I had an AMAZING sleep - warm and cozy. So grateful for the sleeping bag liner - it performed well by keeping me toasty warm. Emergency hot packs not required. Today is a rest day and I'm bored. I'm itching to keep on going - to get some more miles clocked, but I know this is a long term investment. I spend the morning trying to sort out my technology. Creating blog posts on my computer is super easy, but creating them on my phone and ipad mini is a whole other challenge. Sup

Looking at the driveway coming out of the campground, Brian suggested,"Maybe you should walk your bike up?". I thought, "What kind of a biker am I if I can't ride up that hill?" Out loud I said, "I think I'll give it a try." Thankfully I managed it without a problem - a good warm up. About a kilometer down the road, I realize I have an issue - my feet are freezing cold. Preparing for the trip, I had to make some very difficult decisions about what to bring along and what to l

The bike ride out of Manning Park was pretty smooth - lots of downhill. It is the Sunday of the long weekend, traffic is super light - everyone must be sleeping. The downhill of course does not last - the climb to Sunday Summit begins (elevation 1,282 m). I’m a slow poke rider, but I can also really grind it out when I need to - slow and steady finishes the ride. It is easy to get all messed up by a hill - they can be really intimidating. Anxiety can creap in - which can be

Well today’s ride did not disappoint! It threw everything at me to see if I was up to the challenge - rain, snow, sun and an unexpected surprise - fog! These were the first real hills (actually a mountain)! The day was long and hard, but I made it. I am ever grateful that I put in the time and effort to train - my body is tired at the end of the day, but I don’t have that “post legs day workout” pain (you know the one I’m taking about where you cringe at the thought of havin

Today was a day filled with connections with my childhood and family. Unfortunately I took very few pictures as I was in the moment. The early part of the day took me through the Sumas Prairie farmlands where I did alot of biking as a teenager. The familiar smells of farm country have a certain comfort for me. I rode Past my childhood home and I was flooded with memories all over the place. Of course nothing is quite the same anymore and there is a new generation of kids in

After many months of learning, planning, training and troubleshooting, today is finally here and I'm standing beside the Mile 0 sign in Victoria, B.C. I am nervous and I feel like I'm standing in a dream, but no, it is reality. I have everything I need packed into 7 neatly organized, balanced and weighed bags (each with it's own list of contents). Without a system, it would easily be chaos. After much parring down, I have ended up with the bike, luggage and rider coming in at

Sea-to-Sky Highway - just past Horseshoe Bay. Test runs are important for checking to see if I have the equipment, supplies and ‘know how’ for the official bike trip launch. This weekend I made my first test run from Squamish, British Columbia to Victoria (tented overnight in Tsawwassen). The first day was 100 km of riding (plus the Massey Tunnel Bike Shuttle) and day 2 was 39 km (plus a 1.5 hour ferry). I can attest to the fact that my body is feeling it - aches here and the

March 21, 2026 - Crossing over Lion's Gate Bridge into Stanley Park (Photo Courtesy of Brian McGeown (cheerleader) I've never considered myself to be an athlete, but I've always enjoyed hiking and biking. The last 10 years, physical injuries, perimenosausal craziness , and my own choice to prioritize other things in life resulted in me living a sedentary lifestyle and packing on 'a few' extra pounds. Looking in the mirror, I was seeing someone living a life that was not cong

August 30th, 2025 - The 'final approach' into Squamish from Vancouver. Photo Courtesy of Jackie Hamill (cheerleader) Thinking about riding across Canada and actually doing it are two different things. The only time I ever did a long haul bike ride was back when I was in my twenties when I rode solo on my mountain bike one way from Hazelton to Terrace, B.C. (144 km). I did not have a car back then and I "needed" to go to an aesthetician appointment (youthful vanity). Looking a

My companion is fully assembled and road ready! My beautiful burnt orange Fairlight Faran 3.0 arrived from the UK on January 10th (after 5 months of waiting). https://fairlightcycles.com Over the past month and a bit, I've been pulling together the pieces and parts to get ready for longer road rides. I think I'm there now. A few spins around town and up the hills have been amazing. After riding a mountain bike for decades, this is a sweet ride. There's a lot of re-programming

For the past many months, I have been preparing my mind, body and spirit for an amazing journey to cross Canada by bike. As you might imagine, it has been a daunting job - one that I've taken on with curiosity, interest, and let's be honest, some anxiety (my great motivator). I'm buzzing with anticipation as I'm pulling all the pieces and parts together. I am ever grateful for the patience of those I connect with regularly who get to hear me talk on and on and on about every