(remember, you can click on photos to enlarge them)
Howe Sound from Stawamish Chief
Comox to Squamish (via Lund - and beyond)
The Ferry to Powell River
A walk on the shore
We'd been told that we must be at the ferry terminal at Little River just north of Comox at least half an hour before sailing if we wanted to ensure our reserved spot. Our preference had been to catch an earlier ferry, but they were both booked out so we had to settle for the 3:15 pm ferry and we definitely weren't going to miss that. Consequently we arrived - like a number of others - more than an hour ahead of time. As you can see from the photo above and those below, it wasn't a hardship waiting to embark.
Our rental car, bikes on top, ferry int the background
To raise the anticipation level of travelling down the Sunshine Coast, a sign has been erected at the entrance to the parking area:
Sunshine Coast? Di's ready with her sunnies in situ
I'd started to wonder if the Coast Range still existed as I hadn't caught a glimpse the whole time we were in Comox. Today revealed them in all their splendour.
Looking across at the Coast Range
There has been some interest in our lightweight, low profile, non-mechanically attached bike ride, so I thought I'd supply a closeup of what it looks like. We had a test run when Volkswagen Australia provided a vehicle for us while they replaced the transmission on our Golf AllTrack. So far we've been delighted with the way it works.
Bike rack closeup
Our reservation and early arrival meant that we were situated right near the front of the ship:
How's that for postioning!
I persuaded Di that it might be nice to head north of the ferry for a scenic drive to the end of Highway 101 at Lund. It's a delightful little resort with a marina that's very busy during the peak holiday season:
Scrutinising an overview map of the area I'd noticed a place called "Bliss Landing". What an idyllic-sounding place thought I, so I persuaded Di it might be interesting to head up that way. I'd even mapped it out on RidewithGPS, which indicated about half of the 11 kilometres was gravel, the rest paved. That was a lie, and the road had some very "interesting" bits which raised the temperature in the car somewhat. Enough said, except that the marriage survived - just!
Back in Powell River rather later than we thought, it was time for refreshment:
Dinner at the excellent Costa Del Sol latin cafe in Powell River, some shopping for breakfast and we were ready to hit the sack in preparation for our trip down the Sunshine Coast to Langdale, the ferry across to Horseshoe Bay and the drive up to Squamish the next day.
Di's Ride: Powell River to Saltery Bay
Powell River to Saltery Bay
As you can see, Di's route hugged the coast for a good part of the way, especially early.
A very cyclist-friendly route
And here's Di taking advantage:
Di kicks off our cycling adventure down the Sunshine Coast
A beautiful sign just past the first; the eagle floats out in front of the scene
Steaming along in the sunshine, but the air is still quite cool
While waiting at the bridge over the Lois River I had a look over the edge to spot a wonderful-looking swimming hole:
Swimming hole on the Lois River
When Di came along ...
Di crossing the Lois River Bridge
... I persuaded her to stop and enjoy the view. Here's a little video I shot that better reveals the enchantment below (look closely and you'll see swallows flitting about) ...
I got to the Saltery Bay ferry terminal just before Di, who did a great ride as we the terrain was a bit hillier than we'd done for a while. After putting her bike on the top of the car, we got on the ferry which was only about half full. So far, so goood!
The ferry ride was an absolute joy, with clear skies and calm conditions. Here's another video to illustrate:
Doug's Ride: Earls Cove to Langdale
Saltery Bay to Earls Cove
Di loved her ride, and I was excited to get on the bike and start pedalling too! Here's a photo Di took looking back down at the ferry as I was getting myself and my bike ready to roll ...
A last look back at the Earls Cove ferry
My ride was also very beautiful. Not as close early for so much of the route as Di's, but I did ride past a few small lakes ...
