Dave through the Americas - 9.12.02 Quadra to Cortes, Ultimate Frisbee

I think my back is finally healing up. Yesterday was a good day for it and this morning it feels much better. The day is looking great so far and I am at a beautiful place. I put my stuff away, damp from the morning condensation. I met Erin inside the cabin and we had some toast with plum jam and a banana and some tea. I wasn’t able to check out all of the beauty of this immense property around us, but Erin showed me as much as she could on our way out. There were lots of gardens and tree nurseries. Erin showed me the place she’d be moving into on October to live for the winter. It was right on the water, Hyacinthe Bay. I told her I’d definitely have to be back for a visit. It was a shame she was taking off to school, as I would have liked to check out other parts of Quadra with her. I returned to my bike and at the ferry terminal and said goodbye to Erin. I got her info to get in touch with her on Denman Island where she lives now with her mom. I rode uphill to an area where there were some stores. It was still early and only a coffee shop was open so I got a coffee and did some writing. I met some nice folks outside the café that inquired about my trip. One girl gave me a letter card she made. There was a photo of a rusted half of a bicycle on a rocky beach. It was taken on Quadra Island. I thanked her and moved on to the crafts store that had just opened up to see if I could use the fax. I called the main Servas office in New York City to see if I could get my letter of introduction faxed but it turned out their fax machine was broken! Ah, maybe a Servas visit on Cortes just wasn’t meant to be. I rode over to the other side of Quadra Island to Heriot Bay where the ferry terminal to Cortes is. I had a bit of time before the next ferry arrived so I walked up and picked some blackberries off the side of the road. I stopped at the market and got some snacks as well. I walked down to wait for the ferry and made a cheese sandwich. I met an older could who lived on Vancouver Island and a girl named Laurie, from Seattle, who was on a mountain bike. The 45-minute ride to Cortes was spectacular. There were large mountains off in the distance and the day was clear and bright. Seals were popping their heads up out of the calm water. We could see large jellyfish near the surface of the water, moving along at their slow pace. I had a nice conversation with a couple on the outside ferry deck that made the ride go by pretty quickly. We arrived at Cortes Island and it was hills right from the start. I mean HILLS! Short but steep! I rode along and made my way to Whaletown where I saw Laurie taking some photos. I continued the hilly ride until I saw Gorge Harbor where they farm oysters, mussels, and clams off of floating barges. I stopped to ask a local how much farther to Mason’s Landing and he said I was about half way. I also inquired about a nice swimming lake I had heard about, Hague Lake, and was informed it was just up the hill. And it was a killer of a hill. Laurie caught up from Whaletown and we huffed it up the long steep uphill and found ourselves shortly afterwards on the nice white sand of Hague Lake with not a cloud in the bright blue sky. It wasn’t long before we were stripped down and cooling off in the refreshing water. Cutthroat trout were jumping all around feasting on the low flying flies. We found a nice spot to lay out and enjoy the warm sun and met a nice local named Debbie. She told me she ad a boyfriend who used to work out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska doing scallop fishing. Small world. As the day continued, more people started to show up at Hague Lake. After a few hours, I had plenty of direct sunlight. Laurie had to make it back to the ferry to Quadra so we said goodbye and then I made my way to Manson’s Landing. I rode to the market and got a few things and then the plan was to seek out a nice camping spot. Outside of the market, I met a local, Bruce, and we talked about touring and my bike set up for a while. He noticed my flying disc tucked away in my pannier and mentioned there was a pick up ultimate match going on in the school field this evening. So I went over and there was quite a showing of people. The match got up to 7 on 7 near the end. The ultimate match was a great way to connect with people from all over Cortes Island. The match went well. Our team lost 11-14 but it was a great time and a great work out. I got to play with some amazing players and the activity turned out to be not so bad on my legs. I met many people and learned a bit more about how I could spend time here. There is an organic farm, part of WWOOF (willing workers on organic farms – I think!) that I might try to work on. I met a nice girl named Julia who invited me to come to her place and shower. After the match I rode a tough ride to Julia’s. When I arrived, she was preparing dinner. I parked my bike and took a nice hot shower. She was kind enough to offer me her couch (Sweet!), and we had a great meal and great conversation late into the evening. I laid down and could see the stars shining through a large window over my head. What a great day this has been! (19 miles)

Peace

Dave

Pic: Beautiful scenery on the ferry ride to Cortes Island

Pic: Hague Lake