The ride has now begun!!! The riders and their families have requested an ongoing update every night on how the day went and any pictures they took for the day. This website will be updated daily.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10

Arrival Day - June 6, 2008

Our day started out early - the Ontario team left Toronto on Friday morning and all had a great flight, arriving about 1/2 hour earlier than scheduled. We were greeted by part of our team from the West (Joe, and his brother Phil) who pulled up to the airport in 2 of our support vehicles. You'll notice from the pictures how well decorated the vehicles are with our sponsors logos, complete with flashing lights and caution signs. Once all the bags were loaded up, we ventured off to find the Vancouver location of MTC (one of our very generous sponsors from Whitby who was kind enough to ship all the bikes out for us before our flight). Once we located MTC, we unpacked all the bikes, assembled them and ensured that all was running well. We were exceptionally happy to find that everything was perfect with the bikes. Once all the bikes were strapped on to the support vehicles, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and left for the hotel. We met up with the rest of our team from the West (Joan, Big Al, Gina) who have been busy planning menus for the ride, shopping for supplies and food and getting our third support vehicle (the RV) organized. We spent the afternoon getting settled in our rooms and some of the riders were lucky enough to have family and friends visit who live in BC (a great reason to connect and a great opportunity to catch up). The whole team headed over to Stanley Park later in the afternoon (riders riding and supporters testing out the support vehicles) just to make sure bikes were riding well and to get loosened up before the ride. We took some team shots and rode through the park, some of the riders dipped their wheels in the water, a bit of a christening before our big start tomorrow. After returning to the hotel, we met up with Sister Marguerite who is a Grey Sister who lives in British Columbia and went to dinner together. She was kind enough to prepare special envelopes for each of the riders with a blessing for all of them for each day of the ride. Dinner wrapped up fairly early and we headed back (a long day for the Ontario folks), anxious to rest for the start of the ride tomorrow.

RIDE DAY 1 - June 7, 2008 - Departing from Vancouver to Mission

Up and met for breakfast for 8am - all of us well rested from the day before and anxious to get the ride under way. Had a high-protien, oatmeal enriched breakfast in preparation for expending lots of energy. We had planned to depart around 9am however, checking out and getting organized proved to take longer than we had anticipated. We have a total of 14 people on the team (8 riders and 6 support crew) so considering the size of our group, it is understandable that things may take longer than we plan for, especially the first day. Sister Marguerite was kind enough to come back to bless all of us before our departure (photos are attached). It is exceptionally reassuring to have Sister on our side and knowing that many people are praying for the success of our journey. Once all packed up and the blessing complete, it was time to head out! The ride has been a year in the making and finally, we are off! Today's ride will end in Mission BC (approximately 60km from Vancouver). Weather today was cool, some slight drizzle encountered during the ride. Support vehicles left about an hour after the riders in order to give them a head start. When we caught up to them, they were doing fine however at that point, Sean had a flat tire; almost as soon as Sean's tire was fixed, Blair had a flat tire and before the end of the day, both Sean and Blair would each have one more flat. The support team pushed on ahead of the riders in order to get things set up for lunch and to find a suitable location. All of the riders successfully finished and arrived in Mission around 2pm - Bob rolled in first followed by Joe, Kim and Kyle and picking up the rear due to flat tires and duty as sweep were Barry, Blair, Peter and Sean. Ahhhh, time to relax and put the feet up, rest the behind and take a load off. All of the riders felt great today and debated whether they should keep going in order to get some extra kilometers under their belts. It was decided to relax today and look at putting on some extra miles tomorrow provided the weather holds up. We relaxed, enjoyed some of Joan's cooking, had a couple of cans of beer (which we've been told is a great way of replenishing carbs after a big ride ..... sure, whatever). Some spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and relaxing in the sauna. Going to dinner around 7 and then turning in early to rest for another journey tomorrow.

