy? I'm sure there were more than a few of you reading this that may have been asking themselves the same.

But I did not mentioned my second task, which was going to be a massive undertaking in its own right. I needed some help with that one, however. For this journey is all about raising awareness and funds for Cystic Fibrosis research and support through http://www.gearup4cf.org.

GearUp4CF is a major fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis here in British Columbia. I have lots of reasons to help participate in this. Yes, I love cycling. I've done some wonderful rides in the Colorado Rockies, and in the interior of British Columbia. If you are interested you can see some nice photos of these rides (and some AMAZING photos of how bicycles are used around the world) at http://www.pbase.com/kmsvw/cycling .

However, the real reason, the one that motivated me to even consider something as arduous as this would be, was the memory of two very special people I have known who have had cystic fibrosis. One, who I knew for many years, died when she was a young adult. The other is a lovely child, the daughter of family friends, who is now ten years old and doing well through the tremendous support she receives from her family, the medical community in British Columbia and the work done by the Cystic Fibrosis foundation.

And yes, anyone who has seen my short 'bio' located at http://www.gearup4cf.org will know, my wife is a physician at BC Children's Hospital who has led the drive for newborn screening for cystic fibrosis, with the goal of improving outcomes through early detection. And, by a remarkable coincidence, I did my own Ph.D. research a few years ago in a laboratory across the hall from that of David Speert, an equally passionate cyclist, and who also happens to be a world recognized CF researcher. I know, therefore, from first-hand experience, what research can do to help save the lives of children and young adults with cystic fibrosis.

And so, even though the ride is complete, I would still like to ask for your help, especially this year, to make supporting CF a priority for you. We simply cannot let the wild uncertainty in these economic times slow the work that must be done to find a cure. What a difference you can make. For my goal was not just to reach Banff. It was to help find a cure for CF, and do it soon. Our children and young adults who have cystic fibrosis cannot afford to wait. Please give your full support toward my goal to raise both awareness and important research funds for this vital cause.

Want to learn how? Just go to the GearUp4CF web site at http://www.gearup4cf.org. and make a secure, on-line donation right now. You'll have all the more reason to do so when you read this journal and see what had to be done to get this 52 year old body into shape for a 1200 kilometer cycling tour. And, if you think it was a worthwhile cause, your support just might encourage me to do take on this ordeal again next year!

P.S. There are lots of photos in my journal account below. Click on the photo itself, and it will display a larger version on your screen. Some of the photos during our ride to Banff simply must be seen this way.

BONUS: Even MORE photos, collectively submitted by participants on this ride, can be found at my supplemental photography web site, at http://www.pbase.com/kmsvw/gearup4cf2009

BTW, You can add future posts to your favorite web reader. Just click on one of the buttons below:

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Thank you!

2009-07-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am delighted to announce my sponsors to date, as of October 1st 2009:

David Bogoch
Ron Bakonyi - Bakonyi &Co.
Sur Baycroft
Dick DeGruchy
Debbie Descrochyes
Carla Dodek
Ron Fulton
Michelle Gerber
Anna Hart
Ian Knipe
Gaynor Levin
Yolanda Lilliquest
Sharon Madison
Jerome and Ruth Marburg
Eileen and Graham McIntosh
Kathy and Rob McJunkin
Warren Milman
Sorèl Leinburd
Betty Pearson
Max & Leona Pinsky
Leah Pomerantz
Charles Ramey
Dave Richardson
Alan Ross
Mark and Heidi Shaw
Terry and Grace Shaw
Tamara Shenkier
Ian Taggart
Paola Telfer
Hilary Vallance
Joe Vallance
Susan and Alastair Vallance
Maelor Vallance
Wendy Vallance
Ian Worland

If I've missed anyone please let me know. Remarkably, together with my own contributions, we have now reached:
$7,477.68
for a grand GearUp4CF 2009 team total of $72,2006.49

Your generous financial support, together with so many who have been actively assisting the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is making a significant difference in the lives CF kids. Thanks so much for joining our team. Whether you were pedaling your way up the mountains to the Canadian Rockies or not, you were riding with me, and I was thinking of you.

Some donations are still coming in. Every dollar counts towards research and improving treatment for CF kids. If you would still like to contribute, please go to our GearUP4CF web site and do it now, before moving on to do something else.

Epilogue - Home at last after 1193 km / 741 miles

2009-06-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

I had a luxurious rest last night. Brewster's lodge is a small but lovely hotel with a rustic theme, set in the heart of Banff. After we packed up our gear into Tom and Joyce's waiting van and trailer, they left in the morning for the long drive to Vancouver. Tom has offered to store our bikes at his business until we can pick them up, likely sometime Wednesday. I had a few hours to spare before our shuttle left for Calgary airport, however, to be honest, I think most of us were quite content to just sleep in or read a book for the morning. We had seen so much over the past nine days, it was great to simply relax and reflect on what we accomplished through this ride.

<--Brewster's Mountain Lodge in Banff this morning, on the day of our departure

Packing our bikes into the trailer for a long journey home-->

It also gave me time to reflect on the achievement we all made, including you, our sponsors, in supporting Cystic Fibrosis children and young adults. I learned a great deal about CF these past few days. Riding and living with fathers of CF children and friends who intimately know these children, and researchers who are actually engaged in finding more effective treatments, has made a huge difference for me. You may be interested to know, if you have not seen it already, that one of our riders, Sherri and her fifteen year old daughter Emma created a Youtube video (click on the link to view it) telling the story Sherri's best friend and her three children, all of whom have Cystic Fibrosis. The song, "Over the Rainbow" was sing by Connie Talbot, a six year old girl who was a finalist on Britian's Got Talent two years ago. Connie's manager gave Sherri permission to use it for this video. I met those beautiul children when I was in Harrison, and played ping pong with Roman, the eldest child. Seeing the video, and learning what they are facing, and what they have to go through on a daily basis, brought home to me why we were all here.

<--Time to return to our families, to work, and, perhaps, to meet a new and equally difficult challenge. But if we work together as a team, as we did on this journey, anything is possible!

The goodwill we encountered along the way was inspiring:

- through the many hours Kinsmen and Kinettes gave to provide lunches and dinners for us in various communities along the way.

- through a restaurant owner that opened up his kitchen just to serve us first thing in the morning, so that we could get an early start

- through a hotel operator who gifted us a room when an extra one was unexpectedly needed

- through appreciative hallway conversations with guests in the places we stayed

- through friendly beeps of encouragment from cars passing us (yes, we could tell the difference!!).

- and through our corporate sponsors and you, our personal sponsors

This has quite literally helped to carry us up over the mountains in our goal to find a cure for CF. It won't be forgotten.

Our way home took several different directions. Sherri's return last night to Prince George, as she rightly pointed out in a jubilant email sent to us today, fully qualifies her for the prize for "Best Wildlife Spotting of the Tour" for 2009.

Sherri's grizzly bear-->

For, while Brian and Sherri were driving back through the national park, they found, on the side of the highway, a grizzly. I think that automatically qualifies her to return next year to defend her title, don't you agree?

Most of us took the shuttle to Calgary Airport. As the plane took to the skies, I could not help but smile at how ridiculously efficient air travel is compared to a bicycle. It took us NINE DAYS to get to Banff, only to be flown home from a city that is even farther away, in one hour and twenty three minutes. But no one on that plane, other than us, could possibly experience what we did by booking a plane ticket. And the friendships I have gained through this ride have been truly priceless. If anyone, after reading this journal, is thinking that riding for Cystic Fibrosis next year might appeal to you, I have only two pieces of advice: start training now, and be prepared for an incredible experience.

By the way, if you are interested in reading the perspective of some of the other riders, check out James and Chris' blog, located here .

Day 9 - Invermere to Banff 150 km - WE MADE IT !!!

2009-06-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

This is a very quick note to announce that we've made it safely to Banff. I'm in my hotel room now and am about to get a shower and head off to a celebratory dinner at Earls restaurant with the rest of the GearUp4CF team. The last day of the ride, through Radium Hot Springs and onto Banff was absolutely spectacular. Personally, I'm feeling great. After riding on my bike for 1193 kilometers in nine days into the Canadian Rockies, I have absolutely no major aches or pains, and, thankfully, no injuries. Look for an update here late tonight.

But, before I head out for dinner, I would like to thank so many of you who are following this journal for sponsoring me on this ride. Your support has been tremendously motivating for me. You are truly part of our team here, and share the credit for what we have accomplished together.

If you have not yet made a donation, it's not too late. Just click here . It will take you to the official Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation GearUp4CF web site. There is a 'sponsor me' button on the web site located there. Take a look at the bios of the other riders on the site as well. It doesn't matter who you sponsor - all of the funds go to the same great cause, and that's what really counts.

BTW, I've mentioned this elsewhere, however, the photos on the way to Banff are particularly beauiful. Try clicking on photos of interest - a larger version will appear.

<-- Our route today, as recorded by the Garmin GPS unit on my bike.

