Today has been a truly remarkable day. First and foremost we have seen 9 (!) bears. Two mother bears with two and three cubs, respectively. They were both about 50-100 m away from the road and we could stop, watch them and take pictures. Next, we saw two lone bears, which were just next to the road in the bushes (ca. 4 m away from us when we passed them by bike) and they either ran away or just watched us pass. We weren’t fast enough to catch the two last encounters on picture, though. All bears we’ve seen today were black bears. In this region there happen to live grizzly bears, too. The difficulty is to tell them apart, as the color does by far not suffice as indicator. Try it yourself! Second, we have also seen a mother moose with her calf. For once, the road signs were correct. All animal encounters have just happened within three hours during the morning. Third, we have hit our 5000 km milestone today. Fourth, we are now exactly three months travelling – from the beginning of spring to the longest day – so we have spent one third of our travelling time on the Panamericana. Fifth, we just cycled one of our most strenuous daily legs with 143 km and 1351 m altitude gain in 6:31 h (and ate 600 g of pasta for dinner). After such a day, what could be better than a refreshing swim in a scenic and calm lake? We hope for many days alike to come and feel “beary” lucky!
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Not many words seem to fit for this blog entry. It is best if you just have a look at all the pictures we have taken trying to capture some of this astonishing natural beauty.
While cycling the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper the landscape resembled winter wonderland: it was gently snowing and we could take our first Christmas-Card pictures with flowers and pine trees covered with a thin layer of snow, like icing sugar :-). During the downhill passages, the icy wind was biting our faces, hands and feet, but generally, snow is much easier to bear on the bike than rain. Numerous RVs and tourist cars passed us, some cheered at us and kept us going. Additionally, we met some fellow touring cyclists along the route. At all major tourist sights (especially the overcrowded Icefields Centre), though, we were less happy having to share it with a seemingly never-ending number of tour operator busses and group tourists. While it was cold in the heights and during the night, it could also get hot again during the day. On our short hike near Jasper on the Valley of the Five Lakes Loop and in Mount Robson Park, we were very glad having enough sunscreen and short clothes. We are now enjoying some summer days in the Robson Valley, continuing our route to Prince George and Smithers, where we will do a volunteering stay for about a week. This is the official slogan for marketing B.C.'s natural heritage to tourism. And we agree with that! While cycling through B.C. from West to East during the last week, we have experienced quite a few happenings, which we would like to share with you in retrospective. Summer Who would have thought, that summer temperatures are going to hit us right in the mountains in B.C.? For five consecutive days we enjoyed (or endured, this could change quite quickly!) over 35 °C in the shadow. Luckily, we often had campgrounds situated directly on a river or lake, so we could jump into the water right after a day of cycling and cool down. High season Beginning of June also marks the beginning of high season for tourism in Canada; not necessarily only for foreigners, but also Canadians themselves. For the first time, we needed to "fight" for our campsite: prices are equally high per site whether you arrive by RV as a family and with two extra vehicles or on two bikes and with a tent. There is no such convenient thing anymore as "hike & bike" campsite, where you also enjoy priority. Especially on the weekends we now have to plan our legs strategically wise. Or we opt for wild camping (which is perfectly allowed, if we do not stay on private ground or in national parks); so far we were rewarded with the most beautiful spots while doing so. The only tricky point to keep in mind is the vicinity to water. We use the DrinkPure waterfilter if we need instant drinking water or for large volumes Micropure tablets.
Highways Sea to Sky Highway, Trans Canada Highway... The names are very depicting and hold their promises! Our most scenic route led us from Whistler to Lillooet on the Duffey Lake Road (thank you, Blake& Nina, for this advice!). We felt like cycling through a travel brochure for Canada! Everything was included: wide forests, snowy mountains, deep blue lakes... just the page with the steep, winding roads someone had accidentally torn out ;-)! On our way to the Rocky Mountains we logically now are passing through mountainous areas, which adds altitude to our legs (and trains our muscles even more for the coming). Cycling on the Trans Canada Highway 1 although is much less frightening than it sounds. First of all, we have had a wide and clear shoulder mostly (which you don't have on smaller streets, so the cars are passing you much closer). Second, the trucks drive very carefully usually leaving a safety corridor for us. Third, we are highly visible wearing bright colours and a flashing red backlight (which doesn't seem to be the norm, as we already have received positive comment from drivers at a traffic light regarding this). And fourth, we are having funny encounters on highways as well! There are the proud Harley drivers and also the ubiquitous RV lovers: usually we leave the campgrounds between 8 and 9 o'clock in the morning while the rest of the guests is having breakfast and usually our RV neighbours cross us on the road two to three hours later, waving, honking and blinking" good bye" to us :-). The peaks Not only physically are we reaching peaks, but also in figures. We have hit the milestone of 4000 km cycled, endured temperatures of 44.5 °C, climbed uphill for 1437 m in one day and raced downhill with a speed of 69 km/h. All in all, we are feeling like "flying high" these days and we are eager to discover Alberta's natural jewels soon.
