Maple Falls ~205
Permanent #55 Report
by Cheryl Lynch

We rode permanent #55 yesterday (in 10:33). It was a great route! We rode the tandem, so the headwind going east was fine (from the back anyhow), the hills were really fun, the Golden Ears bridge approach was casual and the open roads just great. We had practically no rain, just a few showers at the start. Even some sun on the South Pass road. Nigel dropped me (on the bike) when we stopped at Maple Falls, well I couldn't get out of my cleats, my legs were a bit trashed. And he fell on top of me, plus the bike. So we had our first fall, and it was fine. At least nobody was watching. There was a sign on the tree next to us, saying "Watch for falling apples". The other highlight was me carrying a rottie pup back to it's yard, after we stopped to flip the route sheet in front of it's house. First I walked back with it, and the older dog who was playing with it, but it followed me back to the road, so I chased it, bad move, now they thought it was a game, all over Route 544. We ended up with 1800+ m of climbing... and 234 km at the finish!!

I know we were off course for ~4 of that, but there was also something wrong around 67.1 km, I think the Benson distance is missing.

67.1  R  N  Boundary Road becomes Benson    1.7
68.8  L  E  Main                            1.1

My computer was a km or so short at the first control, then 11 km over by Maple Falls (including our little overshoot in Lynden). Then at 155 on the route sheet I was at 173, and starting to feel tired :) At 171k I was already over 200, and decided I needed to get off and sit down in Fort Langley, where Nigel came to the rescue with... you'll never guess, he'd bought an apple fritter in Maple Falls and it saved my bacon!! Also Pauline in Abbotsford did not come out at Nelson (something like Eric Fergusson Road) [Ed: there's a George Ferguson Way in Abbotsford] but it did go (up) to Gladwin.

At the finish I guzzled a hot chocolate with whipped cream along with a chocolate chip cookie, while Nigel sipped tea. I don't think he even broke a sweat the entire ride. I was soaked. Then we rode home, along a nice flat route, north of Hastings, instead of the Union bike route!

Thanks to Jeff for the excellent (hilly) route!!

Ride date: January 17, 2010
Go to: Route 55 (205 km?) ...actual distance is now officially 223 km.

Go to: Permanents results

January 18, 2010