RIDE DAY 2 - June 8, 2008 - Departing from Mission to Hope

Our day began by meeting in the parking lot at am for breakfast from the RV - the RV has turned in to our portable kitchen for lunch and breakfast and thanks to Joan and Gina, we have been having excellent meals. Bagels, cream cheese and lots of fruit and nuts for today's breakfast and we departed for Hope. Our goal today was to have a pit stop in Agassiz which is about 35km outside of Hope. The riders began their ride full swing, weather today remains overcast and cool, occasional drizzle but nothing out of control. The scenery from Mission to Agassiz is beginning to change and we are becoming more aware that we are entering a mountain range. Some gradual inclines and more steep ones are being encountered along with some prime downhill runs. Today, the top speed reached on a bike going downhill was 79km (by Barry Mount). Let's just say that you don't want to encounter any debris on the road going that fast. The crew coasted in to Agassiz with the exception of Bob (who decided to pass through Agassiz and keep on truckin'). Unfortunately, he ended up going in the wrong direction and was separated from the rest of the riders on the route and the support vehicles. Interestingly enough, he ended up on the TransCanada Highway (which allows for bicycles) but he ended up going out of his way and arrived in Hope later in the day about an hour behind the rest of the riders. One of the support vehicles went looking for him and provided water and nourishment so he wasn't all alone for too long but tired and a bit frustrated when he finally arrived at the hotel in Hope. The rest of the riders left Agassiz after a break and headed out along Hwy 7 toward Hope. They saw a black bear on the side of the road who payed them no attention despite the loud yells coming from the bikes. In addition, Kim was thoughtful enough to book a couple of massages while breaking at the rest stop at a spot called Harrison Hot Springs for later in the evening. We'll get to the details of that later. Riders cruised in to Hope and we checked in to our hotel and had some lunch. Consensus was that this was a short day so it was decided when Bob arrived that they would try to take a dent out of tomorrow's ride by putting in an hour or two of additional riding as tomorrow is slated to be about 140km. The riders departed shortly after lunch (around 3:30pm) and headed off along Hwy 1 toward our next destination. Support vehicles picked them up about 30km away and drove them and their bikes back to Hope. A nice head start on tomorrow's trek. The scenery in the afternoon was spectacular (lots of water, canyon, and high inclining mountains). We also encountered our first tunnel as well which was manageable. As mentioned earlier, Kim had booked a couple of massages at Harrison Hot Springs (which was before their rest stop in Agassiz) earlier in the day - massages began for the riders who chose to partake for 7pm so we hurried back to the Spa there (about 35km back on the route we had traveled) and while the riders had their massages, the rest of our group were allowed to relax in the Hot Springs. The springs are about 100 degrees so it was great to hang out and relax. We were there until about 10pm and returned back to the hotel in Hope, ready for a good night sleep.

