Doing my first IMC in a few weeks. I’ll have the family in tow so would like some input on family related stuff as well as course related stuff. I’m staying at the Black Sea Motel (988 Lakeshore).
Family stuff:
Is there a good playground nearby that we could walk to?
Is there a good grocery/supermarket nearby?
How about a drugstore?
What are some good wineries in the area (for the family pre-race and me post-race)?
How about good inexpensive restaurants nearby for lunch/dinner?
Course stuff:
If I can only ride 25 - 30 miles of the course, what would folks recommend to help me feel confident on race day (I plan on driving the entire course)?
As I ride/drive the bike course I’d like to get a sense of the prevailing winds on race day…any insight from the locals?****
Hopefully you’ll get some more responses with more detailed info, but there are grocery stores and everything else within about 5-10 minutes of you if you’re driving. If I recall there may even be a Safeway about 5 or 10 minutes away on foot. Not sure about the playgrounds, but I bet you’ll find a few close by.
The wineries closest to Penticton are on the east side of Okanagan Lake in the Naramata region. That’s a quick drive and there are sixteen or so wineries within 12 miles of each other. The wines are great and so are the views.
If you’ve only got limited time to ride, check out Richter Pass and Yellow Lake. It’s worth riding Yellow Lake (start at Keremeos) so you can get a good idea about what folks call the ‘false flats’ before the actual Yellow Lake climb begins. It may look daunting, but it’s really not that bad. Yellow Lake is near the tail end of the race so it may seem harder. On race day enough people are lining the course on YL that you may find that portion goes by rather quickly.
I’ll be down there watching. Good luck and have fun.
Make sure you plan on hitting lots of wineries the day after the race! The course actually goes right by several, including Iniskillen’s Okanagan Valley vineyard but there are a bunch of smaller wineries that are both less expensive and tastier. I blew $$$$ on a few bottles at Iniskillen and then was cursing myself when I went up the road…name escapes me now (sorry!) but I could have gotten 4 bottles there for the price of 1 at Iniskillen and it was BETTER…not that Iniskillen isn’t great (in addition to dessert wines, they actually do a nice pinotage which doesn’t make it too far out of the region and was quite tasty), but there are so many others to try while you are there!
I’m not familiar with the hotel you are staying at. I rented a house while I was there but there are multiple groceries and drugstores and the town isn’t very big so no matter where you are, you are about 5 minutes from a grocery or drugstore.
I would suggest the ride from Osoyoos to Keremeos (Richter Pass), you’ll get a good feel for a major working section of the course, my opinion is Yellow Lake is a bugger because it comes late in the day and your more fatigued at that point. Ideally though, Osoyoos thru to Yellow Lake would be great, have the wife and kids pick you up there. No cell reception at Yellow lake, but you can call as your leaving Keremeos and guesstimate your arrival time to Y.L.
We’re going to be neighbors, I’m also at the Black Sea Motel.
I was up there last year for the race but don’t have a great familiarity with the town. I can say that right across the street will be all the entertainment your kids will need, its a beautiful beach. Bring or plan on buying some kids stuff to play in the sand.
Grocery/supermarket not too far from your motel. It will be easy to get there with or without a car.
Doing my first IMC in a few weeks. I’ll have the family in tow so would like some input on family related stuff as well as course related stuff. I’m staying at the Black Sea Motel (988 Lakeshore).
Family stuff:
Is there a good playground nearby that we could walk to?
Is there a good grocery/supermarket nearby?
How about a drugstore?
What are some good wineries in the area (for the family pre-race and me post-race)?
How about good inexpensive restaurants nearby for lunch/dinner?
Course stuff:
If I can only ride 25 - 30 miles of the course, what would folks recommend to help me feel confident on race day (I plan on driving the entire course)?
As I ride/drive the bike course I’d like to get a sense of the prevailing winds on race day…any insight from the locals?****
Thanks in advance!
Fred
Lakawana Park is very close. Right at the intersection of Lakeshore and Power
Quality Greens is very close - at the intersection of Westminster and Hwy 97/Eckhardt.
London Drugs is the best - in the Cherry Lane Shopping Center on Main
Yes, a bunch. Best to go to the tourism office at the intersection of Power & Hwy 97/Eckhardt to get maps. Red Rooster is good as is Lakebreeze. Those are ones I know off the top of my head that serve lunch and stuff
Ishiin’s for sushi is my favorite (on Main St.). Earl’s (which is a chain) is also quite good (also on Main St.). Navratan (on main st.) is good for Indian food. Dream Cafe (on Front St.) is good “asian fusion” (i guess).
Course
ride the beginning, so that you know what know what’s coming once you get out of the water. That way you can relax during the part of the race that is, at least to me, the most stressful with the biggest mass of people, getting into your shoes, getting on top of your HR/power/etc. And I’d also ride the yellow lake climb, as that is where many people fall apart. Unfortunately, that’s not really as convenient to ride.
USUALLY it is a tailwind down to the Richter, then you’ll start to get headwind/cross-headwind once you get through Richter Pass. Prevailing winds are normally from the North.
How did you get the wine home (assuming you flew in)? I was thinking of finding a few bottles to bring home, but wasn’t sure how I’d get it back to Iowa. Can you just pack it in your checked bag at the airport?
