There was some relief from the heat today.  When I woke in Oliver the temperature had dropped significantly with an expected high of only 30 degrees.  It started to rain about 8am and I hoped the rain might do something about the smoke in the air, but it had no effect.   I was to be surrounded by a fog of smoke for most of my journey to the Lower Mainland.

I waited for the rain to subside before packing Midnight at around 9:30am and heading south on Hwy 97 through Osoyoos and then heading west on the Crowsnest.  The ride through the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys is usually very scenic, with rows and rows of vineyards and orchards tucked in between dry, brown, sparsely treed mountains.  This was not the case today (or any day on this trip), thanks to the smoke.

There was a short reprieve from the smoke at the far end of the Similkameen Valley near Princeton, but this was short lived as it returned quickly as I headed south from Princeton up to Manning Provincial Park.  The ride from Princeton to Hope is a nice ride of contrasts from the dry, brown interior near Princeton to the lush, green forests of the western side of the Cascade Mountains.  It took a few hours, but after descending down from the mountains I had arrived in Hope.

I stopped quickly for fuel and then headed onto the Transcanada Highway to begin fighting the fast traffic to the Coast.  Riding this highway is a reminder of how unhurried and relaxing the secondary highways through the mountains are.  This was definitely a change of pace and I really have to be aware of my surroundings because the highway is so busy with traffic. Thankfully the smoke disappeared from the sky after I left the Cascades and entered the expansive Fraser Valley.

The ride to the large urban areas of the Lower Mainland was relatively uneventful aside from some traffic delays around Abbotsford.  After crossing the Port Mann Bridge over the Fraser River I headed to a rock shop I found in Burnaby on my last trip.  I was on the hunt for BC Jade and was able to find a nice slab of it to take home.  After that quick stop I headed to my friends Scott & Gill’s place in Port Moody where I’d be spending the next few nights.

Back in March my wife bought me a ticket to see Jack White in Vancouver, which was the drive behind this tour and certainly impacted its timing.  There was a large group of us going to Sunday night’s concert, and then on Monday morning our plan was to head to Summerland in the Okanagan for some wine touring.

I spend my time in Port Moody visiting with my friends and relaxing my body from four days of big rides.  My butt and legs needed a break.  The concert itself was awesome and was definitely worth traveling all this way to see. It was also a phone free event so I have no pictures…but it was nice to be ‘unplugged’ for a night and to actually enjoy the show without distractions.

I went to bed on Sunday ready for travelling again the next day, although it would be a quick four hour trip back to the Okanagan.