RIDE DAY 3 - June 9, 2008 - Departing from Hope to Spence's Bridge

Today began around the same time as yesterday, breakfast served, tuned up the bikes and loaded up ready to ride. As we were returning to where the riders had gotten to yesterday afternoon, we had all the bikes loaded up with the riders and dropped them about 30km outside of Hope en route to Spence's Bridge. Today is a particularly grueling day - not only is the distance about 120km, we're also entering much more hilly terrain. There were a lot of nerves to contend with for the riders starting out. We arrived at our drop off destination and off the riders went. We encountered many tunnels today and the support vehicles did a bit of what we call "Hopscotch Driving" - going ahead, waiting, letting the riders pass, going ahead to next obstacle and repeating this pattern to ensure safe arrival of all of the riders and to warn them of any narrow bridges, tunnels, loose gravel on the road etc. There was a particularly difficult hill today called Jackass Summit (we've decided there could be many reasons for this, one of the biggest is that you'd have to be a Jackass to decide to ride up it on a pedal bike). The support team was cheering them on as they went up the hill and are in awe of how challenging this ride actually is - some tough folk our riders; we're very proud of them. The lunch destination finally arrived and we munched on grilled chicken sandwiches hot off the BBQ with veggies and fruit - our RV chefs continue to outdo themselves. It was a wonderful energy boost to the riders and a nice opportunity to take in the sights. The mountains are absolutely beautiful and though the pictures don't do them justice, there are some attached for your viewing pleasure. After a rest, the riders mounted the bikes again and pushedoff for Spence's Bridge (at this point about 40km away). More majestic mountains, rain continued to hold off and the riders rolled along the highway at a pretty good clip. Poor Sean continues to have challenges with his tires - by the end of today, he has had a total of 8 flats since the ride began - exceptionally frustrating to stop and start as it interrupts his momentum. We're hoping we're able to solve whatever the problem is, however, our destinations are becoming more remote so it may be challenging to find a bike store around for further investigation. We'll have to let our riders and our resident mechanic (B.P.) come to a collective agreement on what the problem is. We all arrived in Spence's Bridge at the "Inn at Spence's Bridge" around 5:30pm - a long day for all and some tired riders in need of rest, relaxation, a shower and a beer. There is something interesting that happens to a bunch of middle aged riders after they are tired - it seems as though a giddiness passes over them to the point that ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING becomes funny. There have been a lot of laughs since the journey began and though we miss folks from home, it is an exceptionally enjoyable trip. The rest of our evening involved having some dinner at the vegetarian restaurant at the hotel followed by some great music courtesy of Bob and Sean. The scenery is humbling, the mountains making us all feel so small. We saw coyotes on the roadside along with rabbits and some deer. We can only imagine what is in store as the days progress.

RIDE DAY 4 - June 10, 2008 - Departing from Spence's Bridge to Merritt

After a long day yesterday, it was decided to relax in the morning and get a later start. Today is a shorter day (about 64km) which is great as the weather starting the day is rainy, windy and cold. We had a great breakfast this morning (homemade bread from the Inn was exceptional). Joe and B.P. spent some time working on Sean's tires to hopefully prevent any additional flats going forward (and happy to report the end of the day he had none). Barry and Sean left a bit early today as Sean was shy about 5km yesterday due to his flats so they got 5km in before meeting back at the hotel to depart. We had our daily prayer (courtesy of Big Al) and then the riders were off. The road from Spence's Bridge to Merritt is very quiet (hardly any traffic) and the scenery is exceptionally spectacular. Joan has mentioned that you can almost imagine the buffalo roaming over the hills and teepees beside the rivers; it feels like we've traveled back in time as things are so quiet. Unfortunately this morning the riders encountered one of the first large trucks who decided to be a bit reckless - on an unpopulated road with no traffic and no reason to be so difficult, the driver decided to run the cyclists off the road on to the gravel. He must have been having a bad day though we're not certain why he would risk injuring someone as a result. Anyway, all were fine and they pressed onwards. We stopped for a few scenic group pictures along the route and thoroughly enjoyed the route today - absolutely breathtaking. The riders arrived at the hotel around 4pm or so and we munched on homemade burritos. Tonight, we plan to enjoy the hot tub and pool at the hotel and likely another early evening. Tomorrow's journey is another big one - about 123km from Merritt to Pritchard. Thinking of everyone from home, sorry for delay in getting updates out, we haven't had internet access for the last day or so.

RIDE DAY 5 - June 11, 2008 - Departing from Merritt to Pritchard (with backtrack to hotel in Kamloops)