<--Our elevation profile, recorded by my Garmin GPS. That first hill was pretty tough. After reviewing the GPS data, James was astonished to find that, in fact, we climbed more today than we did on that monster Hill between Trail and Creston on Day 6. For more information about the route, including a larger map, click here .

Our day began at 5:30AM. We packed up our gear and quickly had a rather spartan breakfast before heading out along Highway 93/95 just as the sun began to break over the top of the Eastern mountains.

Sherri's husband, Brian drove for over ten hours from Prince George the day before, so we had an extra support vehicle. Since they were planning to drive back home after we arrived in Banff, Sherri, Susan and I left together about an hour ahead of the others, with Brian driving along, providing support.

<--View of the mountains in the morning outside our motel in Invermere

The air was chilly, with a moderate wind that kept us working hard along and drafting close behind each other to make our group riding more aerodynamically efficient. It wasn't long before we arrived in Radium Hot Springs, about twelve kilometers down the road. From there, we turned up into Kootenay National Park on Highway 93 and our first major ascent of the day.

The first big climb was a brute, touching an 11% grade in some places. But it was equally beautiful as well, with rich, green forests and towering mountains at either side of the road.

<--Susan is in the distance

Susan continued up the mountain with, as we joked later, the stable, steady cadence of a freight train. Sherri and I worked our way up a bit more slowly. The long journey had been hard on Sherri's knees, so progress was painfully slow. But, with assistance from Brian, we found ourselves at the top of the pass. From there, we began a fast descent into some of the most spectacular country in Canada. At every turn, a new, magnificent vista opened up.

Thankfully, the surface at the start of the climb was exceptional, making riding on it a pleasure.. It was obviously newly paved. After riding over a thousand kilometers, literally feeling every bump along the way, we were becoming 'asphalt connoisseurs' by now.

A bit further on, we discovered why the road was so new. Re-surfacing was still in progress on the mountain, with road crews working on sections up to the top of the mountain pass. It was there, however, that I met one of the most inspiring individuals on the trip.

Shawn-->

His name is Shawn. I met this smiling, friendly man as he was directing traffic around construction up the mountain. It turns out that he actually owns the company engaged in directing traffic at this and several other construction sites. An intelligent and articulate young man, he was clearly enjoying what he is doing, there on the mountain. What is more remarkable is that he was standing, directing traffic for hours on end, without asking for favors from anyone.

The ride this morning was so beautiful that I found myself reaching for my camera frequently, juggling the bike with one hand to keep cycling, and taking a photo with the other. To my dismay, however, I found that the display on my viewfinder was quite useless while riding into Banff. The sun was so brilliant, I could not see a thing. I was delighted to find the ones you see here in this journal turned out so well. I guess that means that, over these past nine days, I've become pretty good at this rather dangerous technique. I once saw Sherri , a relative newcomer to road cycling, try to do what I was doing. Watching her, however, scared me to bits. If she crashed while taking a photo, I'd never hear the end of it!

It was not long before I found myself at the top of the first peak. We began our descent, always a thrill after working so hard to get to the top. Partway down the mountain, a viewpoint appeared at a bend in the road, and suddenly we found ourselves presented with one of the most magnificent vistas I have ever seen - the Canadian Rockies, stretching along a long valley corridor as far as the eye could see. My little camera could not possibly do justice to the enormity of the scene, and the grandeur we all felt. You have to be there, to feel the wind on your face, the rushing sound of the mountain stream, the chirping of birds hidden in the trees, the rustle of populars in a gentle breeze.

But what struck me most was not the vista itself, but ageless timelessness of this place. The mountains will be there in equal splendor tomorrow or a thousand years from now. And they will wait patiently for us to return, to marvel at its majesty again and again.

We continued down Highway 93, past towering, snow-capped mountains, rich green forests and turquoise rivers.

Sherri, enjoying the ride down the mountain-->

<--the color of the river shown here does not come close to the uniquely luminescent turquoise green color of the river, produced from melting glacial water.

The closest we ever got to seeing Cariboo-->

Throughout our journey, I had been looking for wildlife. Then suddenly, by the side of the road, there appeared a deer, looking at us intently. I raised my camera and clicked. Even though we were at least a hundred yards away, it visibly twitched. I took another picture. Click. The deer, clearly startled, fled into the forest. We continued on our way.

Unfortunately, this beautiful national park has not been immune to the pine beetle ravaging forests throughout British Columbia and now into Alberta-->

A few minutes later, Sherri's husband, Brian, pulled up beside us saying, "look just beyond that sign up ahead". I could not see a thing, but kept riding silently, wondering what he had seen. Sure enough, a beautiful white tailed deer came into view, it's tall tail waiving like a flag.

Cycling through this great valley was an exhilarating experience. I didn't want it to end. And, yet, with every pedal stroke, we came closer to our final destination on this, our last day.

<--Lunch at a rest stop located in the heart of the park.

Trevor, relaxing during lunch. He was one of our strongest riders on the tour, despite the fact he only took up road cycling a few months ago-->

<--John, in the middle of one of many entertaining stories he told during our ride.

Is THAT where we're going?-->

<--Susan, ready to head out on the road

On her way again-->

<--- .... past a brilliant turquoise green mountain stream near our lunch rest stop

And towering mountains.... --->

<-- The day was so brilliant, I could not see what I was taking a picture of through my camera. I could only pray that it was capturing what I was seeing. Thank God it worked.

James at the British Columbia - Alberta border. Susan, Tom and I were there as well... lots of photos were taken!--->

<--View of the mountains at the BC - Alberta border

Finally, we started ascending our final mountain pass of the tour. Climbing the this last hill was much easier than the first of the day, and somehow I felt stronger, perhaps the strongest I have been since before I broke my ankle last year. I got off my seat and pumped my way joyously over the last five hundred metres. Simon, who knows the route well had told us to look back behind us once we reached the top. There, on the mountain was a glacier in the crevice of the summit.

I took a final photo of Brian, James and Susan, ready to descend with me. Their smiles speak of the triumph we all shared on reaching this last major hurdle. Then, we descended, a wildly fast hill leading to the junction of Highway 1 and 1A. Tucking myself into the bike, I let myself go as fast as I dared, about 70kph. Even then, a strong gust of wind would sweep across the highway and the bike would shake, forcing me to grip the handlebars to stabilize it. You never knew when the next gust would strike, adding a bit of suspense to the descent. Sorry, even I could not risk taking a photo of our descent!

Reaching the bottom of the descent safely, I started taking photos again as the familiar mountains of Banff came into view. Rather than take Highway 1 into Banff, we chose to take the more scenic route, along 1A. Along the way, we arrived at a designated meeting place, in a campground a few kilometers from town. With everyone spread across the mountains during the climb, it took awhile for everyone to arrive. Once we were all together, we proceeded as a group towards the city.

But, one last wildlife surprise was in store for us, literally right in front of us after rounding a sharp bend in the road - a family of big horned sheep. I had never seen them in the wild before. They were such stately creatures, I hardly thought about the possibility that , at any moment, they could have easily rammed one of us off the bike.

Another (non-wildlife) surprise was in store for us in the afternoon. However, this one required even more caution. It was a cattle crossing, with round pipes as bars, set apart by at least six to eight inches to keep cattle, or possibly other wildlife (moose?) from entering the town. I got off my bike and gingerly stepped on the bars of the gate crossing, doing my best not to slip off. After coming all this way injury-free, I didn't want to end my perfect record here. We proceeded downhill, gaining a bit of speed on a final, short hill. And then, our final, and rather frightening surprise - a SECOND CATTLE CROSSING!!!

<--A final challenge, literally yards from completing the tour. I'm at the front, Sherri is behind, with Susan in the distance.

I guessed I must have missed the comment about it during our nightly briefing. At any rate, by the time I recognized what it was, Sherri and I were going much too fast to break to a stop. I hung on for dear life and rode my bike over the cattle gate, praying that the tires would not slip off the slippery bars. Thud, thud, thud.... and then I was over it. Sherri did the same and somehow managed to get across as well. Susan, who who tended to head down hills a bit more cautiously, was completely vindicated in her careful approach. She managed to stop in time and walked her bike safely across.

And then, we were DONE!!!. Just a few yards down the hill from that last heart-stopping moment of the tour, we came to Banff's sign welcoming us to the city. The photo shown here is the official photo of our journey. The exhausted, but happy faces in the photo only hint at what we have seen during these past nine days. Well done, everyone!!

I always find the completion of a tour a bit anti-climatic. There is nothing in the last moments riding into town that comes close to the elation I felt when on the top of the last summit.

Banff, at last. What a beautiful destination to complete this journey--->

We arrived at Brewster's Mountain Lodge, a lovely hotel in the heart of Banff. After locking our bikes safely away in storage, we took our gear to our rooms. Sherri had to leave early with Brian to make the seven to ten hour journey (depending on construction) back to her home in Prince George, so she said her final goodbyes early. After riding nearly twelve hundred kilometers together, it was an emotional moment for all of us. I showered and fell on my bed, exhausted. Just before losing consciousness, I managed to set an alarm to wake me in time for dinner.

