BC ferries

[Nachodaddy]

Beautiful. Nice report. Thanks

[GoldOxide_imp]

Man, very nice excursion pdedse. Glad to read you made it happen.

Thanks GO...I hope my Canadian friends will forgive my ignorance; example, when we were planning this trip, I looked just once, maybe twice at a map of British Columbia. I was imagining little infrastructure and few people. I don't know why, I just never really explored the area online. But the ferries were full, the roads were beautiful, lots and lots of people about. And with good reason, as the bays and mountains were just gorgeous.

It's gettin' closer.

Nice shots pdedse.

It looks like it, right? Those three shots were at the same time...just playing with the 40x zoom of my Canon sx740 point n shoot. Nice camera for $300 I think it was.
Leaving Earl's Cove and heading for Saltery Bay...my friend's GS and the CB packed in with bicycles and other vehicles:



From upper deck


The wonderful thing about the ferries is that you have a break from riding and can have lunch or other meal while you cross. No need to look for a supermarket or restaurant. Very enjoyable with nice cool to chilly breezes even though it was quite warm on land.
I can't recall if it was 1 or 2pm when we got to Saltery Bay...we wanted to do a second night of camping and Mermaid Cove was almost too soon after getting off the ferry. But it looked inviting and as hotels and campgrounds were nearing capacity, we decided to take a site as there was still room. Got to see a bear cross the road earlier in the morning and the campground manager said another one visited the campground the night before but didn't cause any mischief. Still, we were advised to hang our food from a high branch.

The beach was only 200 meters from our spot and after getting things set-up we headed for the cool, welcoming waters. There were divers just finishing and as Jeff and I are both certified, we asked if they were available the next day, but alas, that was their off day. They thought a few moments about making an exception but realized they had family committments. Next time. There's an underwater mermaid that you can scuba to, and they said there are abundant fish and other creatures to see. I brought a pair of swimming goggles and could see purple star-fish, a few jellies and other creatures among the rocks just off shore.



The ramp is so that divers can just walk into the water at high tide and start their dive...no boat necessary.


Today, this was as good as the diving was going to get:


Jeff is checking in on his family as they have lots going on back home:

He and his wife will be heading back to BC tommorrow, Thursday, just a week after our trip started. They are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary. So a lot of this trip was to scope out things for their trip.

Thanks GO...I hope my Canadian friends will forgive my ignorance; example, when we were planning this trip, I looked just once, maybe twice at a map of British Columbia. I was imagining little infrastructure and few people. I don't know why, I just never really explored the area online. But the ferries were full, the roads were beautiful, lots and lots of people about. ...
Maybe easy to forgive. Canada's population is less than California, so perceptions can be distorted, but thankfully not.

Ah crap, my roof is melting again. Gotta find some more snow to patch it.

[Cormanus]

Most excellent report, pdedse. Wonderful photos.

[pdedse]

Man, very nice excursion pdedse. Glad to read you made it happen.

Thanks GO...I hope my Canadian friends will forgive my ignorance; example, when we were planning this trip, I looked just once, maybe twice at a map of British Columbia. I was imagining little infrastructure and few people. I don't know why, I just never really explored the area online. But the ferries were full, the roads were beautiful, lots and lots of people about. And with good reason, as the bays and mountains were just gorgeous.

It's gettin' closer.

Nice shots pdedse.

It looks like it, right? Those three shots were at the same time...just playing with the 40x zoom of my Canon sx740 point n shoot. Nice camera for $300 I think it was.
Leaving Earl's Cove and heading for Saltery Bay...my friend's GS and the CB packed in with bicycles and other vehicles:



From upper deck


The wonderful thing about the ferries is that you have a break from riding and can have lunch or other meal while you cross. No need to look for a supermarket or restaurant. Very enjoyable with nice cool to chilly breezes even though it was quite warm on land.
I can't recall if it was 1 or 2pm when we got to Saltery Bay...we wanted to do a second night of camping and Mermaid Cove was almost too soon after getting off the ferry. But it looked inviting and as hotels and campgrounds were nearing capacity, we decided to take a site as there was still room. Got to see a bear cross the road earlier in the morning and the campground manager said another one visited the campground the night before but didn't cause any mischief. Still, we were advised to hang our food from a high branch.

The beach was only 200 meters from our spot and after getting things set-up we headed for the cool, welcoming waters. There were divers just finishing and as Jeff and I are both certified, we asked if they were available the next day, but alas, that was their off day. They thought a few moments about making an exception but realized they had family committments. Next time. There's an underwater mermaid that you can scuba to, and they said there are abundant fish and other creatures to see. I brought a pair of swimming goggles and could see purple star-fish, a few jellies and other creatures among the rocks just off shore.



