Check out the motel around 8am and went to have breakfast to the dinner next door. It was a bit of a late start again but I wanted to enjoy the comfort of sleeping on a nice bed. 
Got to the restaurant after checking out and ordered the "Hungry Man's Meal" = 3 eggs, 2 strips of bacon, 2 sausages, and potatoes. Then back on the road to Brooks. The first 30-40Km were awful, I have never felt so weak on the entire trip. I didn't have enough strenght to pedal and although I had had a good night sleep plus a good breakfast I was feeling weird.
I thought it could have been the food or the heat/humidity (or a mix of both) but I concluded it must have had something to do with the dry weather since it was extremely Hot and Dry.
As soon as I gained some altitude my mood changed and I started feeling better. I stopped to have a sandwich and started drinking more water just in case.

The road to Brooks was pretty much like yesterday's with nothing to see. Very boring and desolated road with not too many stops. 
Good thing I had some food with me so I could stop whenever I wanted to have a snack or something to drink.
I was happy when I got back to Trans Canada Highway 1. The whole Dinosaur experience had been cool but not worthy the 300Km detour in my opinion (at least on a bicycle)
Once I got to Bassano I decided to stop for lunch so I went to one of the two restaurants in town (small town) Harry's and ordered the special which was chinese noodles, fried rice and sweet and sour ribs. Very good for a small town chinese restaurant.
3pm and 30 more kilometres to my next town, once I got to Brooks and since it was almost 5pm I didn't bother going to the tourist centre, instead I went to Tim Hortons and had some chilli and iced coffee while checking my mail and looking for a warmshowers place to stay in town and for the next day in Brooks. No warmshowers in Brooks but only in Medicine Hat so I called and made arrangements for the next day. Some locals at the Tim Hortons sitting next to me seemed friendly enough so I asked them about places to stay in town, they suggested a campground about 10km from the Timmie's and a motel.

I headed to the Campground first since I thought I had been spending too many nights in Motels/Hostels and I had to tight the budget but as soon as I got there I noticed I'd be the only one sleeping in a tent. 
It was a trailer/RV camp and it was about to rain all night so I decided at last minute it be miserable to be camping in the rain and packing wet gear the very next day so I tried to find a cheap motel along the way back to town. I saw a place called Ricky's and went in, at this time it was pouring and I was riding soaking wet. Asked the guy at the front how much for a room, he said $75, I turned around and he asked me if I wanted it. I said it was out of my budget and he asked me how much my budget was, I said $45 and he said OK (thanks Martin for the tip)
I got into the room and I was happy I played that poor card cause the room was a shit hole that wasn't worth more than $40/night but TV and a comfy bed again made me not think about it one more minute. 
I jumped in the shower, put my wet clothes to dry on the heather and watched TV for a bit. I am a bit disappointed of myself for not being more risky about camping cheap but rain and camping don't go together

There will be plenty more opportunities to camp in the next days!

The good thing about staying in hostels is that you can meet people from all over the world.
The bad thing about staying in hostels is that sometimes those people are teenagers who want to party and get drunk and they keep coming in and out the room in the middle of the night disturbing the sleep of the other roommates.
Another bad night where I only slept 6 hours and had a long day of riding since I had decided to take a detour to Drumheller to go see the world's biggest dinosaur at 135Km from Calgary.
Got up at 6:30am and wanted to be on the road by 7:30 but since it was Father's Day I called my dad and talked with him while having breakfast at the hostel. I ended leaving at 9am which I thought it was a late start but hey, it's Father's Day!

What came after was a long and tedious ride on highway 9 in the middle of nowhere and with no services around. Good thing I had taken some food with me from the hostel free breakfast because I didn't see nothing until I decided to make a stop at Irricana and even there, the restaurants were closed. Only the supermarket was open.
I was starving and needed a break  so I got 200gr of ham, bread, an apple and an energy drink and sat outside on a bench to enjoy my improvised lunch.
While eating, two kids (Jacob and Gerry) came to where I was sitting and asked if I was participating in a marathon. I talked to them for a bit and asked them to please get me some water. They filled my bottles and I was off to Drumheller. Really long day but I was running against the rain  and the last 40kms I got tail wind so I was doing 40Kms/Hr.

