The second instalment of our 4 day cycle tour trip report.
Juan de Fuca (Sombria Beach) to Lake Cowichan (Sunday March 31, 2013) |
| Sombio Beach campsite in the morning. |
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| Looking toward the Olympic Penninsula from Juan de Fuca. There were surfers out there! |
It was a slow start to this day. In our defense, there was coffee to be drunk, a dozen eggs to be eaten, obligatory basking in the sun, and of course we may have been avoiding the steep gravel ascent back to the Pacific Marine Highway. At noon we finally starting pushing the bikes up up and away from our ocean-side campsite.  |
| Leaving Port Renfrew. |
The verdict is still out on whether this tour is easier clock-wise our counter-clockwise, but the descent into Port Renfrew was loooooooonnng, at times steep, and chilly. I much prefer the down. We hit the ocean, turned right, and were on our way inland to Lake Cowichan.
We stopped at Lizard Lake to refill our waterbottles and were greeted by an interesting assortment of characters also enjoying what was described to me by a man in the know as "the warmest lake on the island". |
| Lizard Lake, the warmest lake on Vancouver Island |
After head dips and bottle fills we got back on the bikes and started the climbing that would go on… and on…. and on… At times flat(ish), and times steep(ish), but always up. Somehow, it was suddenly 5:30PM… And suddenly, it became very apparent that we should have eaten lunch hours earlier. Well, apparent to everyone but Dawn, who seemed impervious to the hills or low blood glucose. Alas, we stopped.
Refuelled we hit the road and zoomed into Lake Cowichan. We really did zoom. Well, I zoomed… drafting behind Jenn. We could hardly pass up the A&W in Lake Cowichan, so we got Root Beer floats and enjoyed the setting sun. Please note, 'the setting sun', and lack of a campsite… We found the Cowichan Trail, and thought we would soon find the Cowichan River Campsite. But, we kept riding… and it kept not appearing. As true darkness descended we gave up on the campsite and headed down a FSR and randomly camped somewhere. The subsequent hunt for a tree suitable for food slinging was sort-of funny. Sort-a. Kind-a.Distance: ~90KM, Ride Time: ~?, Avg Speed: ?
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| Pacific Marine Circle Tour! |
Lake Cowichan to Vancouver (April 1st, 2013)Today is the day that I remember as three days. It was that long. We woke at 7AM ish, made breakfast, and were on our way by 9AM. In the light of day we realized that we'd taken a wrong turn somewhere, and we spent 2 hours getting back on track. GPS? Yes Please. We found the right Cowichan Trail, the one with all the trestles, and rode on. The Cowichan trail was not as smooth as the Galloping Goose Trail. It was much rockier, more overgrown, had a more remote feeling, and was less well maintained in parts. More than once we were confronted by massive fallen trees blocking the trail, which we had to climb over. At this point we discovered that front panniers make a loaded bike much easier to lift and carry. Around 2PM we found the Kinsol Trestle, described as the "longest wooden trestle in the Commonwealth" (read: there are probably some freaky large trestles in Asia somewhere).
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| Madalene and Dawn portaging over fallen trees on the Cowichan Trail. |
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| Dawn and Jenn chillin on the Kinsol Trestle, longest in the Commonwealth. |
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| She says pattern, I say texture. She may be right this time. |
We cycled around the north end of Shawnigan Lake and made it to the Mill Bay Ferry in time for the 4PM sailing. On the other side we decided it was time for some well-earned beer. Let me just say, drinking beers as a cycle tourist is a cheap affair. You really dont need very much to get very loopy. I'm not sure what time we left the pub, but it was late enough to miss the 7PM sailing for Vancouver from Swartz Bay. That said, the ride from the pub was one of laughter (borderline hysterical) and concentration ("hold the line!"). We idled away the time at the ferry terminal and got on the 9PM sailing. We were back at the car for ~11PM and home for midnight.
Distance: ~100KM, Ride Time: ~?, Avg Speed: ?
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| That'll do Poppet, that'll do. |
Post-tour thoughts, ideas, and improvements await another post!
