Day 15 - 16

Day 15

At 8.30, it was 10 degrees Celsius and raining, I was tempted to book in for another night, the rain finally stopped around 11 and I set off. I don't like getting rained on while I am riding but starting when it is raining somehow seems even worse. The first 10km's were mainly up hill and after about 3 km's it started raining, it cleared the sun was out for a couple of km's then it rained again, that was how the rest of the morning went. I stopped for lunch at about 1 having done about 30km's very wet and cold. Starting after lunch I was miserable and cold the last 18 km's I did as quickly as I could. My bags were looking the worse for the wear with all the rain. I arrived at Montesano Guest house at 3 checked in after soaking in a hot bath for 30 minutes I felt way better. I was definitely feeling that my fitness was getting better, and I thought I had lost some weight, have to wait for a scale to find out. 15 days of cycling and my legs were still sore, not any where like day 4 but still relatively sore. I had been putting on Voltaren and intermittently having Anti-inflammatory's, I had decided the previous night I need to stop the Anti-inflammatory's, will see if they get worse without the Anti-inflammatory's.

Big time on my mind was did I start pushing to do the full distance or just relax and do as much distance as I wanted to each day, according to the "Bicycling the pacific coast" book I had finished day 9, and had taken 15 days, plus 2 rest days. I had 29 days left according to the book and in reality 42 days left till my flight, but I wanted a few days to relax at the end, I had said to my brother, I was planning to get to him at Laguna Beach on the 22nd of July, leaving me just 37 days.

Day 16

It was raining when I got up, damn another day of riding in the wet and cold. I waited for the rain to subside and got going. After 20 minutest it started raining heavily again. I tried hiding under a tree but within a couple of minutes I was getting soaked anyway. I found a little restaurant after 15 km's and stopped for a coffee and house soup. After that it pretty much cleared up but I was wet and cold. I had planned to cycle to South bend about 50 km's, from 30 km's I was feeling drained. This was my 7th day cycling without a rest day. At 40 km's I came to a small town Raymond. I stopped at the Pitchwood Inn for a coke. Stunning little pub, after a couple of cokes I had a beer, that settled it I would stop over. I booked in for 2 nights I needed a rest day.


Wednesday night was jamming night and for a small town it was quite full and festive, the people were very friendly. The Inn also had rooms I could fall out of the pub into my room.

The rest day I got up really late and did nothing, it was raining again and I was glad that I wasn't cycling. Planning the next days ride there seemed to be no where to stop before Astoria 82 km's away so it was looking to be a long day out of Washington state and into Oregon.

Day 1 to Day 16 Map

Day 12 - 14

Day 12.

I left Port Townsend just before 9 and got to Quilcene just before 12. I had done about 40km's and I was feeling great energy wise but very wet and cold, It had been raining for about 2 hours. I had a lunch at "101 Brewery Cafe". I took my time after lunch trying to warm up about 1.30 headed off, I had Mt Walker in front of me for about 8 miles after that rolling hills. On the climb up the rain started again, and the down hill I was seriously cold and wet. The first 50 km's my energy levels were great the last 25 went downhill I got to "Mike Beach Resort" just before 6 exhausted, the last 10 km's I was stopping for a break almost every km.

Still not happy with my fitness levels but on the upside 2 weeks ago, I would not have been able to make 76 km's, so its definitely getting better however slowly.

The accommodation was basic but best of all it had a 'Braai'. I had. Braai couple of glasses of wine and went to bed exhausted.

Mikes  beach Resort

Day 13

I left at about 10, but my energy levels were really low  by about 1.30 I had got to Potlatch a meagre  27km's, I had to stop there or do another 20 odd km's which I didn't feel up for. So I stopped early, and took the afternoon to do my laundry

The last 50 km's have had almost no shoulder with huge drop offs plus busy roads which has made the cycling not very pleasant. I would cycle for a couple of km's then stop to take a break from the traffic and therefore never got into the routine of cycling, from here I was heading inland from the Strait of Georgia to the Pacific Coast.

