July 14, 2016 Rest day in Duncan, BC, CA

Saw this sign on the sidewalk in Duncan.

Like the rest of the world, I am saddened by the news of the latest tragedy that occurred in Nice. Learned that the two Americans killed were from Austin. My prayers and thoughts go out to all the victims. And I again contemplate what I can do within my own little sphere of influence to make this world a better place. The one thing I have come to believe with all my heart is that you cannot successfully battle evil with evil - and that applies to any number of situations. 

Rest day in Duncan was just exactly what I needed. I took an extra long time with my early morning routine, savoring the fact that I did not have to get packed up and on the road early. Did a little laundry. Went online and started contemplating the various options for the next phase of the journey. I contacted Dawne's sister, Pam, who is picking me up at the ferry in Vancouver on Saturday. 

Around noon, I rode the mile or so into Duncan to check out the town. What a pretty and delightful little town, known primarily for their totems which are located all over the place.  In the summer, they also have free music in the city park. 

My first stop was at a bike store in town called Cycle Therapy. A very helpful young man, named Sean, assisted with getting me a map and planning my route to Nanaimo for tomorrow. He even gave me his card and said to call if I had any questions along the way. Sean also recommended Duncan Garage for lunch, the little vegan cafe next door, which turned out to be an excellent choice. I had a wonderful little garden salad with veggies and a berry smoothie (heavy on the blueberries). 

After listening to a little music in the park, I headed back to the motel to rest, stopping along the way to get some snacks and a new battery for my cateye odometer. I am happy to report that replacing the battery seems to have done the trick. 

I am also happy to report that it is possible to "teach an old dog new tricks," as evidenced by the fact that, after several starts and stops, my Mom has now skyped me two days in a row! Way to go Mom! And I don't really mean to imply that you are an old dog. And I do appreciate the fact that you are babysitting Sassy, the best and most beautiful cat in the world.

Again, thanks to all for your thoughts, prayers and support. And today, in particular, to LaDonna and Kyle. 

..Tomorrow to Nanaimo, Saturday to Vancouver, then...who knows...

July 13, 2016 Port Renfrew --> Duncan, CA - 57 miles

My favorite time of day is right after I wake up and sit quietly with a good strong cup of coffee and engage in my morning routine. Time to read, study and reflect. Be still. I love this part of the journey even more than the biking itself - which I enjoy immensely. Put the two together and it has to be a good, if not great, day. Of course, at the end of a long, hard day - especially after facing challenging circumstances - I may have lost some of that "zen" I started the day with. Especially if I may have chosen to respond to those challenging circumstances in ways I wish I hadn't. Maybe I wasn't kind or didn't treat someone with the patience or respect I should have. Or, perhaps I became frustrated and impatient with myself. Whatever. The good news is that every morning I get the chance to start over and try again. And the even better news is that the grace, blessings and adventure I experience every day are not dependent on me and my responses. My job is to remain open to receive.

I left Port Renfrew a little before 9 am and headed for Lake Cowichan some 40 miles away. The first hour or so was mainly flat, and followed along streams and lakes.

However, the main thrust of this leg of today's ride was up, through and around multiple mountains and passes. Still on the Pacific Coast Circle, although no ocean. Blue skies and sunny, yet cool enough to keep my jacket on. Light traffic.  Fortunately, while there were a number of long, steep inclines, they were not as severe or frequent as yesterday's killer hills. Those wildflowers were everywhere, as well as dense forests of pine trees. Evidence of the logging industry could be seen in huge brown patches on the sides of the mountains, a well as the many logging trucks that passed by. Whenever one of those trucks passes me, I frequently find myself inhaling the sweet smell of wood deeply through my nose.

Somehow, I had miscalculated in my mind that the Lake Cowichan leg was only 30 miles, instead of the actual 40 miles. So, it started seeming to take for ever to get there. Plus, my odometer went on the blink, so I couldn't actually track the mileage - probably need to replace the battery. I did finally arrive around 12:45 pm, and stopped by the information center for some maps, and A & W for a root beer float. Thus fortified, I got on the Cowichan Valley Trail for the 18 mile ride to Duncan, where I had reserved a room for the night. The trail was of crushed gravel, and ran the entire way so I did not have to ride any highways until I reached Duncan. Went through beautiful forests, and was flat, except for one or two very brief climbs over some creeks. Saw lots of people out enjoying the day, many walking their dogs. Even saw some people riding horses. I fairly cruised the entire way, and made it to my motel around 3:45 pm. 

