Day 2 Osoyoos to Grand Forks

Day two for us was a little different this year, as many things have needed to change. The whole team fueled up with an amazing breakfast at the Legion put on by the Osoyoos Legion. After breakfast, everyone prepared their bikes for a gruelling uphill climb on the Anarchist.

The weather was amazing which was good, but also caused it to be a very warm 822 meter assent. All the riders have different abilities so some can make quick work of the hill, and others, like me, take a little more time. While we are climbing, we keep our support crew very busy by ensuring our safety and that we have enough water and energy snacks to climb for about 2 hours ish.

After an epic team photo with the sasquatch, we continued on to the Summit RV park and had a picnic lunch provided by the Oliver Lions Club to help us power our way through the upcoming remaining 100 kms to Grand Forks.

A quick well needed rest at the very scenic Riverfront Park Campground we were back pedalling to one of favorite stops, the Deadwood Junction Coffee shop. Their granola bars, fruits and vegetables, and cold water is always a welcome addition to the afternoon snacks.

The hill climbing for that day is still not over. After eight years of doing this ride, I have always had the next leg of the ride as my personal nemesis. I have overheated, hit the wall and just plain struggled. A few team members know that I struggle with this and stepped up to assist me. They ensured I ate properly, maintained my fluid intake and road with me to make sure I did not get into my head and was successful. I need to thank Mike, Robyn and Lisa so much for helping me finally, on year 9, make it over the Eholt Summit with a smile on my face and a feeling of elation. The team work that gets us all through these 10 gruelling days and allows us to raise money to help kids that are struggling with their own personal challenges is paramount and so amazing to be a part of.

The day ended in Grand Forks with a spectacular dinner provided by the Omega II restaurant and we are looking forward to a great rest before we climb the Paulson summit tomorrow.

Good night, from

Rob of the North