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The Grand Adventure

A bike trip with no end Read more

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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Smithers
July 29, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Sun is shining- allowing us to glimpse the mountains all around us. Short ride to Smithers on newly paved road. Check into municipal campground and then walk to town. Continue our BV ale trail at Buckley Vally Brewing. Gather groceries and have enormous burgers for dinner.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
And then it rains
July 28, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
With threatening skies, get an early start to try and get ahead of the rain. Misting ensues but nothing much as we arrive in Hazelton in time for their farmers market. Opt to continue onward even though we are offered a place to stay by a nice woman in front of the grocery store. Though we pass through moose country none are to be found. Rain catches us but make it to Witset and very nice campground!Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Kitwanga
July 27, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Day clouds up quickly but a smooth road and tail wind keeps us moving quickly. Wide shoulder continues as we gradually gain some elevation as we ride still along the Skeena. Divert north towards Alaska to get food and stay at free municipal campground in Kitwanga. As weather is a bit threatening, we opt to pitch our tent under the shelter. Only wildlife is a assertive squirrel who is after our food!Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Terrace
July 26, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Lovely morning ride to Terrace - first town since Prince Rupert. Once again we are seeking out a bike store for my back rack. Finally replace it. Replenish our food, stop at brewery #2 and make our way north to Kleanza creek PP. Enjoy our beers in the sunshine by lovely creek.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Along the Skeena
July 25, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Cloudy morning but not too chilly. Continue our journey along hwy 16. First must summit Rainbow Pass @ 525 ft 🤣🤣. Nice long down to Skeena river. Followed along it for the rest of the day enjoying an incredibly flat stretch. Bald eagles chattered around us and fish flung themselves through the air for no apparent reason. Day remained rather cloudy. Checked into Kasika lodge and campground.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Eastbound
July 24, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Manage to sleep in even though our neighbors left early to catch the outbound ferry. Pack up and go explore Prince Rupert. Cappuccino and cake for breakfast! Stop by the brewery (1st on this section of BC Ale trail) and get beers for later. Head out of town and go a short distance to Prudhomme Lake PP. spend the afternoon chasing the few sunbeams.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Through the inside passage
July 23, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
A very early wake-up in order to get to the ferry terminal by 5:30. Ride the quiet streets and estuary path as the sky begins to brighten. Board the ferry and grab window seats. Spend the next 16 hours searching for whales (only saw spouts and a distant tail) and generally watching it all go by. Channel was amazingly narrow for much of the time. Arrived very late to Prince Rupert and checked into campground.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Port Hardy
July 22, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Get a late start for our short day to Port Hardy. It’s one of those weather days when the jacket is going on and off as the rain starts and stops. Decide to check out the ferry terminal first so we would know what to expect the next morning. Get to town, grab some lunch and sit (shivering) in park until hostel opens. Check in to our cozy room with a full kitchen. Nice steak dinner.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Alert Bay
July 21, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Another day spent in Port McNeill as we await the post office (needed bike part) and our ferry. Take a short ferry to Cormorant Island and the tiny town of Alert Bay. Do see a few sea creature on the way but no whales. Walk the island, enjoying the First Nations culture and ocean views. Many cool totem poles and cemeteries. Tad bit chilly as summer has seemed to have departed momentarily.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Port McNeill
July 20, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Sunny day but a bit of wind as we ride along Nimpkish Lake. Only get a few glimpses of the lake and no good spots to stop and enjoy it. Do spot numerous peaks with snow. Make our way to Port McNeill and push up to nice campground - with much needed showers. Walk back to town and have very good pizza and beer at local brewery.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Woss Lake
July 19, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Another day of rolling hills. Not too many but rather long. Turn out to be pretty gentle. Pretty toasty day and arrive at tiny town of Woss in need of ice cream. Venture down gravel road to another great rec site right on the lake. Quick dunk serves to cool us off.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
The wild north island
July 18, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
Leave busy Campbell River behind and head into the forested land in the north. Pass the site where they blew up “ridge rocks” as they were causing many shipwrecks. Biggest non-nuclear explosion of its time. Continue up and over a few climbs on the wide-shouldered island highway. There are numerous logging trucks but not too bad. Find Elk Creek Rec Site - a free campground hosted by BC Parks. Cool off in the lovely creek.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Elk Falls
