Day three, up the hill

We knew today wold be more difficult. We had a fair distance to travel, and some hills to climb. We had decided that we would not climb the ball-buster up to Duffy Lake, which is as steep as Sydenham hill and 13 km long! But there were others.

Breakfast was part of the deal at this place, so we had a large continental breakfast, getting ready for the day. Nancy got out for a run before breakfast, and Barry was pouring over maps when I got up. We had decided to go to Lillooet, which was a fair ways. We got the bikes off the car, packed them up, and were off by 9:30. Not bad for old folks. Began our ride out of town along the Lillooet River and Lake, to the point where it begins to climb up to Duffy Lake. We had arranged to meet Nancy there, and the bikes went back on the car for that ride. Even in a car, it was quite impressive, climbing higher and higher. Barry had done it three weeks before o

n his bike, also very impressive. I was not about to try. As we climbed, it got colder, and there were still some patches of snow apparent. The cedars were thinner and shorter, and we noticed that many or most of them 

began to have moss on them as well. At the top of the climb, we stopped and got the bikes off. It was cold, the temperature having dropped fro

m 16 in the valley to 8 at the top. So we suited up also, then headed off for the rest of the ride. 

Nancy went on ahead, and we were to meet her for lunch along the way. We pedalled along the Cayoosh Creek for many kilometres. The road was a bit bumpy, with little in the way of a shoulder, but also little traffic. So it was pleasant bicycling. A few logging trucks passed and waved. We stopped for photos along the way at one of the bigger streams crossing under the road, as well as one at Duffy Lake, looking back to Mount Currie. And another where there had been an avalanche 

across the road, and the snow was still there.

We met up with Nancy as planned. he had been into town and had picked up a hitchhiker along the way. She said that he was walking, and had decided to hike only because he had seen three wolves in the area (we saw none). A picnic lunch  by the side of the road, and we were all off. Nancy went ahead to find a place to stay, and we did the last 20 km into Lillooet.

The road occasionally rose before us, as they say. But the wind was behind us, and the sun was 

pleasant for us. We had some tough climbs, and some swift descents. The valley got wider, then narrower. new rock slides were seen, and older ones passes. Lots of little streams coming down the mountain. At times, we were along the creek bed; other times, we were halfway up the mountain, with a precarious drop to the side of the road. We did a hard climb for about a kilometre, then a steep ride down into town. My bike got to 62 kph, Barry's to 70 kph! But what a ride.