The ramp is so that divers can just walk into the water at high tide and start their dive...no boat necessary.


Today, this was as good as the diving was going to get:


Jeff is checking in on his family as they have lots going on back home:

He and his wife will be heading back to BC tommorrow, Thursday, just a week after our trip started. They are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary. So a lot of this trip was to scope out things for their trip.

Thanks GO...I hope my Canadian friends will forgive my ignorance; example, when we were planning this trip, I looked just once, maybe twice at a map of British Columbia. I was imagining little infrastructure and few people. I don't know why, I just never really explored the area online. But the ferries were full, the roads were beautiful, lots and lots of people about. ...
Maybe easy to forgive. Canada's population is less than California, so perceptions can be distorted, but thankfully not.

Ah crap, my roof is melting again. Gotta find some more snow to patch it.

So you DO live in houses made of snow....I knew it.
On Monday, we got up early to pack the tents and other gear so that we could make the 8am ferry that leaves Powell River and would take us to "the Big Island"...the other one, Vancouver Island at Courtenay.



The morning started a bit cloudy and the crossing looked a little less happy than those of the other days with the bright sunshine.





A little difficult to hold the panorama shot steady with the strong breeze, but I love the wide open-ness of these ferry crossings:


We bumped around here and there in Courtenay before heading south on hiway 19. Nanaimo was going to be our stop for the night and after the 2 nights camping, we needed a hotel break. Jeff teaches a few online courses and had to check in with students so we needed a reliable connection.

Most excellent report, pdedse. Wonderful photos.

Thanks, Cormanus...I always enjoy yours...when's the next one?
After some 45 minutes on 19, we headed west on 4...Jeff wanted to take me to Tofino on the west coast of the island, but it was about 170 kilometers, and then we'd have to ride it back and a bit more to Nanaimo, making for a long day. And we new we would have a long ride home on Tuesday. So once we road past Cameron Lake:



...we started talking and realized both of us were a bit tired and didn't feel like riding all the way to Tofino. We made it to Port Alberni, had lunch, then road back to the lake, set up the hammocks, swam for about 45 minutes, then laid out for awhile. Made it Nanaimo by 5 and found Gina's, a funky Mexican / Tex mex restaurant. The food was good after the camp meals.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Nice. I see you went through Coombs and Parksville, BC? Nice retirement communities with very temperate (rideable) winter seasons.

[pdedse]

Nice. I see you went through Coombs and Parksville, BC? Nice retirement communities with very temperate (rideable) winter seasons.

My friend and I thought the same about a lot of the areas we rode through, but weren't sure about winters, but temperate and rideable, you say? My wife is from Costa Rica and so our U.S. winters will likely be spent there and summers in Oregon. But we are already thinking a trip to BC via 4 wheel vehicle (she doesn't like motorcycles) would be fun.

Last day, Tuesday...

Jeff's mom was in Victoria, BC on Monday and she didn't get on the ferry to Port Angeles because it was booked solid. Lots of people moving about as Monday, August 1st was British Columbia Day, when BC celebrates being BC. Since she had difficulty getting on a ferry, we decided to make a reservation...turned out to be a wise choice.

We got up plenty early and neither of us checked to see how much time was needed to ride from Nanaimo to Victoria. We just thought and hour or so was good...got lazy. Started talking about this and that, and soon it was 8:30...and I thought I had read something about getting to the terminal an hour before the 10:30 departure. Turns out hiway 1 south to Victoria has lots of traffic and a number of stop lights and we got delayed by an accident. Jeff started picking up the pace and it was just past 10 after humming through the downtown streets of Victoria. We got to the terminal and there were 4 cars waiting to get on...when we confirmed with the attendant that we had reservations, he lightly scolded us with "ok, maybe you got a chance...but you should have been here an hour ago...no guarentees". We waited another 20 mintues before they let the last 4 cars and us through the pearly gates. Another 10 minutes for the customs guy to deal with the cars...and then us. Loudspeaker came on blaring "two minutes, two minutes till departure"...custom guy keeps asking questions...then we have to literally run to a customs office, get a quick ok, back to bikes...ride on the ferry and I was the last person / vehicle to enter. Waited on my bike for them to pull in the thick mooring ropes, they clanked the door shut and bolted it down, they had me move my bike right in front of the door, blocked it off and tied it down, and whew! nick of time style.



