April 28, 2024
The panic has subsided (for now)
We leave in 4 days and I think I’ll be okay. I hope.
It’s funny how, every time, I’m worried about something before I start a trip. This time it’s the climbing. Well, we are going to the Pyrenees, so climbing is expected. But have I bitten off too much this time? Until Monday, six days ago, I hadn’t done a ride this year with even half the elevation gain we will have on our first leg. But I did this Monday and now I feel better. That said, it’s been raining or I had things to do so I haven’t been on my bike since.
Last week’s ride, of course, wasn’t loaded. We got a loaded ride in before that, a quick overnighter to visit Al’s brother Rob and our sister-in-law in Victoria. The iffy weather meant we drove part (most) of the way to the ferry, but the headwind (both ways) meant it felt longer than it was.
We don’t need much for one night away when we’re not camping, but I added a few things to help with training. Our sister-in-law, Lisa, sings in a choir and this year they sold cheese as a fundraiser. The cheese is made locally on Vancouver Island and the price was reasonable, not to mention how much Rob and Lisa had spent on Scout popcorn over the years, so we ordered some, as did some friends here in North Vancouver. I would provide pick-up and delivery.
Then, about halfway into Victoria, a call from our son. He and his wife had been searching for a child carrier that would fit Rachel (who’s my size, maybe) and provide some cargo space for the backpacking trips they’ve planned with baby Ryder. They’d identified the model that would work, but couldn’t find one to actually buy locally or online in Canada. I’d even tried ordering through the outdoor shop I work at one day a week, but the order had been cancelled by the vendor. Rachel, however, had managed to find one at an outdoor store in Victoria—would we be able to pick it up because the shop wasn’t set up for online sales. We’ll make it work, I said.
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We had a pleasant visit (as always) and dinner at a pub, and the next day Rob and Lisa rode out to the ferry with us. For training purposes, I now had 1.8 kg of cheese in my panniers and a large child carrier on top. Mother Nature helped by providing a stiff headwind all the way to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal and continued from Tsawwassen to where we’d left the car in Ladner. At least it wasn’t raining!
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The very next day, the backpack was put to use for Ryder’s very first backpacking trip. Perhaps her first bike trip will be this summer.
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Now to return to making the big decisions around what to pack for the likely weather conditions and dreading the jet lag.
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