<--Chris and Trevor

Susan and Tom. Tom was such a wonderful help as a support driver for the tour-->

<---Simon, smiling in converstation with John and James (outside the photo)

Our final celebratory dinner at Earls Restaraunt was memorable. We could not help but talk about highlights of the tour. There were so many. Of course, the most brutal, miserable conditions are the ones that are also the most memorable. There was lots of talk about the ascent into Manning Park as being one of the highlights in the misery category. And yet, we were all there, together. I regret that I was unable to get a decent photo of everyone who was there at the dinner, but the real memories of James, John, Brian and Joyce, who were at the dinner but are not in the photos above, are in this journal already. Doug, who left our group early to be in Kelowna with his daughter, and Sherri , who was on her way to Prince George, were clearly missed at the dinner. They were both so important to our team this year.

After dinner, we went for a short walk through town. It has changed so, much since the last time I was here, in 1987. The town reminded me of Whistler Village, with a distinctly European flavor, set in the shadow of the Canadian Rockies towering overhead. It was a lovely evening, and a fitting end to this great adventure. Tomorrow, we pack our bags and bikes into our support vehicles. Tom and Joyce will drive them home while most of us will be flying back to Vancouver. In a few days, I will put together my epilogue of the journey. But, for now, it's time for a warm bed and a good night's rest.

Day 8 - Cranbrook to Invermere 131 km

2009-06-27T23:40:00.000-07:00

It's 7:30 AM here in Crenbrook. It was hard to wake up this morning, especially as there was a one hour time change when we moved from Creston to Cranbrook. I've just gulped down dry cereal, toast, two cups of 'ok' coffee and orange juice here at the Super 8 motel and am madly throwing together my gear for the day. It's going to be warm, not a cloud in the sky. At least I don't have to pack my rain gear!

It's difficult, and rather sad to believe that we are only two stages of the tour from our destination in Banff. This tour has been such fun! Tonight, we're going to be hearing an updated on the current state of research and treatment of CF kids. I am looking forward to it. Assuming we have Internet access, I'll provide an update this evening. Wish us luck on our journey today!

---------------------

Evening update:

This was, without question, one of the most scenic days of our ride. It seemed that with every pedal stroke there was something new to see. Here's our route, a long, easy ride along the edge of the majestic Kootenay Rockies.

<--The route looks tough, but actually it was very easy. Look at the elevation scale. The biggest hill we climbed was only 400 feet over 20 kilometers! On Day 6, we climbed one that rose over ten times that height. For more route information, including a larger map, click here .

I had lots of time to take photos. For one, I rode about a third of the entire route on my own, as my friends left ahead of me thinking I would quickly catch up. Not with this beautiful scenery about me. I stopped frequently to grab my camera,

<--Our morning ritual, getting the bikes ready.

The Kootenay River, near Fort Steele-->

<--We encountered several road crews along the way

Fisher Peak, elevation 2900 meters (9500 feet), This mountain can be seen from many parts around Cranbrook and is a favorite hiking destination in the region-->

<--The eastern slopes of the Purcell Mountains

Quiet waters of the Kootenay river, beside grassy marshland-->

<--Just a little farther! Near the junction of Highway 95 and 95A.

Beautiful vista could be seen everywhere we looked-->

<--We stopped for lunch at Canal Flats.

By the tine we arrived, Joyce had already set out lunch, waiting for us. This became a common sight on our trip. Thank you, Joyce!--->

<--James arriving for at our rest stop for lunch

The Columbia River headwaters, located near Canal Flats, flows to the Washington-Oregon border on the Pacific Ocean in a journey that will take 12,000 miles-->

Canal Flats was part of a scheme in the 1880's to divert water between the upper Kootenay River into the Columbia River System. The original idea was to lower Kootenay Lake to the point that it would transform the rich soils in the estuary we passed when travelling into Creston into farmland. This would have amounted to over 48,000 acres! The idea was a bit flawed, however, as it would have flooded existing farms around Golden and might have put CPR railway bridges crossing the Columbia river under water. Instead, a canal system was created to link the two rivers. Only a couple of boats ever used it, however, and Canal Flats as a thriving community faded into history.

What was left are lumber mills that, when we went through, were idle with thousands of board feet of processed lumber waiting a buyer, and many more thousands of board feet of logs stacked to be processed.... a graphic indication of what terrible shape the lumber industry is in right now.

An idle lumber mill at Canal Flats, seen just beyond our picnic area -->

After leaving Canal Flats, we journeyed on through broad hills of the Columbia Valley region. The weather was perfect - sunny, but not too hot, thanks to a gentle breeze.

As we neared Fairmont Hot Springs, we began to approach some very strange rock formations that reminded me of some of the geology found in Colorado. Called the Dutch Creek Hoodos, they are odd formations of earth resulting from erosion.

If you look carefully, you can see birds nests situated into small cave-like niches in the mountain wall-->

<-- At last, along the beautiful Winderemere Valley, the outskirts of Invermere, our destination!

We made it to our Super 8 hotel by 3:00 PM, giving us lots of time to get showers, take a dip in the hotel Jacuzzi and even take a snack-attack walk to Tim Hortons, just up the street a block away.

We returned with time to spare before 6:00 PM, when we were treated to a beautifully prepared pasta dinner, prepared by the Windermere Valley Kinsmen, in the motel parking lot. Yet again, we were given such a warm welcome by the Kinsmen, with some additional assistance from a local cycling club.

Simon being served by the Kinsmen in Windermere Valley-->

Prior to this trip, I had no idea of the tremendous work the Kinsmen and their conterparts, the Kinettes have had across Canada.

This evening, Steve and Paul, who were accompanied by a new member, "TJ", told us a bit about the history of the Kinsmen across Canada after dinner.

<--Left to Right: Steve, Paul and TJ

This "made in Canada" organization has over 375 member chapters across the country. I learned that the Kinsmen have been working tirelessly in support of Cystic Fibrosis research and treatment for over 45 years. Our dinner tonight, then, was only the most recent of many, many activities in support of this vital cause. One of our team members, who lost his daughter to CF, told how the Kinsmen had put up his family in a hotel and paid all expenses while she was in intensive care at Children's Hospital. Again, I was overwhelmed by the generosity of this organization. If you are interested, there's an interesting summery of the history of the Kinsmen and Kinettes on their Kin web site.

After dinner, our three Cystic Fibrosis researchers who are riding with us during this trip, provided an informal but highly informative introduction to the work they are doing. I was able to make some notes on this, and will introduce them here as soon as I can. However, what I took away from the meeting was that the work they are doing is directly involved in finding ways to better understand and battle dreaded bacterial infections that occurs with these children. Unlike many research projects I've seen funded over the years, this clinically based research is very closely linked to health outcomes of these young patients. It cannot be understated how important these funds are n continuing the fight to find more effective treatments that can extend the life of these young patients.

For those of you who have already contributed to CF as a result of our tour, thank you!! For those of you who have not done so, it's not too late. Contribute now, before you are distracted and you forget to do so. You can find the link to sponsor my ride (or any of the riders who are with us), here .

<--The GearUp4CF 2009 team at Invermere. One person is missing, Doug , who could not be there tonight. His oldest daughter has CF, as does Simon's son.

By the way, Darryl Crane of the Invermere Valley Echo interviewed us while we were here and wrote up an article about our tour. Click here to read it!

Another day, another sunset. Tonight's sunset was particularly beautiful, as the sun passed beyond the Rocky mountains in the distance.

Tomorrow is our last day of the tour. Incredibly, we have already traveled over a thousand kilometers to arrive here. Now, in just 151 kilometers more, we're done! Our epic ride to Banff will be complete.

Our final day won't be easy, though. Looking at the profile, it appears nearly three quarters of the way is uphill, with two very sharp grades. I'm leaving very early, so must get some rest.

Look for my update tomorrow night!

Day 7 - Creston to Cranbrook 108 km

2009-06-26T23:19:00.000-07:00

At last, today provided a ride to relax on and enjoy the beautiful countryside. The elevation profile tells the story...a gradual incline over one of the shortest rides we've done on the tour, and a nice fifteen kilometer glide into town.

<-- the route from Creston to Cranbrook. The actual starting point is not quite right. I forget to turn on my Garmin GPS until I was 8 kilometers down the road!

<---Our elevation profile. The actual distance we covered was 108 kilometers. For details about the route, as well as a larger map, click here.

This was a day for many riders to recover from the brutal hills that we encountered over the past few days. Unfortunately, one of them had to break off the ride today because both of his Achilles heels, which had been badly strained yesterday, were too painful for him to continue. This is not an easy ride! These past few days have been very hard on a number of our team members. So far, my body is holding up well - I've had no significant aches or pains after seven days of pretty tough cycling. I must say, however, I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight!

<--Breakfast in Creston. From left to right: Susan, Chris, Brian and John (click on the links for their bios).

After six days of touring, we're settling into a routine of rising to an alarm at 6:30 AM, heading out for breakfast at 7:00 AM, then head back to the hotel to quickly pack and load our luggage into a waiting support vehicle. Then, we're off, heading down the road.