By the time I arrived in Duncan, I had decided to stay over Thursday to re-group and seriously start planning what the next phase of this journey will look like. I will bike to Nanaimo on Friday, then ferry over to Vancouver on Saturday or Sunday. After ferrying over to Vancouver, do I continue on to Banff as originally planned? Or, cut it short and head for Seattle or Portland from Vancouver. Still trying to figure it all out.  Mainly, I need a day to rest after two hard days of riding, and a chance to just sit still with it all. 

Had a wonderful chicken stir-fry dinner at a restaurant recommended by Max, the motel desk clerk. Settled in for the evening, looking forward to the rest day tomorrow.

July 12, 2016 Victoria --> Port Renfrew - 70 miles

One of the longest and hardest biking days to date. Knew that going into the day. 

Got off around 8:30 am, sadly leaving what had been a real haven in Victoria the past 3 days. Thoroughly enjoyed my time in Victoria, and would not hesitate to return if the opportunity ever arose. 

The first 20 miles to Sooke were fairly easy - the entire way along the Galloping Goose Trail. Combination of paved and packed gravel. As before, many wild berry bushes and fruit trees. Tons of bikers and walkers on the path. A fun start to the day. 

As the ride progressed toward Sooke, there became more of a rainforest type of feel, also reminiscent of the Blue Ridge mountains where I grew up.  However, off to the side were views of the bay and lakes.

I reached Sooke around 11:30 am and stopped for a snack. Then the real "fun" began as I got on Hwy 14 for the 42 miles to Port Renfrew. Up and down, up and down, up and down endless rolling and sometimes steep hills and inclines. (just the type Randy hates). Pretty, but nonetheless brutal after a couple of hours. I stopped at Jordan River for a lunch of my own snacks, since there was nothing open. Then, began the up and down process all over again.  This is part of what is known as the Pacific Marine Circle route. 

Approximately 2 hours from Port Renfrew, it began raining. Not a downpour, but a fairly steady rain that had me pretty much soaked when I finally gratefully pulled into Trailhead Lodge about 4:45 pm. My legs were shot from all the climbing,and I was starved. This is a place that arranges a lot of fishing and hunting expeditions in the area. My room was quite nice, and the hot shower was heaven. Walked down the hill to the Port Renfrew Pub, and had a delicious cheeseburger and fries for dinner. Topped off with a fabulous chocolate mousse cake. Returned to the room to collapse for the evening. 

Tomorrow I ride 55 miles to Duncan via Lake Cowkichen. I am told the road is easier than today. One can only hope!

July 11, 2016 Victoria BC - 23 miles

Took my time this morning to get ready for the rest of the week. Did laundry, moved to a different room, made sure I had the route planned for the 65 mile ride to Port Renfrew tomorrow. The first couple of hours to Sooke will be on the Galloping Goose Trail, which is supposed to be beautiful. Then Hwy 14 for 42+ miles to Port Renfrew. I made a reservation at the Trailhouse Lodge so that at the end of a long day I have a place to land. 

Around 1 pm I decided to venture out and ride the 10 miles to Butchart Gardens, then make a decision whether to actually go in or return home. The ride out there was beautiful, but I was struck by all the long, steep inclines that I would have to navigate on the return trip. I began feeling fearful - I was using up leg reserves that I knew I would very likely need tomorrow on the long ride. Started obsessing a little, to the point that when I arrived at Butchart Gardens I was more concerned about the challenging ride home than the gardens.  So, I opted out of paying the $32 entry fee and instead headed back home, full of trepidation. I did, however, take a couple of pictures of grounds outside the entrance. Nothing close to what is inside, I'm sure, but the best I could do at that moment.

The ride back to the motel was nothing at all like what I had feared and anticipated.  Had a lovely tailwind, and the climbs were a piece of cake. I had not noticed the downhill coasts, as I had been blinded by my fear of the inclines. I felt myself feeling joyful as I cruised all the way home, enjoying the lovely scenery and the wonderful bike lanes. Hm...there is a big lesson in all of this about the fears we conjure up that don't exist and prevent us from fully enjoying the present moment. Holding back because of the cost, when the payoff for engaging and making the effort is potentially huge. Another life lesson. In reality, I would have had plenty of time to explore Butchart Gardens and still get home early enough to rest up for tomorrow. One of the lessons I am learning on this journey is to be more open to spur of the moment opportunities to fully engage in living in the present moment. And to not conjure up and create fears where they don't exist. And to do it afraid anyway when they may exist because of the potential payoff. Life as an adventure.