You can pack it. But they will also give you airline-safe carriers (or you can buy some) if you get a bunch of bottles. You may have to pay extra, but many airlines - because of the new liquids policy - will allow you to check it for free.
Yes - - be sure to put it in your checked baggage!!! I actually flew out of Kelowna and there is a wine shop once you pass through security…They had some great stuff from some vineyards I didn’t make it too so I bought a special bottle that I wanted to have back home with a celebratory dinner…well, luckily you get re-united with your luggage at customs because they tried to take it even though I bought it after going through security in Canada!!!
I actually threatened to drink it right there a la that dude with the bottle of vodka so they let me go…but it was close…I had stupidly forgotten it was in my carry-on and thrown my checked bag back on the carousel. I was sooo lucky but they did take my orange from me…so no produce allowed to cross the border.
Also, if you are flying into Canada you may be able to check multiple bags free of charge - - you may want to check the rules on that one.
I agree about riding the first part. Ride up and over Mclean and have your family meet you at tickleberries for Ice cream.
After Oliver Burrowing owl winery is a nice place to stop about 10 k off the route. Not cheap though.
Make sure you drive the out and back it is an easy place to lose concentration and it can seem longer on race day if the winds are up. Lisa Bentley also has said riding from Twin Lakes over the top of the last climb and riding down the curvy down hills stretch has made her feel better on race day.
I concur with those that suggested riding the first part of the course. When I’ve gone, I’ve ridden down Eastside Road, McLean Creek road, through OK Falls and back into Penticton down Highway 97. This also gives you a fell for the end of the course too.
Thanks for the notes on the wine. I am actually flying into/out of Spokane. So will take it through customs in my rental car…I’ll be sure to ask at the vineyards about doing that before I buy. And I will look into the “air safe wine case” thingy that Rappstar mentioned.
It is fairly cheap to bring wine across the border into the states. I am thinking it was about 25c a bottle last year when I did it. It was kind of funny, because every winery told me a different amount. The first place said it was $1 or $1.5 per bottle, and then every place after kept saying something less. I was afraid they were just giving me a line, so I wasn’t afraid to buy more wine. In the end the last place we went to said the lowest amount and was correct. Now, on the other hand, if you try to bring wine into canada from the states, they tax you on the value of the wine. A winery in the states near the border was telling me she gives receipts to canadians saying they bought cheaper bottles than what they actually did.
Wow…thanks for all the excellent advice (keep it coming!), it’s much appreciated! Also glad to hear some other STers will be staying at the Black Sea. I’ll be there with my wife and 2yr old daughter and my parents. If anyone else has kids, we’ll have to hookup some play dates!
I hope to meet many of you at the ST meet and greet (if and when plans are finalized for this)!
As others have said, usually a tailwind to the base of richters pass and a headwind all the way back to Penticton, but usually not a strong wind (not by prairie standards at least.)
If you only have time to ride 30 miles of the course, I assume that means you are arriving in Penticton just a few days before the race. If that was my situation, I would not be tackling any significant hill work that close to the race… Ride to OK Falls and back, don’t ride up McLean Creek. In the last few days before the race you need rest, not a so called confidence building hill workout. A nice easy ride with a few 90 second bursts are all I would do. If you are arriving a week early and can get on the course the Sunday before the race then maybe a little more, but not after Tuesday. (this advice comes from a 3 time IMC finisher who rides the bike course in just under 6 hours, so take it for what it is worth, but remember, it is way easier to do much the last week before the race than to do too little)
If you want to sample the hard parts of the course, the last few days before the race is the wrong time to do it. that’s what June and July were for.
Most folks I talked to about riding the course (I did 2 weeks ago) said that skipping the out & back at Cawston was a dumb move, it mentally wears on you on race day. I’d agree with the ride easy to Oliver or Osoyoos and then back to Penticton via 97, or just do the out & back (about 40min-1hr of riding). But skip the hills, unless you actually know how to dog it up a hill… (like me… hee hee).
To the OP: We’re staying on Skaha side (only place that would take our giant 5th wheeler dammit this is the downside of upgrading), but will have a 5yo and 4yo and parents in tow. So maybe we can link up for the playdate thingy at the beach on the Monday before we all end up at a winery, drunk and unable to walk down stairs.
As others have said, usually a tailwind to the base of richters pass and a headwind all the way back to Penticton, but usually not a strong wind (not by prairie standards at least.)
If you only have time to ride 30 miles of the course, I assume that means you are arriving in Penticton just a few days before the race. If that was my situation, I would not be tackling any significant hill work that close to the race… Ride to OK Falls and back, don’t ride up McLean Creek. In the last few days before the race you need rest, not a so called confidence building hill workout. A nice easy ride with a few 90 second bursts are all I would do. If you are arriving a week early and can get on the course the Sunday before the race then maybe a little more, but not after Tuesday. (this advice comes from a 3 time IMC finisher who rides the bike course in just under 6 hours, so take it for what it is worth, but remember, it is way easier to do much the last week before the race than to do too little)
If you want to sample the hard parts of the course, the last few days before the race is the wrong time to do it. that’s what June and July were for.
Better to be nervous but rested on race day.
Agreed. I arrive Thursday afternoon before the race. I’m not looking for a ball buster just an easy ride to dial-in the bike and get a lay of the land. I will drive the entire course anyway.
