Sharon Hawley has finished her bicycle trip in Canada for this summer. She hopes to complete the adventure in another year. Please follow her winter adventure at http://sharonswinter.blogspot.com/

Route Map

Route Map

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

First Day Out

Trans-Canada Trail
Hi, from Mission, a town on the Fraser River in British Colombia. I’m about seventy kilometers east of the starting point in Vancouver. I floated up the coast from Los Angeles on a cruise ship, the Sapphire Princess, indulging in fine dining and relaxation. Three nights in Vancouver’s YWCA provided a clean and inexpensive base for visiting the city’s Stanley Park, Chinese Garden, nude beach near the University of British Columbia, and the Anthropology Museum at UBC.

Yesterday, I pedaled through city and suburb for half a day before joining the Trans-
Canada Trail that visionaries hope will someday span the entire country. I pushed the loaded bike up the too-steep-to-ride trail on Burnaby Mountain, and just when it seemed too hard to go on, I looked down and could almost see the hotel I woke up at that morning, some 20km away and 300 meters below me. Forty more kilometers on roads, and I came to Mission, very tired and knowing that the cruise ship had left me out-of-shape.

It’s good to be underway.

2 comments:

  1. I am so happy for you that your trip is underway. How exciting. Even though I don't get to go on a trip like you are taking physically, I look forward to the virtual journey via your lovely blog. Enjoy each and every day on your bicycle.

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  2. Love this photo of the trail ahead, it has the feeling of anticipation and unknown. Now that is the kind of trail I would ride... if all bike lanes looked like that you would have convinced me to ride a bike! You have a wonderful spirit of adventure. Hope the ride starts being level and not so strenuous so that you can relax and glide a bit and let the poems flow!

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