A work trip to Nelson presented the best opportunity for a bike trip that I’m likely to get this year. I lucked out with the weather being absolutely amazing! Heading out of Coquitlam this afternoon was chilly and I didn’t really feel like I was in the “riding” frame the way I like to be. But we cleared the city and picked up Hwy 3 just past Hope, and the skies cleared off a bit, taking the mental fog with it.
For those of you who may not know, Highway 3 is a well-maintained, curvy highway with beautiful scenery and when traffic is light, it is a joy for a rider. Today, it was freaking awesome. I put some tunes in, squeezed the tank with my knees, leaned in and let Spectre have her way with me. Curvy roads are always fun, but some days just have a little bit of magic and today was one of those days. Rider and bike just a single unit – neither going anywhere without the other’s soul - and we carved the hell out of those curves. It’s an exhilarating feeling and leaves you with a big grin. Fuelled up in Princeton and continued our curvy adventure to Keremeos, drinking in the loveliness of the scenery. The old Hedley mine demanded a stop as the sun bathed the hillside in light. Even though the mine is no longer operational, that glow would make you believe there’s still gold in them thar hills. As the day continued to wane, the ever-changing light intensified the colours of river, fields, and trees, delivering awe-inspiring vistas over and over. Such peace can be found when one shoves away the “noise” of day-to-day life and remembers to be present in the moment. Planning to overnight in Oliver, I missed the turn towards Penticton that would have dropped me north of Oliver and instead ended up descending into Osoyoos. This turned out to be a happy mistake. A huge moon was rising over the water and lights of Osoyoos as I came down the hill. My phone camera didn’t capture the huge moon, but it was a sight to behold. I didn’t take a lot of pictures today – just enjoyed the ride, but there’s a couple included below. Can you find the old mine building way up the side of the hill at Hedley? Arrived in Oliver and am ensconced in the Maple Leaf Motel for the night. I’m tired and ready for sleep. The Maple Leaf Motel is worth the stay if you are looking for clean and economical. Really nice, basic little motel with a good bed and enough pillows to satisfy even me. 😊
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
August 2023
|