I went straight to the tourist information at 4:50pm (that luckily it closed at 5:30pm) Called a few places to immediately realize it was going to be another expensive night. The cheapest room I found was on top of an old Saloo/Cantine but the girls at the reception told me they don't rent it too often because the owner believes it is haunted. 
No way I was going to be there alone, yeah call me chickenshit! I decided to go to the Tyrell museum but first I stopped to take some pictures with the biggest dinosaur in the world.

After that I rode another 15Km to the Tyrrell Museum, it was impressive and I would have loved to have more time to enjoy the museum but one hour would have to do just fine. Took lots of pictures and got my brother a t-shirt. Back in town I passed by a motel that had the second best rate so I stopped and talked to Carol the owner. She not only gave me a better rate for $65 (only $15 that the haunted one) but also saw me so tired that gave me some dinner leftovers (ribs, salad, and one garlic bread) Gourmet Dinner! I promised her I'd have breakfast at the restaurant next door in the morning. After a shower I heated my dinner and had a fancy night while watching Wild Hogs on cable TV while eating in bed. Fell asleep almost right after the movie and dinner just so I could enjoy of the comfy bed and having a room all for myself since the next day would be a long one as well to Brooks. Called my dad for Father's Day again

Woke up around 8:30am in my room in the basement that Rick and Tanya had set up for me.
Breakfast time! Pancakes, bacon, coffee and some more talkin' about Rick's project and adventures. I am looking forward to participate or volunteer at his organization once my trip is over and I am back in Toronto. Around 11am I was all packed and ready to go to the HI-Hostel since another day in Calgary was necessary to explore the city. We took some pictures and off I went riding Dante through the streets of Calgary. 
Took some pictures and got to the Hostel, there I met Xi at the reception, a very friendly asian girl who not only took care of me but of Dante as well by storing it in the shed.

After she was giving me directions on where to have a good, cheap lunch, she suggested a chinese restaurant she always goes to. Since it was 2pm and her shift ended at 3pm I asked her to join me for lunch and give me a quick tour around Calgary. She agreed and I was happy to hang around the city with a local, the best way to get to know a place.
 We went to the chinese restaurant and the food was very good. $17 got us plenty food. I invited her and then when I made the confession that I have never ever tried bubble tea she offered to treat me with my first bubble tea ever. We went to a store a couple blocks away and she ordered me a Mango/Papaya with Jelly. It was Very good and refreshing!
She had to go get her father a present for Father's Day so we exchanged numbers and said goodbye...made me wish I could be with my father celebrating Father's Day and sharing my adventure with him.

I kept on walking downtown for some more, stopped at a hot-Dog cart (which apparently seemed to be famous in town) ordered a foot-long Hot-Dog and then went back to the hostel where I checked my emails and updated the website. I was looking for something to do on my last night in Calgary and started reading a local newspaper where I spotted a Comedy Show but it was about to start in 15 minutes. I took a taxi in order to make it and once we got there the place had been abandoned and closed for long time now. What a disappointment!
I asked the taxi driver that if it was his last night in Calgary where would he go (thinking a bar with good music) and in the strongest african accent he said "You Want go Strip Club?"
- "Too Expensive" - I said.
- "You only pay drink, free to get in" - He replied
I just laugh at the situation and asked him to drop me in the corner of 17th and waled back to the Hostel and took pictures of the city while watching people partying on a saturday night and on top of that, celebrating the Calgary's 100th Stampede. Calgary has some weird looking folks!