Today began cold and rainy - an ominous start to another long day - approximately 123 km today. Breakfast and bike readiness at 8am with push off around 9 again. It has become a bit of a tradition that as soon as the riders mount their bikes, the rain stops and today was no exception (thank you Grey Sisters - we know it has something to do with your prayers). We took Hwy 5A and again were in awe of the beautiful scenery. Lakes and rolling hills and almost a desert-like appearance to the hills today. It was windy, however the wind seemed to remain at our backs today and gave us the extra push we needed. As mentioned, the hills were rolling today with lots of downhill coasts. We did encounter one incredibly long hill with a FIERCE headwind - a 4-5km bikeride into the wind with continuous inclining S-curves that you kept hoping would be over around the next bend. The hill was complete with transport trucks cruising past at a snail's pace as they weren't able to go any faster. It was a rough stretch for the riders but thankfully, the sun had come out so at least the weather had improved from how it started out this morning. A rest for each rider at the top of the hill (which rivalled Jackass Summit that we encountered the other day). The rest of the trek in to Kamloops was pretty much downhill so it was a nice reprive from going up for such a long stretch. Gina joined in on the ride to Kamloops on her mountain bike and we cruised in to the hotel for lunch break. Joan's cooking continues to amaze and we dined on a great lunch of soup and sandwiches. Comments of how appreciative the riders are for the training that John and the other riders at Bicycles Plus have provided were mentioned (we're sure the riders wouldn't have made it this far without their help). While we were on lunch break, Bob noticed a vehicle that had local radio station logos plastered all over it. He approached the driver and was actually interviewed on the air regarding the ride and our cause. It aired on the station in the afternoon (a copy of the interview was also sent to us for posterity). Click here to listen to the interview. After lunch, the rest of the ride carried on to Pritchard - about 40km from the hotel. The ride was scenic and carried us through the City of Kamloops (a beautiful place indeed). Not much in Pritchard besides a gas station so we stopped there, enjoyed a drink and chill out on the tailgate of the truck and prepared to shuttle all of the riders back to Kamloops after they completed. Today's ride under their belt, Sean treated the riders to Chiropractic adjustments to straighten out old and tired bones. We had dinner at Tony Roma's tonight, in search of some red meat and additional beer to replenish our systems after a long, but spectacular day. We were surprised at the end of the meal by Kim, who advised that Howard at MTC (one of our largest sponsors) had picked up our tab (all the way from Whitby) - thank you Howard, we had a great meal. By the way, Sean has not had any additional flat tires thanks to Joe and BP's repair job and there is a bet going that his tires will last all the way to Calgary. 36km in to tomorrow's ride will mark the halfway point - hard to belive time has passed so quickly (and hard to believe we still have that far to go). Love to all at home.

RIDE DAY 6 - June 12, 2008 - Departing from Pritchard to Sicamous

Today was a glorious start - beautifully sunny and warm, hardly a cloud in the sky. The first day of sun we have had so far and it was a welcome sight. Our day began as it usually does, breakfast, tune up the bikes, stretch - today we shuttled out to Pritchard (about 40km outside of Kamloops) where the riders finished off yesterday. Today's ride is approximately 102km and we are anticipating a number of inclines on this leg of the ride. Once at Pritchard, we said our daily prayer as a group before the start of the ride. Big Al has been kind enough to organize each day's prayer and we huddle together to make sure that we're safe and watched over as the day progresses. The riders took off at a good pace, some feeling a bit tired today but happy to see the nice weather and not having to have so many layers today. Blair even rode shirtless today to get some sun. 34km in to today's ride is the half way mark to Calgary (yahoo!). As the riders approached that point, the support team readied the area and marked the halfway mark with chalk on the concrete; all set up for a photo. The riders stopped for a break and we took some pictures to mark the occasion. Lunch today was served in Salmon Arm and we had, you guessed it, Salmon. Another great meal, a bit of time to relax and then the riders headed out for the last 35km of the day from Salmon Arm to Sicamous. They made excellent time to Sicamous and arrived around 5:00pm. Not a lot planned for this evening - maybe a nap before dinner, a restaurant on the water and another early evening. Things continue to go really well, the whole team is working together like clockwork and everyone remains safe and sound. Love to all at home.

