October 10, 2021
The Route
The claim to something world class in our region is generally based on particular aspects of the land, and the sea. On the land, we have a temperate rain forest. This is something as unique and amazing as the tropical rainforests, such as along the Amazon. The forest stems from winds from the Pacific approaching Vancouver Island from the west, and encountering the mountainous core of the island. The effect is a considerable amount of rain on the island west coast, resulting in watersheds filled with giant trees. At least they were filled until logging companies systematically clear cut up and down the coast. However, after much struggle, enough has been preserved that it is still mind boggling.
On the sea, we have what is now called the Salish Sea, which lies between Vancouver Island and the continental mainland. The Salish Sea features iconic Killer Whales and lots of other marine mammals and creatures, and a large number of islands, known as the Gulf Islands. Each of these is a generally hilly treasure, often filled with musicians and artists, and with superb sea views in abundance. A first time visitor, taking the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria will traverse Active Pass, with the shoreline of Mayne Island close on one side and Galiano Island on the other. You have to say "Wow!", at least we did.
Our "world class" tour will touch ever so briefly on these two spectacular features. But because we are only allocating a few days, we will only zoom by a few giant trees, and zip across one island. Given that confession, you might want to bail on reading this blog. For example, you could get a bit of a deeper dive from the Andersons' "Northwest Passages". Not only did they actually touch the true west coast of the Island, but they stayed at Crown House B&B in Lake Cowichan village - with a great breakfast! Ok. maybe you should read on, on the off chance that we will see or think something they missed. Not likely, but possible!
One thing that Vancouver Island has that is definitely not world class is bicycle routes. It had a great opportunity in this, in the form of the unused Esquimalt and Nanaimo (E&N) rail line. But for years this has moldered, with no development. Perversely, some bike paths have grown up beside the right of way, but these are patchy, and there is no unbroken route from Victoria to Courtenay. That could one day be a "world class" 225 km bike route. In this blog you will see us passing through what used to be stations on the E&N, but we will be fighting our way around highways and only on snippets of bike path. That's Canada, eh!
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When you are fighting your way around highways, a good bicycle oriented routing program can be a big help. Lots of people favour Ride With GPS, but we seem to like bikemap.net and cycle.travel, and also Google Maps - which does have a version from which you can download a GPS file for a bike routing.
On Vancouver Island, the routing apps like to follow what had been called the Trans Canada Trail (TCT), which has been renamed The Great Trail (TGT). That is something that has been in development for many years, and that claims to be the longest trail network in the world. Maybe it is, but in the Trail's own words it is "A Trail for the enjoyment of hikers, walkers, cyclists, horseback riders and, more recently, canoeists and kayakers in summer, and cross-country skiers, snowshoers and snowmobilers in winter." So what happens is that bikemap.net or whoever, will take you for a time on TGT, and you are fine, with a crushed gravel path. But then without warning you can have something not even fit for a horse: "The Nanaimo Regional Trail is located in a forest, and is considered a moderately challenging hiking trail, about one metre wide, natural dirt and rock surfaces with many tree roots, boulders and narrow passages between moss-covered rocks. It is not suitable for mountain biking or equestrian use due to the surface, narrow path and low clearance."
Bikemap, Google, and everybody have no problem directing you onto this bit, which is from Nanaimo to Ladysmith. Yeah, they don't have to ride it! Fortunately Dodie crawled the suggested route here at headquarters and spotted that silliness.
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Ironing out this, and other glitches - such as where a routing takes you off a road for one block and then back on (maybe to save three feet of distance?), here is what we are planning:
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Looks like a good time.
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