September 24
Km’s Pedalled – 34 km’s
Destination – Qualicum Beach
Some Notes – The weather is overcast with just a little bit of rain. Today was only a short bike ride to my next hosts in Qualicum Beach.
These hosts are actually pretty special because they were my only host during my 2011 bike ride. At that time they lived in Grande Prairie because Bruce was driving a truck for one of my uncles.
I arrived at their doorstep in Grande Prairie because at the time my laptop crashed and I need to arrange for it to be fixed and replaced in order for me to continue riding that ride.
But about 5 years ago they had relocated to the island. At the time that Rennee reached out about hosting me on the island I was not sure where they were living on the island. I had thought perhaps Nanaimo. At first when I was told Qualicum Beach I was unsure what to do as Qualicum Beach as about 35 km’s further down the road witch meant 35 km’s back. But then I realized that Qualicum Beach was on the way to Tofino which I was still on the fence about. Well, that secured it for me. I was going to Qualicum Beach and Tofino.
Spence, Rennee and Bruce Allen
My plan was to just spend one night in QB as I had just spent 2 weeks in Vancouver. I needed to get back on the road. Get some kilometers under my belt and a few nights in my tent. But I also knew that I would take about 2,000 photos that would need to be edited and uploaded and I would be way behind on blogging. So the plan was to return to QB on my way back from Tofino for a longer visit.
Bruce’s old truck
This is crazy. This evening I discover that Bruce and Rennee were good friends with James and Amanda Campbell who were my hosts in Amherst Nova Scotia. They were friends from Grande Prairie. I don’t think I knew this. Amanda was very instrumental in me always being recognized in Nova Scotia. Amanda’s Facebook post about me and my ride was shared almost 600 times in Atlantic Canada.
Amanda’s post who ends up being friends with Rennee. Is my ride crazy or what?
September 25
Km’s Pedalled – 31 km’s
Destination – a few km’s past Cathedral Grove (13 km’s from Port Alberni)
Some Notes – I got a real late start today which was no surprise. Me and Brandon did 2 YouTube shows; one Road Show and our first Talk Show. Tonight is my first time in a tent in like forever (20 nights).
I didn’t get far today. I plan to bushwhack through the forests into Cathedral Grove so I am camped on a side logging road about 7 km’s past the center of Cathedral Grove. And it was too late to start hiking by the time I got my tent up.
September 26
Some Notes – Today I hiked 14.5 km’s. Approximately 6 km’s was bushwhacking through amazing temperate rainforest. It was nothing short of amazing. In certain areas I had to use a lot of deadfall to navigate difficult terrain. Many times walking from one downed tree to the next tree to the next tree. I then walked all the trails in the grove and walked back to my tent along the road. It was such an amazing experience but I was wiped be the time I got back to camp.
Tonight is the first time I am camped 2 nights for the purposes of camping and not working/blogging purposes. The weather was on and off rain. I was completely soaked and dirty. I also seen my first Stellar Jays today. Which are absolutely beautiful birds.
325 photos got taken today. Check out my Photos page and link to my Flickr profile
September 27
Km’s Pedalled – 69 km’s
Destination – 40 km’s from Ucluelet
Some Notes – Today is an overcast day and a bit cool and I am always climbing a mountain. So I am doing a lot of sweating and then getting that chill of cold sweat.
I stopped in Port Alberni just long enough to pick up grocery supplies. I think I will bike through town on my way back to QB.
Today I found an alligator lizard. This is the first and only lizard that I have ever caught in Canada. Initially there was some great debate on Facebook weather this was an evasive wall lizard from Europe. In the end it was confirmed to be an Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea). This was pretty exciting.
Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea)
Today was a very good day. It’s hard not to love living on a bike kind of day.
September 28
Km’s Pedalled – 71 km’s
Destination – A logging road near the dump in Pacific Rim National Park
Some Notes – Today was a beautiful sunny day but a physically demanding day. There were a lot of up and down mountains all day. I also biked one of the most dangerous sections of road that I have ever biked. The last 15 km’s of Hwy 4 to the main junction to Pacific Rim National Park and Ucluelet is very narrow with many areas having no shoulders and lots of blind bends in the road.
What about watch for cyclists?
A big section of this area is under construction which helped control traffic while I navigated the area which helped considerably.
Kennedy Lake
I helped a Red Legged Frog (Rana aurora) off the road. This was the first Red Legged Frog I have seen.
Red Legged Frog (Rana aurora)
I hiked 2 small temperate rainforest trails along Hwy 4. I hiked Giant Cedars Trail and A Walk in The Forest Trail. Both locations had beautiful temperate rainforest trails.
What it looks like trying to take photos of huge trees
They grow them big out here
I went into Ucluelet to top off my water and then into Pacific Rim National Park.
It was such a good day to be on the bike
September 29
Km’s Pedalled – 47 km’s
Destination – Cox Bay Beach area
Some Notes – Another amazing sunny day. Today I hiked The Rainforest Trail (on both sides of the highway). Which was amazing temperate rainforest to hike through. Then I went for a short visit to Long Beach. And then I hiked as much of Schooner trail as possible. The trial was closed due to construction. From there I made the grueling climb up Radar Hill. From there I made it to Tofino. I had a beer with a gypsy on a hill overlooking the bays and marinas in Tofino. And then from there I visited the far west entrance way to Cox Beach Bay for a bit of a sunset. And then I camped off the main highway near the road for the far east access to Cox Beach Bay.
Rainforest Trail
Long Beach
Schooner Trail
View from Radar Hill
Tofino
Cox Beach Bay
Today was such a busy amazing day with so much to see. I posted 278 photos on Flickr from today. Check them out HERE
I accidentally deleted my campsite photo. Enjoy a photo of a slug that made it’s way into my trailer bag
A lot of Pacific National Park is closed due to construction. They look like they about a 1/3 of the way through putting this vehicle wide multi purpose trail from one end of the park to the other. So there is a fair bit of construction. The thing is that I don’t really understand the need for such a trail. They had to cut a lot of trees to make a path as wide as they have and the park is over 20 km’s long. The thing is that there is already pretty good shoulders on this section of highway and because of the distances between places it will mostly be cyclist using the trail. They could have easily for a fraction of the price in many areas simply widen the existing shoulder and saved 1000’s of trees. Just my observations.
According to Parks Canada the expense of this 25 km trail system is $34 million dollars. Does $1.36 million dollars per kilometer of trail sound like a good price to you?
And then you have the existing infrastructure in the park that has deteriorated so badly. Read more about it HERE.
By the way this is my 150th blog post over the last 270 days on the road.
