The rain was behind schedule which allowed us to pack before it happened. But it wasn’t long after leaving the campground that the drizzle started. We rode into Port Alberni to look for Internet and load up our route through the logging tracks down to Cowichan Lake. The prospect of gravel roads in the rain didn’t appeal too much, but you have to take the good with the bad and suck it up sometimes, right?!
After an hour waiting for a take away sandwich, we took off on the gravel. We deflated the tires and were ready for adventure. There were a surprising amount of cars and caravans on that road and a few trucks towing boats… I guess there are a lot of nice places to explore along these gravel roads but would be very taxing on the trailers. Rain got heavier and it wasn’t long before we were wet and cold. Error 1 we failed to put our underliners under our riding gear and by the time we were cold and wet, it was too late to stop, take gear off to put on more layers! Along the way my rear mud guard fell off (good old German engineering!) I strapped that to my luggage and carried on.
Getting ready for gravel, mud and rain
Rear mud guard, where it ends up on a lot of GS’s
We turned a corner and some old pavement appeared, happy, I thought we were on the home run, but that was soon forgotten as the pavement turned back to dirt, pot holes and mud again.
This went on for a coupe of hours until, cold, damp with frozen hands and in desperate need of a bathroom break we rolled into a small town. It wasn’t the place we were looking for but close enough and after a brief stop at the fuel station we made the last few kilometres into Lake Cowichan. In town we found a Tim Hortons, sort of a healthier, cleaner more sustainable version of Mc Donald’s. They offer Wifi, coffee, clean toilets and most importantly shelter from the rain.
We warmed up and looked at our route options to Bob and Jenny’s place near Victoria. We initially intended to run south to Port Renfrew then follow the coast to Sooke then up to Victoria but google map estimated over 3 hours for that route. Not under these conditions. The alternative via Duncan to the east would take about an 1 hour and 20, much more what we could handle right now.
So once the rain had slowed down abit, we took off and followed the main roads down to Victoria. The rain had pretty much stopped but it hadn’t gotten any warmer. We arrived at Bob and Jenny around 5:30 and were happy to get inside and out of our wet clothes.
Happy to be in Bob & Jenny’s driveway!
The evening was spent drying our gear and catching up with Zoe’s distant cousins.
The next day, Monday, we woke up at a leisurely hour in a warm comfortable bed. I still had a rear tire to sort out and we planned to head into town to find a motorcycle place that could remove the tire of the rim, pull the tube out, inspect the rim and ballance the new tire. Bob suggested the place he uses but unfortunately, when we got there they weren’t able to help and asked I’d come back the next day. In the mean time, it had become apparent that Zoe’s bike needed a new battery. So we went on the hunt for a battery place which we found after asking for a few directions. With a battery on order to be picked up late afternoon we went back into the downtown Victoria area, visited the Big Zoo where they have all sorts of insects and arachnids on display along with a very enthiusistic guide telling all sorts of interesting facts, and bringing bugs out for us to hold. (I got to hold a tarantula, something I was denied when I was 10! For some reason Tanguy didn’t take up the opportunity-Z)
Jewel bugs in the Zoo
Downtown Victoria’s harbour and Parliament House
After the visit with the bugs it was time for lunch, outside in the sun and then a walk around town, bought some post cards, had a coffee by the harbour… all those tourist things! From here we picked up and installed Zoes new battery which led us to leaving town during rush hour and the ride home was nothing fun… We sometimes forget about the rush hour thing having never lived in the real work and been in the wild for so long, well we got a reminder right there!
On Tuesday I went back into town to get my rear wheel sorted out, which this time was a success. I got back late morning to find Zoe washing her bike. Since mine needed it too I got to work also and we spent the next few hours removing pebbles oil, dust mud, bugs… from our machines. We didn’t do much else after that other than downloading photos from our cameras and tending to the website a little.
A bit of cleaning in the rain
On Wednesday the 19th the weather was forecast to be better (as in ‘no rain’) and we decided to go riding the “Port Renfrew” loop as the local motorcyclists like to call it, basically the road we missed on the way down. It was a cold but mostly sunny day and the riding was really nice. We stopped for lunch in Port Renfrew then rode the twisty road up to Lake Cowichan then through Duncan to the east shores at Cowichan Bay then south using mostly secondary roads back to Bob and Jenny’s house. It was a lovely day on great fun roads.
TA
Zoe – We thoroughly enjoyed being guests in a house and having healthy home cooked meals every evening, plus a warm bed to sleep in, a nice change! They had a great garden with all different kinds of roses, flowers and fresh fruit and veggies. Bob was still recovering from his motorcycle accident and couldn’t go far unfortunately.
Hello! Nice to have you back here !
The cold and the gravel is a pain on a bike but you made it to Victoria. This last bit of a trip has been a pain huh ? No wifi for a long time too.
Anyway you crossed that part of Canada … I believe you did all the routes possible 🙂
Hopefully the weather will change soon once you have crossed over to the US.
Rain and dense traffic, a change from hot Alaska and deserted roads.
The postcards from Victoria have arrived meanwhile, thanks a lot for the souvenir!
Zoë seems to have a lot of distant cousins and family in that area, we only have mum’s second cousin in Toronto but that’s a bit more to the East.
Fom deduction I guess that the area must be really beautiful for you to hang on to that part of Canada.
Well, weather permitting enjoy it to the max!
Baci on Sunday 9/24