Where ever I may roam

I managed to sleep in this morning, getting up at 8:30 am. It was an early night last night. There isn’t much to do once the sun goes down. By 9:30am I was heading out to Port Alberni, I had a few things to explore and I was thinking of heading out to Tofino. The road into Port Alberni was full of twists and provided some great views of the surrounding lakes, which made for a great ride.

McLean Steam Mill was definitely worth the trip out. The mill wasn’t operating today so I got to walk through all of it and get up close to the machinery. The fragrance of wood and oil hung in the air throughout the property, which had old cars, trucks and wood shacks scattered throughout it.

The boiler. All the equipment in this mill is steam powered

I took the short hike out to Stamp Falls and grabbed some photos.

Stamp Falls

Riding back from Port Alberni I finally saw another rider, on a KTM. When the sun’s shining everyone is out on their sports bikes and Harleys, but when it’s raining, only the dual sport riders are out. I found riding on the highway in the rain stressful enough, with trucks and SUVs right behind be. I don’t think I want to deal with that tomorrow on muddy, rocky, forestry roads with logging trucks. I think I’ll be taking the highway further south, probably the 9A.

On the way back to camp I stopped in at Cathedral Grove. There were less trees in some areas than expected, which was due to a strong wind-throw in 1997. I quite enjoyed walking around the grove. There were plenty of people visiting, even though it was raining. I spent some time hiding under a tree waiting for most of the rain to pass before continuing back to camp.

I had to ask around to find the trail head to the Hole in the Wall. It was right by a concrete railing on the side of the highway. I was tempted to take the bike out there as I’d heard it’s possible. While I saw signs of ATV tracks, I’m glad I didn’t ride out there as I probably would have been spending a cold, wet, night there. It was difficult enough to walk up some of the muddy slopes.

Hole in the Wall

Tomorrow’s plans are to head to Victoria and spend 2 nights there. I could do with a hot shower, I’ll probably be staying at a backpackers. I’ve left a lot of things undone on this part of the Island that I had planned to do. That just gives me an excuse to come back again. Next time I hope I’ll be better prepared and have the bike handling better. Regardless, the trip has been a lot of fun so far.

The odo now has 5301km on it.

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.

I was up at 6:30, and on the road by 8. Not too shabby for cooking breakfast, coffee and packing down. The sun is shining, it’s warm and there are no clouds, looks like a great day for a ride… The air is sweet, and there is a hint of tree resin as I ride down the road. I pulled into Cambell River for info and fuel. Unfortunately I was really early and the info centre wasn’t open. Thankfully, their WiFi was accessible from the carpark so I spent a while checking road conditions from Woss to Gold River. After a brief wander  around town I decided to head to Gold River first. This was mainly because there is fuel there, it’s tarmac all the way and should be able to check on the road conditions once I get there. I had a brief glimpse of Elk Falls as I rode past, I debated stopping and exploring but I was itching to be on the road and stick to the plan. I made a deal with myself to check Elk Falls out on the way back. No really [In hindsight I should have stopped, but I knew this when I passed through. If I say I’ll do it on the way back, I won’t]. The trip along the Elk River Rd from Cambell River was windy with great views of the lake and mountains, interspersed with tree covered sections. The highway (28) itself is also twisty and has similar views, it looks like the rest of the trip to Gold River will be similar. I called into Strathcona Park Lodge for a coffee and a chat, as people from work suggested that I call in. There are great views of the lake and mountains from the lodge mess hall, it’s not surprising that it gets used for weddings. The rest of the ride to Gold River was just as fun, lots of wonderful sight and twisty roads. I took a brief hike out to Lady Falls, in Strathcona Provincial Park. The KLR is holding up wonderfully so far.

Lady Falls

I got to Gold River only to find the Info centre closed for the off season. Damit, two in a row. Looks like I’m a few weeks too early. The Bike bottomed out at some point after Lady Falls, There was a big *crunch* and *scrape*, however an inspection showed no marks on the bash plate or anywhere else, so letting it pass. [I hadn’t adjusted the preload before leaving and it was set on my default of 3. I’m guessing that that probably had something to do with it.] The guy behind the counter at Shell Gold River was most helpful, giving good information on the conditions of the road to Woss. I’m going to head for Woss but I’m still thinking of a trip out to Tahsis and back. I spent a fair amount of time at the intersection outside of Gold River. On my left was Tahis, on my right was Woss. After a fair amount of deliberation and several Texas cheesy hamburger buns I reached a decision: Tahsis it is, there is heaps of time, it’s just gone 12, and I’m in no rush.

Choices

I called into Upana Caves, however I didn’t venture down the trail to the caves as I was completely unprepared. The Island has made me realize that I need to get a caving buddy as there are so may caves around here to explore. I stopped at Painted Rock for a photo op and a bite to eat. I am currently 20km in from the intersection and it’s been about 40 mins. I continued along the road to Tahsis, dodging graders but otherwise enjoying the ride. At the 20km mark on the FSR I turned around, it was 1:45 and I still want to make it towards Woss tonight. I discovered that I am more likely to check things out and explore when I am on the bike than I was when I was in the car. I’m guessing that it has something to do with being more exposed to the environment when on a bike.

