Day 2 - Mission to Hope

84 km - Total so far 192.4 km - No GPS recording :(

• The day started nice enough at 7 a.m, it was overcast, about 12 degrees and no wind ideal for cycling. At 7:05, it started to pour and it did so for the next 3 hours. Nothing focuses your attention like rain when cycling down a steep (11%) hill and everything is wet and slippery. On a positive note, it rains so hard that you can't see anything! We came across an Eastie-Westie cyclist with a huge grin as he was nearing the end of his trip and had a nice breeze pushing him along.

• We stopped in Agassiz at the Horn of Plenty Cafe for our second breakfast. When cycling we found that we needed four meals a day to fuel the engine. The place was packed and with only one waitress the service was exceptionally slow. Slow service was great as it gave us a chance to dry a bit. Another cyclist walked into the restaurant and after a few words we were pleased to discover that Kyle was one of our people, a Westie-Eastie. He is cycling by himself from Victoria to St-John's and hopes to be done by end August. Good speed Kyle.

  

  Kyle on his Surly LHT

• By the time our leisurely breakfast was over, it had finally stopped raining. We would continue drying as we easily pedal along the wide shoulder. We stopped for a quick snack (yes we eat a lot) and were joined once again by Kyle. We had planned a selfie but we got a proper picture taken. We also got to check out his bicycle. He rides a Surly LHT just like we do.

  

  All wet and still smiling

• By the time we got to Hope at 13:30, the sun was smiling upon us. We stopped in on the information center and to our surprise, it was actually open. Information centers that we had stopped at so far had all been closed and that is why I had to ask for directions at the liquor store yesterday.

• Hope is a lovely little town surrounded by mountains. I am sure you all remember Hope from the movie Rambo: First Blood, filmed here 30 years ago. There is a walking site tour one can take but with camp set up, blog updates and bike maintenance we just have not got time. We will have to comeback some other time.

  

  I am sure we all recognize the building from Rambo: First Blood

• There is no GPS ride data today as we had a user issue this morning with the Garmin GPS unit. It will be sorted for our climb up Allison Pass.