Open highway, a sunny skys, nice gentle hills,
what more can a cyclist wish for?-->

This morning, I got everything done and was out the door by around 8:30 AM. Several of the riders had already left by then... they were obviously better organized than I was, However, once we were out of Creston, we found ourselves riding past fast flowing streams, fields filled with wild flowers and small country farms.

Along the way, we stopped briefly at a rest stop provided by Joyce. While we were there, a friendly man with a full grey beard and yellow reflector jacket walked up to us, curious about these bikers arriving off the highway. While chatting with him, it became obvious he was quite a colorful character.

I would have loved to have chatted with him, but I had to excuse myself... my friends were already heading up the highway and it's tough on a bike to catch up!!

A lake set in a beautiful valley below the highway-->

<--The Moyie firehall, built in 1907.

Along the way, we passed Moyie, a small town that is rich in mining history. The St. Eugene mine opened in the late 1800's with the discovery of a huge deposit of galena, the major ore mineral containing lead. Moyie quickly became one of the largest in the region until the mine shut down in 1911 and most of it essentially became a ghost town.

<-- Simon, one of the strongest riders in our group,
at a lunch stop on the way to Cranbrook

John, taking a short break from cycling-->

<--Getting ready to leave our lunch break for a final approach into Cranbrook. We're all looking a bit anxiously at the sky. I packed a rain jacket in my jersey, just in case.

Fortunately, it didn't rain on us. However, as we came closer to Cranbrook, it was clear that they had just had a torrential rain shower just hours and possibly minutes before. As a result the roads were still damp, forming small lakes in the 'wake-me-up' road ridges that have been punched into many of the highways in this region (it's never a good experience riding over them on a road bike... pretty jarring!!).

It was nice to arrive in Cranbrook early. The first priority was to get my poor mud-covered bike (and me) cleaned up.

Tom then offered to take us into town in his car. After being on a bike seat for hours, it was nice to be driven somewhere for a change. We all had different agendas, however. It quickly became clear that the Dairy Queen was high on the list, for a mandatory ice cream. It's sure nice to eat as many calories as you wish on a trip like this!. Then, the obligatory bike shop (I needed some new riding sun glasses). Then a Starbucks, just to satisfy a mutual and long-standing craving for a decent cup of coffee.

By the time we returned, we had just a half hour before Mike, the president of the Kinsmen of Cranbrook arrived to take us to the Mission Hills Golf Club for a barbecue dinner. It turned out it was also Mike's birthday that day, however, he arranged to have the party his family and friends were planning to start later in the evening so that he could join us for dinner.

Together with the dinner, the Kinsmen and Kinettes presented Joyce with a generous donation to Cystic Fibrosis. What remarkable support we have received on this trip from these great community service organizations.

<--The Cranbrook Kinsmen and Kinettes with our GearUp4CF cycling team.

Before leaving for the hotel, John and Trevor, who share a passion for golf, just had to drag Chris and James down to the driving range to fire off a few balls. The funniest incident happened when one of the balls (driven by someone who will remain anonymous) swung badly, causing the ball to ricochet off one of the posts of the building and nearly hit Trevor in the behind.

<--Chris, trying his hand at a devilishly difficult sport. Let's just say the ball didn't quite go where he wanted it to.

James, looking down at...?

"Drat, I must have missed the ball !!"--->

<---Simon, showing how it's done. Thankfully, he missed the bus driving along the highway in the distance.

And as for me? Well, I stayed out of the way, happily snapping photos. After the ITHA charity golf tournament I attended last month, I've decided it would be safer for the grass, and for everyone near me if I didin't go swinging a club!

In all, we had a very relaxing day. It was nearly dark when I emerged from the motel after dealing with some neglected chores. However, I made it just in time to see the most beautiful sunset of the trip to date. Tomorrow will be a bit more difficult and a bit longer than today, from Cranbrook to Invermere, 131 km.

For James and Chris' account of the day, check out their blog, located here .

Day 6 - Trail to Creston 128 km

2009-06-25T23:32:00.000-07:00

Day six of this remarkable journey is now done!! I'm happily sitting in my motel room at the Skimmerhorn Inn in Creston BC, after successfully completing one of the toughest climbs of the tour.

<--Our route today, from Trail, through Kootenay Pass, and across the flat estuary on the south side of Kootenay Lake, into Creston.

<-- Our elevation profile, created by my Garmin GPS as we made our way over Kootenay Pass Summit, elevation 1774 meters (5820 feet). For details about the route, including a larger map, click here.

However, it was also one of the most beautiful to date. After crossing the bridge over the wide Columbia River leading out of Trail, we passed lush green valleys filled with flowers, still lakes, farmland and forested areas.

Erie Lake, between Trail and Creston-->

About 50 kilometers later, we began climbing into a spectacular mountain pass. Along the way, I saw an antlered deer leaping into the forest. Others, like yesterday, saw deer and a bear.

<--wild flowers by the side of the road

This is certainly horse country. I can only imagine the great horseback riding trails that must exist, hidden in the mountains near the farms we passed-->

That settlers have lived in the region for many years was evidenced by a restored log school house that we passed, built in 1912-->

Thankfully, we had been forewarned about the route. Joyce, our wonderful GearUp4CF organizer, was waiting for us at the base of the mountain with energy food and drinks.

<--James, Susan and myself at the start of the climb. Note the sign at the back. How many signs to you see on the highway these days that warn of a steep incline? And we're going to climb THAT?

I decided to keep my knees and ankles intact and chose a nice steady pace that, once you settle into it, could be maintained for hours.

I'm not sure what happened, however, despite my various devices to keep track of the ascent, I didn't know exactly where I was with respect to the summit. I was expecting at least another five to ten kilometers to go, when suddenly, around a bend, the summit came into view. After several hours of cycling uphill, it was a welcome sight!

<--Log cabin set beside a lake at the summit of Kootenay Pass.

I loved the 30 km descent from the top of the mountain pass into Creston. We easily reached 70kph coming down the eight percent incline. Descending on a road bike is all about aerodynamics. The smaller, tighter form you can make, the faster you go. To do this well means folding yourself into the bike, back nearly horizontal, arms tucked in and head down, but eyes level with the road, keeping watch for any possible abberation in the road as it comes flying by. It's not a terribly comfortable position, so when you are riding down a massive hill like this, you do what you can, for as long as you can.

Later on, as the road stretched out, still going down hill, I was able to use my aerobars which are basically forked handles with arm rests that allow you to assume an aerodynamic position with a bit more comfort. Using this, I was able to maintain a fairly steady 40-50 kph for most of the way to Creston.

Mountain forests gave way to a huge estuary on the south end of Kootenay Lake where the Kootenay River flows, and then to the rich farmland of Creston Valley.

Before we knew it, we were over the bridge, then passed through Creston, nearly to the turnoff to Cranbrook, where, at last, we rolled into our motel.

The evening was warm and sunny, perfect for an outdoor improvised pizza dinner. While we were there, two cousins of Sherri's arrived - who she had never met before - bringing fresh baked cookies.

<-- Tom Evans, who volunteered to support us on the trip

John, a friendly and very experienced cyclist, who has been tremendously helpful to some of us who have not been on the team before--->

<--Joyce, our GearUp4CF organizer, in a relaxed mood after our big day on Kootenay Pass. Although she is on staff with the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Joyce chose to use her holiday time in order to be with us to support the ride. Her rationale? "Everyone is donating their time to be on this ride".

Brian, an avid and experienced cyclist who has been a great team member-->

<--James (left) with Trevor, research microbiologists specializing in Cystic Fibrosis at Children's Hospital in David Speert's lab.

It was so nice for all of us to be able to relax this evening, knowing that our ride tomorrow to Cranbrook will be shorter and much easier than today. The day ended with a beautiful sunset, as clouds were set on fire just over the mountains surrounding Creston.

For James and Chris' account of the day, check out their blog, located here .

Day 5 - Grand Forks to Trail 105 km

2009-06-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness, this hard day is done! I'm writing this in Trail, BC, after a grueling but relatively short climb after leaving Grand Forks this morning. Sitting around the breakfast table at the Grand Forks hotel, we were all a bit nervous about this ride. We had just finished that massive climb out of Osoyoos the day before, and now this. The good news, if there was any to be had during breakfast, was that the real climbing today did not start until we were just past Christina Lake, about twenty kilometers outside of Grand Forks. At least we could digest our meal !!

Breakfast in Grand Forks. Susan and Tom Evans is closest to the photo. Tom is a volunteer who has been assisting Joyce Taylor and has been a huge help driving our support van this tour-->

<--Here was the route we took today, plotted by my Garmin GPS

<-- Our elevation profile. For details of the route, including a larger map, click here

As we left Grand Forks, we passed lush valleys and fields filled with wild flowers, which gradually gave way to broad forested hills leading to Christina Lake.

There is also abundant wild life in the region. Several of the riders spotted deer. Two riders came across a black bear, and one found two wolves looking on with interest as we rode by. The Christina Lake area itself is quite lovely, and a favorite summer holiday destination. I would have loved to have stopped to explore a bit, but we were all anxious to get the climb over with.