Day 14

From Potlatch, I either had to cycle 30 km's to Kamilche or 70 km's to Montesano, the hotel at Elma which was in between was full. Considering how I felt after day 12, I opted for the shorter option. The roads on this section were much better with a shoulder of typically More than 3 feet. The cycling went hugely better, I could feel my fitness was much better and could cycle for 45 minute sessions with relative ease, the next day I had planned to do just more than 45 km's but I need to shortly start increasing the distance.

In Kamilche I stayed at the Little creek casino, the room was cheap and way nicer than I was used to staying in. I got to the hotel at just before 12, but annoyingly had to wait 3 hours for my room to be ready. I decided they owed me so went to the casino to try my luck, not that I gamble often but when I do I always play roulette numbers 13, 28 and their neighbours. The first spin was 28 the next 13, within thirty minutes I had made 300 dollars they changed the croupier, I decided it was time to cash in while I was up. I had waited 3 hours for my room 100 dollars and hour I reckoned they had paid up in full.

day 9 - 11

Day 9

Day 9, was a short cycle from Crofton to Sidney via Salt Spring Island, and was my last day in Canada. The next day I would be catching a ferry from Sidney British Columbia to Anacortes Washington State. Had breakfast at a tiny café, a breakfast rolls, kind of like McDonald's egg Mc Muffin's but much nicer, soft eggs proper cheese. The ride whilst short had a few really steep hills to climb. I took my time and got to the ferry the other side of Salt Spring Island by lunch time, a quick ferry from Fullford Harbour to Swartz Bay and then a 6 km's cycle to Sidney. Soon after arriving at the Travelodge I got my washing going, and then went to the pub for a few drinks and dinner, I wasn't cycling the next day so could afford to have a few drinks.


I caught the ferry the next day at 12 and arrived at Anacortes at just after 3. I booked into a motel a few hundred metres from the ferry.

Local wildlife outside my Motel at Anacortes

Deception Pass

Day 10

The next morning ride I was planning to ride to through Whitney Island to Fort Casey and catch a ferry to Port Townsend. The ride took me through Deception Pass and to Oak Harbour, a few miles before Oak Harbour my bike started wobbling. I had about 7 broken spokes. I tried to catch a bus or Taxi to Oak Harbour, hoping to get the spokes replaced. No luck I finally had to walk the 5 odd km's to the closest bicycle shop. A couple of hours later I left with a new wheel. Inquiring why the spokes were broken, she said my wheel was not strong enough to handle the extra weight, you get specific touring wheels that are designed to take extra weight. The new wheel wasn't a touring wheel either so hopefully it lasts.

I need to lose weight, even my wheels are telling me.



Day 11

I finished the rest of yesterday cycle just short of 20 miles, I had now had 3 really short days plus a rest day I'm between, way behind on mileage but my legs were feeling much better. Being a Friday night I battled to find accommodation in Fort Townsend, and the next night there were very few choices. I either had to do 35 km's to Quilcene or 75 km's to just past Brannon. The pressure was on I had booked Mikes beach Resort 75 km's plus one big arse climb in between Mt Walker, reality only about 300 metres but bigger than any other climb to far. I planned to reward myself with a braai on the other side, and bought a steak. Potato, Mushroom and corn. The steak I will put in my Camel pack with my water to keep cold.

