Fall Training in Monsoon Season

It's not officially called "monsoon" season, but November on BC's South Coast is typically marked by a series of rain and wind storms all running into one another. It rains constantly for days on end, it never really gets light out, fields flood, roads develop lakes... ah home, sweet home! Despite the miserable weather, I will go insane if I don't get outside, so I layer up and brave the storm, just like last night.


Perfect forecast for a night MTB ride. Bring it on!

You think I'm crazy for going out last night with that weather forecast? Nah, I wasn't the only one. If everyone's doing it, it's gotta be somewhat normal, no? That's right, Paul, Jean Ann, Mike, Steve, Ryan N., Ryan J., and I all said "To hell with the weather, we're going biking!" and went for a fast-paced MTB ride at Buntzen Lake. It had to be fast-paced in order for us not to freeze. I rode from home and was soaked to the bone within 10 minutes, despite rain jacket, booties, XC ski gloves, etc.

But lets backpedal to the days where I was not so willing to embrace the rain... yes, it felt like only last week... because it was only last week! I split town, hellbent on staying dry, because I saw the long-range forecast for home and it looked ugly. And I timed it well, I got out just before the insanity started, shooting the gap between weather systems and arriving at my family's cottage in Naramata relatively unscathed. The following morning, I went for the most beautiful, sunny, dry road ride along Okanagan and Skaha Lakes, sans jacket, booties or headband. Ah, such a luxury!

That night, good friend Catherine "Viper", Matt, Jeanine, and Ryan joined me for a weekend of great mountain biking and great company, which included yummy home-cooked meals, fresh bread, apples roasted over an open fire, Naramata wine, heated games of Snakes n' Ladders and Cheat. And did I mention we stayed dry?! We tore it up on the super fun trails in the Three Blind Mice area in Penticton - these paths are twisty, dry, fast, rocky, and often afford great views of Okanagan Lake. Evan made the trip from Peachland one day to join us on the two-wheeled giggle-fest. That day, Evan and Matt both double-flatted and a curious figure was seen running through the woods (see Evan Guthrie's facebook) - was it a Sasquatch???

It was only too-soon before everyone had to go home, but I was still trying to escape the rain, so I headed to Kamloops, where precipitation is low and friends are fast (as in good friends and quick bikers as well). I decided to take a shortcut from the cottage via the "Back Way," a long ascent on gravel road, which meets up with the old Kettle Valley Railway (decomissioned, no more tracks). I followed the KVR for several pot-holed, snowy km's in the Outback to the Kelowna turnoff, and then headed into that city, continued north through Vernon, and then west to Kamloops, where I almost had fresh venison on my hood. Whew, that was close!

Baking Swiss bread with Kika in Kamloops

In Kamloops, I was taken in by Catharine, Coach Keith, Matt, Viper, Olly, Isaah, and Marmalade and they gave me a tour of their local gym and the town. On one mountain bike ride, we were spotted by a photographer, and our photo made it into the Kamloops newspaper!

Riding with the Kamloops yocals...

The trails in Kamloops were dry, tacky, and very strenuous, especially considering Catharine and Viper are riding super fast these days... ouch! It was good for me though, and I had tons of fun railing their trails, many of which they built themselves. On Remembrance Day, a bunch of us went for a very enjoyable ride and I got to sample some amazing pieces of singletrack.

It's always sunny in Kamloops! (l-r): Pete, Catherine, Keith, Catharine.

Catharine prepares post-ride shakes - yum!

Doing some hardcore post-ride recovery in the moon boots...

I headed home on Thursday, as there was already snow on the Coquihalla - the main highway connecting the Interior with the Coast. Thursday was sunny and probably the best day to drive, but not before I squeezed in another sunny ride - this time on the road - with Viper. Catharine joined us for about 35mins, but she pulled the plug early. Guess we were just too fast, eh Viper (we wish)?!

I flatted on some train tracks, but changing a flat isn't so bad when it's sunny out...

... and when you have a buddy to help you pump!

At home, it's back to the grind, and as you can see by the forecast displayed above, back to the rain. It's not all doom and gloom, however. Once in a while it stops raining long enough to fit in a mostly precipitation-free ride. On Saturday, Ryan and I hit SFU and only got drizzled and hailed on a little.... Sunday Leah and I weren't so lucky. How about 4 degrees and pouring? Oh, and how about a little bit of wind (50kph gusts) and snow at higher elevations. We were going to ride Triple Crown on Burke, but we hit snow and weren't able to get traction on the climb... so we turned around and rode Frank's instead before packing it in and opting for hot soup at home. Thanks Mom! :-)

Here are some photos from pre-monsoon rides this fall, when forecasts read more like: "cloudy with a 60% chance of showers" (believe me, this is much more favourable than "rain at times heavy").

Catherine "Viper" and Matt stop by on their way home from Victoria for a sunny MTB ride in Port Moody.

The Local Ride gang of dirt lovers hit up Red Mountain in Mission (l-r): Ryan, Paul, Jean Ann, Jeanine, Mike, Sandra.