The Climb

By Ron George, Castlegar

The sun was shining and the smoke was pushed out of Grand Forks as we emerged from our rooms at the Ramada Grand Forks. We hustled about checking our bikes and preparing for the day.  We all knew what laid ahead, the looming climb up the Blueberry Paulson.

After saying thank you to our gracious hosts at the Ramada, it was a quick roll down to the Omega II for a delicious breakfast. We fueled our bodies and were very grateful for the continued support and dedication provided by the staff and owners.  We took a moment to share our thank you and started off to Christina Lake.

Despite the sunshine it was a brisk pedal in the shade but as we pulled out of Grand Forks getting ever closer to the mountain before us. We pulled into the Information Center in Grand Forks where members of the community greeted us with smiles and refreshments to energize us for the push ahead. Joan and her friends prepped us lunch and after loading it into the motorhome we were off.

We rolled up to the mountain and faced it with mixed emotions and nerves. We filled our water bottles and ensured we were ready for the next 30 km’s. We departed in a pack knowing we would spread out as we tackled the mountain one pedal stroke at a time. We started out strong but the mountain took its toll after the first hour. As the aches and pains began to set in, we realized this is nothing compared to the challenges face by the little ambassadors we are helping. We push forward knowing our pain would come to an end with the reward of refreshing downhill but this isn’t always the case for the kids we are meeting along our journey.

One by one we arrived at the summit, having climbed over 1100 meters where we turned to cheer on our teammates and celebrating in the accomplishment.

After devouring lunch, it was a quick photo op with the “Paulson Summit” before we climbed aboard the bikes and sped down to Nancy Green Lake. From there we took a bus ride down to Rossland and met with one of our little ambassadors in front of Ferraro Foods.  We got to learn firsthand how Cops for Kids has been assisting in purchasing some specialized equipment to assist this young girl and the positive impact it brings to her life.

We returned to the bikes and with a deadline now closing in we sped toward Castlegar. This was not without a few mishaps. One rider blew a spoke on his wheel while another couple experienced flat tires. Even still no one was hurt and all were able to arrive at Boston Pizza where the pizza was hot and arriving at the tables as we walked in. The timing couldn’t have been better.

The flat tires we could take care of ourselves but as for the broken spoke we were in need of some support from a bike shop. This is where Rob Gretchen of Cycology Bikes in Castlegar stepped up, coming in on his own time to custom cut a spoke and complete the repair.

With the repairs out of the way we are ready to rest for the night and prepare for the next segment of the ride. Nelson/Balfour here we come!