May 6, 2025
Woss Lake to Port McNeill
Awakened by a raven. Light rain. Breakfast. Pack. Ride.
I re-entered the forest tunnel with its green screen on each side of the road, intentionally obstructing the views of the clear cuts immediately behind them. This section of road I didn’t anticipate. There was virtually no shoulder. I could hear the traffic behind me, so before the 20 or so logging trucks passed me, I pulled over onto the gravel to let them pass.
Coming to the top of a hill I could see the sillouette of a small black bear on the opposite side of the road. The driver of a car approaching from the opposite side honked their horn and the bear ran back into the brush. As soon as the car passed, the bear returned and resumed eating whatever roadside attraction it was munching. When I approached from the opposite side of the road, we briefly stared at one another before I rang my bike bell. Just like that, it was gone.
Before I left Woss Lake, I knew I would be riding along Nimpkish Lake and looked forward to a break in the view shed. For its 15-mile length, I never saw it. The green screen made sure of it.
Pt. McNeill (and the Humpback Motel) is my destination today. PM is a small community with significant log rafting operations. Sport fishing is a big deal, too. These are the types of towns where driving a school bus or operating heavy equipment are plum jobs.
I visited the bike store just before it closed to find a single chain link replacement in case my chain fails. The shop owner asked me how many speeds my bike has. I didn’t know! Six years since I bought it, and I still don’t know. When I told her it was a Surly and it had a 2x set-up, she said she also owned a Surly bicycle. When I asked her if they sell Surly now, she said, “We used to. But they’re made in the States, so we don’t sell them now.” Another boycott participant. (She also told me that the locals refer to the Tree to Sea bicyclists as “loopers” as in “loopy” or “doing the loop”. She didn’t elaborate.)
I asked her for a dinner recommendation and she suggested I go to a food truck, Lata’s, for a brisket sandwich. Solid suggestion. I am already tired of fried food and my basic meals are not what I am used to. I still have a lot of remote country to cover! While I ate, a steady shower drenched the site. I took a walk, but couldn’t really see the area very well due to low clouds.
On my walk, I looked into the window of the Humpback Whale information office, I couldn’t believe the statistics for whale - boat collisions! They had safety information for boaters as well as for conservation purposes.
Looking forward to boarding the ferry tomorrow in Port Hardy.
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1 month ago
Today's ride: 44 miles (71 km)
Total: 302 miles (486 km)
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1 month ago
1 month ago