Tough day today!
Woke up at 9am but not feeling too good. As much as I wanted to help Melanie with her trip I felt mine was morphing and turning into hers and I couldn't allow that because it wouldn't be fair to myself. I've been planning this trip for so long in my head that it'd be a shame to arrive to Newfoundland and still feel incomplete. As much as I appreciate her company I think it's time we pursue our own trip as we dreamed them in our heads. After a helpful phone conversation with Martin (thanks again buddy) I packed my bike and had it ready, then left with her and went to a Starbucks close by, that's when I delivered the news, I know it was a bit surprising to her and it felt like if I was breaking up with someone but I know she has the heart and will, just needs to find the courage and confidence to finish, and those things you find on your own. We said goodbye and I stayed in the coffee shop for a little bit longer looking for a place to spend the night in warmshowers.org, I knew there was a HI-Hostel but I wanted to give warmshowers a chance and I am so glad I did because I met Rick and Tanya McFerrin and their 3 great kids Tarn, Sampson and Markos. 

Rick and Tanya went around the world between 1998 and 2001 and they were so changed by that experience that besides joining warmshowers.org Rick also founded Two Wheel View in Calgary which is an organization that helps youth to stay out of trouble by introducing them to the world of cycling. Either they build their own bicycles and get to keep them at the end of the program or they can go on organized bike tours in Canada, USA or overseas for 2 weeks to experience other cultures while biking. I was so grateful to have landed by fluke in their home plus their ideals on life, family and society are simply admirable and an example to follow for all of us.

I got in contact with my parents, brother and Claire since I had cel phone coverage again. After we had lunch/dinner I helped them with some gardening chores and we saw a movie all together. I was in bed around 11PM. Great day with great people.

Another bad night. After going to bed at midnight, a drunk guy came into the room at 2am and started listening to Death Metal without headphones. Woke me up, I wanted to see if anyone else in the room said something. Nothing! I almost let it go since I thought he'd be a local drunken asshole and maybe if I say something we'd get into a fight. After the 3rd song I had enough and decided quiet Sebastian wasn't gonna solve the situation. I've been stepped on many occasions in my life and this is as much of an interior trip as an exterior one so I needed to build courage and fight for what's right, even if this means having to punch a local drunk in the face. I gained some confidence when I felt how strong my legs and arms felt after 15 days of riding. I got up at 2:30am and went to the main reception and told the clerk about the situation, he came into the room and made the guy turn off the radio. Went to bed feeling the taste of victory. I like this new Sebastian better.

Woke up at 6am and when checking out I tried to ask for a refund but when I saw the guy at the front desk he looked like a relative of the drunk asshole in the room the night before (at least a buddy) so I didn't even bothered. If you are reading this blog and going through Canmore DON'T STAY AT THE BEAR HOSTEL! Just pay the extra $20 and stay somewhere else. Rode at 7am to a breakfast place and had a big breakfast, I was tired but eating made me feel happier. Got to talk to Melanie again over breakfast for some more bonding. At 8am we started riding to Calgary. The road was mostly flat but it had some rolling hills, nothing major but what made the ride very tough and long was the headwind we encountered almost all day. It felt like I was doing an eternal uphill.

I waited for Mel at a truck scale/rest point and we had some snacks. I weighted myself and the bike 140 kgs. We continued riding and I got to Calgary first at 3pm. Went straight to the sign to take a picture with the sign since I had made a bet with a friend for 1 lb of the spiciest chicken wings in Toronto if I didn't make it to Calgary. I won!

After I went to the Olympic Park and right then all I could think of was the "Cool Runnings" movie since it took place there. Picked up some maps of Calgary and met with Mel at a Wendy's nearby. We would be spending the night at an old friend's of her. We got to Rob's house at 4:30-5PM and his roommate Eddy greeted us and let us in. Now in Calgary and with signal I called my parents, brother and Claire and was happy to spend 2 hours talking to all of them, haven't done it pretty much since the start of my trip. Hearing their voices made me happier. We took turns in the shower and went out for dinner and beers with Mel friends , when I got back at 12:30am I felt asleep on the couch right away.

Not much sleep last night. Karaoke night at the hostel and the staff was drunk and making noise past 2am. Kept me trying to fall asleep most of the night. Woke up around 7:30 and packed, did a bit of a check up on the bikes and then went back to the mall to get something for breakfast and to take along the way. Also stopped at a bakery and got a granola, cereal, nuts and fruits cookie. Energy drink since I was still tired. The goodbye moment came and we hugged Jenny and wished her a good ride to Jasper. Im really gonna miss her since I strongly believe she was the perfect riding/travel partner. We rode until the intersection and Melanie and I went on Highway 1A and Jenny went on the 93. Safe travels Jenny "Mountain Goat" Harmer!

