On the 5th Day We Swam
Day 5 — Nelson to Creston
by Cpl. Dirk Finkensiep, Comox Valley
What an incredible day it was. Yesterday we rode from Castlegar to the Balfour Ferry, which would be our jumping off point this morning. After a restful night in the luxurious Prestige Lakeside Resort (yes, we do get spoiled from time to time), we woke up this morning to a chill in the air and some fog over Kootenay Lake. Thankfully we could already see some blue sky poking through which lifted our spirits in hopes of a dry day to come. A short drive to breakfast put on by the local Rotary and Lions Club rewarded us with some hearty ham and eggs to give us the much needed energy for a long day ahead. The team drove to Balfour Ferry where we walked our bikes onto the ferry and the rookie riders went to work raising some more funds from the other passengers. Safety Bear made an appearance and took a turn at steering the ferry which resulted in some exciting wave generating manoeuvres and cheers from all of us. Thanks to the generosity of the many passengers a healthy sum was raised today.
Once off the ferry we faced a daunting, if short, climb up to Crawford Bay School where we met with the students and marvelled at the beautiful school. A short ride took us to Kokanee Springs Golf Course where we could smell the delicious taco lunch long before getting to the building. What a treat and exactly what we needed to get us down the highway along Kootenay Lake to Creston.
A quick rest stop at Lockhart Beach Provincial Park allowed for a record breaking roadside repair thanks to Cst. De and his BB service skills. On we went over the rolling hills with the team having a great time keep the pace up and spirits high.
Kuskonook Marina was next for us and most of the riders took advantage of a delicious snack assortment put out by the ever ready and amazing support team. 3 Riders decided to take the plunge, literally, into the lake for a refreshing swim. Yes, even in September the Kootenays offer up some of the best swim spots. With bellies full, and wet shorts for the swimmers, we tackled the last leg down to Creston. Just outside of town the team had a chance to practice their drafting and sprinting skills on a flat 10km stretch of road with minimal traffic. A friendly wager and high speed sprint later a champion was crowned, although the result may still be challenged to see if there was any cake induced advantage. We rolled into Creston and finished off our ride at Save-on Foods where a cheering crowd welcomed us. Two local families that Cops for Kids was able to help this year introduced their young children to the team. Once again we were reminded why we do this ride and and how insignificant our sacrifice is compared to the battles these little champions face on a daily basis.
Sleep tonight is courtesy of the Ramada Inn with cozy beds and warm showers. Thank you Creston! 🙂
Overall stats for the day; 89km ridden, about 1000m climbed and over 3000 calories burned.
We had a great dinner at the Order of Eastern Star, one more service club that has generously dedicated many hours to feeding the hungry horde.
Note: to finish off the day we got a back stage tour of the Kokanee Brewery, home of the elusive Sasquatch.
You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out if we found him/her/it….