The first few days of October were overcast and rainy but the forecast indicated clearing by the day set for the Run…. Would this hold true? A copy of the forecast for the day showing clearing to sunny by 10am and a high of 22deg was circulated with the hope that this might encourage a good turn-out. The morning of the 5^th dawned dull and overcast… but, by 9:00am there was some blue sky and by 10:00am it was quite clear and sunny…..

There were seven cars in the meet-up for the 10:30am start from Chilliwack with one more joining just as the cavalcade was leaving. The second meet-up was for 11:15am at Lepp Farm Market on Route 11 in Abbotsford. The route to get there was via the North Parallel beside Route 1 and then over Sumas Mountain. Autumn colors were beginning to show along the interestingly twisty road down to go through Clayburn village. Fields of bright orange pumpkins were to be seen and there were two cars waiting at Lepps. After the customary meet-and-greet and pit stop, the now-ten cars set off at 11:30am in bright sunshine on Route 11. At Mission we then went west on Route 7 to go north on Hayward Street and east on Keystone Avenue to take a sharp left junction onto Dewdney Trunk. Then it was eastonto Richards Avenue and, after a pull-over for a re-group, wecontinued east to Doyle Street and onto Stave Lake Street to twist and turn down to take Dale Road across the Valley. Amostly leafy Sylvester Street took us down to Route 7 where we turned east to have some 80kph to 85kph Open Road motoring – this in response to remarks on the last Run that navigating and twisty turny may be fun, but some Open Road would also be appreciated…. After the bend and railway crossing at Deroche we had another re-group pull-over and then on for the last 15 km to Kilby, arriving at 12.45pm. The total run was 100km and 1hr 37mins and was enjoyed by one and all – and the more so by some as it’d been on several roads they had never taken before.

Those who’d signed up for the Group Lunch went to the Café and the others had their picnic using the benches in the shade of near-by trees. The three course Group Lunch, with soup or salad, sandwich and fruit pie with ice cream for an all-in $25 wasenjoyed and declared good value.

For the route home, some chose to go east on Route 7 and others to go west. All-in-all, thanks to the weather having come through, the Run was voted a really good one and all the better for no missed directions and no mechanical problems.

Michael Hamilton-Clark​​​​
Run Co-ordinator

Photos: Michael Hamilton-Clark and Shirley McCullough