Day 8 - Greenwood to Christina Lake, B.C.

After a great night of sleep, departure time was a little delayed as I realized my inReach (an emergency communication device) battery was very low. Better to have a late start than to be without my emergency communication should I need it.

The ride today is a little shorter (63 km), but I'm looking forward to the possibility of seeing some friends who have a cottage at Christina Lake. I'm also good with taking a lighter day before the hill tomorrow.

The scenery is lovely and I'm blessed with good weather and some animals that I can't make out whether they are goats or sheep (maybe goats?). I also can't tell if they wild or domesticated. Nice to see them up in the hills none-the-less.

Coasting down the hill into the town of Grand Forks, I notice a woman riding an e-bike on the path parallel to to the highway. She does not see me as I'm up a bit on the highway. I'm riding an easy, steady pace, when I realize, I'm going to overtake her without even giving it much effort. I PASS HER!. There are celebratory fireworks going off inside my head - I NEVER PASS ANYONE, never mind an e-bike! At the intersection that I was obliged to stop at the light. The lady on the ebike, whizzes through as the light as it changes to green - she turns to give me the biggest welcome smile and a wave. It feels good to be in Grand Forks.

I make a brief stop at the local Tim Hortons, fuel up with some coffee and a honey cruller doughnut and then make the final approach to Christina Lake.

When I get to Christina Lake, I find a cute little campsite right on the water and head out to find some food and sort out how I can source a sandwich for the next day's ride. (It turns out, the gas station opens at 6:00 am, so I can get a freshly refrigerated sandwich on my way out of town.) With my panniers back at the campsite, I realize I don't have room to carry the bag of pretzels that I bought (salt and carbs). Luckily I had an emergency zap strap in my seat bag - I would never have guessed that it would serve this purpose.

Communicating with my friend, I discovered that she was not at her cabin today, however, her mom is there and would be happy to have me drop by for a visit. Baba (Russian for grandma) was busy working away in the front garden when I arrived. English is a language that Baba learned later in life - and we managed to have a great conversation. It is amazing how much can be expressed when making the effort to understand the other person - even without all the words. I got a big hug and well wishes as I left feeling energized and loved.

Time to head back to the tent to settle down for the night and let the waves lapping on the shoreline put me to sleep.

Day 8 - May 21, 2026

Start Time: 7:45 am

Stop Time: 12:20 pm

KM Travelled: 63.2 km

Elevation: +551m/ -842 m

Special Stuff: Getting Stronger & Friendships