In January, Ken Willis, Keith Akenhead, and Keith Rajala went up to Manning for the Red Lobster Annual General Meeting. This was the second year that there was a poor attendance at the meeting, but those attending tried their best to carry on as best they could. Readings from Red Green's book, and tales of past exploits filled the dark hours.

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Well, somebody had to do it. Yes, it was left to Randy (if you gottem smokem) Wheating to organize the spring Lobster overnight cycle. Accompanied by Keith (bunjy) Akenhead and Keith (my body is a temple) Rajala, they set out early Saturday morning of May 30th for a cycle to Harrison Hot Springs and a night out in a tent. There were a number of lobsters and lobster wannabes missing, but the diehard old timers picked up the slack admirably. They arrived at the Bigfoot campground and immediately became territorial in the choice of campsite. It was quickly set up and plans were made for checking out the local watering holes. The Settler pub provided satisfactory cuisine and fruit of the hops. They later cycled back to their campsite where they leisurely spent the rest of the evening outside their tent sampling some fine cigars and scotch whisky. The morning saw dubious weather but rain held off and by Mission, the air conditioning of a restaurant was a welcomed respite. After about six hours from the start, their journey was over..

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Ken and I did the trip in the reverse direction in 1996. If you want to read about that trip, click here.

Day 1 (Celista to Sicamous - 107km, 20 km/hr)

We started on August 2, 1998 and knew that our first days would be hot. Terry prepared us coffee and muffins and were away by 6:30, but by Salmon Arm it was very hot. Cycling up the hill on the east side of town was no fun at all. The cycle to Sicamous would be very enjoyable if it were cool, but the heat made it something to just get over with. We stayed at the Homestead campground about 6 km east of town and listened to loud music in the heat and humidity until the wee hours of the morning.

It was days later that we found out about the small forest fire south of Salmon Arm that had become an inferno that threatened the whole town.

Day 2 (Sicamous to Revelstoke - 75 km 20 km/hr)

Headwinds greeted us on our way to Revelstoke, especially from Three Valley Gap. On crossing the bridge at Revelstoke, I noticed a sidewalk, but then thought a bridge support blocked it in mid span. In disgust and haste, I dropped my heavily laden bike back down on the roadway and immediately I broke a spoke on my rear wheel. After walking my bike a short distance across the bridge, I saw that the bridge support did not block the sidewalk, and went back to go across the bridge on it, rather than walk on the narrow bridge!

After replacing my spoke, we found out that the municipal campsite was back on the opposite side of the bridge anyway, and we went back, pitched our tents, and tried to relax in the shade. The incident with the broken spoke shook my complacency about breakdowns and made me realize how quickly and easily things can happen that stop your cycling cold. I wondered if everybody had replacement spokes for their bike. I had one spare left! read on (much more)....