Highway 1A was as quiet and spectacular as everyone had warned me. The perfect route to take after a rest day, not many cars, lots of trees, quiet so you could get back into the riding spirit. I was keeping and eye for wildlife and had the bear spray handy. No signs of wild life for the first 2 hours. We rode shoulder to shoulder and I talked with Melanie about her fears and worries. Tried to build some confidence in her and answer some of her questions. We'd stop for pictures and kept talking and riding. Then I felt the need of going a little bit faster and some hills came along and I left her behind but making sure she was at a safe distance.
Downhills again and those i had to enjoy fully. Then I saw some cars pulled on the side of the road and I noticed 2 elk on the side, pulled out my camera but they started heading into thew woods, now way my first sight at wildlife was gonna leave me hanging so I leaned Dante and went after them keeping safe distance. They were huge and so nice to see. Walking next to each other and eating bushes they didn't seemed to be disturbed by my presence.

Kept on riding and about half an hour later saw a third one, more pictures, an hour later I saw a 4th one. I was getting all Elk-out and needed to see a bear now hehe. Some prairie dogs running across the road. Once I saw the Banff sign I started pedalling faster, I wanted to have lunch in Banff but keep on riding to Canmore. I figured it'd be cheaper than staying in Banff. Got to Banff and took pictures at the sign, then pulled over at the entrance and waited for Melanie and ate some snacks while writing on my journal. As soon as she came we had a quick bite but it started raining and we decided to go into town looking for cover and a proper meal, it was a bit chilly so the first thing I saw was a Tim Hortons. French onion soup and a chicken salad sandwich for me. After the rain we rode another 25Km to Canmore, got to the Bear Hostel, asked Mel to do some research on the next 3 days and I called my brother and Claire. Uploaded the pictures and emails. Tired and went to bed at midnight.

So tired from yesterday that we decided to sleep in but not a great idea since today even when it was only 86Km it was almost as tough as yesterday. Left around 10am and we splitted into 2 groups, me and Jenny and Mel and Kevin. The first uphill was a killer and it was the first 30 minutes after leaving the hostel, however I managed to make it without warming up or dismounting the bike. To my surprise Jenny started gaining distance and leaving me behind. It was close to noon and I was sweating buckets, she probably got 10 minutes ahead of me and no granny ring (now I am embarrased) and I thought I was getting in shape.

What came after was what I could have called the best riding day since I started and it was because Jenny's company. So much stuff to talk about while riding on flats and then working my ass off to catch up with her on the hills, then on the downhills we'd take turns to go first and see who was doing better time. I managed to keep the downhill title with 70.7Km/h but she came close second with 70Km sharp. We stopped at the top of the hill for lunch (pizza leftovers) and wait for the others. We couldn't believe we were having lunch while watching the Rockies. Mel caught up about 40 minutes after but no signs of Kevin. We waited for another 20 minutes but we were getting sleepy and behind schedule so we decided to continue before getting too cold. 20 minutes into riding and Jenny and I were leading again and got to a rest stop where I saw glacier waters for the first time. So Blue and cold! But I still went on them and got my head wet just before our last hill of the day....Kicking Horse Pass.

We stopped to refill out water bottles and see if we could get in touch with Kevin but his phone was off. So last hill and the competition bug bit me, I made a bet with Jenny that the last one to the top buys the ice cream (Ice Cream was her motivation apparently).
I started sprinting on the flats to gain momentum, big ring to gain some distance on her since she's much better on the hills, I was making 35Km/h and then the hill started and tried my best to stay in medium ring. I take a look on my mirror and there she is, right behind me. I start using lower gears as the hill turns more steep and using every single trick I have learned and just about 10 more minutes before reaching the top she just passes me with a smile and says "I'm sorry" and off she goes....I can't go any faster or stronger and there she is just putting some distance between us.
Lost that bet but came up with what would be her nickname from now on: Jenny "Mountain Goat" Harmer.
Hands down, she's the queen of the hills.
When I (finally) caught up with her, she was talking with this 70 something years old guy on the side of the road whos pulling a carrier. It turns out that Abraham (from Holland) is WALKING across Canada and divided his journey on 4 legs and he was in the middle of his last one from Calgary to Vancouver. He said it'd take him 8 months and that he was staying only at farms along the road and only packed what he could carry. We talked for about 15 minutes and took pictures with him. Amazing dude!

