Dwagenheim

I woke up a bit before 6am and started packing up. It was just getting light out but I still had to use my Petzl headlamp. When I got to the office, I saw a number of touring cyclists’ bikes, including Christine’s. I saw Christine and said hi before getting my ticket. Christine and I traded stories of how we spent our time in Prince Rupert over the past few days. Her time seemed more interesting, maybe because she knew people in the area. We boarded the ferry and settled in. I got to talk to a couple of Swiss cyclists who had been traveling around Alaska and Western Canada. The ferry scene was pretty peculiar, people wandering around with their backpacks trying to find the perfect spot. There were a bunch of older Swiss travelers in a large group. I assumed they were traveling in an RV caravan. I watched a couple sitting at a table across from one another intently writing in their journals. It made me wonder how often they do this ritual and how busy they keep themselves writing. I wonder if I look like this when I am writing as well. Around Lunchtime I went down to the garage and cooked up some soup. I think I’ll splurge and eat at the expensive buffet tonight for dinner. It was blue skies through the inside passage. I spent a few hours outside at the aft deck sunbathing and checking out the beautiful scenery. We spotted some seals on a big log floating in the water, but I didn’t see any other marine mammals. At times, whales can be seen along this route. After a few hours of sun, I went inside to watch a movie they were playing. After that, it was back outside to soak up some more rays and I caught sight of a humpback whale. The sights were beautiful as we cruised through the calm waters. I made my way to the dinner buffet and dined on some fresh salmon and other goodies and had good conversation with the folks sitting nearby. I was stuffed and practically had to roll myself outside to check out the rest of the day as the sun began to set. There were many humpback whale sightings and the sunset was beautiful. I headed inside to catch the second movie of the day. Not long after its end we were arriving Port Hardy and I went down to the garage to prepare my things. We docked and Christine and I rode to the campground a couple miles down the road. We shared a joint and then said goodbye. I rode back to the highway and found a decent camp spot. The stars were out in huge numbers. It was great staring up at them, mesmerized in their clarity and numbers. As I was setting up my tent, I noticed Christine came back and parked on the side of the road. She got a flat tire. I told her to give me a shout if she needed help and it turned out the wheel was almost impossible to get off after the nuts were removed. We kicked and pulled but it didn’t budge. Eventually someone showed up and he gave it a shot. Finally, he got out a crow bar and we took turns trying to pry it off, and we did. So Christine was set and ready to go. I told her to take it slow, as she was going to try to make it to Courtenay tonight. I went back and set up my tent, laid down and melted into my bed. (2 miles)

Peace

Dave

Pic: Canadian Flag off the back of the ferry

Dwagenheim

Pic: Inside Passage scenery

Dwagenheim

Pic: Inside Passage scenery.

Dwagenheim

Pic: The town of Bella Bella

Dwagenheim

Pic: Logging action around Bella Bella

Dwagenheim

Pic: Sunset on the Inside Passage route