Penticton to Princeton

Hello Lower mainland

Getting home on tired legs.

Not wanting to spend one more moment in the Okanagan.

Good bye Okanagan

Reminded why I left the country.  $27.50 to post my race rucsac home.  It will arrive in "about 2 months".  No insurance.

I was gone by 10am.  Fairly impressive since I had to pack.  I knew my schedule now.  Three 80 mile days and one 40 mile day.  In any order.  There was nothing else to do but get going.  I couldn't face Greenwood Forest Products or Green Mountain Road.  The highway wasn't too busy and I soon realised that the benefit of Twin Lakes was a service station where I could stock up on cold water for my camelbak, iced tea and a muffin.


At Keremeos I started to dream of salad and pulled into the Organic Farm Shop which only offered baked goods so I made do with an over-priced sandwich.  Air con set to high so I had to take my slushy outside to melt it to a drinkable temperature.

Headley came sooner than I expected but as I walked through the door was greeted with, "Hi, you came back!"  Sweet!

I drank tea and iced water.

Bathroom humour

It was still 23 miles to Princeton but the promising old road was still there with its campgrounds and swim pools all the way along and so I ploughed on up the raod keeping one eye open for bears and one ear open for cars.  Thankfully this rewarded me with a bluebird sighting as I neared princeton.

The swim spots were unappealing in my fatigued state and I didn't fancy getting cold and wet, despite the heat.  I had run out of enthusiasm and just wanted to flop into a restaurant for dinner so I set about making the campsite at the edge of town.

Apart from having enjoyed my stay there, I also left my battery and solar charger there on the way out so needed to return to relaim it.  When I walked through the door, the manager proclaimed, "Hey, you came back".  More sweet!

I dropped my bike and took my shoes off and walked straight into the river fully clothed.  Cue, friendly concerned conversations with the local tourists (if you catch my drift).

I had the most awful fish and chips (since when are we asked "one piece or two?").  Beer was nice though.  Walked back to my campsite.  Less impressed to find the Weyerhauser plant running 24 x 7 (did I not notice last time?).

Breakfast was eaten one last time at the cafe where a local wanted to know all about the Penticton race and insisted on getting a photo with me.  We obliged eachother and I promised to visit his place on Wong Way some time - well now I have the picture to prove I'm welcome!

Mr Wong