Day 12

Monday, July 6th
Albert Canyon to Golden
120km

Another day of very long climbs.  I didn't find it too bad though.  The climbs were not too steep...just very long.  From the minute we lwft camp we were climbing. 

Since my team cooked last night, we were also in charge of breakfast this morning.  We made “potatoe melts” with big chunks of potatoe fried with peppers, onions, and melted cheese.  In addition to this hot breakfast, we also served cold cereals, fruits, breads and peanut butter.  Overall, the food on the trip has been pretty good.  It is very fresh and healthy.  Not usually too fancy, but we have a lot more variety than I would have if I were travelling without the van support.

The other big advantages of the trip are: a van to carry all of your stuff, route maps every day, prebooked lodging, groceries provided, and, perhaps most importantly, people to share the experience with.  I've found that the times I've spent riding with others have been much more enjoyable than the few times when I've ridden alone for part of a day.

Because of the cooking, I was one of the last people to leave camp.  I met up with a group about 45 mintues later though.  We made it to the top of Roger's pass where we put on arm warmers, leg warmers, gloves, vests, etc. for the long, fast decent that followed.  It was amazing.  70km/h for about 3 minutes straight.  There were a bunch of snow tunnels on the way down too, so I took off my sunglasses.  This left we mwith tears streaming down my face by the bottom of the hill.

In responce to a “Slow down and be careful” e-ma from mom this morning, it is worth pointing out that we have very little control over our speed on these decents.  The speed comes entirely from the pitch of the road, and barely at all from any pedaling I might do.  Braking is not a good option on these decents either.  Mostly because the brakes aren't actually strong enought to slow the bike much, but also because prolonged heavy braking reduces steering control and risks heating up the rims and popping a tire.  So what I'm trying to say ma, is that I'll be careful.  :)
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Daniel Longo
CIBC Corporate Development
(416) 956-3831