Once we left the low valleys and broad, short hills outside of Grand Forks, the climb from Christina Lake onward was gradual, but relentless.

<--Starting the ascent just outside of Christina lake

A view of Christina Lake at the beginning of our ascent-->

Towards the latter third of the 30 kilometer climb, the grade increased to eight percent, reaching at times, nine percent. Then, just as we approached Paulson Summit through Bonanza Pass, a blast of wind hit us, swirling over the ridge. I had to kick in every reserve I had to get up and over the hill, telling myself 'I'm nearly, there... I'm nearly there!'. The descent on the other side into Rossland, and the 10% grade from Rossland into Trail made the hard work worth the effort. A fast descent is part of the joy of long distance cycling!

<--Susan, at our lunch break at the junction of Highway 3B leading to Rossland. My trusty Trek 5200 carbon fibre bike with its aerobars is in the background.

We rolled into the Ray Lynn motel on the outskirts of Trail, at the bottom of the big descent from Rossland. Exhausted, I put my bike in the room, fell on the bed and was asleep in seconds. I woke with a start about an hour later.... still fully clothed in my bike gear and cycling shoes! I'm feeling much better now. I was glad the ride today was relatively short, so we arrived in early enough to rest, get showered and organized before dinner.

Dinner at Benedict's restaurant, just across the street from our motel, was excellent. I treated myself to french onion soup, prime rib and Yorkshire pudding, figuring that I needed to have some "quality" calories to replenish what I've been burning up these past few days. No worries about eating a huge meal when doing a ride like this! During dinner, I had an opportunity to chat with Trevor, who said that, for him, this trip has been hugely significant. His words rang true: this tour is all about making a difference.

I only have to look around at my fellow riders and the wonderful folks supporting the ride and see that each has a story, all highly personal, that brought them onto this tour. It is quite unlike any other long distance ride I've been on. For not only are they facing huge challenges riding up mountains that would be daunting to anyone, but they are also facing, and overcoming huge personal challenges themselves just to be on this ride, and, as Trevor said, to make a difference. If you have not read the bios of the riders, located here , please take the opportunity to do so when you get a moment.

Roy, the chef, who has served GearUp4CF rides in previous years, came out after dinner to chat with us. Although the restaurant does not normally open until 11:00 in the morning, he offered to warm up his kitchen for breakfast tomorrow at 7:00am. The goodwill and support we have received during this ride has been tremendous.

Roy, with Simon on the left, and James on the right (John is behind James, hidden from view) -->

We're all psyched up for tomorrow's journey. By all accounts, the route, from Trail to Creston will be the most difficult one of the entire tour. After cycling fifty kilometers of variable terrain, we will suddenly be faced with a near constant 8% percent climb over 25 kilometers. The result is expected to be a vertical ascent of close to 4200 feet, over twice that of Cypress mountain. After that, we descend for over 30 kilometers into Creston. So far, my body is holding up well. No huge aches or pains. Incredibly, my average heart rate was only 121 bpm today. Maybe I'm not working hard enough?? Tomorrow, I'll need to, so I'd better turn in for bed now. Assuming I have reliable Internet access, I'll provide a report in the evening.

Day 4 - Osoyoos to Grand Forks 132 km

2009-06-23T23:18:00.000-07:00

Breakfast in Osoyoos before we left for our trek up the mountain. The gentleman on the left is Chris Parker, who coordinates Kinsmen and Kinette activities in chapter organizations throughout British Columbia. Their support on the ride has been tremendous. On the right is Joyce Taylor our lead organizer
or GearUp4CF---->

This was the ride that I think I was fearing the most. Anarchist Pass, just outside Osoyoos city limits, has a seven to eight percent grade for well over 20 kilometers. This, and yet another major climb before approaching Grand Forks, is truly intimidating.

To make matters worse, it starts immediately on leaving town, so there's no chance to really work off your breakfast before hitting a big climb (hint: don't eat and jump on the bike to do the climb right away... you might lose your breakfast on the way up!). I had cycled down it in a reverse direction several years ago when we did a tour through the interior, and had found myself hitting the brakes frequently at sharp curves in the ends of the road. The steepness of the road was impressive. It is also a major trucking route, so the roar of heavy diesel engines coming up from behind and sounding air horns at close quarters is enough to give even the most seasoned cyclists a white knuckle experience.

<--The sharp, 3000 foot vertical rise in elevation is easily noticed. What is not quite so apparent is that we were facing strong headwinds during the second ascent, and even when descending rapidly into Grand Forks. For ride details, including a larger map, click here.

Stan at a viewpoint partway up the climb

out of Osoyoos-->

So, what was it really like?

Although the trucks were still on the road, blasting by and sounding their air horns, surprisingly, the ride was not bad as far as I was concerned. You see, I had been a bit strategic the day before. If you look at my riding stats in the detail link provided on my journal entry, you'll see my speed, time traveled was not much to
brag about. Basically, I dwandled, helping out some of the slower riders, which in itself is a rewarding experience. Perhaps it was good Karma as well. At any rate, I didn't blow my legs apart by riding fast over the rolling hills yesterday like some of the younger guys did. Several of them had to be carried up the hill today in a van, with blown knees (at least badly hurting ones) and pulled Achilles tendons. And it's just going to get worse tomorrow and the next day... more climbing. I sincerely hope they will be OK in the morning. They're great guys and are here for one additional reason to loving cycling... they are deeply committed to the CF cause. One of them has a child with CF.

The route today took us from the desert-like conditions in Osoyoos into sub-alpine forests with green grasses and forest flowers that appeared with a few kilometers of Anarchist pass. The rapid descent below Anarchist Pass was thrilling!

Chris, whipping past me at the bottom of the descent-->

<--A farm at the foot of the descent below Anarchist Pass.

Lunch was prepared by Joyce at a lovely park next to the Kettle River at Midway, a little town literally midway between Osoyoos and Grand Forks.

<--Historic buildings at Greenwood, an old mining community on the way to Grand Forks. The building on the left was built in 1899.

Old church

in Greenwood-->

What do you think about when riding for up to five to six hours? Focus on the road. Keep riding perfectly consistently so that others who are following close behind can trust your riding skills. Each pedal stroke takes some thought, if nothing else but to make sure all muscle groups are being used. Listen to a wide range of music, and let the mind wander to areas that might not be visited otherwise. This is the part that I enjoy the most. Time to think of my family, and my dear friends. Time to consider how fortunate I am to have life, health, love, and an opportunity, in some small way such as through this ride, to help make a difference. For, here I am, riding here in excellent health and fitness (injury-free, so far!!), at the same age, 52, that my mother passed away from cancer. I think about that. And then, I think of the CF children I met on day two, in Harrison Hot Springs, and the difficulties they face every day. It cannot help but reset priorities that one considers needs to be done. I didn't have an opportunity to speak today to Chris or James about the important work they are doing in CF research, but we will try to do so in the next day or so. I'll share what I learn here.

I've been receiving some wonderful email and Facebook messages during the ride, thank you!! Your support is making a huge difference. I often think of each of you on the ride. BTW, please feel free to comment in this blog using the "comments" section provided. Do you have any questions about the ride? I'll be happy to answer them, or else find someone involved with GearUp4CF, or CF research who can!

I'd better close off and get some rest, as we'll be getting an early start. Tomorrow is going to be another brutal climb, this time up to Rossland, near Trail, our next destination. There is no respite!! Please think of us tomorrow.

Day 3 - Manning Park to Osoyoos 186 km

2009-06-22T23:43:00.000-07:00

We woke to reports that there had been a heavy rain the night before. We fervently hoped that this meant the clouds had released most of thier load so that it might be mercifully drier in the morning. We agreed to get an early start, rolling out at 7:30 AM. It was to be a very long ride, 186km (115 miles).

Our route and elevation map today, plotted by my Garmin GPS --->

For more details about the ride, click here

Whoopee... mostly down hill !!! -?? The graph is deceptive. Each of the little tiny bumps in the middle of the curve represents sharp, rolling hills that were pretty tiring. ---->

It was still cold by the time we wolfed down a huge, calorie (and energy) laden breakfast. but the rain had abated. I decided to take my time this ride to conserve energy for the mountains to come in day 4. So, I enjoyed a leisurely pace, stopping a number of times to take photos.

Brian, Sherri and Stan at Sunday Summit, the first pass outside of Manning Park, 1282 meters in elevation (4206 feet) -->

The country was beautiful.

<--Eagle's nest on a telephone pole!

Once out of Manning Park, we found ourselves cycling through a remarkable transition of climatic regions, from sub-alpine forest, to lush irrigated valleys, to dry scrub brush, to beautiful orchards and vinyards as we neared Osoyoos. It was much easier to sense every nuance, every sound and smell of fresh country air on a bike.

Whipping by a car, with closed windows, air conditioning and stereo blaring, it is simply not possible to do this.

