July 4: On to Osoyoos

As we were packing up a group of four cyclists pulled into the cafe for breakfast. We said Hi and gave them some of our info and postcards. They were headed the same way and said they supported the campaign so they would ride for us for today. Yeah!

Mornings always seem to start with a big hill. That’s probably good because it’s cooler then and there is a chance of shade. Today was pretty hard due to the unrelenting sun. At the top of Anarchist Mountain we took a shelter in a small patch of shade as we waited for others. We headed to the lookout above Osoyoos to meet a reporter. Word is spreading.

Passing through the upper hills there were signs of massive developments going in. Streets with names like Sasquatch Trail, Eagle Ridge, and Cougar Lane had large animal sculptures at each turnoff. This kind of development simply reinforces our current overuse of personal vehicles since there did not appear to be any stores or service nearer than Osoyoos more than 10km away. No one will ever ride a bicycle into town for work, school or errands from so high up. Sigh. Community plans must require developers to include some kind of ‘village’ concept so that people aren’t forced to drive so much. The planet cannot afford it even if the rich home buyers can.

Our stopping point for the night was the Inkameep (Nk’meep) campground so everyone enjoyed a cooling dip in the lake. Much needed after roasting all day.

This evening at 7:00 pm we had a public movie viewing of The Great Warming at the Desert Centre (what a beautiful spot). It was well attended with standing room only, approximately 45 people. Stephen Loo from our group led a discussion afterward.