Where ever I may roam

When I woke up I noticed that the inside of the the tent fly was wet and the top of the sleeping bag was damp. I think that the moisture from my breath is condensing throughout the night due to lack of air flow. It does make packing up annoying. I’d like to be able to dry out the sleeping bag before packing it up but that’s not possible.

Nimpkish Bridge and River

My initial impression of Port Hardy was a quiet town. However it’s 9am on a Sunday, so that’s not really a surprise. The early morning air temperature was very brisk on the ride into town and the wind cut straight through my gear. A hot coffee is just the thing I needed to warm back up again, accompanied by a hot pecan roll. I found a great little cafe, book shop, and craft store called Cafe Guido. It was one of the few places open. While nursing my hot coffee in my hands to suck up its warmth, a lady came into the shop with an awesome silver mullet. It was truly a sight to behold, just a shame I couldn’t get a photo.

I made plans to head south, where there’s sunshine and warmth. While heading back towards Port Hardy, a N plater in a black pickup flew past me. Satisfaction was mine 15 minutes later when I saw him again, on the side of the road, having been pulled over by the police. The temperature dropped on the way into Port Hardy and there was a lot of cloud cover. Once I was past the town the clouds receded and the sun came out, which provided some much needed warmth. I haven’t seen many other bikes out, a few Harleys, certainly no one touring. In a few months the North end of the Island will be a much nicer place, it will also be very busy.

Just outside of Woss I stopped and took a short hike out to Hoomak Lake. The view of the dead still lake and the snow covered mountains in the distance was worth the 10 minute hike.

Hoomak Lake

Heading towards Campbell River I had the road mainly to myself as it twisted and turned through the undulating country side. An occasional gap in the tree line would reveal snow covered mountains in the distance. By the time I got to Courtney I was in a bit of a funk. I was not happy with always spending, I wasn’t spending as much time on the trails as I’d like, and it was taking more energy than I’d anticipated. I’d been riding for over 5 hours at this point and covered over 300km. I’m learning lots about touring on a motorcycle. It’s a lot harder than in a car and this is my first time riding a bike for extended periods. I’m going to dial it back and take it easier as I don’t want to push hard and then make a mistake. I could have planned my food a lot better as well. After a snooze in a park in Courtney I was back on the road and heading towards Port Alberni.

Bugs

I went to check out Qualicam Falls and as soon as I saw the campground sign I knew I was staying. It felt good to stop. I’m planning on spending 2 nights in the campground, giving me a chance to relax. I plan on investigating the falls and several things around Port Alberni tomorrow. After which I’ll head out to Tofino. It’s time to take it slower and see some things up close. I would like to rework the bag on the back of the bike. I don’t like leaving it on the bike while I’m not there, say if I go for a hike, and it’s a pain to carry.

Home for the next two nights

The clock now reads 5187km, so that was 427km today.