After that Jenny and I felt like wimps for doing the trip on bikes!
More hills and more riding but we were so eager of taking a picture with the "Welcome to Alberta" sign. We would be crossing provinces today and that made us so excited. Bye-bye British Columbia, hello Alberta but no sign, just constructionroad ahead. After anther fun downhill I stopped to ask one of the construction workers on the side of the road how far was the sign. "There's no sign!" she said.
We both looked at each other in disappointment but laughed immediately since we had been riding in Alberta for the past 5 minutes not knowing it. That became the subject of conversation until we got to Lake Louise and took pictures at that sign. Then headed straight to Lake Louise Mall for me to pay my debt and get some Ice cream. We got two huge ice creams while waiting for melanie and Kevin.

Melanie arrived 40 minutes later and she then got a text from Kevin. That first hill coming out of Golden was too hard for him and he had turned around after one hour pedalling, got back to the hostel, took a bus to Calgary and booked a flight home for the next day. He was done with the trip.
Melanie was heartbroken and scared not knowing what to do next but at the same time I understood Kevin. He had been not enjoying the past 2 days and started hating the trip so no point on continuing any further if its not making you happy. We decided right there a day off in Lake Louise was in much need. We went to check in the Hostel and we found it a bit pricey ($40/night) but we had no option, tired and trapped in a tourist town. We left the stuff in the room and gave Melanie some alone time to figure stuff out and call her family and friends. We went out to explore town and find dinner. Everything closed early except for a pub/restaurant from the hotel next door. Trying to save some money we ordered some nachos (the worst I've ever had) but the good news is that being in Alberta I'd be in the land of my favourite beer "Big Rock Grasshopper" so I had 2 of those. Went back to the room and Melanie was in tears. We tried to comfort her but at 12:30am after a long day the best call was just to go to bed and figure it out in the morning. Tough day indeed!

Today it was probably the hardest day of all. Got up at 5:30am and it was cloudy but no rain. After packing and saying goodbye to Simon we started heading out of Revelstoke.
The bike was heavier since I was carrying food for all day. I was happy about getting back on the bike but sad about leaving Revelstoke. We started climbing hills and riding through the fog, as the time passed the fog started clearing but no sun and still cloudy.

I stopped to eat and Mel and Kevin caught up with me. I planned on stopping every hour and a half to take short breaks of 10-15 minutes so my body doesn't get cold. I kept on riding but I was so eager to get through the day that I pushed myself harder.
I kept on stopping every hour and a half for a bit and stretched my legs and no signs of Mel and Kevin but I couldn't stop and wait for them for too long. It'd be a long day. Got to Rogers Passand the climbing started again. It felt easier than Coquihalla but there was some difficulty. Just at the moment I was feeling like dismounting and pushing the bike I saw a sign that said Rogers Pass summit 1km. I felt it was too late to quit and kept pedalling to the top. Once I got to the summit I as was happy just like I was at Coquihalla.
I stopped for pictures and even a short victory dance!

I remembered Martin's stories about what comes after....a crazy downhill!
I couldn't wait for it so I started pedalling again and got to a fancy hotel at the top of the mountain. I stopped and waited for the guys and got a cold drink and a chocolate bar to celebrate my conquer. At the counter I met Gabriella, a nice girl from Chile to whom I talked Spanish for 30 minutes and then she refilled my water bottles and wished me luck, but also told me Golden was another 80Km and I realized I was only half way there. After 45 minutes at the top I finished my food and it was getting cold. No sign on the guys so I decided to continue and get the day over.

