NO SHUTTLE, SHUFFLE

Day 7 Victoria - North Vancouver BC
Dist (not counting Ferry) 90 km (30 k to the ferry. 1.5 Hr, 116 Hr, 840 cal), no further stats

07 22 2012
It was a fine weather day as I happily rolled into a quiet downtown Victoria and onto the "Johnston Bridge" to access the 'Lochside Regional Trail' http://www.crd.bc.ca/parks/documents/lochside_trail_guide.pdf
Almost never seeing a car till Sidney, I was in heaven. Actually I had one potential altercation with a guy blocking the trail as other riders were heading towards me. Idiots are everywhere. Otherwise, it was a fantastic stress free roll through a diverse collection of forest, funky neighbourhoods, industrial lands and farmlands. I decided to hop on to the Hwy for the final 5 km or so. This portion of today's ride was about 30 km.
Once on the ferry, I dial in my "Ferry Routine".  Zoom onto the boat for a prime lock up (there is no proper bicycle area aboard this multi-million $ boat.) Then fly up stairs to calorie corral and dial in an over-priced breakfast served by an over-paid union worker and then onto the over- paid union cashier. Take coffee to prime seat after shoving said food down feed hole. No prime seats available now, but I make do. Dial in tunes and sketch book and/or map. Aaaahhhh....
Oh, look at that, there's a guy doing very perfect push ups slow and methodically. At the front of the boat where seats are a premium with many onlookers. I wouldn't mind doing some upper body workouts too, like maybe chin-ups on an Exit sign, maybe. But I don't want to look like a Goof. Or more of a Goof than now. That guy is a goof. But I'm strangely jealous.
After the ferry, I headed North towards the mountains where I reside. Or perhaps, rule would be more fitting.
The only problem is that there is no cycling route across or under the Mighty Fraser River. The George Massey Tunnel does no accommodate cyclists. (the original plans called for a bike portion, but was not implemented). Anyway, we've bin here before, but this time, we found a solution to the Tunnel dilemma..
I found a shuttle pick-up area for cyclists needing to cross the river. There is a large info board displaying the pick up times. Apparently the next pick up was within a reasonable wait of about 20 minutes. Great ! Next was around 2 hours later. I waited longer than needed and called the # on the info board. The voice said that the driver should be there. Anyway, after waiting longer, I called again to find out that the driver was at a nearby gas station. I could see the shuttle at the gas station and I was fuming at the idea that he was sitting there while I was waiting for an hour now. Do I go over there, or do I wait, what is he doing ? RRRRRRRGGGHHH ! I'm absolutely FURIOUS NOW. I gathered my stuff and rode over there to find 'Habeeb' standing there chatting with the gas clerk.
I asked "What the Hell are you doing ?" He said that everyone comes to the gas station for pick up.
I asked this total idiot: "When a tourist arrives by bike and needs to get to Vancouver, how are they going to know that the pick up location is at this gas station ?" His response "Everybody comes to the gas station"
I got through the tunnel, and miraculously, Habeeb lived another day to anger future travellers.
Once into Richmond, I picked up the "Canada Line" skytrain route to Cambie Street, Stanley Park, 3rd Ave, then Lonsdale area.
An easy ride. But before leaving the downtown core, I stopped at the Blenz Coffee shop for snacks and Joe. (the foot of the Cambie Bridge)
Was a nice break to this "Homecoming"
The remainder was uphill... It always is.
Damn them hills ...
The End.

The Johnson Bridge to Lochside Trail...

A nice spot to get the boat out

Funky bridge

Trail tunnel ...

Tree conduit ...

quiet here

Highway approach to the ferry terminal

Waiting for the Ferry to Tsawwassen...

Arriving at Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal

A diversion from Hwy 17 just south of the Massey Tunnel

Perfect ! What do you mean "No Pets?! HWC exempt of coarse

The same as above, but with comic bubbles.

This was not a happy hour. I hate when people make their own rules.

Bike route under the "Canada Line Skytrain" bridge across the Mighty Fraser to South Van from Richmond...

Multi-use lane on Cambie Bridge to downtown Vancouver. It can get pretty congested at times with walkers, runners, cyclists, and dragons.

Stanley park Causeway to Lions Gate Bridge and North Vancouver

Foot of South end of Lions Gate. HWC was very proud. She wouldn't shut up about the cat thing for hours later (Cats rule this world or something like that)

The great 'lions' of our time. Roar.

Facing east from Lions Gate Bridge. Burrard Inlet

Lions Gate Northbound. Amazing how safe it is now. The bridge was upgraded back in 2000-2003. There was no barrier between cyclists and cars. Also, you could see through the deck to the water. It was insane.

View Larger Map Route doesn't include the Lochside trail, but is close enough

TIME TO KILLLLL !!

