Thursday July 2

I was in bed when the fireworks stared. It seemed to be big and it lasted a long time. I slept until 6:30 am knowing that Cranbrook was not going to be a long day. The San Francisco couple had already left!! (I passed them yesterday). I got going about 8:00am. Got into Yahk and met a great guy that runs a coffee/ ice cream place. He could've talked all day. He was a North Shore Tri member at one time. He had me sign a rock which he keeps by the door. Not long after that I closed the gap on... not the SF couple... but a French Cdn girl. She started in Vancouver 2 weeks ago!! Ditched her friend who was unorganized and could only do 40-50 km per day and she was getting ready to mail excess stuff back home. Her plan was to ride to the east coast. I asked her what it was going to feel like to ride right past home and keep going. She didn't have an answer and I think she might be lucky to make it home in time - and do the rest next year. I'm now sitting at the front door of the Cranbrook Hostel - it is the student residence for the College of the Rockies but the doors don't open until 5:00 pm and it's only about 3:45 now. Got some groceries and beer in town. Cranbrook looks like it wants to become a Kelowna - please don't. For now, there is lots of room for sprawl and they have kept the highway in the centre. My room is like Gage Tower except it is only 4 floors. I am in a pod of 6 bedrooms with a shared kitchen and 2 baths. I am the only one here!! Now I understand why some people say they are bored and lonely when they do this trip. There are some students on the other floors and a few watching CMT in the main common room. Maybe I'll clean my waterbottles for the first time since I left, that will make my workmates happy.

OD 908.0 km, 5:13;33, 108.50 km, 20.7 ave, 46.0 max.