Author: greg

We’re having a blast on Vancouver Island. More details later, but here’s some pics

We made it to Vancouver on Tuesday evening, and Nick and Zach headed off on the train yesterday morning. I’m taking some downtime while a bike shop looks into some issues with my bike (rear hub and bottom bracket). I’m staying with some great warmshowers hosts, Kyle and Avvai.

I’ll take a quick stab at summarizing the last week and a half of riding:

• We had really great weather, the only rainy day was when we took the ferry from Bamfield to Port Alberni. 60s and 70s pretty much the whole time
• The scenery was amazing. Lots of crystal clear rivers and ponds, super lush forests, gorgeous ocean views. A lot of the time it felt like we were riding in some prehistoric jungle or Ferngully.
• I had forgotten that Canadian road engineers don’t seem to care that much about maximum grades – in the US it’s rare to see anything beyond 8 or 9 percent, but here you see lots of 11, 12, 13 percent grades. A lot of this route was pretty challenging in that respect – we didn’t have too many major climbs, but there were a lot of very steep ups and downs.
• The ferry to Port Alberni had 8 other bike tourists on it – it was fun to go around and chat with them all about their various routes.
• We saw some good wildlife – lots of bald eagles, a seal patrolling the harbor, a pod of orcas…. We even scared a black bear up a tree!
• Overall a challenging, but fun week and a half of bike touring. But no one wants to read this slop – here’s some photos!

I’ve gotten back on the road, but it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing.

• Kyle and Avvai, the warmshowers hosts we stayed with in Vancouver, are extremely kind, generous, and easy-going people. They had no problem with me staying 3 extra nights while I figured out my bike and health issues. I caught one of the city tours that Kyle runs, they offered me tons of food, and we watched the birding documentary ‘Listers‘ with one of their friends (which is amazing, by the way, and free on YouTube!). I had a great time staying with them
• Kissing Crows cycle shop did an amazing job getting my bike back in working order in a short period – they had to replace my bottom bracket, and overhaul my rear hub, but now it’s all running good as new. I’m lucky I ended up in Vancouver when I did, and that Avvai recommended them. Still a little bitter that my local shop did not catch any of these issues when I specifically asked them to check out those components, but it all seems to be working out.
• Unfortunately, right after Nick and Zach left, I started feeling not so hot, so I decided to stay a few extra days – until Saturday – hoping I would kick whatever was ailing me. I was also stalling in the hopes that the wildfires in the Fraser canyon (which I am planning on riding through) would get under control.

• When I finally left on Saturday morning (I had been in Vancouver since Tuesday), I was feeling pretty good. I took the light rail to skip some of the sprawl heading east out of the city (in 2009 we rode all the way out and I remember it being not much fun). However, once I got to riding, I started feeling not great and decided to just do a short day. I found a really beautiful campsite on a lake in Golden Ears provincial park, after a mostly easy 25 miles of riding.
• There was one catch though – my offline maps app led me on a horse trail that crossed the river. I had assumed there would be a bridge, but there wasn’t. I was too stubborn to backtrack to the last real bridge and add 10 miles to the ride, so instead I found a large stick for balance and made 4 trips shuttling my bike and gear across the river. I didn’t fall in once!
• On Sunday, I was making pretty decent time, but again was starting to feel crappy, so I did another short day and checked into a motel in the hopes I would recover quickly. I didn’t, and ended up staying an extra night. This morning, I was still feeling pretty rough, but I was too antsy to stick around. Instead, I rode 50 miles in 90 degree heat through a ton of wildfire smoke. It was pretty easy riding though – very flat, with a tailwind most of the way.
• Unfortunately, when I pulled into the town of Hope, I was greeted with a sign that the highway I planned on taking was closed – it turns out a new fire started today! And the alternate highway I was considering (heading east vs North) is also closed due to a fire! The only ways out of this town are back the way I came or on the major freeway that doesn’t allow bikes. I’m holed up here tonight, and hoping conditions improve tomorrow – we shall see!