Photo op at Painted Rock

I do need to remind myself that it is more about the journey than the destination on occasion. Heading towards Woss, I didn’t get back to the turnoff until 3pm. I keep on assuming that I can go a lot faster than what is practical for these roads. Old habits of highway driving on straight flat roads I guess. The tires are a little skittish in places, especially the front. I think that this is due to how the bike is loaded, with everything over the back tire.  The roads are generally quite good and very easy to ride on, having been recently graded.

Two thrids down the trail I ran into an unexpected fork in the road. After consulting the available maps and signs I decided to follow the sign pointing towards the highway. Unfortunately this  was the wrong choice as I was wanting to follow the TCAT path and I ended up on the highway 11km west of Woss. A better map or higher resolution imagery would have solved this problem, which is something to keep in mind for next time. I’m heading towards Port McNeil for fuel and food, it’s getting late, I’m hungry and the bike is thirsty. I’m probably going to camp in Telegraph Cove somewhere, as I’ve heard it’s a nice place. I set up camp at what I think is the Telegraph Cove bush camp, it looks like a caravan park to me tho. The tent is set up next to a babbling stream and there are the occasional birds chirping. I’ve figured out one of the reasons that I’m enjoying this trip more than a single day trip… There’s no urban traffic to contend with for an hour each side of the fun bit, it’s all fun. Having a hot shower was wonderful. I’m yet to find someone to pay, I’ve been knocking at the site office door but no-one is answering. I dug through my Backroads Mapbook looking for free camp sites around Port Alberni, where I’m planning on being tomorrow.

The bike definitely got it’s legs stretched today, as the clock is now at 4760 km and a decent chunk of it was dirt.

There was a smattering of blue sky peeping through the clouds, promising sunshine, as I left home. I was bound for Horseshoe Bay to grab a ferry to Nanaimo. Getting out of the urban area was it’s usual exercise in frustration and doing my best to not get killed by oblivious drivers. As I passed under a safety sign on Hwy 1 in North Vancouver I let out a laugh, the message conveyed in large letters what I already knew: ‘Motorcycle season is here’.

There were clouds clinging to the sides of the mountains as ferry left the dock at Horseshoe Bay. I stood on the upper deck taking in the fresh air and sunshine. Damn it felt good. I was starting to relax into the idea of the trip.

The few days before I left had been packed with tasks to perform and a lot of running about.  I had only finished packing this morning and I’d left items that were not required strewn from one end of the house to the other. Ohh the joys of being a bachelor. As luck would have it I got to terminal 10 minutes before loading commenced, so it was a short wait and a chat to another biker heading out to Tofino. The clock read 4176km this morning when I left home and I have a rough idea that it will be 1000km more by the time I’m done. I was aiming to camp at Miracle Beach that evening, and I had some things to check out on the way.

I rode up the 9A at every opportunity I could as it ran right along the eastern edge. It’s called the Oceanside Route for a reason :D. I called into the info center at Parksville to see how to get to Horne Lake Caves. They said the only way was on the 19, however a bit of time on their Wifi and maps I’d figured out how to get there while staying on the 19A. For people who are interested, there are signs on the 19A indicating the way. I got to the caves at 11:55, however I’d missed the tour as it left 5 minutes early. The dirt road into the caves was fun, it was the first time off road on this trip and things were going O.K. It was 11km of dirt, 14km from highway. Prior to this the only real off tarmac experience I’ve had was a Noobie Ride with DSBC. While I didn’t get on the tour I did go on a self guided tour. The major thing I learnt was that motorcycle pants aren’t the best for climbing around in caves with. I did swap the boots for hiking shoes, which helped immensely. Scrambling around inside a cave with only a shitty headlamp for light and no route was fun. It reminded me of Giants Cave in Margaret River, something I go through whenever I’m in the area. I’m a bit disappointed that I missed the tour, it sounded like they got to see a lot more and it wasn’t all walking on boardwalks.

I arrived at the Miracle Beach park to find some poor sod lying in the middle of the road with his Harley on its side. Not an inspiring sight on the first day of a road trip. There were already several people helping him, including someone on their phone, so I continued on. Shortly after there were Police, Ambulance and Fire vehicles on the scene. He had a blood down his face but he appeared to be moving. I later found out from a RCMP officer that the guy caught a peg on the pavement coming around a corner and wiped out and that while he’s banged up he’ll be O.K. It was a not so subtle reminder to take it easy.

Sitting on an old sun bleached log looking towards Powell river and listening to the waves gently crash on the rocky shore. Out to sea, two kayaks slowly drifted across the scene, from left to right. There’s no-one around, however I’m fairly sure that will be a different story in a month.

The 19A was great to ride up. The traffic was minimal, it was a decent speed at 80km/h for most parts, and the views of the coast were postcard worthy. $33 a night for camping at Miracle Beach. I’m wondering how it works for more than one bike, do they count it as 2 vehicles or do they cut us some slack? Dinner was a can of chilli and Texas cheesy hamburger buns I’d picked up at a Superstore somewhere. Damn it was tasty. I’m so knackered and its only 6:15. I guess that it’s been a full day and I did get up around 7am. The rest of the night will consist of cleaning up, a cuppa tea and then an early night for me. I’ve been wearing my over pants, with the liner in them and jeans underneath the whole day. Towards the end they got somewhat uncomfortable and the jeans ended up sticking to my legs. I’m thinking tomorrow that I’ll use the over pants as just pants.

The clock now reads 4385km.