Day 7-8

Day 7
I made a decision to stop putting pressure on myself, with unachievable expectation from then onwards I was going to try and make my expectations more reasonable, instead of aiming to do 70 km's in a day and then being mad with myself because I only made 40, I was going to aim for 40. On the upside for the first time the pain in my legs was diminishing  and I was getting more conditioned. for the saddle (polite way of saying my bum wasn't so sore)



Not sue if I get this sign on the toilet seat at my last night accommodation

Day 7, I planned to ride to from Parkville to Nanaimo which was 40km's. The day started badly with a flat tyre. ever hopeful I  pumped it up, 15 km's later it was flat again, so I grudgingly changed the tube. I was getting lots of practice at changing tyres and pumping up wheels with my very small pump. I finished the day and another screw had come out of my shoe, seems like Deja-vu. The lady at the cycle shop had put new screws in but hadn't tightened them hugely, guess I can't complain it was free and very friendly. Its much nicer when you can be mad with someone ha ha. No bike shop available so I had to tighten them seriously and hope for the best, luckily it was my left shoe and as I was riding on the right hand side so I was pulling off my left foot first. At least I wasn't at risk of falling over when my foot wouldn't come out of the cleat. Something I have to admit t had conventionally forgotten to mention had happened twice so far on this trip. Each time I toppled over to the right when starting, with my right foot still in the cleat trapped under the bike. Would have made for some funny pictures luckily no one was around to catch the moment.

Departure bay just outside Nanaimo

The whole trip so far had been very lonely but that night I was feeling especially lonely, I hadn't had more than a 5 minute conversation with anyone since Ruby Lake, lots of text messages and a WhatsApp  call to Mandy and the kids was all that was keeping me sane, but the time difference was making it very difficult, by the time they are ready to chat I was cycling, by the time I finish cycling they were sleeping. So unless we chatted during cycling hours or breaks during cycling it was very difficult. While I was on bell the roaming rates weren't to bad 5 rand a meg, I had turned off background tasks from using data and in 6 days I had used 20 megs for maps and WhatsApp  so R100. The last few days only Rogers had been available and that was R220 a meg so would have been R4400 for the equivalent. I had planned to get an American Sim when I got into the states, but it hadn't seemed worthwhile in Canada.

Day 8.

Rather large ice-cream

Left my rather grungy motel cycled a couple of km's then stopped for breakfast, a benny Canadian term for eggs benedict. Then cycled 15 km's stopped for an ice-cream another 15 and lunch. The last 15 were a bit tougher. It was seriously hot and I went through huge amount of liquids 3 litres  of water and 4 sodas. One sodas I thought was orange turned out to be cream soda and orange not great. In total I cycled 47 km's at about 18km's per hour. that excludes breaks for breakfast, ice-cream, lunch and just simple to get my breath back. I was typically cycling 5km's then taking a 5 to 10 minute break. So my typical day was 7 hours of cycling time, 2 to 3 hours for breakfast lunch and then another hour of quick breaks with just under 3 hours of actual cycle time. I was hoping that when I was fitter I could reduce the stops and increase the average speed, to up the daily mileage. That night I was staying in Crofton, very close to the ferry, The next morning I was catching a ferry to Salt Spring Island. I went to the local pub, met a Canadian couple who were friendly chatted for a couple of hours, which made a difference from having dinner on my own.

8 days of cycling and my fitness did not seem to have got much better, typically in the afternoons, my energy levels seemed to plunge, I was worried how much longer till I could increase the mileage. Regretting my laziness when it came to training!!!

Day 5-6

Rest day.

I woke up early felt terrible coughing and had zero energy, I  thought I  was coming down with flue. I think it was my bodies way of pleading with me not to ride.

I thought  back to the previous day, wow I had been in a bad way, there was a hill about a hundred metres assent I had to stop about 15 times on the way up to catch my breath.

By 10, I had done my washing the sun was out and I started feeling way better, my bodies reward for listening to it.

I started thinking about all the gear that I had brought with me, when am i going to start throwing things away, tatty old be of Jeans gone, new pair of takkies bought for this trip yes it's a pity, but they didn't have laces as they had been used to tie my solar panels to my panniers. Mandy's camera now broken gone (Sorry Mandy) As Mandy said when she heard I broke her camera "I see a new camera in my future". Damn but I'm to stubborn to start throwing things away.