• Yesterday morning, the wildfire smoke had gotten worse, and neither highway had reopened. I decided that waiting for things to improve was a fool’s errand – instead, my best bet was to hitch a ride on the freeway to Merritt, where I could resume my route on back highways
• It only took 20-30 minutes with my thumb out before a kind soul felt pity on me – thanks Rick!  The drive over the mountains went quickly, with Rick telling me the history of the highway, tidbits about his work as a geologist, and how Albertans are terrible drivers.
• After getting dropped off on the outskirts of Merritt, I rode into town to get a snack – ate at a cool cafe that served Bannock, a type of Native American fry bread. However, when I left the cafe, the smoke was so bad that there was ash all over my bike. I decided to play it safe and get yet another cheap motel, as the forecast said the air would be better in the morning.
• The air was not better in the morning. At this point, there was nothing left to do but strap on the N-95 mask I had bought for this scenario and head out of town. Riding with the mask wasn’t too bad, since the road was fairly flat – it only got tough when I hit a 500 for climb.
• The stretch from Merritt up to Kamloops didn’t really have any services for about 40 miles. Without the smoke I think it would have been a great ride – mostly high desert valleys with the occasional lake. I saw 4 bald eagles – one very close (but I didn’t have my phone out, so no pic).
• I had a bit of a tailwind and was making pretty good time until my first flat. I patched that, but upon reinflating the tire I heard another hiss – a new hole right next to the patch. New patch, reinflate, hiss again! New hole next to the new patch! I knew it wasn’t the tire, and after I inspected closer, I realized my rim tape – the tape in a wheel that protects the tube from the spoke holes – had shifted, leaving just enough hole exposed to allow the tube to rub and leak. Another new patch, and I took down the road – only 7 miles to the campsite. 2.5 miles away, and another flat! Same problem, different spot. That patch failed just as I rolled into the campsite (I rushed and used those dumb sticker patches that never work). At the site, I patched yet again, only to have THAT patch fail! I gave up, and put in a new tube. So far that is holding. Tomorrow I’ll try to get my wheel re-taped in Kamloops. But 6 flats in one day ties the bikebums record that Megan Books set way back in 2005! The good news is I didn’t lose my mind, and am now fed and showered, lying in my tent as the wind rustles the trees. Phew

Not many pics from the last few days – the smoke really hindered the views

Here I am, deep in the Canadian Rockies of Jasper national Park, sitting in view of a gaggle of glaciers! Let me try a quick recap of what’s been going on since Kamloops:

• I got my wheel re-taped in Kamloops, but not before dealing with two more flats. I’m not sure why I didn’t remember the trick of putting a dollar bill in the bad spot of the wheel. I ended up getting blisters on my thumbs from prying my tire onto the rim so many times
• Kamloops was still pretty smoky, but things rapidly improved as I headed north from there. I was on a beautiful little back road for about 25 miles, that ended in a little short hop ferry

• The next day was a pretty easy ride along the north Thompson River up to Clearwater. The environment began transitioning from high desert to more mountain river valley – fewer sagebrush and more firs
• I stopped for lunch in a little cafe that had homemade pierogi – yum!

• The scenery just kept getting better and better as I headed north, and the traffic calmed down – though a good percentage of the traffic was semis hauling large pipes, I think for a new oil pipeline they are building
• The ride was mostly uneventful, easy riding – except that my front shifter broke at the top of a pass! I tried fiddling with it (in the rain) but gave up and rigged up my front derailleur to stay in the middle ring
• I also met another tourist going the other way. She was from Paris, and had started in Calgary heading to the coast, planning to end in Mexico. Though she said last year, she planned to end in Turkey but ended up in Senegal!

• I hit up a bike shop in Valemount, where the mechanic  – Nathaniel – stayed late to look at the shifter, but it was beyond repair. He did set me up with a better derailleur screw so I could manually drop to my granny ring if needed. We hung out and got beers afterwards. Thanks Nathaniel!
• That night at the campsite, I met another tourist, Drew. Drew is riding a huge surley cargo bike, and hauling a trailer with the chillest dog in the world, Luna. The next morning I met three other tourists – Bjorn from Bern, Switzerland, and a couple from Stuttgart, Germany.
• The majestic mountains continued to rise as I rode to Mount Robson provincial park. It was a wet ride, but the huge mountains and crystal blue river more than made up for the sogginess.
• I met back up with Drew and Bjorn at the campground, and did a short 5 mile trail ride (without my gear) up to a lake at the base of Mount Robson (the tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies)

• The next morning I said goodbye to Drew and Luna (who travel at man-hauling-a-large-dog pace), but made plans to meet up with Bjorn (who travels at my an-with-the-lightest-touring-setup-i’ve-ever-seen pace) in Jasper
• More glorious mountain riding with clear blue skies all the way on to Jasper. I even stopped for a swim!
• In Jasper, I got a replacement shifter which I easily installed. Then I met up with Bjorn and we hung out and got dinner and drinks before heading to our campsite

• Bjorn was taking a rest day in Jasper, so I said goodbye and started running errands in town. It’s a few days to the next grocery store, so I had to stock up. Unfortunately, my phone started glitching out – bright lines on the screen, and a dead touch zone. It will be a while till I get to a town that might have a repair store, so I’m just hoping it doesn’t get worse
• I headed south along the icefields parkway though Jasper national Park – gorgeous riding, but a ton of tourists. A lot of this area was burned in a wildfire two years ago, but it’s cool to see the new growth coming in.
• I was worried I’d have trouble finding campsites, but the one I ended up at last night had bicyclist-only camping (rare in Canada) for only $5 Canadian!

• Today I did a short day riding up to the icefields campground, where I’m going to take a rest/hiking day.
• I checked out the visitor center – very crowded – and did the short hike to the base of the glacier

Phew! I’ll try to keep on top of the posts more so they stay shorter!

Hey folks – I’m still rolling! Cell service was pretty sparse as I traveled through Jasper, Banff, and Kootenay National Parks.

