Day 412
We can see the Pacific
The following morning at 6am we said our goodbyes to Gemma. She was on a ‘Mission’ to the town of the same name 50 miles away. Her bike needed a new gear cable and off she went. We set off 3 hours later. I finally was able to appreciate just how beautiful this area is. We had ridden over hills to get here, stunning tree covered mountains and now they loomed all around us. Today apart from one steep hill we were riding through passes and had time and energy to look at the view. We camped by the water at a very expensive camp ground then on again towards Vancouver. We awarded BC the ‘Mississippi Bike Friendly Bridge Award’ as we crossed a fantastic bridge safely on a separated bike path. The roads were virtually traffic free and flat; it was all just wonderful. We had our first chilly day in what seemed like forever and even had to wear our waterproofs for a while. At Mission we found all the traffic and had a miserable busy few miles on the road until we reached our Warmshowers hosts for the evening, Nicole and Minto. We were spoilt with fantastic home cooked food, wine and chatted long into the night. We are to meet up again in Vancouver as they’ve invited us along to a friend’s party.
So finally, to Vancouver. The logical way was to re-join the highway for a short 15-mile blast to our Airbnb. Our crossing from coast to coast in North America would be complete. The Atlantic to the Pacific done! Tom though had done some research. We could go the scenic way, just as my dad always did. Yes, it would be nearer 40 miles but we would see so much more.
First, we rode along the Pitt River Greenway. A nature reserve, the excellent track meandered by dykes and meadows. Birds sang, the Golden Ears Mountain formed a stunning back drop, this was bliss. Then after another brilliant bridge crossing, we joined the Poco Trail. This if possible was even better. We plunged into a rainforest setting. A narrow path wound its way through, we had a river running beside us, shelter from the sun and fun almost mountain bike single track to ride, heaven. We chatted to a chap called Paul Gruninger. He was a mine of useful information on our upcoming route and full of witty tales of his interesting life. Finally, we parted company, he was moving house that morning and we had a city to see!
We were just a few miles from our bed for the night but Tom had one more treat for me, the Playground of the Gods which overlooks the whole of Vancouver, its islands beyond. Yes, see the problem with this though? To overlook something, you need to be above it right? The idea was to take the mountain bike route to the top of Burnaby Mountain. However the so-called flat section was so steep and rough I had to remove my bags just to push my bike up. So, it was back on the highway until we reached a slightly less steep way to the top.
Exhausted and wilting in the heat we finally made it. The views at the top were simply breath-taking, well they would be if I had any breath left to take! The Playground of the Gods was beautiful and tranquil. Completed in 1990 it is a garden of totem poles. Created by Toko Nuburi, an Ainu woodcarver. The Ainu are an indigenous people native to Northern Japan and parts of Russia. It was created to celebrate the friendship of Burnaby’s sister city Kushiro in Japan the artist’s home town. We strolled around, chatting to fellow visitors and simply breathed in the beauty of this place. We couldn’t have celebrated our continent crossing in a more beautiful spot. My dad would have approved.