My route was a bit hilly, more so because I'd forgotten about the turnoff to Halfmoon Bay about halfway and the ride along the coast. Not having alerted Di, when I saw the turnoff pop up on my GPS I thought I better keep going as she would be wondering where I'd got to when she continued on the Sunshine Coast Highway. None of the hills were very big but there wasn't a lot of flat ground:
Earls Cove to Langdale route profile
Di got a few photos of me along the way, but none of them were very flattering as I hunched over the bars struggling with the ups. This one though isn't too bad ...
Okay okay. Another hill.
There was an occasional glimpse of the sea when I got up a bit ...
An arm of the sea through trees
Traffic had started to build up a bit along the highway, which wasn't a problem as there was a good shoulder the whole way. But it was nice to detour off onto Lower Road - which took me through nice forest for seven and a half kilometres and gave almost total respite from vehicular traffic. Predictably, there were quite a few cyclists pedalling along this route.
I rejoined the highway for another two and a half kilometres through a built up area before veering away and making the thrilling plunge back down to the sea at Gibsons.
A digression (which I admit to being prone to 😉): some readers might remember the classic comedy TV series "The Beachcombers", which was filmed on location in Gibsons and aired for 19 years, one of the longest running shows in Canadian television history. It was filmed on location in Gibsons.
Here's a short blast from the past for those, like me, who remember it fondly:
From Gibsons is was once again very nice pedalling along the water's edge away from traffic right to the ferry terminal at Langdale.
Back alongside the sea, shortly before arriving at Langdale
There was little traffic so one of the queuing bays at the ferry terminal was closed, making a convenient spot for us to pull over and get my bike on the car.
The ferry ride from Langdale across to Horseshoe Bay is quite beautiful ...
Coast Range panorama
Just love the way these mountains rise out of the sea
We had a smooth ride up the Sea to Sky Highway as far as Squamish, arriving at the Howe Sound Inn and Brewery by about five pm.
Arriving at the Howe Sound Inn, Mount Garibaldi gleaming in the background
The Three Peaks of Stawamus Chief with Mike and Ruth
In preparing for this trip we thought it would be great if we could catch up with a few folks from Strava with whom we communicate. Ruth and Mike Kimber, who live in Mission, which is a long way east of here are very active and seemingly up for anything. We were delighted that they were keen to make the two hour drive from their home to join us for a hike on the landmark Stawamus Chief, which towers over Squamish. (Dianne and I have spent many weeks climbing on the cliffs of the Chief, but that's another story, to which I will not digress.)
Here's a bunch of photos - more or less in order - which I think can speak for themselves:
Relaxing for a chat and a snack on one of the lovely granite slabs
More slabs, Howe Sound and the Sea to Sky Highway below
The Majestic Howe Sound
Squamish: harbour detail
Squamish at the head of Howe Sound
I will introduce the following photo. While we were sitting atop the first peak we, along with the rest of as that spot, spotted a trio of BASE jumpers on top of Second Peak. This photo shows the second jumper in mid air while the third jumper waits his turn. More on them at the end of this section of the post.
Wing-suited BASE jumpers atop the second peak
Looking back at First Peak
The roots in front of me run from the tree behind
Mount Garibaldi from the Second Peak
On the Third Peak
In one of the gullies on the way back
Once up, we had to come back down. It was the steepest ascent Dianne and I had done for quite a while. Ruth was offering ibuprofen for the journey back. I - and my knees - gratefully accepted. Remarkably, the knees were not sore at the bottom. (The thighs were another matter.)
Mike and Ruth joined us for a feed and refreshing ales at the award-winning Howe Sound Brewery, conveniently located just downstairs from where Dianne and I are lodging. A great finish to a memorable day.
And here's a fitting finale for the report of our trip up the Chief with Mike and Ruth: while atop the First Peak Di did shoot a short video of the third BASE jumper taking off:
Taking it Easy
Both the DB's woke up with sore thighs today. 🤨 Regrettably, we haven't been doing so much up and down walking these days. The next few days might be a little painful (we've already made some adjustments to our plans for tomorrow) but we wouldn't have changed yesterday for quits. It was fantastic to meet Mike and Ruth and spend the day being active with them in a beautiful place.
