Day 3: To Qualicum Bay

July 2, 2007

I got up at 8:10 and on the road at 9:50...the days are long... It was sunny near sunrise but overcast for the rest of the day. The high temperature was only about 21C. A free street map helped me navigate through Nanaimo. The south side of the city is gritty. I stopped and walked around the downtown waterfront, then continued north. The north side of the city is much more upscale.

I hiked for an hour at Pipers Lagoon park. It has a nice combination of beaches, rock outcroppings, and forest.

Washed up debris on a beach at Piper's Lagoon Park.

I bought new clip on sunglasses at a Walmart to replace the ones I accidentally left on the ferry yesterday. Lunch stop at a Pizza Hut buffet. After lunch I noticed that it was 2 PM and I had only gone 24 km so far today. Later in the afternoon I pedaled through the Parksville - Qualicum beach area which seems to be an upscale resort and retirement area.

The road stays mostly inland with few views of the ocean.

Today the "Oceanside Route" is mostly inland in the forest.

There were a few drops of rain and I had a light but steady tailwind. The road was usually busy but it has a paved shoulder. I camped at a wonderful First Nations campground at Qualicum Bay. Nice ocean view campsite.

Oceanside campsite at Qualicum Bay First Nations campground.

Today I took a very easy pace using the granny gears more often on small rolling hills. Even so, my left ankle is slightly sore. I'm getting tired of cloudy skies, high humidity and cool weather. I expect it to be warmer than 20C (68F) in July!

I saw 3 other loaded touring cyclists today. Two heading south, and one who passed me heading north.

Distance: 76.4 km / 47.8 mi

Climbing: 609 m / 2010 ft

Average speed: 14.3 km/h / 8.9 mph

Maximum speed: 68.5 km/h / 42.8 mph

Today's ride: 76 km (47 miles)
Total: 207 km (129 miles)

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