Scooting around BC in an RV

Just back from hols - just over 2 weeks in a motorhome in Canada. As usual, I've failed miserably to blog whilst away. I'm only going to focus on the activities we did, following the objective of this blog as an exercise tracker:

Vancouver: On our first full day, we rented bikes for the afternoon & pedalled around Stanley park & then around the creek to Granville Island then onto Marine Drive - great way to see the city. Saw the giant glass golf ball science centre, ice hockey stadium and half built Olympic village.

I took advantage of waking jet lagged way too early the next morning to join the many women jogging along the coast, up to Stanley Park. There were some blokes too - but definitely outnumbered. In line skating seemed to be more of a boy thing - they get to use the bike lanes on the paths. So beautiful (see photo!) that I switched off my ipod and doubled my intended distance - but I wasn't fast.

Whistler: Mountain Biking on trails around Lost Lake - technical enough to keep Husband interested but not as gravity defying as the bike park! I still can't do board walks. We did a gentler ride in the afternoon, sightseeing along the Valley Trail with bald eagles soaring overhead. It's a lovely spot, but the sound of Olympics construction (Winter 2010 - behind schedule and over budget) was a little omnipresent.

Tod Mountain Ranch: I've only been on a horse a couple of times before and didn't really enjoy it. Husband has never been on a horse. We weren't sure if we'd give riding a try at Tod Mountain Ranch - my friend T's fab new guest ranch in a quiet, scenic u shaped vallley near Kamloops - but figured it was an opportunity that we may not have again. T and her wrangler were very patient with getting us mounted onto Cash (sweet and tolerant brown horse for me) and Billy (huge painted horse that looked strong enough to carry anything for Phil). Big armchair saddles and the laid back western riding style made it all easier - Billy didn't even have a bit thing in his mouth! It felt pretty good heading up on the trail and the horses were calm and immaculately behaved - although Billy farted constantly (Husband appreciated this!).

Enjoyed it so much that we were glad to be able to give it another go the next day. Same horses, but a trickier route - we had to hold on when the horses picked up pace to get up a steep narrow section. This really helped my confidence and I panicked less when Cash needed to be slowed (he tended to trot when the horse behind was too close).

T's got a fabulous set up and the first guests arrive tomorrow - we're definitely planning to return! Location is great, food was fabulous, lodge and cabins are a really high standard and the riding was fun.

Wells Gray: Whitewater rafting with a group of pizza restaurant staff from Kamloops (very cool sounding reward programme!) that started with my first ever experience of hiking in a wetsuit - not an ideal outfit, but it came in handy at our destination - Moul Falls where we scrambled behind the waterfall. This was scarier for me than the rafting through sabre tooth rapids.

Canoeing on the remote Clearwater Lake - weather started well, but we had a thunder storm complete with hail - so we had a boat full of ice and got very cold. Later that day, back to shorts & t-shirts weather - weird.

Mountain biking, yelling "Hey Bear" at every blind corner & summit to avoid bear/bike interfaces (we did see a few but only when we were in vehicles). Just me, Husband and 3 guides! One of the guys was semi pro - he made jumps look elegant - and is also the 6th best snow mobiler in BC.

Gentle rowing around the lake near our campground looking for painted turtles - successfully. We had a swim in the lake afterwards - brief for me, much longer for Husband which seemed to intrigue a loon (duck, similar to a diver).

Salmon Arm: Brief walk along a river and gentle swim later in the campground's pool. Project head under water continues!

Revelstoke: More gentle walking in Mt Revelstoke and Glacier national parks. More swimming - this time in hot spring heated water with a great view of the mountains.

Okanagan Lake: I had a bit of speed walking when we discoverd that the RV had a flat tyre, my mobile was flat, and the nearest phone box was a kilometre away! But this walk was through Okanagan Lake Provincial Park with many fat gophers to entertain me.

Much more enjoyable was cycling the Kettle Valley Railway in Myra Canyon - 24km route along a disused railway that manages to be virtually flat by using tunnels and wooden trestles clinging to the side of the canyon. Stunning scenery, wildflowers, more gophers and discovered that BC rabbits have white socks! It was a little surreal afterwards - we'd met the bike shuttle service in a supermarket carpark, so I was able to change in the RV.