Speaking of cars.... the IDIOTS on the highway up here are astounding. Twice, we nearly witnessed a head-on collision as impatient drivers crossed double lines on blind curves to get around our bike trailer supporting the ride, and protecting us from just such folk. The one that stands out in my mind was an event I could not bear to watch. The two cars were racing at each other at well over 110 kph just past a blind corner, with our pace car nearby. I closed my eyes, then opened them in astonishment... both cars had somehow avoided each other and continued their way in opposite directions. I still wonder how on earth they missed each other. It must have been by literally a foot or two. God, I hope that is the closest we ever come to witnessing an accident on this ride.

The climb out of Manning Park was easier than Allision Pass, but still tough with seven percent grades to overcome before we made a long descent into Pentiction where we stopped for a mid-morning snack. Then we hit headwinds that made progress feel like we were cycling through mud. Teamwork came to the rescue. The four of us who were riding together formed a tight paceline that rotated constantly so that no one was left facing the headwinds for more than a few minutes before being relieved by someone else moving ahead of them.

Along the way, we stopped at a provincial campground between Princeton and Keremeos beside the fast-flowing Similkameen River.

Similkameen River-->

Then came a series of broad, rolling hills outside of Keremeos, a farming community. They were deceptively tough, with short, sharp inclines that quickliy descended until, with only a minutes of respite, we were climbing again. Here, a paceline didn't really help. We really needed to take care to ride with all of our muscle groups, using the lift of our opposing leg to take the pressure of the leg thrusting down into the pedals.

It was a huge and painful effort for some, but I marvelled at the gritty determination of the riders I was with. One of the riders, Sherri said how she kept thinking of the three children she was riding for, children of her best friend, all of whom have been diagnosted with Cystic Fibrosis. No matter the pain, nothing... nothing was going to keep her from finishing the course for these kids.

Thankfully, as the day wore on, it became progressively warmer until we started the last huge incline up Richter Pass, a steady 4% grade that went on for miles. By then, it was hot and anyone who had not carefully kept hydrating themselves with liquids as they cycled quickly found they were losing steam. But, we all made it through a combination of teamwork through pace-line riding, using all of our muscle groups, and a HUGE amount of motivation. It was inspiring and a priviledge to ride with these folks.

We arrived in Osoyoos to another incredible welcome by the Kinsmen and Kinettes of Summerland and Penticton. Blair and his Kinsmen colleague, Matt served up burgers and hotdogs, while the Kinettes prepared lovely fresh salads and desserts.

The Kinsmen and Kinette team who greeted us

in Osoyoos-->

At the end of the dinner two our our riders, Doug and Simon, both of whom had children with CF, were presented generous donations by the Kinsmen to support their ride. The generosity of the Kinsmen and the Kinettes was exceptional, and greatly appreciated.

<--Our incredible GearUp4CF support team: Joyce Taylor, our meticulous Cystic Fibrosis Foundation organizer who ensured every need was attended to, and Tom Evans, our ever-attentive and helpful support vehicle driver. They drove two support vehicles at a mind-numbing speed of between 8 kph to 30 kph from Vancouver to Banff. If that isn't patience, I cannot imagine what is!

The sunset over Osoyoos lake was spectacular, again, like our ride into Harrison, ending a perfect day. And now, after writing this journal... I'm off to bed. It will be a big day tomorrow, with a monster climb out of Osoyoos stretching over 30 kilometers. Then we ride for another one hundred kilometers until we find ourselves in Grand Forks, our next destination on this epic ride to the Canadian Rockies.

Day 2 - Harrison Hot Springs to Manning Park 127 km

2009-06-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

We're just packing now, about to head out on the first real test, a 127 km ride into the mountains leading to Manning Park. Internet access may not be available in Manning Park, so I'll post an update as soon as I can.

UPDATE: June 22nd: I'm in Osoyoos now and finally have Internet access. Here are my notes from yesterday:

Well, yes, we made it. But it was a brutal introduction to the challenges that may be ahead . We started off riding together, with intentions to stay close together for the first 40 km. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out that way. The strongest cyclists quickly started putting distance between them and the somewhat slower riders. It was not long after leaving the hotel at Harrison that most of the riders were long gone. I stayed back to ride with Chris, Sherri and Susan.

Eventually, Chris rode ahead to catch up with the lead group. I did as well, and managed to take some great photos of some of the riders.

<--Trevor Hird

<---Sherri Harrison

A long, wet road to Manning Park-->

I then fell back to ride with Sherri and Susan. We carried on, just as rain began to fall. I had been prepared for a few light showers, but it was not long before I realized it was turning to serious rain. Fortunately, my quick-install fenders were in the trailer of the support vehicle following us. These are important, not so much for myself (I can put up with a bit of rain!), but for the poor rider 'drafting' close behind me. I don't generally wear fenders on sunny days, but it is a MUST for group riding in rainy weather. So, I stopped to install them and quickly raced to catch up with my two cycling companions.

The ride quickly became a battle between us, the mountain and hypothermia, a real danger on this wet, highway.

But we slowed our pace, conserved energy, and with help from Tom, driving the support vehicle, we finally rolled into the Manning Park Resort, where we stayed in a rustic chalet nestled in the woods off the highway.

In all, we had climbed to a maximum elevation of 4,444 feet, with a total vertical ascent (after passing through valleys and climbing again) of 5,521 feet - over a mile - in just over 110 km. This would be impressive enough, however, it was also done in near continuous rain for practically the entire distance, and in temperatures that reached a low of 5 degrees Celsius as we neared Allison Pass.

<--- For more details of the route, including an enlarged map, click here.

Just before reaching the pass, and probably a result of the mind-numbing cold, I made an error in changing the gears, causing the chain to jam into the rear strut. In doing so, it tore off the metal protecting the carbon fibre stay running along the length of the chain. Thankfully, the carbon fibre frame itself was OK. Dripping with rain, I managed a temporary fix until I finally made it to the resort.

Dinner that night was huge helping of spaghetti, hosted by the Coquitlam Kinsmen. It was exactly what we needed. The only way we'll survive tomorrow is by stocking up on lots of carbohydrates. The hot tub never felt so good!

Tomorrow is an early start, as it will be the longest ride of the tour - 186 kilometers, from Manning Park to Osoyoos. We are all praying the weather will improve!

Day 1 - Vancouver to Harrison 126 km

2009-06-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

<---Our GearUp4CF team for 2009, with our Kinsmen sponsors in the background, at our sendoff this morning in Ladner.

We're on our way! The long-awaited start to our ride began at 9:00 AM with a tremendous send-off by the Ladner Kinsmen at Kin House with refreshments kindly provided by Tim Hortons. Coming into the parking lot, I was struck by the large number of volunteers supporting this ride, from drivers of two support vehicles to researchers and CF parents showing up for the send-off, and even a police escort that took us through the busy street of Ladner, stopping traffic along the way to allow us pass.

Our route today, thanks to my new Garmin GPS --->

For details of our 126 km ride today, including an enlarged map, check out:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/7355853

Along the way, I had a chance to chat with some of the riders. My roommate, Christoph Blohmke, is a friendly, relaxed guy... just the perfect person to share a room with for the next nine days.

<--Christoph

Christoph is a microbiology reasearcher who is working with a senior investigator, James Zlosnik , who is also on the ride with us. (Christoph and James are writing a journal about the ride, too! Check out: http://gearup4cf2009.wordpress.com). Christoph works in Stuart Turvey's lab, a pediatric immunologist at BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver, who studies Cystic Fibrosis. Christoph is riding for Ali, who is now 16 years old, and has CF. Her sister, Joanie had CF as well, but sadly passed away in 2003 at the age of twelve. When I spoke to Christoph about the ride, he said that riding for Ali this year (and last year, as he did the ride then, too) has been very helpful for him as he spends countless hours in the lab throughout the year in CF research.

Christoph's colleague, James is riding with a little boy in mind, Alex, who also has CF. Their work, together with a third rider on in our group, Trevor Hird, (who is riding for another lovely little boy with CF, Beckett), is directly involved with investigating Burkholderia infections in CF, a very complex and potentially life-threatening problem if not managed carefully.

Your donations to CF goes directly to support this important work. As I write this week, I'll talk further about the work that they are doing, and the tremendous hope that many researchers are sensing that a major breakthrough in CF treatment is about to take place.

But for now, back to the ride. While on our way, we passed over the brand new Golden Ears Bridge, opened only last week, linking Langley and Surrey and the north side communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

About an hour later, we arrived at our lunch destination in Mission, about five kilometers outside of Abbotsford. There, Kelly, Neleen, Diana and Allison, all volunteers through the Kinette Club of Abbotsford were waiting for us with a beautifully prepared lunch spread out on picnic tables. I was overwhelmed with the generosity and thoughtfulness of the Kinette Club, and the level of organization that has gone into making this ride.

<-- Left to Allison, Diana, Neleen and Kelly

The weather was cloudy, and yes, we did have a few showers (quite refreshing, actually, when you are riding hard), but for most of the time the roads were clear, the air was cool, and we whipped along at a breakneck pace hitting 40 kph. Now, in car with the windows rolled up and the radio on, 40 kph would seem to be a dreadfully slow pace. Not so on a bike, where the wind is whipping pas your face, the bike is shuddering under the strain, and every inch forward is dependant on human kinetic energy. All in all, however, it was a pretty easy ride, with a few gentle hills and long flat, fast stretches up the Fraser Valley.