Extra small pump

They only make front panniers for fools like me, yesterday at the real ebb of my energy levels I cycled past a bicycle shop, great I could replace the pump I didn't bring. I went in and bought the smallest pump I have ever seen, I can just imagine the conversation of the staff, someone finally bought that miniscule pump. As I left she said if you've got a flat I can loan you a big pump, she was likely worried I would get to my bike start pumping my tires half an hour later I would return saying can I replace this with a slightly bigger pump. I giggled when I imagined the dumbfounded look on their faces when they saw the size of my bike.

Day 5
My legs were feeling better but still sore, my energy levels were much better after a days rest. I left at just before 7 so that i could make the 8 o'clock ferry from Powell river to Littleriver/Comox and hour ferry, finally i have turned South towards San Diego. I read the reason the popular way to ride the PCH is from North to South and the reason is that the wind normally blows that way. The minute i turn South way I have a pumping headwind. I was planning to ride to Qualicum Beach, which i estimated was about 75 km's. At 32 km's checked the distance and it was still another 52 km's. I was not ready to ride 85 km's.  The idea of 52 km's and my energy disappeared. I saw a B&B at 36 km's which seemed a very appealing idea at 44 km's I was starting to battle i saw a place Fanny Bay Inn stunning pub and restaurant but no accommodation. Haha i saw someone with exactly the same panniers as me plus a tent tied on, I am not the only fool.

I was forced to plug on. I finally stopped at deep bay after 57 km's exhausted but 18 km's up from my previous high, no B&B so started my first night camping. I was right on the water at a little Marina stunning views and a brilliant sunset over the water, I was a bit worried about the cold. I found out that night there are 2 reasons not to camp yet, 1 it's to cold, 2 I am to stiff to get in and out of a small tent.

Funny bay inn top left, my campsite top right, bottom left view over the marina at sunset and bottom right view out of my tent window as I went to sleep(Sun sets around 10)

Capicum beach

Note the snow on the mountain peaks

Day 6
Started out not so well feeling well,  stiff sore and low on energy, as they day went on I actually felt better, but had a flat tyre replaced the tube, I must add it took half an hour pumping with my tiny pump. Started riding again and the bike was feeling really weird, I had put the tyre on the wrong way with tread pointing the wrong direction.

Fixing my puncture

Then I stopped for a smoothie and couldn't get my one cleat off. Luckily it was the right one and my left foot was already on the ground. I literally had to take my shoe off to get it off the peddle. I had lost a screw in my cleat. As luck had it there was a bicycle shop 500 metres away went there they fixed my shoe and swapped the tyre the right way, without charge, not sure if they were feeling sorry for me. Took all this as a sign I was meant to stop, I finished the day with only doing 40 km's, but was feeling great my legs weren't very sore.

Day 3-4

 

“Look I’m green solar panels to charge all my devices, no darn fool that I am, I left my American adaptor at the last motel”. 3 days into this cycle on my own and I’m going mad talking to myself, need to get back to work ha-ha only joking.

Day 3 was going to take me from welcome bay to Ruby lake resort. The start was really tough my legs were burning and the bicycle seat was becoming enemy number one. I took a really slow ride with lots of breaks stopped at a deli in Madeira for a light lunch. They call these gentle rolling hills, I am rapidly questioning the gentle, they say the ride is mountainous in Oregon, getting me worried. Ruby Lake  resort was stunning hundreds of hummingbirds, beautiful views over the lake.

 

My accommodation was a tent overlooking the lake. Big sign just outside “Be bear aware no food in tents”. I had been told the bears around here are very timid you can chase them away, not sure if I would  test that theory. I definitely a bit early for the season and the restaurant was scheduled to be closed, there were two other groups who were also cycling, 2 ladies in their late 50’s early 60’s and a couple in their 30’s. The ladies had done more distance than me that day, they left later than me got there earlier than me. Luckily their accommodation included meal so the restaurant had to open.

