August 2, 2005
Day 77: Port Hardy to Woss
We biked into Port Hardy early for breakfast and to get supplies. I knew from previous trips that Vancouver Island is an island of halves - remote and primitive in the north - busy and touristy in the south. The day started with a few clouds, but also with a promise of sunshine.
At Port McNeil, Greg from the BC Forest Service helped me with information, but no one else there knew about or cared about recreation sites. They didn't even have a map of the forest district. I was directed to Canfor and Weyerhauser brochures in the rack - seems that these companies have huge leases and that they run the show. Canfor even refers to its leased lands as "Our Forest" in their brochures.The visibility from the highway is limited. They leave a few rows of tress so that you can't see the clearcuts as easily, but they are everywhere.
I stopped by a schoolyard and put all my things out to dry while I was having lunch. First time in two weeks that my tent and clothes were really dry. It was a long and empty road along Nimpkish Lake - and hardly flat. I stopped in at the store at Woss and had an ice cream and orange soda. Okay - so the combination sounds disgusting, but when you're biking it's like being pregnant. The strangest combinations are irresistible.
I found Jean Pierre at the next rest area a la cyclist campground. We had dinner together, but I wanted to get further from the traffic and noise so I headed off a few kms into the forest. Since Vancouver Island has thick coastal forests with even thicker undergrowth, I was pretty much restricted to forest campsites. But when I got to the site it was totally disgusting - - trash, dog shit. This has happened since the Liberals took power - - the campsites used to be beautiful. So I went back towards the highway and found a spot next to the creek and pitched my tent.
Today's ride: 78 miles (126 km)
Total: 4,111 miles (6,616 km)
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