After breakfast in our room, the first thing on the agenda was to get some laundry done. Actually, that turned out to be the second thing on the agenda because the local laundromat wasn't opening until 10 a.m. So we just had to go have a second breakfast just near where we're staying of coffee and a cinnamon bun.
Here's a photo taken especially for John Uhlrichsen:
Coffee and CINNAMON BUNS while looking at the main face of the Chief
Just up the road from where we're staying there's a pretty impressive bike shop, and outside was parked a Santa Cruz trailer, no doubt packed with high end mountain bikes ...
Wouldn't mind a peak inside ...
It's been a pretty lazy day, trying to gently walk out some the stiffness in our legs so that we can do a bit of pedalling tomorrow. We found a reasonably priced sushi place at the other end of town and poked around in the Valhalla Pure store we used to visit back in the day when we were spending time here climbing. We went into the Climb On store and flicked through the Squamish Select guidebook to review a couple of the nicer routes we've climbed. Gotta love a bit of nostalgia. Dianne has had a long afternoon nap while I did a bit of blogging. We've just had dinner. Snacks in our room with a beverage each.
One of three still waiting ...
Di's had one, I've had one, and there's one left for later, which I'm looking forward to, perhaps whilst watching the Battle of Alberta on HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA. ❤️!!! Go Connor McDavid - the world's best hockey player - and co is all I can say. Always good to watch a superstar perform, whatever sport they're in. Tomorrow another new phase of our journey begins. I'll report again when we reach Penticton.
(a reminder: if you click on a photo it will open in a new window in a larger format)
At Mom's Place
Our two weeks "quarantine plan" - required when we originally booked our tickets but now dropped - has expired and we've been staying with my Mom for a few days before making the crossing tomorrow to the mainland via the ferry to Powell River (worth a click just to see the great video introducing the city). Yesterday Mom put me to work pruning her lilac - which has become a pretty leggy tree rather than a shrub. I cut out a fair bit of spindly and dead wood to bring a bit of vigour back to the plant but it will need more dramatic action once it's stopped flowering.
As an indication of how independent Mom still is, she wouldn't let me fetch the stepladder from the garage - or take it back when I was finished with it. (Yes, she IS actually 90. 💪😉)
Later in the evening I made clam chowder, with much help from the my two well-seasoned sous-chefs. Di stepped in with a deft hand for the roux and Mom kept preparations rolling nicely by making sure we could find everything we needed. Here's a picture of Mom and Dianne with Doug's Clam Chowder in front of them, along with some garlic bread:
... and another of Mom and me:
Thankfully, between some quite wet days the weather has picked up here quite a lot and we've been able to get out a little more consistently for some semi-dry cycling. More of that later but I wanted to share some photos of walking around the place first.
Walking for Sunshine?
Most days since our arrival it has rained at least some of the time, often most of the time. However, thanks to Dianne drive the wetness hasn't kept us inside. Two walks in particular stand out. The first is when we went up to Seal Bay Nature Park for a wander. The interesting thing about this place is that it's a recovered logging site, which probably would have been clear-felled at least 50 or 60 years ago. Here's what the place looks like today:
It will be a little while yet before this fruit is ready to eat. Then watch out for bears!
There was a slug along the path - but only one that we saw...
An old stump, which looks like a cedar, but I didn't see any live cedars along the way
Our walk was only 6 kilometres but it was quite lovely, especially given the damp conditions. Dianne and I both feel that these forest walks, like the walks we do in the rainforest at home, are best appreciated when conditions are damp.
There were quite a few other walkers, some joggers and some evidence of cyclists in damper sections. There was a lady with two small children who wanted us to know they were "looking for frogs". They hadn't seen any but were having massive amounts of fun looking. If you'd like to see the pictures in context you could watch the Relive video I made.