I rode for another 10 minutes and then the downhill started. Imagine the feeling you get on a rollercoaster coming down and that only last seconds? Well, this was a 20 minute downhill where I went from 55 to 70Km/h. Unbelievable fast! Refreshing and I went through 4 tunnels at that speed making sure there were no cars behind me (also I passed 3 tunnels before Rogers Pass) What came after Rogers Pass were 3 or 4 more hills that were as tough as Rogers Pass, of course it has downhills after but I had to earn that pleasure by sucking it up and climbing the hills first. I was warned about these hills by Martin and not to get cocky after Rogers Pass. I followed the instructions but it was turning into a really long day and all I could think of was how glad I was I didn't do this trip the day before in the rain. Finally I saw a sign that brought mixed feelings in me "Golden 35Km" , so close but so far at the same time.

After 8 hours of riding (mostly uphill) 2 more hours just sounded like an eternity. My legs were feeling weak and I thought about stopping and taking some pain killers but at the same time I didn't wanted to  waste one more minute and get there as soon as possible in order to rest my legs and find accomodation for the night.
Made it to what it was the entrance of Golden. McDonalds, A&W, Gas Stations, Tim Hortons. I stopped at a gas station to see if that was it, the attendant told me I needed to ride for another 10 minutes into town. I noticed the clock on the wall said 7pm. Time change in BC just getting closer to Alberta. 2 minutes into riding and I stopped at  light and there was the "Welcome to Golden" sign, as I turn y head I saw another cyclist approaching. I thought it was Mel or Kevin but as she came closer I noticed it was someone new. A redhead girl called Jenny riding from Victoria to Newfoundland on a Surly Longhaul Trucker. She asked me if I was Sebastian because she just had met Mel and Kev but left them behind after the crazy downhill.
After a short introduction we took turns to take pictures of each other next to the sig, a couple called Mike and Linda came to us and asked us where we were planning on staying. I had heard about Kicking Horse hostel but they suggested the Dreamcatcher Hostel closer to downtown. Went to check it out and I'm glad we did since it was a great hostel with an extremely nice manager named Gerald who treated us like royalty. We got a private room with 2 bunk beds for $25 each.

Jenny was now part of the "pack". We clicked right away since she was "street-smart" and knew how to bargain and get stuff for cheap (or free) since she was travelling on a budget.
Gerald showed us the room and told us to relax and go eat something and tha we'll do the registration once the other 2 cyclists arrive.  I didn't know how far behind were they so I took a shower which felt glorious after 155Km and went for pizza with Jenny. Told Gerald where we would be so he could point Mel and Kev on the right track. We got to "Carlitos" a small pizza joint who's owner was a huge Al Pacino fan so all the menu and pizzas names were named after movie lines. I had the "Funny as a clown"
After that we went for a well deserved beer after a long day and back to the hotel. Once we got there Melanie was cooking dinner for herself and Kevin arrived so exhausted that went straight to bed. I took a short tour of the hostel and got a computer to check my emails and tell everyone I survived the day. I was feeling pretty tired and the next day was another tough day to Lake Louise so I went to bed in order to wake up early and with enough energy plus now we were one hour ahead.

Got up at 5:30am and I was heading east at 6:30am. The campground freaked me out, it was nice to be on the road early and we got to Revelstoke around noon. Once there we stopped at a Tim Hortons for a bite and I headed off to the visitors centre for some information on where to sleep. I also debated about going 30Km further and making a shorter distance the next day to Rogers Pass but the only other option was at Hot Canyon Springs and they had no showers, also the next day was promising heavy rainso a hostel was more tempting. The girl sent me to the Same Sun Hostel and I am so glad she did. As soon as I got in the manager Simon, a 30 year old dude from Munich greeted us and answered every question we had.

We became best buddies right away and he gave us passes for a swimming pool/aquapark around the corner. I went to the room after storing the bikes and I took a warm shower then I put on my swimming shorts and headed off to the pool. Great place to blow the stress of riding, it had a water slide that I went on 3 times one after another and beside feeling like a kid, all the stress was gone. Then hot tub and Sauna for a while. After we went to the supermarket to get stuff for the next day to take with us and to have dinner. Pasta for dinner and sandwiches for the road plus chocolate milk and boiled potatoes (thanks Phil for the advice) I also got a six-pack that I shared with Simon.