Winged it for dinner as That L'l Pasta Place was closed for repairs. Bummer. Still,  enjoyed my peanut butter sandwhich and accompanying snacks. Looking forward to the challenges of tomorrow.

July 10, 2016 Victoria --> Sydney --> Victoria - 50 miles

The words for the day - "pristine" and "vivid". 

Left the motel under cloudy skies at approximately 10:00 am, headed for the 20 mile ride to Sidney via the Galloping Goose and Lochside Trails. This was one of the most interesting bike trails I have ridden because of the variety of interesting sights along the way. Plus it was essentially flat the entire way, which made for a lot of enjoyable cruising. The trails were packed with all manner of Sunday bicyclists - from touring bikers, to recreational bikers, and whole familes biking together. Nice to see. Victoria is definitely a bike friendly city, and many, many people take advantage of the bike lanes and trails.

The initial few miles of the trail were bordered by those colorful wildflowers, and places overgrown with wild berries and fruit trees you could almost pick from as you rode by.  

Proceeded to ride by pretty marshes, with tons of ducks and even herons casually floating on the water. Also came across a white and brown bunny rabbit having Sunday brunch by the road. Can't say I have ever seen a rabbit that color in the wild. 

Another phase of the trail ran through beautiful neighborhoods, then exited to the country alongside huge farms and horse stables. There was also a group of very serious remote model airplane operators participating in some sort of activity. Several of the airplanes performed quite complicated acrobatic feats. I even came upon a couple of huge pigs rooting around in the mud until they were so settled in you could barely see them.

As I approached Sidney, the trail gave way to impressive homes and neighborhoods along the coast. Every one was immaculately landscaped and full of vibrant flowers. It almost felt like DisneyWorld. A young man rode up alongside and said, "Good taste in bikes". When I looked over, he was riding the exact same model year and color Trek 520 touring bike. Looked like my bike's twin sister. His wife rode up, and I learned that they were from Flagstaff. Flew into Seattle and rode/ferried over to Vancouver Island. They were on their way to catch the ferry to Vancouver, then Amtrak back to Seatle to catch the flight home.

 

As you might expect, Sydney was pristine, with vivid colorful flowers everywhere. I rode to the pier and had brunch at the Pier Bistro, right on the water, a wonderful veggie omelet with this delicious homemade whole grain toast. Just outside on my right, a group of gulls, and what I learned was a commorant (?), were perched on the pier. The black commorant looked like a heron, but the gentleman dining next to me cleared up my confusion.  Told me about the role of the birds in WW II. Interesting. 

After wandering around town for a bit, I started the return trek back to Victoria. Along the way, a woman cyclist from Vancouver and I rode together for a while. She has evidently done a number of rides all over, including San Francisco to Vancouver, and many over in Europe. However, my sense was that she prefers organized tour rides, rather than solo. In any event, she told me about the scenic sea route along the Victoria coastline, and raved about the views and the mansions. We stopped, and she showed me the route on her maps. Would add probably another 10 miles to my ride, but since it was still relatively early in the day and the weather had turned sunny and warm, I decided to take that route - wouldn't want to miss something! It was a beautiful ride, although it was getting quite cold by the time I ended. One of the most stunning sights of the day was this yard that was literally blanketed with bright flowers. It took my breath away. Also saw a deer leisurely cross the road in front of me. Would have taken a picture, but she was already in the bushes by the time I could get my camera out. 

Reached the area of my motel around 5:00 pm. Stopped by the grocery store and picked up a big crate of fresh blueberries - was having withdrawals. Returned to my room and had the other soup I had been carrying around since the start of the trip with gold fish crackers, topped off by the blueberries with ice cream. Delicious. 

Since I ended up today with a longer ride than planned, I decided to take it easy tomorrow and get all my ducks in a row for the next phase of the journey. It is approximately 65 miles to Port Renfrew, and I am told it is a pretty challenging ride. So, need to get some rest, do laundry, etc. I may venture out to Butchart Gardens, but will just play it by ear.