A Walk Around the Spit
The other memorable excursion was our circumnavigation of the Comox Spit. This was a longer excursion, a little cooler and wetter than our trip to Seal Bay. But it was very interesting, as I'd never walked all the way around the Spit when I was a kid growing up in Comox. There is a military facility and a Sea Cadets camp and it was generally accepted that the whole Spit was off limits to the public. Since then, walking around along the shore seems to be tolerated and there is a nice little park along the neck of the spit. Here are some pictures from our excursion:
Comox Spit, locally known as Goose Spit
Di discovered this dead but largely intact crab
Great to see signs of indigenous culture out on the shore of the Spit
And here is more signs of cultural renewal
An abandoned yacht on the leeward shore of the Spit, which apparently has been here quite some time
It looks like quite a lot of work has gone into this environmentally friendly seawall
The weather forecasting here has been quite good, and it promised two good days before another wet one so we were eager to get back in the saddle. And two days on the road yielded almost two complete rides without precipitation: yippee! The first was a reversal of a loop we did before. Some interesting stuff along the way, but mostly just a really nice cruise in the countryside:
Green stuff growing, blue sky and the sun is SHINING!
Big wheels rollin'
The interesting and gratifying thing about this photo is how far the truck driver has taken his vehicle to the side of the road. If you look closely you can see his right side wheels are actually off the bitumen. And he went past at a very moderate pace. Thanks mate!
Evidence of how cool and damp it's been: wet fields and snowy mountains in the background
"Sensitive Habitat" sign on the Tsolum River
There weren't any of these signs along waterways in this area when I was growing up but now they are on almost every stream and river. Great to see, and apparently the care and concern that folks are giving the fish habitat is making a real difference.
Turkey patrol 😉
A random turkey cruising along Tsolum River Road. Di was trying to get a photo but I couldn't turn the turkey towards her.
Once a rustic camper, now a vegetable stall
At the end of our ride we arrived back at Mom's place to discover the wind had deposited a great drift of cherry blossom petals in her driveway ...
Some contextual photos to show where we're going for this ride:
Buckley Bay is a millpond this morning
The ferry between Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island and West Hornby is a cable ferry, with a cable connecting to either side of the vessel front and back ...
Our ferry awaits
... which replaced this now idle vessel ...
And here is Di aboard the ferry with our bikes. Note the room afforded cyclists. And something else of note which is quite different to what happens when we catch the ferry across to Bruny Island south of Hobart: pedestrians and cyclists board FIRST, while motorists wait patiently! Also, there is a separate ramp for cyclists and pedestrians leading down to the ferry. Very civilised!
An eagle and an anchor welcome us to Denman Island ...
We were trying to maximise our chances of catching the connecting ferry to Hornby Island so we didn't dally along the 11 kilometres across Denman and southwards towards the terminal. When we did make the crossing and start wandering around Hornby this is the sort of riding we encountered for much of the way:
Apart from small clumps of cars passing periodically there was very little traffic. No doubt it is quite a lot busier later in the season but it was really nice having the roads largely uncluttered with vehicular traffic.
I had to stop at this roadside cedar to prop my bike up against it and take a photo to show the size of the thing, which must have been a small sapling back in the day when the area was logged:
Hornby is a very funky place, with lots of alternative lifestylers and artists. How the folks who live in the property behind this old yacht got said vessel placed in its present site must have been an interesting exercise.
I wondered whether this is this an art installation or did the owners of the house behind sail it back in the day. They had a motor cruiser parked in the driveway with a "For Sale" sign on it.
Very very green in this part of the island which was thickly clad in luxuriant forest ...
Our "destination" for lunch was Ford's Cove near the southern end of the island, where we got a coffee and gobbled some much needed nutrition, including a cinnamon bun each. Here are a bunch of photos taken around the shop and marina, which apparently gets pretty busy in the summer months:
A gorgeous shot from Di
Logs, rock, water, forest, sky and mountains
A concentration of lost logs in the lee of the breakwater
Hydrographic Service marker
Back on the bikes we wandered around a bit before making our way back ...