Day 6.  Sequim - Port Angeles - Victoria BC.
Dist. 28 k to "Black Ball" Ferry, then 10 k of aimless "riding" in Victoria. (basically a day off)
Sat July 21, 2012

Well, after finishing my 10th coffee and seeing Bradley Wiggins win the TIME TRIAL on the 2nd last stage of this years Grand Tour (1 hour & 4 min./ 44 km), I was out the door. (Bradley Wiggins was the winner of the 2012 Tour De France) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradley_Wiggins 
Anyway, I got to Port Angeles with a boatload of TIME TO KILL.  I knew that I was leaving too early, but I dreaded the prospect of having some sort of bizarre mishap and then missing my ferry. Nothing much to do in the immediate vicinity, but I managed to dial - in a local coffee shop (Like I need more Coffee) Sat there longer than I was comfortable with, so I headed to the "Black Ball" ferry terminal. I met a group of older cyclists that were headed to the next B&B. Nice folks. They were impressed with Shirley and were bombarding me with all sorts of questions like I'm a world traveller or something. I told them that the best touring bike was actually a CCM. If you had a CCM circa 1980 with a cotter pinned crank arm, you knew that you had something really special. (5 lb. hammer not included) Ha Ha... HWC bit me for that one. Actually, one guy was asking me if a particular noise emanating from his bike was a concern. After a quick gander, I told him that he should be more concerned with his front tire. (which had retarded amounts of clear cut).  Gotta wonder how some people make it this far in life. Anyway...
This ferry (M.V. Coho, 1959) http://www.cohoferry.com/main/ is an interesting boat. I'm more accustomed to the large BC Ferries vessels. I found it particularly interesting that she had to turn around before docking seeing as she has only the one loading door. Also, the boat is relatively small, thus rolling to waves. Wow. Nice to see that were bike racks available on the outside deck. (BC Ferries couldn't be bothered to spend a dime on proper bike facilities)
Once I arrived in Victoria, I went to the Tourist Info Ce. I discovered that Goldstream Provincial park was full for camping (no surprise). I checked on the Marriotte Hotel too (I have a $100.00 credit as a gift from Kerry Marshall my friend) Booked solid. So I ended up riding around aimlessly without a plan. It was so retardedly busy that I couldn't imagine finding any accommodation.
After riding up and down Douglas Street, I finally found a motel that would refer me to a Hotel back in the city centre (probably 1 km from the ferry terminal where I started out) Anyway, I'm angry and hot from the insane traffic and will take anything. Turns out that this "Hidden Gem" is extremely beautiful and not sky high priced, all the while nestled behind the Victoria Museum. Pleasantly surprised !
 http://www.helmsinn.com/
We settled in just fine...

On route in miles of coarse

Where's Mickey Mouse ? (not a favourable comment)

Waiting to be Black Balled

Oh ya. She has to turn around...

Rack time

Sketch of trip from Port Angeles WA to Victoria BC

HWC hits Victoria BC !

(Empress Hotel is in the background)

Hanging out where it matters

I'm staying here ?

Yup

My Victoria home

The neighbours

View Larger Map La Dee Dah...

I Can See For Kilometres, But riding MILES !

Day 5, Montesano - Sequim WA.
Dist. 191 km., Avg., 21.5/Hr., Max 53.4 km/Hr., Saddle 8:52, Hr 113 Bpm., Fuel, 4594 Calories
Fri. July 20, 2012
Cool and overcast yet again. A dramatic change of scenery has unfolded rather abruptly in front of Shirley's front tire. (Continental 28 -1&3/8") 700 by 28 / 32 tube fits if needed in case you were interested. The tarmac was loaded with Who Haus, Ding Dongs and Yo Yo's in Pick-ups, Logging Rigs, Mazda 3's and Camper Vans. Perhaps a Buick Century too.(inside joke)
Welcome to Friday ! "Welcome to the Jungle, that is. "A jungle where a Canadian cyclist monitors movement as the rest of the civilized world does, in Kilometres not Miles. Anyway, I'm finding loads of Indian Reserves and Indian businesses like Casinos and Shops for Fireworks or "Smokes" Same as in Canada, except the word, or name "Indian" is replaced with the word, or name "Native" Actually, I'm not sure if Fireworks are as prevalent here, or legal for that matter. Some of the "businesses" that I passed were very colourful. There were many hand painted signs and lights (similar to what one might find on a xmas tree). There were also Fireworks "outlets" that were no longer in business. I could tell by the dilapidated structure that lay abandoned amongst leaves of maple or a smattering of moss. On the other hand, I passed a Casino and accompanying structures that were beautiful in design and composition.  (Cedar and or Douglas Fir as the default bldg. material)
The sad thing was that a blinding LCD or LED screen hung somewhere on the building and killed the visual like a spear through a buffalo. Kinda like hunting with a 4 wheel drive and an AK 47.
The ride along the 101 skirting the East side of the "Olympic National Forest was interesting. I had some tailwind from "Skokomish Indian Reserve" to "Seal Rock" which was lovely. It was turning into a nice ride as I left the Indian Lands, filled with twists, turns, small hills and great watery views, I was enjoying this portion of the ride. Of coarse all good things must come to an end...
The road conditions deteriorated, and the traffic got less patient. After climbing a small mountain, I was beginning to get a bit concerned. Road distance markers were far apart and read in MILES. It didn't take too much brain power to realize that I had miss-calculated and was staring into the face of a longer - than wanted kinda day. When I FINALLY arrived in the town of Sequim, I discovered that the major motels were full.(the campground that I was thinking of was also full). Apparently, there is a Daffodil Festival in town for the weekend. Luckily I dialled in a crappy motel with the help of the Comfort Inn attendant. She could see that I was frustrated as the various motel options were fading away during her telephone search. She said " I can understand what it feels like after a long day of travelling".  Long day of travelling ?, Travelling ? really ? ... Motorists and cyclists are definitely not of the same genetic makeup.  I couldn't respond verbally, but I had a few choice words on the telepathy conduit. Unfortunately she's not a Betazoid.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betazoid
After almost 9 hours of unprepared riding, I was on my way to homebase .
Sigh...

