Day 12: Creston to Cranbrook. 118 km. Beer for Breakfast.

(Cate) We strategically camped directly across from the Kokanee Brewery in Creston. We were at the door as the brewery opened and began our day with free beer (seems to be a running theme). After a brief stay, we began our ride to Cranbrook. We surpassed the 1000 km mark early on which was exciting! After 35 km, we took a break for lunch and made sure everyone was on the same page to get to Fernie by Friday. Laura and Veronika hitchhiked into Cranbrook shortly after lunch feigning a breakdown. People are surprisingly sympathetic when we are stranded in the middle of nowhere on bicycles. Turns out the gentleman who drove them in knew a lot about bikes and delivered them to a bike store where Laura got some needed tune-ups done to her bike. Today we successfully completed our very first time zone and crossed into Mountain time. Later on in the ride, an elk began to run rapidly next to the highway and then jumped in front of us. Danica had to furiously wave down a van which nearly missed hitting the elk. What a savior. A couple kilometers down, our hearts still pumping fast from the near miss, Kelly got her first flat. Something went wrong with the repair and we had to pump up her tire every 5 or 10 km until the campsite. Cranbrook was very windy; fortunately the tail wind made the longer ride a lot easier. Our tents were literally blowing away as we set them up and attempted to dry them out after days of rain. 

After Laura succumbed to the pressures of the verryyy long stretches of highway without any bathrooms, we have officially all 'free peed.' Honestly, I have no idea how she made it through the first 11 days without such an incident. 

Outside the Kokanee brewery. 

Entering into the Mountain Time zone. 

Beautiful Moyie Lake. 

Attempting to fix Kelly's flat. 

Bike shadows as the sun was falling. 

Entering Cranbrook. 

Sign selfies, a must!