On any given day on our quiet country road we may have one or two cars, the occasional hiker or a dog walker pass our house. Yesterday we had 600+ mountain bikers from around the world whizz by, competing in the 5th annual BC Bike Race.
This is a seven day/stage event starting in Vancouver, BC and ending in Whistler BC. It covers 310 km (193 miles) and the riders will have climbed and descended nearly 8733 m (28,652 feet) by the time they finish. They will have made four ferry trips – Vancouver to Vancouver Island, Vancouver Island to Powell River BC, Powell River to the lower Sunshine Coast where we live and lower Sunshine Coast to Horseshoe Bay BC and on to Whistler.
Our area is Day Four of the race, Earls Cove to Sechelt, and is a distance of 59 km (36.6 miles) with an elevation climb from sea level to 1375 m (4511 feet) and back to sea level. Our house is 1.6 km (1 mile) from the day’s finish. 91 m (300 feet) past our house our road turns into a steep, muddy track and the riders descended 85 m (280 feet) down into the town of Sechelt.
Three years ago the puddles in this photo were much deeper and 1/2 hour before the racers were due to arrive I was asked by a race official if I could scare off three bears who were cooling off in the water. Two lying right in the pool and another sitting close by. Fortunately the bears were cooperative and no riders were eaten.
Hard-To-Come-By Lifestyle 