Day 8

I look back on Day 8 as the "fulcrum point" of the entire trip—the moment when our idealistic plans for the Kettle Valley Railway trail truly met the hard edge of reality. We woke up to overcast skies and a primal sense that rain was coming; sure enough, as we scrambled to pack our tents, the sky opened up. The descent down the Coquihalla Highway in a bitter, cold rain was a sensory ordeal, wearing out our brakes and chilling us to the bone despite the 6% downhill grade.

When we reached the Brookmere exit, we saw the sign that would change our course: "Brookmere — No Services". Our friend flagged down a motorist who confirmed there wasn't even a convenience store there. Faced with the prospect of three days in the bush with no provisions and mounting trail detours, we had to make a choice. I felt a deep sense of discouragement; the KVR had been my dream for this trip, but staying warm and dry suddenly felt more vital than the trail's spectacular views.

We voted to head for Merritt instead. We took the Coldwater Road, a beautiful but irony-laden route that saw us pedaling through a drizzle that eventually gave way to the sun. Rolling into Merritt, we found a motel where our friend managed to haggle a lower price, allowing us to finally shower and put on dry clothes. I called my cousin Josh in Kamloops, and despite the short notice, he offered us a place to stay tomorrow. As the clouds vanished into a bright blue sky, I found myself grappling with the idea of taking a bus to Banff to skip the worst of the mountains, wondering if my original scheme was simply too ambitious for our current state.

Today we should finally be able to ride on a substantial stretch of the Kettle Valley Railway trail. We wake up to more overcast skies. Just as we start to pack, it begins to rain. We leave the campground and get back onto the Coquihalla Highway. I see three deer and one female moose on the far side of the wildlife fence.

We hit one steep uphill and have to dismount and push our bikes again. With it raining, it is making it feel more miserable. But we get to the top of the hill to be greeted by a road sign proclaiming a 6° downhill slope for the next 4km. Once we reach the bottom, we realize that it was not as good as it first sounded. Going downhill at 40km/h in a bitter, cold rain is an unpleasant sensation.

At the bottom of the hill we get off the highway at the exit to Brookmere where our spirits take another battering. There is a small sign that reads, "Brookmere - No Services". We put the decision to a group vote. Wendy chooses Merritt and Blue chooses Brookmere. I choose Merritt to avoid the frustrations of the trail. Wendy's friend decides not to vote, but then flags down a motorist who responds that there is nothing in Brookmere but a couple houses. We all want somewhere dry to spend the night. We decide to take a back road to Merritt named the Coldwater.

The road is quite pleasant. We eventually see Merritt nestled in the floor of the valley. As we ride into town, our friend puts his charm on full power and haggles the motel price from $69 down to $50. We walk into town and have lunch at the Coldwater Restaurant. By the time we get back to the motel the clouds have vanished, replaced with bright, blue, sunny skies in the space of about two hours.

Blue calls a cousin he has in Kamloops and we manage to get a place to stay tomorrow night. Blue seems quite discouraged. He is discussing the possibility of stowing our gear on a bus in Kamloops and heading to Banff, and it sounds as if Wendy's friend agrees with him. Wendy suggests the idea that the two of us bike to Banff and meet them there. Personally, I would be very disappointed if we have to take the bus.