Day 6--June 26, Castlegar to Creston

Day 6--Castlegar to Creston.  Ward and Madge woke this morning with Andrew offering us various choices as to how Sou, Olin and Andrew would be leaving us.  These choices arrived at 6:15 a.m.  Please no!  Very complicated but finally decision was made that Sou and Olin would fly out of Castlegar this morning and that Andrew would ride with Gordon and Andrew as far as Creston, spend the night with us and then Madge and Helen would drive him to Cranbrook on Thursday and he would fly from there to Vancouver and then Montreal,  while Gordon and Ward made their way to Fernie.  Lots of packing up and excitement.  The pelaton left shortly after 8.  The rest of us arrived at Castlegar airport around 9.  Very sad to leave Souhaila and Olin, and Sou was sad to leave the ride behind and sad to leave Gordon, Andrew and Ward driving solo without her protection.  An emotional time.  After that, back to Castlegar for Helen and I to shop for lunch trappings, to visit Canadian Tire to get a dufflebag for Gordon's things (Olin's and Sou's luggage had expanded without the bike bags!), to buy new bike locks for Madge's and Sou's bikes (Madge has NO idea where her bike lock key is, hmmmmmm.), to get needle nose pliers for bike tire repairs, and to get Madge's old bike lock cut off so she might get some riding in.  Next stop, the liquor store for a bottle of  BC white wine for Ward.  And finally, a treat for Helen and Madge--an excellent cappucino for the road.  I couldn't believe the climb we started up after crossing the bridge over the Columbia River.  The scenery was again more than spectacular.  I highly recommend going 80 km an hour across Canada.  You see a whole lot more  than at 120 km!  Finally caught up with the riders just after Salmo.  They had done amazingly well.  Lunch was at noon at a beautiful rest stop over-looking a rushing river, complete with picnic table, and sunshine!!
Then more and more and more climbing to the summit at 1500 m.  Helen and I met a man there who was biking across to Halifax--it said so on his shirt!  We were in and out of rain showers so we knew our riders were too.  Now, an amazing descent towards Creston--very, very long and very beautiful.  As we approached Creston, we were on the flats between all these mountains.  After a little drive through Creston we chose the Valley View Motel--cabins in the woods (Gordon says we're camping) over-looking the valley and the ever-changing landscape of the surrounding mountains.  We settled in around 3 and the riders rolled in around 5.  They were tired but pretty proud of themselves.  That day was a definite challenge to their abilities.  We had a great dinner to-night in Creston.  Now off to bed, but with fresh air all around us to-night, thank goodness.
Madge