We finished the 1st annual Canmore Gymnastics Camp today at 1pm. With the traditional pie in the face for coaches. 🙂
A few days ago we talked about heading back up to the Nordic Centre this afternoon to ride trails including Soft Yogurt again.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Instead I relaxed only touring the excellent trails in and around Canmore.
Tonight I’ll open a bottle of Old Farm. Celebrate with Ashley Sportun and the rest of the coaches.
7 islands. 10 days on the bike. Perhaps 1000km in the saddle.
I tented for free every night aside my rest day in Port Townsend.
I picked up my new bike at MEC in North Vancouver. Took the train to the ferry at Tsawwassen.
First up was Galiano Island. Then over to Pender. And on to Mayne.
BC Ferries Discovery Pass gives a discount on routes not connecting major cities.
I rode excellent dedicated bike trails from Swartz Bay to the terminal in Victoria Harbour. The Black Ball Ferry got me to Port Angeles.
My toughest day was riding P.A. to Port Townsend. There is supposed to be a route, but it’s very confusing.
I took a much enjoyed rest day in P.T. Then caught the short ferry over to Whidbey. The next island is connected by bridge – Fidalgo.
From Antecortes I sailed to Orcas and then San Juan.
The ferry Friday Harbor to Sidney BC departs only once a day in the morning. Many times ferry schedules determine your days.
Once back to Sidney CANADA, I cycled to Swartz Bay and rode the big ferry back to Tsawwassen.
Some say you cannot ride out of Tsawwassen because bikes are not allowed in the tunnel. Just in case I put my bike on the front of a bus.
A local on that same bus recommended we ride together downtown from the River Rock Casino. That’s not bad. You spend a lot of time on a street called Ontario.
The best hiking was on Orcas. The best riding perhaps Galiano and Whidbey.
I’d love to go back to Orcas too for mountain biking.
It’s easier to carry gear by bike than on your back. But hills are murder. I’ll definitely lighten the load next time.
I’m planning a future short loop from Whidbey to the mainland and back to Port Townsend by road. Perhaps in winter when traffic is lighter. And – of course – I’ve many of the Canadian Gulf Islands yet to explore. 🙂
I bought a hybrid bike for touring May 2016. It’s in Calgary. I’ll be doing some Rocky mountain biking in August.
July 2016 I bought a second identical bike to be stored in Parksville, BC at my parent’s place. (I’ll now have a mountain bike and a hybrid in each city.)
I got the second on sale for $550 as it’s now last year’s model. It would have cost me well over $100 to ship a bike Calgary to Parksville. And another $100+ to ship it back. THAT’s the good reason. It’s less expensive for me to own two bikes than to ship one back and forth.
I’ll be cycling a lot both out of Calgary and Parksville on the two bikes.
However … MEC bungled my order for the $550 last-year’s-model. Instead I had to buy this year’s model now $775. AND I needed to accessorize twice. Quite costly.
The BC Ferries Experience™ Card is an electronic swipe card that can be loaded with money and used to pay for ferry travel on participating routes.
Participating routes are all but the BIG trips from Vancouver to Vancouver Island.
As is so typical of government programs, the actual benefits are confusing. And not explained well, not even in the FAQs.
But I can confirm fares are significantly reduced using this card island to island. And my bike is free. 🙂
You must put a minimum of C$65 on the card to start. There’s no expiry.
The route of the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) traverses almost 130 miles of lowlands, bordered on the south by the Olympic Mountain Range and on the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It starts in the Victorian seaport of Port Townsend and ends on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The trail is a wide, paved pathway designed to multi user standards for bicyclists, hikers, and disabled users, with a 4’ shoulder for equestrians where appropriate.
Construction started in the 90’s. Completed sections now total 69 miles, with another 9 miles under construction (May 2015). Right of way agreements are in place for over 87 miles. …
I rode from Port Angeles to Sequim, sometimes lost but without major trouble. I made it to 7 Cedars Casino. After that … problems.
I was forced on to busy highway 101.
Foolishly I believed this sign pointing away from the 101 …
Twice I turned off the highway following that sign. Once it took me far off route to Diamond Point. I was REALLY lost on this section. 😦
Those signs – if wrong – should be removed from the highway.
#CycleHikingSanJuans&GulfIslands
Cumbersome. But you must admit – a unique #hashtag.
I tented 4 nights cycling through the Gulf Islands before finally reaching a hot shower in Port Townsend. Tomorrow I’ll start back towards Canada through the San Juan Islands from Whidbey.
#CycleHikingSanJuans&GulfIslands
First stop on my (long promised) Gulf Island cycling tour was Tsawwassen. (It may be a peninsula. Or isthmus.)
Tsawwassen is a first nations word. Or perhaps Norwegian.
Anyway I’m soaking in the culture.
And eating local cuisine.
The Tsawwassen Beach Neighbourhood Nature Trail has some serious stairs. I did not try running them as they nearly killed this guy.
The view over to the ferry is pretty.
I did cycle the 12th Avenue Dyke Trail in Boundary Bay Regional Park. Did not see any Dykes.
And part of the Great Blue Heron Way. Saw plenty of Herons.
Next I caught the ferry to Galiano Island.
#CycleHikingSanJuans&GulfIslands
Ron and I loaded the bikes. Then cycled over the bridge to Stanley Park.
From there the busy but enjoyable False Creek trails to lunch at Granville Island.
Highly recommended.
Success. For 3 days I’ve been cycle touring near Banff. Camping out of paniers rather than backpack.
I rode 130km Canmore to Calgary today. Five hours in the saddle (with a good tailwind).
I’m hoping to get to the Kettle Valley Rail Trail this summer. Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. And more.
Thanks Kelly and Lexi for hosting me in Canmore. 🙂
Actually that’s Henry’s new Giant Talon. Durable. Seems an excellent bike to me.
Here’s my newly upgraded ride.
I added a rack with 2 MEC WORLD TOUR 30L PANNIERS.
I got that rig tricked out for some summer bike trail touring. Tomorrow I’ll test out my bike / camping system in Canmore, Banff, K Country.
Finally, I put new wheels on my OLD cheap K2 mountain bike.
Truth be told, it would be cheaper to buy a new inexpensive mountain bike every time your old bike breaks down. 🙂
Rick McCharles 