Penticton to Peachland-Road ride

With my first summer riding with the PACA group coming to a close, I'd like to say it's been a wonderful summer. Being new here, I've ridden some new and exciting roads and I hope that none of you take it for granted the amazing biking opportunities everyone living here has. Hopefully I stay motivated over the winter to keep fit and my second summer riding with you guys will be just as good and hopefully even better.

Another great ride today even considering the weather. It was cooler then what we have been use to since July and the three of us, Colleen, Anna and I, set off at 8.35 am due to me, living the closest yet still being late. I'll get there on time one day I promise.

Anna is quite clever and knew to save weight on todays ride so she left her drink bottles at home. This gave her the advantage on the hills today.

The ride from Penticton to Peachland is always beautiful as you ride the road closest to the lake and get an amazing view especially when you get past Summerland and you get a bit of an elevated view over the lake. The majority of the route from Summerland to Peachland is downhill and always feels quite fast.

We made Peachland in good time and having planned this ride myself, I knew the Peachland Farmers Market was on and I had timed it perfectly for us to arrive at the market just as it was starting. (I had no idea and totally forgot about the Sunday market). Having planned it so well, I also knew that this was the last market of the year for Peachland and today would be a good day to ride there. We enjoyed some of what the Okanagan had to offer us, with taste testing of some cherry and apple juices and some dehydrated pineapple. After we had enjoyed a nice walk around the market, we cruised along Beach ave down to Bliss Bakery for a stop where we had some scones and a couple of coffees. Having enjoyed the first two hours of the ride, things were going to get serious with a definite head wind disadvantage on the way home. Add in the hills that take you from Peachland to Summerland, the way home was tough.

First though we had one more stop. Hardy Falls. We didn't actually go see the water fall but we did see the Salmon that are trying to make there way up the creek. I've never seen salmon do this, so this was a real treat.

From here on back home, we had a lot of paceline practice with lots of sharing the front with the wind blowing into us hard. With a slight diversion through Summerland and one more stop for a photo opportunity, the ride home into the wind added a good 30 minutes onto our ride time at least.

As the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler, the riding will become less frequent, so I'll be looking at other ways to keep my fitness up over the winter. Hiking will start to be part of my plans as it becomes too cold to ride. There are a few good hikes around which I want to do this year.
Stay fit and healthy!
Cheers

Anna Ripping it up on some Dirt

The Salmon at Hardy Falls