I managed to stay in the lead group, arriving in Harrison at around 2:30 PM. Bikes locked up, we dragged our gear into our hotel rooms, showered, and basically crashed for the rest of the afternoon. My little gizmos indicated I'd burned well over 4,000 calories today. Tomorrow will be worse. We're hitting the first range of mountains outside of Harrison tomorrow, on the way to Manning Park, about 125 kilometers along Highway three. As I recall, there's a "small" hill in the way. The last time I rode it, at least twenty years ago, I broke the rear axle on my bike due to the torque and the heavy weight of the panniers I was carrying. Thankfully, I'm not carrying a lot of weight on my bike tomorrow, but it will be a hard ride, nonetheless. The first of many, I suspect. Wish me luck!

That evening we were treated to another wonderful meal by the Kinette Club. Kelly was there, together with several Kinette Club members I that I enjoyed meeting. Kelly apparently did a huge amount of cooking for both the lunch and the evening meal. The BBQ chicken and spare ribs were delicious! Several parents brought their children, many of whom have CF. I played a fierce game of ping pong with Roman, a delightful boy, who is in fourth grade. His two younger sisters, Madison and Hailey, who are in the 1st grade, are identical twins. Like Roman, all three kids in the family have CF. Their laughter and play filled the hall, bringing home yet again the reason we're doing this ride.

Just before turning in (and settling down to write this journal!), I stopped by Harrison Lake, a short walk from the Executive Hotel, where we were staying. The sun had just disappeared behind the hills, creating a scene of absolute serenity. It was a fitting moment to complete this splendid day.

Let the ride begin!

2009-06-19T16:09:00.001-07:00

I'm ready to go! --->

Well, this is it, the eve of the start of my big ride. It's a bit odd, writing this in advance of the big day. I can only imagine what we will be experiencing over the next ten days. I am really looking forward to meeting the rest of the team. I haven't met them yet, nor have I met Joyce Taylor, the lead organizer for the ride. She has been absolutely amazing. It is clear from the very detailed communications I've been receiving, that she and her staff have planned every detail with exceptional care. From booking hotels, and flights, and even police escorts out of the city, to coordinating a small army of support volunteers, and ensuring every need is attended to. These folks are MOTIVATED, and the motivation is infectious.

All of this brings me back to why I'm doing the ride. Cystic Fibrosis is such a worthy cause, particularly for an event like this. With every breath I take as I'm trudging up those huge mountain passes, I won't help but think of the kids and young adults who are the very reason this ride exists, and who are working even harder, every day, to get that same breath of air. Can we help make a difference? Yes. And find a cure? It it now becoming not a distant, far-off goal, but a real possibility. Supporting a ride like this CAN make that difference. For those of you who have sponsored us, THANK YOU!

So now, I'm off to an introductory BBQ tonight to meet, for the first time, Joyce and some of the wonderful volunteers, many of whom are CF family members, who have worked so hard to make this happen. And, too, I'll meet the riders, who I KNOW I have a lot in common with. For one, we're all craaaazy enough to do this! It will be great fun.

Look for entries in this journal every day throughout our nine-day trek. I'll be writing of our experiences here as long as Internet is available at the hotel and my laptop is working. I can hardly wait to see what will be on these pages ten days from now. Wish us luck tomorrow, and pray for good weather!!!

A final Saturday ride before the big event

2009-06-14T12:37:00.001-07:00

Yesterday's ride was a great shake-down test after getting my bike back from the cycle shop for a major tune-up. Basically, I replaced my entire drive train (chain, rear cassette - the nine rear gears), and installed my carbon-fibre aerobars, which I had taken off during winter group rides. Aerobars are tremendously helpful, not only in making it possible to assume a compact aerodynamic shape on the bike when facing a headwind, it also provides an additional position to rest comfortably during a long ride. The only trouble is, you have to be really careful using them. Aerobars are inherently less stable than riding with your hands widely spaced in the usual position with regular handlebars - a fact I learned, rather painfully, when I hit loose gravel at 30 kph in Colorado a few years ago (http://www.pbase.com/kmsvw/rtr2006). I destroyed my helmet that day, but my brain was saved - a good reason to make sure you should ALWAYS wear one!

This 'shake-down' ride was quite important, mainly to ensure that the ergonomics of the bike and various components are working well. Even the smallest thing can make a difference. For example, I noticed about three hours into the ride today that my left toe clip was slightly twisting my left foot inwards, towards the bike. On a shorter ride this is not a big deal. However, today it was quite apparent that this was causing torque in my leg that created too much strain on my knee. A minor adjustment on the toe clip relieved the subtle strain, which might otherwise have led to a chronically painful and possibly serious problem long-term.

At Steveston, half-way through the ride, I met up with two friends from my cycling group Le Peloton. We retraced my steps back along No 6 road, then up River Road for a second time before heading home. Riding with these guys, both strong riders, made for a very fast ride on the return leg. After a while you forget about the pain and just rely on testosterone and adrenaline to see you through!

Here's a map of my 95 km (59 mi) ride yesterday... thanks to a new Garmin cycling computer I've installed just in time for the BIG ride next week. This unit is amazing. It tracks and maps the route through satellite GPS (accurate, believe it or not, to within 33 feet of my position!) and records, real-time, cycling speed, and cadence. Cadence is the "pedal stroke rate"... an important parameter as it tells me if I'm straining too hard on high gears before I manage to injure myself. Often I find my pedal stroke slows down before I am consciously aware that I'm using a gear that is to high for a given hill. When that happens, it's time to switch to a lower gear so that my cadence is usually clicking along at a nice, steady 90-100 rpm in all but the most impossibly steep hills. The unit also records heart rate (through a wireless pickup on a chest strap, so that I don't push myself TOO hard), altitude and even the grade of the road. Perhaps I'd better turn off those last two features. The less I know about those monster hills coming up on the trip, the better!!

If you're interested, here's the complete profile of the route, I took on Saturday, uploaded to the 'net', thanks to my new gizmo:

Richmond Delta Training Ride

BTW, if you do click on the link, you'll notice everything is in US miles. For us Canadians, there's a little link in the upper right corner that lets you switch the display to metric so that results are shown in kilometers.

If you are experiencing problems with the link, copy and paste the following URL directly into your Internet browser:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/7137806

I'll be training steadily between now and the start of the big ride on Saturday. The main thing now is to take great care and not overdo it. Only a few more days to go!!!

Some hill climbing

2009-05-31T06:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I slept in today. Drat, I did it again. Last week was the same, so I guess my body is telling me something. At any rate, when I woke at 6:10 AM, mad as heck as I realized my cycling group, Le Peloton , had already left for the mountains. I grabbed my riding gear, filled two water bottles and headed out to try to find them.

Burrard Inlet, viewed from Dollarton Highway on the way to Deep Cove--->

<--Deep Cove, at the head of Indian Arm Inlet

By the time I reached Deep Cove, however, it was clear I'd never catch my cycling friends. With the group averaging 30 kilometers/hour ( 18-19 mph) when riding in a pack like that, it's pretty hard to make up for lost time, at least for me. So I headed up that gruesome 13% grade hill at the start of Mt. Seymour Parkway on my own. I decided that if I'm going to encounter a few hills on the way to the Canadian Rockies, I'd better be prepared, so I started up Mount Seymour road, leading to the ski area. An hour later, I was flying back down the mountain at nearly 70 kpm (43 mph) after reaching the top in a personal best time. Number one hill done.

While riding up, I passed a young guy (on a much heavier bike, I have to confess!!) who caught up with me while I was enjoying a brief rest at the top. We exchanged taking photos then continued to ride together for the rest of the day. A commerce student at UBC's Sauder School of Business, Chris had only just taken up cycling a couple of years ago. We were well matched. He was young and strong, but I had a light carbon fibre bike and a third 'grandpa' gear especially well suited for climbing hills. At my age, 52, I need all the help I can get!

<-- Above the snow line at the top of Mount Seymour

The morning was spectacular. We dropped back down to sea level, then crossed over to Fell Street (another brutal but thankfully short hill) heading to Edgemont Village in North Vancouver. From there, we continued to climb up Capilano Road, reaching the top of Grouse Mountain's gondola station at around 10:00 AM. Then, another quick descent to the Cleveland dam, across the British Properties with thier magnificent homes, and finally to my old nemesis, Cypress Mountain, our third mountain of the day. By that time, the sun was beating down on us, but, with the end in sight, it wasn't long before we were cycling into the ski area, the future site of Olympic Freestyle events in 2010.

At the top of Cypress. The Olympic Freestyle ski run is in the distance (there's only a few patches of snow there this time of year)--->

All in all, it was a GREAT day. By the time I rolled into the garage, I had clicked over 142 km (88 miles), and had done three mountains, something I'm usually not ready for until the end of a summer of riding. So, as long as I don't do anything silly over the next few weeks (like injure myself from over-training), I think I'll be ready for the big ride. That broken right ankle of mine is really doing well. What a relief!

