Day 4 – Powering Through to Kamloops

Good morning everyone (et bon soir!) Finally have a good internet connection, and some time to catch up after these action-packed past couple of days!

I apologize for being particularly slow at responding to messages! I will get back to you, promised!

Thanks for all the concern and well wishes about the ribs. I’ll post a full update in the Day 5 blog. Spoiler, they’re not broken!

Bumps and Bruises

Woke up on Day 4, body very much still feeling it from the fall the day prior.

A new sharp pain emerged from my left pinky toe, which must’ve also been a result of the impact. I could barely put weight on it, while walking, but thankfully it was so cold that morning that it rapidly froze all the feeling away. Yup, I was a mess.

I packed up the tent, wiped off the frost on my bike, and rode away towards Merritt, BC.

Gettin’ My Life Sorted in Merritt

On the way to this little town, I got to enjoy some glorious stretches of downhill. They were unlike anything I’ve experienced. Straight for KMs on end, with tailwind blowing into your paniers, launching you like turbo boosters.

This simple pleasure was good distraction from the other stressors I was facing that morning — the top one being that my phone had completely stopped charging, and was around 20% battery.

Scary, as this was my main bridge for communication.

I stopped at the first cafe that I could find, ordered breakfast (delicious bannock sandwiches), and went right to work on the phone, using a borrowed thumbtack to attempt to clean out the dirt from the phone’s input. After going at it for about an hour, with the phone still not charging, and the battery winding down, I used the last 10% to search up if there were by chance any electronic repair shops in this cowboy-hat-wearing town.

There were about three. Two of which, just dudes doing this as a business from their homes.

Without time to waste, after phoning one of them who referred me to his friend, I grabbed my bike and was on my way across town to show up at this guy’s door.

After cleaning out the phone with his repair kit, and switching out cables, everything was once again working.

Huge exhale.

Tooo Kamloops!

With the phone situation sorted, and the body feeling in good enough, it was time to take on another difficult riding day, and push through to Kamloops, where I had an accommodation waiting for me.

Long story short, after another long way’s up, but even longer ways down, riding in the dark around the end (my one rule I told myself I wouldn’t break…) I had made finally made it, on pure will power.

Oh yeah, and that “downhill” stretch that I had mentioned earlier. It was nothing compared to these highways. Strava clocked me in at 66km/h at the fastest. Even a little too hardcore for me.

It was an amazing feeling cruising through the beautifully-paved streets of Kamloops at night.

Daily Stats

• Route: Kingsvale, BC —> Kamloops, BC
• Distance: 135km
• Elevation: 1,523m