RIDE DAY 7 - June 13, 2008 - Sicamous to Canyon Hot Springs (with backtrack to hotel in Revelstoke)

Today's ride began around the same time as usual though we were a little slower in getting going - we had dinner out last night and had some of Sean and B.P.'s family join us (courtesy of Rocky and Claudie Varcoe from Class Act Dinner Theatre in Whitby - a good Rotarian friend) and enjoyed a nice evening out. The ride today was to Canyon Hot Springs (about 106 km). The weather was mixed - sunny one moment and raining the next - it was hard for the riders to know how to dress and a lot of layers were on and off again. Kim took a bathroom break in the woods (a must when you're on the road) and walked through some sort of poisonous plant so ended up with large red welts and a rash on her legs for the day - not comfortable. We got her some anti-histamine and some anti-itch cream out of the first aid kit and, like a trooper, she was off again. Today we passed the location where the last spike was driven on the railroad joining the east to the west - we stopped for some pictures and then pressed on. The scenery is majestic, we're entering in to the snow-capped mountains now so we're really enjoying the views. Our hotel tonight is in Revelstoke so we stopped there for lunch which was perfect timing as heavy rain pelted down as we had our lunch under the cover of an outdoor veranda. This afternoon, there was an additional 35 km to be ridden in to Canyon Hot Springs; then a drive back to Revelstoke for the riders and we'll pick up where we left off tomorrow. We enjoyed another couple of hours in the Hot Springs there - 104 degrees in the pool so it was great for sore muscles and nice to relax for a bit. It rained while we were in the pool which was kind of a fun experience. We had a drive back to Revelstoke in the rain and one of the support vehicles saw 2 bears on the side of the road. Dinner out this evening, we were pleased to be joined by Howard Humphrey from MTC who came in to surprise Kim with a visit and then we headed off to bed around 10:00 or so. Tomorrow is a big day - about 115 km, we go through Rogers Pass and anticipate a number of challenging hills - one is said to be about 10km long and about an 8% incline - yikes. Rest up riders, you'll need your energy!

RIDE DAY 8 - June 14, 2008 - Departing from Canyon Hot Springs to Golden

Our day today began early - a heavy ride ahead for the day as we go through Roger's Pass and some more steep inclines. Met for breakfast at Denny's this morning at 7am then prepared to shuttle from Revelstoke out to Canyon Hot Springs to begin the ride where we left off yesterday. Joined together for our daily prayer and tuned up the bikes. Weather today is cool and overcast, not expecting any rain (we hope). Departed around 10am for the ride; we have about 115km today, Roger's Pass, and we cross over time zones so we lose an hour so we're very concious of the time. Nervous riders this morning and a bit of a sense of anticipation at what lies ahead. It was a slower start for some, Sean's knee is really bothering him, Barry struggles with a sore toe and the rest are simply tired - they all still manage to press on though with little or no complaint. We had a number of pit stops for some of the riders who pulled up the rear of the pack today; some concern on how long it would take today as the road was long and hard in the morning and early afternoon. We hit Roger's Pass and took some photos, enjoyed the beautiful sights of the mountains, fed the prairie dogs and had a warm snack to bring body temperatures back up - it was cold up there. There are a number of tunnels past Rogers Pass (thankfully on the downhill) but the downhill run takes a while and is intimidating for some (dark tunnels, some wet spots which has concern of being slippery and of course the speed of descent). All got through safe and sound though and managed to make it to the lunch break spot (around 4pm). Approximately 50km left to get to Golden so lunch break was brief. We pressed on to Golden and were relieved to find that most of the trek on this side was downhill. The pack made great time and rolled in around 6:15pm. Tonight remains like the others, some laundry, a soak in the hot tub, dinner and bed. The support team received a lovely gift from the riders at dinner this evening - a group picture of the whole team framed with the mat surrounding the picture autographed by each of the riders. A very nice touch. Tomorrow is supposed to be the most difficult of the ride (approximately 2500 ft climb) and a lot of kilometers to get through (approximately 171km). We continue to be blessed by safe roads and manageable weather and look forward to getting through tomorrow. We're so proud of our riders; it is amazing to watch day after day as they continue to plug through and keep the laughter going; it is truly an exceptional achievement.

