Day 2 - Harrison Hot Springs to Merritt (150km)

"A Comedy of Errors"
Had a "sluggish" start today, both literally and figuratively; were up at 6:30am to find our campsite overrun with slugs, and didn't actually start riding until ~9:40am (eeps!). Had to pack a lot of gear wet from the rain in the night, and it was still raining as we set out. Rode ~40km to Hope, and the ride was fabulous despite the rain - gorgeous through the mountains, with minimal climbs. Met quite a few other touring cyclists so far, including a couple from Holland this morning. Bought supplies in Hope and set out again after a brief break. It was pretty much straight uphill from Hope (hwy 5), with lots of traffic and narrower shoulders in some places, but the sun came out making the riding not so bad. Around 4:30, and 60km later, we were about 50km from Merrett when it started to POUR. Not only was it hard to see, but we were concerned that vehicles wouldn't see US because there was so much water both coming down and up off the road that it was like it was foggy. We made it to a safe place to stop and tried to wait it out. Considered bush-whacking for the night, but because we'd packed wet gear (planning to dry it at camp) we knew this was a bad call. We also knew that there were no other places to stop between Hope and Merrett. Outlook: bleak. Plan B: hitchhike. Didn't have to stick our thumbs out for more than 10 mins before a friendly Christian fellow from Chile pulled over in his pickup truck to offer us a ride, gear and all. So, after the fastest 50km of the trip, we arrived in the valley to a beautiful rainbow. Because of the time and being soaked and freezing, we opted for staying at a motel instead of drying out by campfire. So tonight, we conclude an eventful day from the comfort of the Ramada Inn, after a round of laundry (tub), a stove-top dinner (stairs outside), and delightful hot showers. Off to bed for some sleep before an early start tomorrow!
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