Next weekend, I'll be in Montreal, so will have to carry on with training there in gyms, etc. In the mantime, my old faithful Trek 5200 is going to have a complete tune-up at the local bike shop, with a few more gizmos and gadgets added. If all goes well, I'll manage to do at least one more 'shakedown' Saturday ride before we start on the 20th.

Training is ramping up...

2009-05-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Those Canadian Rockies are a pretty daunting goal. Whenever I think I'm going to be ready for this, I just go to http://www.gearup4cf.org/index.php?/The-Route/Year/The-2009-Route.html . So, Saturdays are my big rides. Generally, our cycling group alternates between 'hills' (the mountains on the North Shore) on one Saturday, and 'flat's', for distance, the next.

It was a brilliant day when we started out... a light wind, clear sunshine.

Just getting going...9 km/hr is about the slowest I rode all day! --->

With summer upon us, it's easier to get an earlier start. UNFORTUNATELY, I slept in... missing our 6:30 AM rendezvous, so I threw on my jersey, filled two water bottles and headed out, about a half hour late. I knew where they were going, though, as plans were to initially ride along a long flat road on Iona, near Vancouver Airport. The road ends after about 8 km, so we generally double back. The nice thing about this is 1) if you get to enjoy fighting headwinds out there, you are also rewarded by flying back with the wind behind you! 2) you can catch up with your comrades on the loop. Sure enough, I found them. It's so much easier riding into headwinds in a group - the aerodynamics of close 'peleton' (group riding, and hence why my group is called "Le Peloton") formation saves about 15-18% energy. Pretty significant.

Alan and Bruce, riding along Steveston Dyke Road--->

We rode together for about three hours, heading from Iona to Steveston, then down No 7 Road to River Road, where we road to New Westminster and back. Then the guys went home, heading up the Arthur Laing Bridge, eventually to reach Kerrisdale for coffee. I was keen to put some more distance, so after that, I was on my own. I really didn't intend to do so, but in effect, I repeated the entire route, stopping to take pictures along the way.

<---a family of geese off Inglis Road, near the Richmond seaplane terminal

"Retired" BC ferries, rusting away along the river off No 5 Road--->

<--a broken hull, a derelict fishing boat, off River Road.

Low tide off River Road---->

It was such a nice day. By the time I was home, I had just clicked over 160.6 kilometers... a "Century" as my Denver friends would call it, 100 miles. The difference is, they do 100 miles with hills, starting at 6,000 feet, and rising above 11,000. Susan and her friends just about murdered me when I rode with them a few years ago. I've learned my lesson to be humble about such things!

So, that was my ride yesterday. Today is a 'recovery' day, as far as my legs are concerned, however, I'm feeling pretty good. I'll be off to the gym later to do stretching, some weights and core upper body strength exercises. You can't forget upper body when training for long rides. I've learned from hard experience that it takes a fair amount of endurance and flexibility throughout my body to feel comfortable on a saddle for hours on end. That said, if my training goes as well for the next few weeks as it is right now, I think I'll be ready for the big ride. The question is, are you? If you haven't donated yet.... please do so as soon as you can! Here's the link: http://www.gearup4cf.org .

Training in earnest now

2009-05-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

Well, we're quickly ramping up to the big ride in June. These past three Saturdays, I did 132, 136 and just over 100 km respectively, generally over a four to five hour ride.

Last weekend was not as much distance, however, it included a ride up Cypress Mountain and back, where the previous rides were out along flat country roads in Richmond. The road up Cypress is relentless, basically starting at sea level on Marine Drive up the hill on 14th avenue.

But it was such a rush coming down Cypress Mountain! The road was dry, and almost no wind... perfect conditions to get my lightweight bike really spinning, leaning into curves at 65 - 70 kph down the mountain. Along the way back home, I took a spin up Spanish Banks, and had a good stretch 41st.

One lesson to remember... make sure you have good brakes before trying it!

In addition to my long weekend rides, I'm working out nearly every day now. It's a small price to pay if it will ease the pain when we're averaging 120 km per day over ten days in mid June!

There's still snow near the top of Cypress

(taken just before my descent)

My first training ride after surgery

2009-03-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful Saturday morning for a ride with my cycling friends in "Le Peloton" ( www.lepeloton.ca ). Today, we headed south from UBC along Marine Drive, braving strong westerly headwinds out along Iona near Vancouver International Airport, then along River Road out to New Westminister and back. Believe it or not, the wind was so strong, my cheeks flared out like a chipmunk whenever I took in a gulp of air. There is only one time I've ever had to ride in a wind like that was when some friends and I were cycling through the Copper Triangle mountain passes in Colorado a few years ago. It was all I could do to keep a steady hand on the bike when a crosswind would hit. I later learned that gusts had reached as high as 67 km/hr - which would explain the whitecaps frothing in the ocean off Iona Beach.

Iona Beach, near Richmond.

The photo (not mine!) is from http://picasaweb.google.com/joekuo/2007Summary#5125424973104070146 )

As you can imagine, the return ride along Iona road was absolutely a completely different experience. It as if an unseen hand was gently pushing our backs, so that we were coasting along at 40-45km/hr (25 -28mph) without effort. In a car, that my not seem like much, but on a bike, that's a pretty fast pace. So, 70km after we started out (a short ride, thanks to those headwinds), my cycling friends and I were in a coffee shop sipping a latte, talking about my upcoming GearUp4CF ride in June. I am so happy to be back on the bike again. My right ankle, broken last year, performed splendidly in its first big test since my surgery just over two weeks ago. It feels like I am completely recovered.

By the way, we're looking for a few more riders to join us on this magnificent fundraising ride for CF, from White Rock to Banff. This requires a serious commitment, but it will be great fun. The ride is limited to 22-24 cyclists. Interested? Contact the GearUp4Cf office, located on the website www.gearUp4CF.org and let them know as soon as possible.

Late afternoon update: It's a good thing we came back when we did. It's starting to hail now. What a wild day!

A visit to my surgeon

2009-03-05T21:30:00.000-08:00

I took a trip to the orthopedic surgeon today to have my stitches taken out from my ankle surgery two weeks ago. I'm delighted to report that I've got a clean bill of health, and a green light to start training in earnest! That's a relief, as I've been cycle training in the garage for three nights this week already. The only caveat was, "Just don't crash for the next month or so".

Thanks for a fantastic beginning!

2009-02-28T14:48:00.001-08:00

I've just received word that, together, we've made over $1100 for Cystic Fibrosis in just one week! I am excited and encouraged by the tremendous generosity and warm wishes I've received over the past few days. Please tell everyone you know of our goal. If you could please forward the link to our web site at http://www.gearup4cf.org/index.php?/The-Riders/2009-Riders/Stan-Shaw.html . your support could easily be multiplied many times over. Together, we can make a huge difference for CF kids!

The lovely photo is of Cassandra, featured at http://www.cysticfibrosis.ca --->

A great start

2009-02-24T20:57:00.000-08:00

No details yet, however, by what the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis organizers are saying, your response has been tremendous! If you have already contributed, thank you! Please send along my link to GearUp4CF, at ( http://www.gearup4cf.org/index.php?/The-Riders/2009-Riders/Stan-Shaw.html ) to anyone who might be interested in hearing about it. I've also put together a poster that will print out nicely with any color printer if you think you would like to put something up next to the office water cooler:

To print it out in a beautiful 'publisher-ready' format, just click on:
http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=ddgjpd8g_0hfhkq2fn

Select "View published presentation in a new window" (you don't need a Gmail account for this). Then look for the little "actions" link at the bottom of the screen. Click on it and select "Print" from the pop-up menu.

But first, before training, I have a few details to attend to....

2009-02-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

Some of you know that, after a certain incident while ice skating with my kids last year on New Year's Eve, I was presented with this new accessory by the VGH surgical team. I've been told that it is typically installed on the dominant foot of cyclists for added power on those big hills.

January 2nd 2008---->

It didn't slow me down too much though. Three months later, I was back on Cypress mountain cross country skiing. Later, in May, I was cycling with friends in Boulder Colorado. Still I had that nagging feeling that keeping those screws and plates embedded in my ankle would not be good for me in the long run. Besides, all of that "power assist hardware" might give me an unfair advantage over my other GearUp4CF cycling team members when we climb up those mountain passes this summer!

So, yesterday, I had it taken out. Ouch. Actually, it wasn't so bad. It's only a day later, and I'm already walking around unassisted and without so much as a Tylenol. I suppose having a rather high pain threshold bodes well for a successful ride in June. At any rate, thanks to the great surgical team at UBC Hospital, I will be back on the road cycling within a couple of weeks. And then the REAL training begins.

<----March 30th 2008

Fundraising starts today!

2009-02-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today marks the beginning of my 'official' fund-raising campaign for GearUp4CF! The web site describing the tour is ready, (including my bio, posted at http://www.gearup4cf.org/index.php?/The-Riders/2009-Riders/Stan-Shaw.html), and I'm heading down the long road training for this great ride. Early support is crucial, so I need your help! I look forward to hearing from you.