RIDE DAY 9 - June 15, 2008 - Departing from Golden to Canmore

Beautiful weather this morning to start the day - sunny and cool but perfect riding weather. Hard to believe we are almost there - a long day ahead, about 160km if we make it all the way to Canmore. We're planning to definitely hit Banff and will decide at that point whether to head on to Canmore depending how the riders are feeling as the day progresses. The ride out of Golden began with a challenging hill, the roads are much higher up on the mountains today so the views are spectacular especially because it is a clear day. A number of ups and downs (both lengthy and relatively steep but all the riders were successful in plowing through them). We are well in to the Rockies now so the mountains are tall, snowy and ragged. Today is a long day for the riders (a 'century' ride if we get to Canmore - 100 miles or 160 km) so there is some anticipation and uncertainty of what to expect. There are 2 rest stops today - 1 in a small town called Field (about 57km from our start in Golden) and a second in Lake Louise (about 27km from Field). Today we were fortunate and very happy to see some additional family members join in and they met up with us in Field at the rest stop (Sean's wife Tanya, their children Connor and Faith, B.P.'s wife Deb, Blair's wife Esther and Bob's wife Barb). Great for the riders to reunite with loved ones and a great motivator to get through the rest of the day. Gina leaves us today and Howard was kind enough to drive her to the airport in Calgary - we will miss you Gina and look forward to seeing you again soon!! We took a group shot before departure and then pushed on to Lake Louise. A relatively easy ride to Lake Louise, a quick snack break and then we're off again. Some of the support team was able to stop at Lake Louise and take a few pictures which was great; Blair's daughter Erin and her friend Amanda also joined the group there and then we were off again. Banff was about 50km away; Canmore another 22 past that. The group separated into different packs after Lake Louise; different paces and arrival times (it is hard to stick together all the time as riders get in to 'the zone' at different times) but we're happy to report that all were able to push on through to Canmore in the afternoon with the last pack arriving around 7pm safe and sound. We had met up with a rider named Mark yesterday afternoon in Golden - Mark is riding from Victoria to St. John's this summer (with a bike and packs that weigh about 80 pounds) - he has kept pace with the rest of our riders despite the extra load and joins us again this evening in Canmore. Mark is riding to raise money for the United Way and some of us cringe at the distance he has taken on - Go Mark!! Dinner and rest this evening for all in anticipation of our FINAL DAY tomorrow - hard to believe how fast the time (and kilometers have gone)!!

RIDE DAY 10 - June 16, 2008 - Departing from Canmore and arriving in our final destination: Calgary!!!!!

Well, our final day - we began the last leg of the ride around noon today. Everyone was tired from yesterday so a well deserved late start today. Approximately 90km in to Calgary today and it was nice and sunny and breezy for the riders. We were expecting a relatively easy ride in with relatively flat roads as we're coming out of the mountains now - as the riders progressed out of the mountains (which all of the sudden stop - kind of neat) we found a stong head wind which caused the riders to have to work a lot harder than expected today. There were also a number of inclines (smaller than in the mountains of course but with the wind, the inclines were challenging). A number of rest stops on the way in to catch a breath and rest sore behinds. As we got closer, it seemed as though as surge of energy pushed them through and as we crested the hill which revealed the site of Calgary in the distance, it all came together. Our final stop was at Olympic Park on the outskirts of Calgary - stomachs tightened as we saw the enormous ski jump towers of Olympic Park rise up to greet us and it was hard to not reflect on the last 10 days as we all entered the park. Lots of hills, a mountian range, many prayers, 8 riders, 6 support crew, many family members, a ton of great meals, no major injuries, $100,000 dollars raised, 1 school that will be improved, countless lives helped to live a better life, endless memories and lots of laughs. All eight riders side by side cruised around the last bend together, family, friends and support team waiting and cheering them in. It has been an exceptional ride, an exceptional experience and an absolute blast to be part of the ride. Congratulations riders - YOU DID IT!!!