We are now getting into more remote areas and finding internet connection and power plugs is getting more challenging (as also the number of Starbucks coffees and chains alike are decreasing:-)). However, we have now discovered, that also remote smaller places usually do have a library, which is open to the public. So we are finally able to fill you in on our experience with Vancouver We entered the city from southeast, coming from Langley, and we were astonished that we could follow a bike path practically for the entire leg. The BC park bike path simply follows the SkyTrain line and led us right into the center of downtown Vancouver. From there it was only a few minutes to our hotel at Burrard Street. We had decided to book a well situated and slightly upscale hotel for two days in order to profit the most of our time in the city. It paid off well, we could reach all sights by foot and enjoyed ourselves very much! There were even gummy bears as a welcome gift and a Nespresso coffee machine for real espresso - we both felt very pampered. What we liked most about Vancouver was the fact, that the city was very welcoming and there were plenty of public spaces beautifully arranged, just inviting its citizens to spend some time there. At Canada Place and Coal Harbor at the waterfront, we spent an entire morning after a delicious breakfast with crêpes. Then we walked through the Gastown neighborhood where we also visited the steam clock. In Yaletown we enjoyed a massage, that we had received as a gift from Nora and Marco to reward ourselves for the first half of our cycling tour mastered :-). Entirely relaxed we walked over the Burrard bridge to Granville Island to enjoy the fresh market and artistic boutiques along the marina. To round off our sight-seeing tour we hopped into a watertaxi and let us ship back to Yaletown waterfront - a very cosy way to enjoy Vancouver's skyline. On our way out of town towards Horse Shoe Bay by bike again, we cycled through Stanley Park and visited the Totem poles. It was interesting to learn what totem poles exactly are (= story tellers) and we are looking forward to seeing more of these travelling through B.C. and Yukon in First Nation Territories. From Stanley Park we also had a fantastic view back to Vancouver and waved good-bye. So far, this was the city we enjoyed the most and could even imagine living here (no plans are made though, we still intend coming back to Switzerland at the end of this year!). Now we are up for the Mountains on our way to Banff National Park.
We were very lucky with our journey on the ferry from Swartz Bay (Vancouver Island) to Tsawwassen (Vancouver): the sun was shining and made the scenic route through various small islands even more beautiful. When arriving on the mainland, Thomas was waiting for us us right after the ferry terminal with his bike and together we cycled along Mud Bay Reserve and through pleasant farmland and communal parks to their home in Langley, southeast of Vancouver. Rita and Thomas – whom we had met at the beginning of our journey in Big Sur, California – welcomed us for three nights and made us feel at home away from home. We enjoyed their great and fun company and had a few relaxing days where we could wash our clothes, re-furbish our gear, enjoy the kitchen and simply plan our trip ahead in Canada – it was a bliss. Thank you very much again! Before heading for our cycling adventure in Canada, we will discover Vancouver Downtown for two days.
What a majestic arrival it was when our ferry – the M.V. Coho – entered the port in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia! The ferry terminal is located just in front of the Parliament Building and as cyclists we were among the first ones to disembark. Customs control went very smooth too (we had eaten all our fruit and vegetables on the ferry before :-)) and we were welcomed to Canada. We suddenly realized the various similarities to Europe. Victoria's ambiance felt entirely different to what we had experienced during the last weeks in the US. After a delicious (and enormous) Sushi dinner we took a stroll along the inner harbour. We also visited the Parliament Building on a free and self-guided tour. The tour was well explained and it made us realize, how strongly B.C. still feels obliged to Queen Elizabeth of England - she is everywhere referred to as the Queen of Canada. While being here, we decided to take the chance and attended a Whale Watching tour. We saw a small orca (killer whale) family, mother and calf and a bigger male. While it was impressive to see these animals in their habitat, we also thought about the controversy: there were about 20 boats following these three whales. If you consider that this is happening twice every day... but we did it too, no blaming at all! After all, we had to decide which part of the Island we wanted to visit. We opted for a round trip in the southern part: from Victoria we cycled the "Galopping Goose" bike trail (a beautifully laid trail on a former train dam) to Sooke, then continued following the Juan de Fuca trailheads to Port Renfrew and turned east passing Lake Cowichan and Duncan. From Mill Bay we took the small ferry to Brentwood from where we cycled to Sidney. On our first campground in French Beach we met Bob. Having travelled Canada and the US himself quite extensively, he could give us much useful advice on which routing to take further north. He also generously offered us half a watermelon! It was just perfect after our ride in the hot afternoon along the hilly coast – thanks again! Unfortunately, there are no well-equipped hiker/biker campsites anymore; the Provincial Parks seem to be exceptionally situated, are perfectly groomed and maintained despite having pit toilets only and no showers. Being back at the coast also accounted for fast changing weather: even if the afternoons became quite hot, the mornings were foggy and wet and the occasional rain pretty surely hit in every day at least once. Basically, we got it all in from the weather front :-). What we also noticed were the contrasts between the coastal areas of southern Vancouver Island. Whereas in the west the landscape is rough and wild – often also land of First Nations –, the eastern coast is touristy and luxuriously developed.