July 17, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Wake up quite late in our shadowy campsite. Doesn’t really matter as no where we need to be. After breakfast walk along the river trail to Elk Falls and the suspension bridge. Stroll amongst huge trees and stop for lunch and swim by beautiful pool. Complete the loop back to campground. Another dip in the river before packing up and dinner.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Onto Campbell river
July 16, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Very short day, but great riding on the ‘Seawalk’ coming into Campbell River. Head straight for Elk Falls PP and find many sites open. Opt to stay 2 nights to allow time to explore. Head back to town and ride along the spit. Make a few grocery stops before heading back to campground and then to the river. Nice temp though a bit shallow. Eat the salmon that had been given to us in exchange for a bit of olive oil.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Oyster River
July 15, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Say goodbye to the ‘bunkie’ and continue along the island highway north. Very pleasant riding - generally flat and no wind. Enjoy the bike path around Courtenay, stopping for lunch while looking out over the low tide. Arrive at Miracle Beach provincial park only to find it full. Wind up at another very spendy resort. Right next to lovely sandy beach!Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Birthday
July 14, 2024 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 20 °C
Wake up very early with the sun streaming in the windows. Enjoy morning coffee while overlooking the water. Short walk down the rocky beach before making the birthday boy his breakfast. Quiet and restful day along the water.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Deep Bay
July 13, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Short day of riding so take our time. Lovely cycle way to cute town of Qualicum. Meander through the farmers market and town. Head to the beach for lunch. Hard to get anywhere as people seem fascinated in what we are doing and like to chat. Continue along the older and quieter island highway. Go through tiny towns on the way to our AirBnB in Deep Bay. Lovely place. Check out the very warm water and have nice pre-birthday dinner while watching the tide come in.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Onto Parksville
July 12, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Made our way through Nanaimo, first stopping for Nanaimo bars. Very sweet but tasty and fueled us for quite awhile. Said goodbye to TCT as it crossed over to the mainland. We switched between nice cycle paths and the shoulder of the busy island highway. Arrived to our destination- but the park campground was full. Managed to find a very spendy ‘resort’ by the water.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
A day of ferries
July 11, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Up and out of Montague and back to the ferry dock to await our first ferry. Longer ride as we stopped at two other islands on the way back to Salt Springs. Crossed back over to Vesuvius bay and then back to Vancouver island. Rejoined the TCT and headed north along nice cycle way. Challenged to find a campground so go rather far so late in the day. Arrive at Living Tree near Nainamo. Thankfully lots of daylight hours!Read more
TravelerI’ve camped MANY times at Living Forest campsite with my boys when they were young. Nice one! Welcome back to the island!
7/15/24Reply
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Galiano Island
July 10, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Lots of animal noises during the night had us wondering about bears but it turned out to be deer and raccoons. Walked along the bay and Gray Point. Lots of shellfish though warnings against collecting them. Rode up the island and walked to Pebble Beach where we had great views to the east including Mt. Baker. Out to dinner at the Crane and Robin at the marina.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Island Hopping
July 9, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Headed up and out of Ruckle and back to Ganges (town). Spent a bit of time in town and then headed to Long Harbour and our ferry to Galiano. Nice ride to much quieter, yet still hilly island. Checked in to Montague Bay Park.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
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Exploring Salt Springs
July 8, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Manage to catch the start of sunrise over the water. Ride along the south side of the island and make our way to Burgoyne Bay. Hike a bit to Daffodil Point and then sit by the bay and watch the tide roll out. Cool off with a tasty beer and then a jump in the lake (sea is too cold to get in). Back to our lovely campground to watch the boat traffic.Read more
Traveler Can you see our house?
7/9/24Reply
Helene Rimberg Yes we could 😁!
7/10/24Reply
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
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Onto Salt Springs
July 7, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
With a hot spell forecasted, make our way to Salt Springs Island. Take a quick ferry and then ride up and down to the main town of Ganges. Have lunch in the park followed by gelato. Unfortunately, head up right afterwards. Roll along to Ruckle Provincial Park. Great campsite right by the water. Watch the ferry traffic cruise passed us.Read more
Traveler Great pic!
7/9/24Reply
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Duncan
July 6, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Nice ride along the Cowichan Valley Trail/TCT to Duncan. Lots of totem poles and cool sculptures throughout the town. Visited farmers market (not much produce yet) and our new favorite store - Bulk Barn. Rode to Edanmare winery and did some tasting before heading to our WarmShowers hosts in Maple Bay. Lovely evening.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Lake Cowichan
July 5, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Day spent walking along MTB trails in the forest next to the lake. Quite warm but cooled off with New Zealand style ice cream, a dip in the lake and cold beers!
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