September 30
Km’s Pedalled – 42.5 km’s
Destination – Wya Point Surf Shop at the junction of Hwy 4 and Ucluelet and Pacific Rim National Park
Some Notes – Another beautiful sunny day. I hiked Cox Bay Beach lookout. Not to the very very top. But high enough for the view. Apparently the view from the very top is the very best view in this part of the world. But I got a pretty good view.
Cox Bay Beach lookout
I then hiked to the Canso plane crash site. FYI they now have boardwalks. Apparently at one time it was super difficult to reach the plane due to extremely muddy conditions. The park has since put boardwalks in to protect the habitat. You still get a bit muddy and the hike is worth it not so much for the plane but simply for the hike. Find out more about the plane and crash HERE. Instructions on how to get to the trail head and plane can be found HERE.
Canso Plane Crash
I then dipped my wheels in the Pacific Ocean on Long Beach by Incinerator Rock. That was kind of an amazing moment to finally do that. I guess I will try to do that in every country that I can dip my wheels into a ocean. I did a Facebook Live video of the event.
Then I went to Comber Beach which was closed. I caught my first and most beautiful Red Sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Then I went to Shorepine bog. So it was another day of seeing lots.
Comber Beach
Red Sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis)
Shorepine Bog Trail
Sundew Plant – carnivorous
My battery packs are draining quickly due to number of photos by phone. [At this point I have taken 1,001 photos plus what I didn’t post to Flickr]. I also haven’t had a shower since I left Qualicum Beach 6 days ago.
Biking out of Pacific Rim National Park getting close to evening I had no plan. The hostel in Ucluelet answering machine said they were only renting private rooms for a minimum of 2 days. I had no idea what the cost was but I knew there was no chance I was willing to pay what they were charging.
Ucluelet
I was considering camping at the park Information Center in the trees. But as I biked past Wya Point Surf Shop I noticed their billboard said camping. I figured that I had nothing to lose by inquiring.
Natasha who ran the campground part said $20 a night with access to power and showers. It sounded fair to me given my situation. As soon as her partner Mark found out that I had biked across Canada he made Natasha give me my money back. Mark also made me supper and they paid for my [coin operated] shower because I didn’t have change and I was free to stay in the campground as long as I wanted. Once again all my problems solved instantly.
Mark & Natasha were from Ottawa and moved to Ucluelet living in their trailer for the last year and half.
Mark and Natasha originally from Ottawa
(I stayed at the campground for 3 nights. Taking 2 days to hike the Amphitrite Point Lighthouse trail twice. Once on a foggy day and once on a sunny day).
October 1
Km’s Pedalled – 35 km’s
Some Notes – An overcast and foggy day but an amazing day. I hiked the Wild Pacific Trail that is found at the east end of Ucluelet that goes around Amphrite Point Lighthouse.
This trail was amazing and epic for such a short trail. I say short trail but I spent most of the day hiking it. It had so many viewpoints of the Pacific Ocean I lost count. If I had only known about this trail earlier I would definitely come here on a sunny day. I took hundreds of photos. Perhaps the most amazing trail I have ever hiked.
Wild Pacific Trail
On the way back to the campground I hiked the short Ancient Cedar trail not to far out of town.
Ancient Cedars Trail
October 2
Some Notes – A beautiful sunny day. I was planning to head back to Qualicum Beach this morning. I did not expect sunshine. I am sticking around another day to walk the Wild Pacific Trail again in the sunshine. It was an amazing day but not a long day because of hiking the trail already the day before. I could have hiked some more trails but I was pretty exhausted with not a lot of energy.
Wild Pacific Trail
October 3
Km’s Pedalled – 86 km’s
Destination – 10 km’s from Port Alberni
Some Notes – Overcast cool conditions today. Admittedly it will be nice to get out of the damp. That is the one thing about Vancouver Island – it’s always damp and damp in a tent starts to suck over time.
It rained a little in the night. It seems to rain most nights. I appreciate the occasional tree frog calling but I have never seen one of them.
I am headed back to Qualicum Beach to edit 2,000+ photos.
There is a lot of climbing hills and mountains in this part of the world. I work up a heck of sweat and with these cooler temperatures things get pretty uncomfortable pretty quickly. My hair is saturated with seat in the evening and I can smell my clothes in my tent.
October 4
Km’s Pedalled – 61.5 km’s
Destination – Qualicum Beach – got back to my hosts
Some Notes – I toured Port Alberni. The town was pretty quiet for a Sunday. I also went to Harbour Quay. There was a few things to take photos of and am glad I biked into town. It’s kind of funny because on my 2011 bike ride I stayed at a hostel In Port Alberni and at the hostel in Ucluelet (for a few days at each hostel) but I didn’t know or see half of what I saw on this bike trip. I am so glad that I came out this way again.
Port Alberni
Today was overcast with cool temperatures. So once again I was sweat soaked especially biking up that super big hill to get out of Port Alberni that they call The Hump.
The Hump
I have so much work to do when I get to Qualicum Beach.
