On our Merritt

Cache Creek as I said, is not a spectacular place. We had decided the night before to go to Ashcroft for a nice coffee at the Buffalo Coffee house, which serves (wait for it) Cowboy Coffee. Lovely coffee, and we met an old codger who talked us about the ascent up this hill, and some of the problems he had had as a worker in the copper mine at the top of the hill. Apparently, he also asks often for money or cigarettes, but he didn't do this with Barry or I.

He had warned us about the hill, but we didn't listen well enough. I

t climbed and climbed out of town, at an 11% grade, for about 17 km. I think it should be called the Energizer Hill, because it keep going on and on. Seemed we would never get to the top: when it levelled for a while, you got hope, then it would take off uphill

 again.

I was ahead of Barry, and got to the top in time to meet Nancy, who was an angel to us poor heathen (hungry and tired). She set out a lunch and when Barry got up to us, we ate well, sat for a while, then took off for the rest of the trip to Logan's Lake. Most of this was downhill, thank god! On our right, there was what I thought was a reservoir for the town. But it went on and on, and finally I realized that it was the tailing pond for an enormous open pit mine, owned by TeckCominco, and producing co

pper like crazy. The mine went on for over ten kilometres, and there was lots of activity in it. We stopped and looked a

t their published information about how wonderful they were being with the environment, and how nice they were for everyone. It was slick, and perhaps even believable.

And then we began our long descent into Logan's Lake. It was wonderful, went on for about two kilometres, and the road was not bad. The only problem was the trucks. One of the with an extra trailer, came up behind me, geared down, and roared around me, leaving me with some sweat and the need to change my pants. But we made it down.

And on the way, we met Brendan, Barry's son, who had biked up from Merritt to meet his dad for some of the ride. It was a great surprise for Barry, and nice for us all. Nancy had carefully and secretly set this up for him.

We went on for a while, met up with Nancy again, and collectively decided that we had had enough for a day. We had travelled 76 km, some of it fairly uphill, and we were tired. We have now done about 375 km altogether.

So we put the bikes on the car, drove to Merritt, and settled into the motel. Showers for all, and out to a Sushi dinner in town, then Brendan was off home to Kelowna, and we retired to our motel room (a two-bedroom with kitchen for $95 - how does she do it?).

Tomorrow we leave for a short day, to Princeton.