What a story !!

Last spring I started up a 'beginner/getting back into it' spin class on Tuesday evenings. I really enjoyed it as it was another opportunity to instruct cyclists with a vast array of histories and goals. While going around the class and introducing everyone to everyone, one of the new spinners said 'Yah, I used to ride here... penticton several times a year', I said 'oh cool, I know Penticton very well, our team just got back from a training camp there, where abouts did you ride mostly?'. He said.. 'No, no... I used to ride from here TO Penticton several times a year' WOW !

It was great watching him get back into the swing of things. He started the class with a steel 6-speed Miele that was rusted to his trainer where it had been attached for 14years and finished with a new Trek ready to crush the roadside !!

He was taking the classes as his son and son-in-law had heard all the cool stories of the Calgary-to-the-Okanagan bike trips and wanted to experience them with him. Cool family! Anyway, he currently owned a place in Vernon, so they planned a Calgary-to-Vernon tour and joined my classes to prep!

Last week was 'Le Tour de Vernon' and I was privileged enough to be invited to take part on the first leg from Calgary to Banff. I meant the entire family and really enjoyed myself (despite the torrential downpour about 75% of the way ?!?!) The energy from such a tight family was so positive I was excited to be part of it.

I got the day by day account of the adventure on email on Tues and I wanted to share their 'Day4', it was pretty eventful!! You'll get goose bumps reading it, I guarantee !!

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"Day 4 started out cold at Plus 2 at the top of the pass but warmed up to the middle teens by noon. We stopped in Revelstoke for lunch and a recharge. Ryan was on fire and still feeling stoked from conquering the pass the day before. When we left Revelstoke, the wind had picked up and we had to stay together and pace lined until we reached Three Valley Gap where Ryan got a flat tire. I had the tube out and was just inspecting the rim when a rock started falling down the mountain. It was knocking trees down that were in it’s path. We just stood there for a few moments until a rock about four feet wide hit the road and exploded. There were rocks flying everywhere and we started to run. Chuck had made it to the water and I was about four to five feet from him when a rock the size of a basketball hit the water right between us. At that point I thought that this was going to be my last stand. I looked up at the mountain and thought that the whole rock face may come down. It was just hailing rocks by this time and I remember hearing two cars getting hit and wondering if it had gone through the wind shield or where it had hit them. It finally stopped with all three of us alive and no injuries other than some skinned knees and arms from running through the trees. The road was impassable with rocks and trees everywhere. We walked back to the bikes to see if they had survived the incident. Trev, there were rocks all around the three bikes, but not a mark on any of them. I guess it just wasn’t our time, although I would say it was one of the scariest moments in my life. The end of day 4 brought us into Sicamous all together and in one piece."

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Holy cow !!