Similkameen Valley

Today we travelled down the beautiful Similkameen Valley. From Princeton, the road follows the river all the way down the valley until the US Border. It is one big downhill.

Today is also the day that we hit our all time fastest speed. 75 km/hour.

Once again, today was perfect quad-tandeming weather. We had all three key ingredients: a quad-tandem bike, a sunny smile, and friendship.

We followed the number 3 highway as it slowly rolled in a downward pitch for 120kms into Osoyoos. The views of the valley are breathtaking. Small vineyards create a patchwork landscape of watered countryside, while disintegrating peaks crumble down valley walls. The river cuts through the middle, where abandoned trading posts remain from a bygone era.

Everyday we get a few honks from passersby. Usually it's a friendly honk, or a fistpump out a car window. Both are encouraging as we struggle up a hill. Sometimes people have heard of who we are and what we're doing, and want to stop and have a chat, or donate to the cause. Often, all we need to get us up that hill is a little bit of encouragement.

Today we were treated to some of the best kind of encouragement that we could have hoped for, and it came in a little town outside of Osoyoos called Kermeos. There, Colleen Christensen who works at the Keremeos tourism info booth, cheered us on as we rolled into town. She put a sign that read "Welcome Tandem Tour Group Ian, Ben, Brent and JefF" on a big billboard outside the tourism centre. There were also some people from the town there to cheer us on. As our tired bodies peddled into town, Colleen and the others treated us like family.

Colleen then treated the whole team to a delicious lunch of beer and roast beef sandwiches at The Crowbar Pub. Once again, we all inhaled our meals, while Colleen phoned ahead to Osoyoos to try to find us a place with a hot-tub for the night. She was so proud of us, and her hospitality and generosity made us feel at home.

The good weather has been following us across the country, and there are only more sunny days ahead. Tomorrow we climb the walls of Osoyoos, and continue making our way to Banff, and then Calgary. Oh ya, and tonight we are sleeping in beds. real beds. and we are happy.

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