Day 4: To Miracle Beach Provincial Park - Western Canada 2007 - CycleBlaze

July 3, 2007

Day 4: To Miracle Beach Provincial Park

I got up at 8:30 after the light rain stopped. I got on the road at 10:30 after a very long conversation with Gunter (from Germany) who is traveling solo in a car. I continued northwest on highway 19A, staying inland most of the time. There are very few ocean views so I wasn't motivated to take many pictures. The terrain is mostly flat but the mountains inland get steadily bigger and closer.

Traveling inland near Courtenay.
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I had a long stop at a riverside park in Courtenay, a very thriving town. Then onward through the forest with heavy traffic and a paved shoulder. It was overcast, cool, and damp until 4 PM when the sun came out. It felt much better then.

I didn't know Smokey the Bear also lived in Canada.
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Such a friendly place!
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Today's destination is Miracle Beach provincial park. It has a very large campground. From the beach the park has a panoramic view of the mountains on the mainland. I got there a bit late for good pictures so I'll try again tomorrow. The campground is very noisy with cars driving, voices, fires, etc. It got dark at about 10:30 PM and the evening was crisp and dry. A refreshing change from the high humidity I've had so far on Vancouver island.

Today was an easy day with very little climbing. Once again I had a slight tailwind for most of the day. My left ankle soreness is gone and I felt more energetic today than yesterday. I need to get to Port Hardy in 3 days because the ferry to Prince Rupert is only every other day. I would lose two days if I don't get 270 km to Port Hardy in 3 days. Hopefully my energy level will continue to improve.

I saw 3 other loading touring cyclists today, all going south.

Distance: 75.6 km / 47.3 mi

Climbing: 281 m / 930 ft

Average speed: 16.6 km/h / 10.4 mph

Maximum speed: 50.7 km/h / 31.7 mph

Today's ride: 76 km (47 miles)
Total: 283 km (176 miles)

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