At the kitchen we met Jane, this girl from Quebec that had just arrived to Revelstoke and was looking for work. Since we made a lot of pasta we invited her and Simon to join us. I was so full I went for a quick walk and I was looking for a place to chill and Have a beer, couldn't find any so back at the hostel Simon was on his way out to meet his girlfriend Nathalie (a nice girl from Australia who worked as a bartender) and asked me if I wanted to go with him. I went and we talked about Revelstoke and had 2 local beers, it turns out he is a professional snowboardist but he moved to Canada last October and he's working at the hoste. The more I keep on hearing about the town the more I feel like leaving Toronto and moving here. At 12:30 I said goodbye and went back to the hostel. I was very tired and wanted to sleep and wake up at 5am to see how the weather was like and if it was gonna be a riding day or a day off. After those 3 beers and the bad night at the creepy campground I didn't have too much trouble falling asleep.

Today it was great because I got waken up by a sunny day, cold but sunny. Got up around 6am and went for a quick walk outside just to check out the weather. It was nice to see the sunrise by the lake after 2 grey rainny days. I went back to bed for another hour since we had to wait until breakfast at 8am. Got up again around 7:45am but everything was already packed from the night before. Got to the breakfast area and had 4 pancakes, it was kinda of sad leaving such a great place and people but now I understand all the blogs I read when people said they were eager to get back on the bike. We left around 9:30am after saying goodbye to everyone and made reservations for the Hi Hostel in Lake Louise.

It was a cold morning and I was wearing my arm warmers and jacket. There were about 3-4 uphills that made me work hard so early in the morning, but I managed to do them on the bike. I think I am getting stronger although I dont seem to be loosing weight. Once we got to Salmon Arm we decided to visit a bike store to do some TLC to our bikes. After 2 days of riding in the rain and just before hitting Rogers Pass. The guys at Skookum Cycle and Ski were super nice to us and looked after the bikes right away. They said to come back in one hour so that gave us time to go for lunch since it was 1 o' clock. Went to A&W and got 2 burgers with fries and ice tea. I got the newspaper to check the weather for the next two days. We went back to the bike shop and Dante was ready to go, $40 minor tune-up, oil, and spoke tightening. It just felt great the rest of the road. (Thanks Thomas, Greg, Joy, Sharon and Sutra)

We got a couple more uphills and about 35Km to Sicamous but we were looking for a campground 15Km even further than Sicamous. The plan is to ride as much as possible so we can shorten the distance between Revelstoke and Golden (150Km) On one of the downhills I spotted 2 cyclist coming on the opposite direction. I went across to road to talk to them since they were the first cyclist I had encountered since the beginning of my trip.
Daniel and Alexander were both from Toronto and they were riding to Vancouver for a fundraiser. We exchanged information and where to stay, and I recommended the Squilax hostel, we got back on the riding since it was starting to rain and I didnt wanted  to get wet.

We rode for about 15-20Km more past Sicamous and stopped at a Tim Hortons just in case there was nothing to eat further down the road. I had a french onion soup, a donut and chocolate milk. We continued riding for about 5-10Km more and we got to the Cedars Campground. We checked in and went to see the campsites, while checking them I realized we were the only ones in the campground and on top of that our cellphones didnt have reception. This kinda creeped me out a bit and every single horror movie I have seen for the past 25 years was coming back to me in my head. I guess I am not 100% down with the whole camping thing because today I wasn't feeling at ease. There was something bugging me so I went to the front office and asked the manager if I could check the weather very quick on his computer. I send emails to friends on facebook with all the information about the campground, manager, location and told them I was with Mel and Kev just in case. Call me chickenshit and exagerated but if it makes me sleep better at night I will do it again, plus the people who gets saved in horror movies is because they take precautions hehe. Anyways, the plan is to decide if we ride tomorrow up to Revelstoke or continue to Hot Canyon Springs. 9;20pm off to bed. Hopefully no nightmares tonight