tougher and tougher and my first big disappointment

So we decided to bike from Grand Forks to Nelson (originally we had only planned to bike to Castlegar).  Here are the stats.  Hold it!! before I give the stats a short comment. Most of you know my goal is never to get off my bike on a hill.  While today almost did me in.  We did a Category 1 climb of 32 kms. - Yes 32 - actually 32.5:)  I did not get off my bike except to answer the call of nature. Try not to picture this but while I was standing at the side of the road answering that call I happened to look down and there where two new 20 dollar bills.  I felt like my day was complete - Yah I still had another 22 km to go.  The last 10 km where at 7 to 8% grade. I honestly thought I was going to have to give up. James, our driver, came by and asked if I wanted in the van and the temptation almost got me but I managed to get to the summit.  However, I did get in the van.  After climbing 1462 m I deserved the 40 km downhill and was looking forward to it. Unfortunately mother nature had other ideas.  Just as I started down it began  snow/hail (that is stuff that looks like hail but feels soft like snow). It got so bad that the trucks were pulling off and I took my feet out of my clips so as to be sure I  could control myself when I skidded.  I rode to Castlegar in the van and then biked to Nelson.  Very disappointing.

So my stats are different from the others who got over the summit before the snow storm.

I biked 103.63 km.  in a total of 7 hours 13.9 minutes.  I climbed 2195 m (7200 ft.) I used 3950 Calories and my average speed for the first part (the climb) 12.7 km/hr (You have to know that I hit an all time low of 4.5 km/hr at one point - (try to see if you can keep a bike balanced going that slow:) and 17.1 for the last 45 km.

I am sitting in the laundry waiting to shift my pungent clothing to the dryer (they only take quarters in the machines here - anyone ever heard of that?)

I would rate this as the toughest climb of the bunch.  I was just thinking that when Jane and I were in Chile mountain biking there were many times when the hills were just too steep to do but none of them were anywhere near the length of these.

Bye for now (easy day tomorrow and by easy I mean B.C. easy - get it???)

Murray