Maple Ridge

Thursday afternoon cycled through the busy streets of Vancouver through a seemingly endless stream of red lights. It was a relief to get moving along the Lougheed highway and push for Maple Ridge. By late afternoon I was unpacked and in the guest room of the new home of Terry and Leslie Forbes. We spent an enjoyable evening with dinner downtown and a drive through the countryside up to the entrance to Golden Ears park. Leslie gave me a tour of her basement quilt factory. Here she is shown putting a label on one of her amazing quilts which are works of art. The next morning it was back on the bike and rolling East on the freeway. I had a good tail wind which was partially generated by the constant stream of traffic so made good time most of the way to Hope. Once you get close to Hope the road starts to dip and climb. By late afternoon the weather had deteriorated and was spitting rain. Lightning was flashing in the black sky to the North so I dodged into the Coquihalla Motel. It was important to get a good nights rest and get up early the next day as the first test of strength loomed up to the East. The Hope - Princeton Highway and the Allison pass.