8 ball

Kinda desolate here, but nice

An old school Drive Inn movie screen

Snacks

A rare photo moment

Pee break...

Hamma Hamma ?

Journal sketch of dire situation...

Really ?... Finally !

New Westminster BC had a similar establishment. Sort of. Ha Ha.

Just like the Marriott...

Doorway to luxury...

Winding down...

View Larger Map A Long scenic, yet Annoying Day Chasing "MILES"

BLACK DOG

Day 4, Cape Disappointment - Montesano WA
Dist., 125 km., 19.3 km/hr Avg. 54.1 km/hr max., Saddle 6:27, Hr. 112 Bpm., 3143 cal.
July 19, 2012
Cloudy, cool start to the day, again. Sign... Don't get me wrong, perfect cycling weather, but HWC needs some vitamin D. The first part of the day was easy as I was leaving the coast. My environmental eye candy had become sour. I missed the vistas along the ocean right off the bat. Sob. As the terrain flattened, so did the excitement. Boring and uneventful was the order of the day, until around "Bone River Park" or "Bruceport" that is...
My quiet, nothing ride had suddenly become the victim of an assault. First there was the sound of screaming 7 year old, or maybe 8 year old girls, then after a 5 second delay (Kinda like waiting for the thunder after the lightning), a BLACK BEAST charged full gallop, out of the only driveway seen in a while. A quick shoulder check revealed the image that I was dreading, but knew would be there. This Black Hell Hound was driving with the enthusiasm of a fully stoked steam freight train. Lucky for me, I  had a full tank of fuel and was able to pull out the 12lb. Hammer. As I accelerated from my comfortable 19 km/hr avg. speed to 30 km/hr., I soon felt the adrenalin build, and my speed increased beyond a sustainable level. Thinking that the hound was most certainly dropped, I glanced into my mirror to find disappointment indeed. That Evil bastard was still there. Crap ! With the Panic Button depressed, I reached into my "Suitcase of Courage"  (Phil Liggett) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Liggett and pulled out my 32 lb. Hammer. After what seemed to be an eternity, I decided to take another look in my mirror. The Black Dog did not fill the optical plane that I was focused on. I was relieved, but decided to Hammer for a while until the "town"South Bend" came to view. Just to be sure.
After the town Raymond, the weather changed. It got toasty, and hills entered the cycling composition.
My feet were burning from the swelling that can happen in hot or unfamiliar conditions. I had to swap the newish bike shoes for sandals. "AAAAhhhh ! Christ that was painful.
Rolled into Montesano eager to rest. Dialled in the "Monte Square Motel" 73 feet from the 24 hour gas station. Perfect. The room was unusually enormous, strange, but OK by me.
I walked over to the local grocer for supplies. After buying a few more things than I probably need, I left and got ready for a night of luxury when I found that a key item was not in the bag. As I walked back into the store towards "Elmo", he turned to face me and state loudly that I forgot something. Funny how he put everything else in the bag except my cold Gatorade.  Thanks for that Elmo, Goof.

Heading out...

Very cool local greasy spoon breakfast. A different world indeed. Enjoyed listening to fisherman chatter. 

Downtown Ilwaco ...

Looking desolate ...

Raymond. I've heard great things of this big city. Ya

Signage is good, even in miles

Crazy cat

A fine shoulder here. Was never an issue anyway.

Black Dog.

I ducked into here for a pee break and to swap my bike shoes for sandals. My feet were swelling from the heat and the pain hit my warning bell.

The best view from a motel room one could hope for... A 24 hour gas station/food mart

This'le do. Ya.

Bye Bye Coast !
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