Distance: 100 km
Elevation: 1,100 m
Date: August 6, 2022
The night had been a bit cold. It felt like a single digit temperature but I slept reasonably well nonetheless. The stars at night are so intense and beautiful. It is hard to put in words. And I can’t recognize any constellations yet because everything looks differently on this side of the earth.
It turned out that it had been a good idea to listen to Roy and take it easy yesterday. I wouldn’t have made the climb until the next campground.
Today I started at 9:30 in the saddle after some grocery shopping. The first 40km were pretty much all uphill. Temperatures were climbing towards 30 degrees.. Again I followed the coastal highway up North all day. The ride was very meditative. I find it always amazing how little I can think in a day when I am on the bike.
Normally there are at least 5 parallel projects which I am processing in my head. Here it is just one.
After 65 km I reached a very little place called Woss in the early afternoon. This is worth mentioning because they had a shop with cold drinks and ice. I really needed that.
The remaining 35 km were easier but I was tired and there was a lot of headwind. It almost reminded me of approaching Tarifa in southern Spain. After a downhill gravel road without any signs I arrived at a lake with a wild camping spot that was just so beautiful. The place was free and had a very special energy. It had been created by windsurfers 25 years ago, hence the wind which typically picks up in the afternoon. The shape of the valley serves as a kind of funnel. Before the surfers took over the place was used by a logging company to transport timber logs through the lake by turning them into giant floats. There is no Wi-Fi , no cell reception and there are also no showers. So I went for a swim in the lake which was a bit challenging because it was full of old driftwood. However, it was so beautiful and refreshing after a hard and hot day in the saddle.
Talking to my neighbors regarding the bear situation I got invited by Tarra and Mike from Port Alberni for dinner: Buritos and beer. This must be heaven 😊. They also offered me to leave my food in their truck over night which was quite a relief. Both are avid surfers and cyclists.
It is amazing how friendly the people are around here. Around 9pm I went to bed with a happy smile.