Lesson learned...don't lolly-gag around, we had let our guard down. I think the ease with which we got on all the other ferries lulled us a bit. Had we missed it, we likely would have got on the 3pm ferry, but we both were trying to get back, him to Rosyln, WA and me to Gresham, OR.

Jeff is still a bit giddy and grateful to have made it...I know I was:


Time to relax and enjoy our last ferry of the trip, a two hour cruise to Port Angeles



Heading out


Looking back at Victoria





I want to take a sea plane tour next time...would be fun to land on the water:




Back to the USA


Once through Port Angeles, Jeff and I parted ways. He took 101 east and was to travel through Olympia and I went west taking 112 which parallels 101, but nearer to the coast.

Last trip photo, near where 112 reconnects with 101 on the WA coast.


Some delays on 101 due to road construction. At one of them I got a text from Jeff saying he got stuck in 101 traffic on the other side of the Olympic Nat. Park, and he was turning back and coming my way! Wanted to know if I wanted to camp one more night. But I was already pretty far south and wanted to sleep in my own bed instead of the hammock...he understood. We both got to our respective homes after 8pm quite happy with the trip.

Thanks for viewing!

[GoldOxide_imp]

Nice. I see you went through Coombs and Parksville, BC? Nice retirement communities with very temperate (rideable) winter seasons.

My friend and I thought the same about a lot of the areas we rode through, but weren't sure about winters, but temperate and rideable, you say? My wife is from Costa Rica and so our U.S. winters will likely be spent there and summers in Oregon. But we are already thinking a trip to BC via 4 wheel vehicle (she doesn't like motorcycles) would be fun.

Last day, Tuesday...

Jeff's mom was in Victoria, BC on Monday and she didn't get on the ferry to Port Angeles because it was booked solid. Lots of people moving about as Monday, August 1st was British Columbia Day, when BC celebrates being BC. Since she had difficulty getting on a ferry, we decided to make a reservation...turned out to be a wise choice.

We got up plenty early and neither of us checked to see how much time was needed to ride from Nanaimo to Victoria. We just thought and hour or so was good...got lazy. Started talking about this and that, and soon it was 8:30...and I thought I had read something about getting to the terminal an hour before the 10:30 departure. Turns out hiway 1 south to Victoria has lots of traffic and a number of stop lights and we got delayed by an accident. Jeff started picking up the pace and it was just past 10 after humming through the downtown streets of Victoria. We got to the terminal and there were 4 cars waiting to get on...when we confirmed with the attendant that we had reservations, he lightly scolded us with "ok, maybe you got a chance...but you should have been here an hour ago...no guarentees". We waited another 20 mintues before they let the last 4 cars and us through the pearly gates. Another 10 minutes for the customs guy to deal with the cars...and then us. Loudspeaker came on blaring "two minutes, two minutes till departure"...custom guy keeps asking questions...then we have to literally run to a customs office, get a quick ok, back to bikes...ride on the ferry and I was the last person / vehicle to enter. Waited on my bike for them to pull in the thick mooring ropes, they clanked the door shut and bolted it down, they had me move my bike right in front of the door, blocked it off and tied it down, and whew! nick of time style.



Lesson learned...don't lolly-gag around, we had let our guard down. I think the ease with which we got on all the other ferries lulled us a bit. Had we missed it, we likely would have got on the 3pm ferry, but we both were trying to get back, him to Rosyln, WA and me to Gresham, OR.

Jeff is still a bit giddy and grateful to have made it...I know I was:


Time to relax and enjoy our last ferry of the trip, a two hour cruise to Port Angeles



Heading out


Looking back at Victoria





I want to take a sea plane tour next time...would be fun to land on the water:




Back to the USA


Once through Port Angeles, Jeff and I parted ways. He took 101 east and was to travel through Olympia and I went west taking 112 which parallels 101, but nearer to the coast.

Last trip photo, near where 112 reconnects with 101 on the WA coast.


Some delays on 101 due to road construction. At one of them I got a text from Jeff saying he got stuck in 101 traffic on the other side of the Olympic Nat. Park, and he was turning back and coming my way! Wanted to know if I wanted to camp one more night. But I was already pretty far south and wanted to sleep in my own bed instead of the hammock...he understood. We both got to our respective homes after 8pm quite happy with the trip.

Thanks for viewing!

Low stress!

[Nachodaddy]

Wow, nice report. Thanks. Almost like I was there, too.

[ymtnpoah11_imp]

@pdedse This is fantastic! Great photos and detail. Thanks for sharing!
<3Victoria

[Cormanus]

Thanks again, pdedse, for taking us on that trip.