TransRockies, Day 2

Dear Mom,

Bike camp is fun! I am having a great time here at TransRockies. Today at breakfast I ate eggs and oranges. They got all of the kids together in a big group in downtown Fernie and we all took off together. Some kids went really fast. Keith, Jenn, Sierra and I all went to the back of the line. We like it there because we can goof off and none of the counselors catch us.

Then they let us climb fire roads! I love climbing fire roads! Fire road climbs make me smile because I can look at all of the beautiful mountains and pedal hard until my legs feel big and strong. The other kids sometimes complain and think fire roads are super lame, so I try to pretend I hate them, too.

Then we got to ride singletrack trails! But they weren't bad singletrack trails like the ones yesterday. They were fun! The mud was nearly dry and I stopped to smell lots of flowers and look for Saskatoon berries, because Keith says those are delicious to eat.

The the trail came to the top and we were so high! I think I could even see our house, we were so far up above the world! I looked all around at the mountains and smiled big, because we had a long way to go down.

And then we went down, down, down. You would be so proud of me, because I almost rode all of it! I missed some switchbacks where the other kids kicked up too much dust, but mostly I had the most fun I have ever had on a downhill in a long time. Even Keith said, "My smile muscles hurt."

Then we rode to Sparwood, and it was fun to go to Sparwood because I rode through there last year during Tour Divide Bike Camp. This time, there were lots more kids and I didn't have to eat at the A&W because there were free oranges and cookies. The bus came and they took us to Elkford, which is another place I recognize, but I forgot how pretty it is here. For dinner we had turkey and watched a movie about ourselves, which was funny. I laughed because they showed a picture of me lowering my bike down a headwall.

Thanks so much for sending me to Bike Camp! They say we are headed into the wilderness so I probably won't be able to write for a while, but I am doing great and I miss you.

Love,

Jill