Day 5 | Merritt to Knutsford | 90 km

A 4:25 a.m. departure is the best I can do this morning. I was aiming for 4 but I overslept. My tent was so hot yesterday I had to stay up late until it cooled off because I couldn’t bear to be in it.

There’s nowhere to stop today so I’m bringing three water bottles that I put in the freezer last night. I also froze a bag of chickpeas to keep in my jersey pocket. They’ll serve as an ice pack at first to keep my back cool, and later they’ll be a snack.

The blinking red light on my seat post will help drivers see me, not that there are many on the road at this hour. Breakfast is two granola bars and a swig of orange juice. I have a schedule to keep. I don’t want to be cycling in this extreme heat so I’m going to do everything I can to finish early.

Today’s route is very simple. Get on Highway 5A and stay there for 90 km. The road is smooth and flat with few hills to climb.

There’s no shade to speak of but I’m really enjoying the scenery today. Long stretches of open road and no wind make for a fun ride. Cows stop mid-chew with a look of wonder as I pass by.

By 6:30 I’ve covered 53 km and take a food break. The chickpeas have long since thawed.

I almost run over a snake at one point. By 7:00 I can feel the temperature rising. It’s going to be another scorching day.

There’s a steep 4 km hill right at the end. I arrive at the campground at 8:05 and it’s already 27 degrees. I buy some lemonade and have a snooze under a tree. Paul shows up with the van at 11:30.

I’m helping with dinner again this evening because our group has shrunk to four. The heat has been a struggle for all of us. Today’s high was 46C so a number of people didn’t ride and aren’t riding tomorrow. We should see them at the next campground and hopefully they’ll rejoin us from there.