Books and a nicely crafted gate
A glimpse south and west back towards Vancouver Island
As we were making our way back to the western side of Hornby we caught up to this gum-booted, serape-clad gal tootling along on a nifty electric bike with fairly wide tyres. Apparently ready for pretty much anything:
ELECTRIC!
A house clad in overlapping slices of log rounds
Mural on the side of a cafe/guesthouse
The ferry back to Denman Island; note the pedestrian walkway
Once back on Denman we made a beeline for the ferry to the mainland. We'd been hoping to stay dry but a short sharp shower came through forcing us to don our rain jackets, which then then cleared away almost immediately. We needn't have rushed as we had another half hour to wait for the ferry once we reached the terminal. This was the scene back across the water, showing the Beaufort Range once again covered with cloud and showers coming down.
A glimpse of the weather back on mainland Vancouver Island
Di kept her rain jacket on for the ferry ride, and the shower cap she uses over her helmet when it's cold and the rain is falling ...
I must get one of those shower caps 🤔
Competing or Complementary Relaxants?
New Tradition Brewery is located in downtown Comox and has some fun names for their beers
Something we've noticed since arriving here in B.C. is the explosion in craft breweries, which is much like what is going on back home in our own island state of Tasmania. What is completely different though is the proliferation of cannabis stores. Now that laws restricting the use of cannabis have lifted there is a world of difference from what was the case when we were last here. While there was always a significant use of weed in this part of the world dating back to about the time I was growing up here, now it's all out in the open rather than clandestine.
If one were to draw a direct comparison between the number of craft breweries and cannabis outlets, you'd have to say that cannabis is winning the competition between craft breweries and cannabis outlets: there are at least ten cannabis stores in the Comox Valley (ranging from the family owned and operated Comox Valley Cannabis Company on First Nations land to the City Cannabis Company which is "now delivering") but only six craft breweries. However, the craft brewery scene seems much more sociable, with plenty of cars parked outside the ones we passed and a hum of activity. And on our way home from Denman and Hornby the other day we detoured via the Church Street Taphouse in Comox. While not actually themselves a brewery, they've got about a gazillion beverages on tap from all over the island and across Georgia Strait on mainland BC, with a mouthwatering menu to complement the ales, ciders and wines. The place was abuzz with folks having a good time. By contrast, the cannabis "dispensaries" were all pretty quiet. Although I realise it's ridiculous to compare the two in this way, I declare the craft brewing scene the winner based on just having a fun time with friends and food.
A Fine Final Foray
Comox to Qualicum Beach and Back Again
The forecast for our last full day on Vancouver Island was for largely sunny conditions with light winds. The ride I had most wanted to share with Dianne while we were on the island was a trip down the coast to the charming town of Qualicum Beach and back again. Perhaps if you look at the image above showing our route for the day you'll understand why: the route hugs the shore for much of its length, with views across to islands to the east and the mainland. Di was keen to have an extended outing after a full day of rest and this route at 130 plus kilometres fit the bill nicely.
The best conditions were meant to be early in the day so we set off just after seven. Within a few kilometres we just had to stop for a photo op as we were afforded the best view of the Comox Glacier since arriving:
Comox Glacier in all its glory
Around Comox Bay we went and then headed southward; well, southeast actually. Soon I had the GoPro out of the pocket to take a picture of a deer crossing the road:
In shadows just south of Royston a deer crosses the road
Not much further south we were back on the coast with gorgeous, soft light and very light traffic and relatively still conditions, so another chance for a photo on the fly:
The light was sublime early this morning
We were making good progress but thought it would be smart to have a break before the turnaround in Qualicum Beach. Our first real opportunity was at Bowser, about 46 kilometres into the journey. And what a find! The Bootless Rooster cafe has excellent service, even better coffee, and some scrumptious food on offer.
