Monashee Miracle 600
Organizer's Report
by Richard Blair

The Southern Interior 600k Brevet proved to a real challenge for all participants involved in the ride over the weekend, regardless of whether one finished or not. There were eight riders, with just three finishing, Bob Goodison and Randy Benz both finished in 31 hours and 10 minutes and Richard Blair finished in 38 hours and 30 minutes. Trevor Tayler and Bud McRae both rode as far as Sicamous, a distance of 365km, Bob Boonstra rode to Revelstoke 294km into the ride, and Connie Van der Ree and Mikel Eder called it a ride at Salmon Arm, some 393 km into the brevet. The explanation for the difficulties encountered by the five rider who did not finish is attributable to one factor: weather. It was truly brutal. The route started in Vernon, with the circle including the Monashee Pass, Nakusp, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, the Gateway Shell near Kamloops, Armstrong and then back to Vernon.

The ride opened with nice weather east from Vernon and over the Monashee. However, after taking the ferry from Needles to Fauquier, the rain commenced and things started to deteriorate. Much of the highway from Fauquier to Revelstoke and then west to Salmon Arm was rain-soaked. The temperatures also dropped, just to make life on the bike a little more interesting than is usual. Soaked riders dropped water in a variety of Revelstoke restaurants as they sought sustenance and warmer temperatures than they were finding on the highway. Several -- Blair, MacRae, Boonstra and Taylor -- also got rooms in Revelstoke hoping that the rain would stop in the next few hours. Nice try, but it fif not work. The 3am start by Blair and MacRae and other starters was met with more rain. That type of riding is fine for our fellow randonneurs from the coast who are used to these conditions, but not for us up-country folks whose biggest criticism when riding is about it being too hot. Enough about the bad side of the ride. There were some good experiences. Lots of deer wandering around the Monashee summit at 1241m, and four or more black beers plus some cubs on road around Fauquier and Nakusp. Bob Goodison hit the jackpot when he encountered a small grizzley. According to Bob the two stared at each other briefly, before both turned and proceeded in the opposite direction. Smart move, I think.

Go to: Results

June 12, 2013