Another beautiful test ride

Day 15 GDMBR Wednesday June 25st 2025,

Today would end to be a quite uneventful day. I know you would love to see me starting the REAL adventure; The Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail. I understand that, I am eager to go too, but things not always go according to plan.

This is what is the plan now; Cleo, the dog of Alex and Megan, will be operated on, on the second of July. We will stay here in Bellingham for another two days to see her recovery. The 5th we will start to ride towards Jasper (Alberta, Canada) and stay on a campsite a couple hours driving from Jasper. The 6th we will go to Jasper on another campsite and will start the GDMBR on the 7th.

We start riding the Ice Field Parkway a couple of days, tarmac, to Banff where the rough part will start, finally.

Today I started, late, with a big bowl of cereal with a lot of fruit. I received a good ride tip of Alex to ride and train again. No coffee stands, he said… I started on the Chuckanut drive again, where I made pictures of the forest and oyster banks that were visible from the Chuckanut at low tide that it was at that time. Because I wanted to have coffee and something to eat, I went to Edison where the bread farm (not the “bread factory” I mentioned yesterday, sorry for all concerned!). I had a good coffee, with a free refill and a baguette, without anything in it. It was good!

The weather started with clouds and cool, 14 degrees Celsius and the hills were not too bad. When I continued the route Alex suggested, I encountered more hills, from the plains where Edison was founded, I went up to over 135 meters in the end of that day, so, a lot of hills to climb. Half way that second half, I did see a gas station that had coffee and a separate coffee stand outside the station. I couldn’t have service and I made “the mistake” to buy cheap gas station coffee. It was as I remembered gas station coffee in the past, terrible, but I did drink the “coffee” and continued cycling.

The route had several stretches, that were relative flat and alongside a nice lake. Near Bellingham, I had a great downhill ride. Near his home I did see a lot of “wildlife”; Rabbits, a lot of squirrels black and brown and deer with a young! In the evening

I helped Alex with cooking diner, by cutting the vegetables. We had a wonderful conversation together and talked about the future adventure. Some small adjustments will be made on the bike on Thursday, to make the adventure even better.

Great day again!