Highs and Lows

June 3rd 2007 8th day of riding
49 27.721 N 120 29.571 W
130.7 km Total 875.8 km
(Written earlier)
It has been a brutal day so far the first 50 km were up, up and more up. I gain 1300 meters of elevation but it took me 6 and half hours of riding not including my rest breaks.

Brakes Adjusted? No.....Is my brain???

It is currently 3:00 pm and I only have 60 km logged. I've stopped at the Coldstream campground and grabbed a nap 'a la Doug', (He is known for is ability to nap anywhere, on top of a picnic table, a strip of grass, etc, during his motorcycle trips.) This has been tough day both physically and mentally. I was for a while there ready to eat crow and pack it in. I was done. I mean done. I've made it this far I'm going to get packed up, and re-sun blocked, (another hot sunny day), but I highly doubt I'll make it to Princeton.
(Written that evening)
I did it!!! As I write this I'm at the riverside campground in Princeton. I don't think I could have gone 6 more feet but I'm here. After Coldstream camp ground I knew I had one more summit to do. So I stopped at the Eastgate Esso for some well deserved treats and some info. I asked the clerk, "There's another summit between here and Princeton?"
"Yes Sunday Summit."
"Is the hill long or short?"
"It's not that long." (It was 6 km long.)
"Is it steep?"
"No." (It was 9% for the first kilometre.)
Of course if I had known all this I probably would have quit right there. I'm not ashamed to say I walked half of that first kilometre. After Sunday summit it was pretty much all downhill.

The view into Princeton.

I was jubulant and exhausted when I rolled into camp at 8:00 pm.
What made today bearable was the number of people honking, waving, nodding and giving thumbs up. It was very encouraging.