• I took a rest day at the Icefields campground and did a short hike up into a meadow and then to a viewpoint on the ridge overlooking the visitor center and the glaciers – it was amazing! Lots of varied terrain, spectacular views, and I even saw a Bighorn Sheep!
• At the camp I met a bikepacker from Virginia who was just about to start the Great Divide mountain bike route, and a group of backpackers from Quebec, including one who had been exploring the parks without a car by hiking and hitchhiking for 10 weeks!
• That evening it started raining and the temperature plummeted into the 30s! Luckily, I was prepared for this. I had just been questioning my decision to haul woolen long underwear for 1000 miles, but turns out I needed it!

• The next day remained very chilly and wet – in fact it was snowing a bit when I was taking down my tent, and supposedly the high was 39. Luckily, my route was mostly downhill and would be a pretty easy day unless I did something incredibly stupid
• I did something incredibly stupid. I pulled over to check out this cool spot where the river just poured into this narrow chasm and disappeared, and I noticed there was an old road. I checked my routing app, and it was the old icefield parkway, and the app  seemed to think it was good for biking. I decided to do it – it was all downhill, and it would be nice to be out of the traffic. It started off great – a nice wide gravel road. The first downed tree I encountered should have been a sign that this was very unmaintained, but I was feeling adventurous and just kept going. It was fun for a while, but the path quickly degraded into single track, and then essentially just a hiking path. The downed trees and overgrown brush kept increasing, and eventually got so bad I had to resort to taking all the gear off my bike and making multiple trips back and forth to shuttle everything. One time I even lost the trail for a bit coming back for my bike. I went from having fun, to laughing about the situation, to cursing my stupidity, to eventually exhaustion bordering on misery – it was still very cold and I was soaking wet from sweat from dragging my gear though the mess – luckily I was wearing wool so I stayed warm, but it was still not pleasant. And the kicker at the end was that the old road didn’t even meet back up with the highway! I had to haul everything up a steep 40 foot embankment to get back on the road! In retrospect, it was a really dumb move – I’m really lucky I didn’t damage my bike or gear, or get injured – and I won’t talk about how much bear scat I saw. Anyway, lesson learned – I’ll think twice before attempting something like that again. In the end, what would have been a 10 minute coast if I’d stayed on the highway probably took me almost 3 hours!
• I eventually made it to my campsite on a gorgeous blue-green lake, set up camp, and fell asleep

• It was another damp, chilly night, but in the morning the sun finally re-appeared. I had a great day of beautiful riding all the way into Lake Louise, stopping at several lakes and overlooks on the way. Unfortunately, it was still pretty cold outside, so I didn’t attempt any swimming, but I did do some chilly wading.
• At Bow lake I met a group of 6 teachers who had ridden from Jasper, but staying in hostels along the way. We rode together for the last 20 miles or so – I’d pass them as they waited to regroup, and they would pass me on the hills
• Right before we got into town we encountered a wildlife traffic jam – I assumed people were just gawking at another brown bear (I had already seen 3), but it was a big grizzly! I didn’t get a good picture though, as I was trying to keep cars between me and it
• I got some pizza and groceries in lake Louise, and then headed to the overflow campground, which was essentially just a large parking lot (the regular campground is reservation-only). I did meet a cool couple from Scotland who had been riding for months but had rented a car for the last few days of their trip – they stored my food for me so I didn’t have to hang it!

• The next morning I wasted a ton of time figuring out logistics for where to camp that night, and also what to do about my phone. It is still somewhere usable, but at one point the whole screen became unreadable – it fixed itself after a reboot, but I’m not sure how long I have before it fully conks out. None of the shops reasonably near my route had a new screen in stock, so I decided to just order a kit and do it myself. I scheduled a warmshowers host in Kimberley, and shipped the parts to his address. Also, in the process of all this, somehow the photos app used up all my data and I had to get a new data bundle (which is incredibly frustrating to do when you barely have service, and are out of data)
• The end result of this is that I didn’t truly get riding until almost 2 pm (despite getting up at 7am), and the only campsite I could get a reservation for was still about 55 miles away. The ride was mostly downhill, but I still had several pretty big climbs. It was a great ride, but I just didn’t have time to take many breaks, and missed out on a few short hikes/scenic spots I would have checked out if I had more time. In the end, I pulled into the campsite just after 8pm, with 73 miles for the day. I had just enough time to take a much needed chilly rinsing plunge in the Kootenay River

• This morning I slept in a bit, had a bit of a climb to begin the day, and then a fun long descent into Radium Hot Springs. I decided that I deserved a nice long soak, so I hung out at the hot springs pool for a couple hours. Many people with how long I stayed in the cold plunge pool – I guess it’s all those alpine lakes I like to swim in.
• After that, a pretty easy day of riding along the Columbia River valley, including some really nice quiet back roads. Now I’m camping on the banks of the mighty Columbia, which is really just a little stream here – I’m right below the headwaters. Tomorrow I hope to make it to my warmshowers host in Kimberley, and continue my journey back west!