06/04/2012 - Cycling from kelowna to Vancouver. Day 5

I managed to pack my things, say goodbye to Jen and Jason and chow down on some breakfast by 9 this morning and start the hill climb from Princeton to Hope on the other side of the pass. I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to make it to Hope (ironically named) but I certainly was going to try.
Going from 700meters in altitude to 1300 wasn't a big issue as it was only recently I hiked up Huanya Potosi in Bolivia that pushed out of the surface of the earth to a height of 6088 meters (not to sound too big headed). Anywho, I didn't really struggle getting up on this pass and I knew if I stopped my knee would be worse off, so with this in mind I didn't stop for 2 hours only to have a 5 minute snack break and then another 1.5 hours before the wear on my knee was so excruciating I had to stop, thankfully when I started feeling the pain I was at a trucks stop where I got myself a hot chocolate and rested up for a bit. Here I was told that at Manning Park there was a hostel that could accommodate me for the evening and it was only 15 km down the road. This sounded like a fair plan as I certainly did not want to set up my tent in the snow at 1200m in altitude.
I struggled these 15 km have to stop every 2 km or so for a break until it started bucketing snow. This was the first time I encountered snow whilst cycling and obviously it's not a pleasant experience.
Eventually when I made it to the small village of manning park where I checked into the hostel where I was told there was a hot tub and steam-room for all to use. I didn't hesitate and hobbled my way there with a bag of ice to nurse my knee.
I had the place to myself until some family's with screaming kids started rolling in and ruined the tranquility for me.
But soon later I met this dude named Chris who had worked at the resort all season and was willing to show me about town first off inviting me to a party with all the seasonaires for the resort and even offered me a place to stay if I wanted to stick around. I wasn't too sure yet but later in the evening when he said I should check out the mountain with a lift pass he and his friends would offer me with free rentals I couldn't pass up the offer.
After a hell of a long time in the hot tub and getting a drink at the bar meeting some more seasonaires I made my way to where the party was at, where at first it was a little lame but after giving it some time it started kicking off and I bounced off the walls chatting to all these new people and even to some Chileans whom I got to practice my Spanish with.
I dont know at what time I made it back to the hostel but it was late.