Quirky name but an excellent cafe!
Having a predilection for sampling cinnamon buns whenever possible, we thought maybe these were a little large to have one each so we decided to share a bun and an apple fritter, which was just a little smaller. Di was really hungry but this stage and had difficulty waiting until I took a photo of our snacks before tucking in:
Yes, very hard to resist!
The lunch menu looked so good we resolved to just have a quick coffee in Qualicum Beach and stop here again on our way back. Quite a good plan because this would break our ride into three sections of roughly 45 kilometres each.
Conditions continued to be favourable so we made good time to Qualicum Beach and found another great cafe, this one called French Press Coffee Roasters. They've got a fun little video on YouTube which reflects quite nicely the vibe of the place:
The place was humming when we arrived, which is always a good sign. This is what our coffee looked like when I picked it up at the counter:
It tasted as good as it looked, but what we also liked was the personalised receipt which made it very clear which coffees were ours (look closely at the image above).
What really made our visit a total delight though was the sight of the group occupying a large table in the middle of the cafe: seven adults with six chortling babies. It was so special seeing such a big group of (well behaved!) babies together that I just had to ask if they minded me taking their picture for my blog. They were happy to comply. Not a brilliant photo because of the backlighting but still, here it is:
Happy parents with a bounty of well-behaved babies!
Oh, I almost forgot: as we were coming into the town we passed a bike shop with one of the best names I've ever seen:
Absolutely chuffed with our quick visit to Qualicum Beach, we set off for the return journey. We were back in Bowser almost before we knew it. We took a nice long break this time, with a savoury dish to start, followed by a sweet and coffee. By the way, it's worth knowing that a small coffee at at virtually every cafe we've visited on this trip would equate to a large at home in Tasmania.
Once we left Bowser there was no stopping before reaching Comox. I did take a few photos while moving, including the two below, which hold particular significance for me:
The first is of Tree and Denman Islands. Tree Island is a place my family a number of time with friends for picnics, where we'd swim (there are actually sandy beaches which is a rarity on this coast!), play games and cook oysters in the fire. Great memories:
Tree Island is the small one on the left, Denman on the right
The other photo I had to take was of the Fanny Bay Inn, known forever to locals as the "FBI":
The "FBI"
This pub has special significance for me because almost half a century ago (48 years, to be exact) I stopped in here while riding south to Victoria, at the start of my second year of university. It was by far the longest ride I'd ever undertaken up to that point. I'd made a later start than I should have, and decided it would be a good idea to stop off for a snack and a refreshing ale. Because I really didn't understand the need to keep properly hydrated, I was feeling fairly thirsty and one refreshing ale soon became two. Once back on the bike, it wasn't long before I was feeling a bit wobbly and decided it would be prudent to pull off the road and have a little lie down. The next thing I knew a concerned motorist was shaking me awake, concerned for my welfare. Assuring him I was fine, I climbed back on my bike and the rest of the journey passed uneventfully. I did however arrive a little late.
While we were at Bowser I put the proposition to Di that upon arrival in Comox we make our way to the Church Street Taphouse for a basket of fries to replenish, diminished carbs. A (small) beer to celebrate the day was also suggested. Here we are upon arrival:
The end of a brilliant day out with my favourite riding partner
Because she was planning on making her way back to Mom's place at a recovery pace, but didn't want to diminish her average speed as shown on Strava Di decided to stop recording her ride at this point. Because she was quitting early (well ... sort of) I decided that I would do my normal rounding up after all. There are more photos on my Strava post, and you can watch the Relive video here if you're so inclined.
Although the weather has been fairly dreary for most of our stay here in the Comox Valley, the past few days have almost erased our disappointment. Today was particularly special.
Tomorrow Dianne and I will take Mom out to lunch, say goodbye and then catch the ferry across to the mainland to begin the next phase of our holiday. I'll report back in a week or so.