Day 4 my legs were even worse, breakfast was not included and the restaurant was closed, so I cycled the 6 km’s to earls cove ferry hoping to get breakfast there before catching the ferry to Saltery  bay. I was out of luck, the café was also closed. I had a 2 hour wait for the ferry, by which time I was hungry sore and generally not very happy. On the ferry I decided I was not going to cycle anymore that day, but unlucky Saltery bay had a stunning camp site but no shops and I had a grand total of 2 apples with, so I was forced to cycle another 25 km’s to Powell bay as originally planned. I made very slow sore work of the 25 km’s. I booked into Oceanside resort, I have a place right on the beach, but the rest of the place is a bit below mediocre Tiff would complain. I am taking a rest day tomorrow, that bicycle seat is not coming anywhere close to my tender arse.

Day 1-2

The rest of my training was dismal and better not mentioned, I was going to have to get fit on route.

Landing to a rainy Vancouver after 30 hours in airports and flying a shower, dinner and bed.

Aided by jetlag I woke early and tackled the first task of putting my bike back together, Linden cycles had boxed the bike and let down the tyres, with a sinking feeling in my stomach I realised, damn I had forgotten to pack a pump.... I googled the closest bike shop couple of hundred metres away but they only opened at 11.

 

I pushed my bike laden with panniers towards the main road in search of a pump. Couple of hundred metres and I was in luck, a bike rental shop came to the rescue. A cappuccino and then on my way. My first destination was the ferry at horseshoe bay about 18 km’s away. My ride took me through Stanley park and then across to Vancouver West. Riding through Stanley park with hundreds of other cyclists one particular cyclist passed me with a comment "seriously large arse" I am not sure whether he was being rude about my arse or making a joke about my bikes rather large rear end, I presumed the latter.

My bike with 2 rear and 2 front panniers plus a handlebar box weighed about 45 Kgs. Add to that my rather embarrassing 115 Kgs makes for a rather slow ungainly 160 Kgs with a wicked downhill acceleration, but dismally slow uphill.

Cycling through West Vancouver along Marine Drive the rain had disappeared and the sun was shining and there were thousands of other cyclists out. After about 5 km’s a bus labelled Horseshoe bay seemed a very appealing option. At about 10 with about 2 km’s to go I stopped for breakfast then proceeded to get lost, having asked directions I headed back on the left hand side of the road speeding down the hill and around a corner I was met by a driver with eyes the size of saucers slamming on breaks with my large rear end sliding out I somehow pulled on to the verge. Luckily he didn’t have time to tell me what he thought of me, disaster averted I meekly pulled across to the right hand side and continued. Truth being told my underpants had changed colour I don't think I'll be making that

After my morning cycle of now 22 km’s at a rather dismal average of 14 km per hour I caught the ferry from horseshoe bay to Langdale or Gibsons. I left the ferry to be met by a horrible climb of about 200 metres accent, luckily my cell was running flat so I couldn’t run Strava and get my average speed, huffing and puffing I cycled about half the way and was forced by exhaustion to walk the other half. taking regular breaks whenever I found a shady spot.

Having showered I stiffly walked across the road to a pub for an early dinner and to update my blog.  I was really glad that I had limited my distance to between 30 and 40 km’s per day for the first few days. To make the 3200 I needed to average approximately 70km’s per day which seemed like a daunting task seeing as I battled to do 30km’s.

Day 2 I woke at 4.45, breakfast only opened at 7, so I took the time to try and get my bags organised in a more logical order, wishing my daughter Max was around her organisational skills would have come in handy.

I was a bit stiff, but felt great and ready for the day ahead. The day’s ride was 30 km’s from Gibsons to half moon bay, I averaged just over 17 km’s per hour. My accommodation was a stunning little B&B. My energy levels felt sapped after 30 km’s I knew the next day which was 44km’s was going to be very tough.