Having crossed the Columbia River in Rainier, we at first did not realize that we had left Oregon; only the license plates indicated so. As we were good in time, we decided to return to the Pacific coast from where we travelled Washington State clockwise up to Port Angeles. We perceived Washington’s logging industry as even more intensive as in Oregon. Entire woodlands are harvested (and fortunately reforested) at once. And the amount of logging trucks was just impressive. With the exception of a few drivers, most logging truckers drove carefully and overall we preferred the experienced drivers to tourists driving an enormous RV for the first time, being unable to judge the dimensions of their vehicle… Soon we learnt, why Washington is called "the Evergreen State". It was pouring an entire day while we were riding and the Western and Northern parts of Washington are very humid. The wet climate allows for some beautiful temperate rain forests – for example in Hoh Valley. Together with the wilderness camping at the foot of the Peninsula’s snowy mountains in Elwha Valley, these were the two highlights of our journey through Washington. From Port Angeles we then took the ferry to Victoria on Vancouver Island (Canada, British Columbia) and for the first time since Los Angeles, our bikes were not moved by ourselves :-). Bye bye USA – if all goes well, we will see you again in less than two months! We hope that Canada brings us more luck in terms of bear sightings and we are looking forward to discovering a new country and its people.
Initially, we did not plan to visit Portland at all. However, as we advanced faster than expected once more, we decided to take a detour towards the inland for a couple of days. On a very sunny and hot day, we set off along the Columbia River, through lumber industry territory towards Portland and we could even get a glimpse of Mount St. Helens. It is said that in Portland one is a hipster if one is not. Walking along Portland’s streets, we can somehow understand where this is coming from. Let's make it clear from the beginning: we liked Portland! And we were amazed, how different to other cities it is. Frankly, as a touring cyclist, this is heaven! Cyclists have the right of way always; there are separate bike lanes also on bridges and plenty of skilled bike repair stores. Additionally, good food is valued and easily available. As on our days taking a break from pedalling, eating is a vital part of regaining strength, we took big advantage of the various food carts in Pearl District serving delicious menus from all corner of the world at reasonable prices :-). Part of the recreation is also taking care of our gear. For instance, we have learnt how to wash our clothes in a real American laundry store. Portland is also a very green city with many trees planted along the streets and a variety of roses (wild and horticulture) in all colors at the International Rose Test Garden. We also found the contrasts in this city very interesting. You could find an artist-gallery-style, highly designed Apple flagship store a few streets away from homeless’ tent settlements or an all-recycled "scrap" store, where you could buy used birthday cards and single parts of a piano to craft something new yourself. We enjoyed our three days of rest very much. As it was mainly raining, the timing could not have been better for a warm and dry hotel room but we are now extremely looking forward to Washington state and the Olympic National Park.
We had high expectations when heading for Oregon’s coast: all fellow touring cyclist travelling south were enthusing over its scenic bike routes. And we truly encountered many (mostly pleasant) surprises on our itinerary: 1. The landscape, flora and fauna Oregon’s coast is rough, wild and breathtakingly beautiful. Think of endless pebble or black sand beaches with thrift wood, dense Douglas-fir forests ending abruptly over a cliff into the sea, misty veils on grassy dunes in the morning, but also humid, rain-forest like fern coves. In between we spotted white Calla lilies, yellow gorse and manifold azaleas and rhododendron. The below (long!) selection of photographs tries to give an overview of the diversity. 2. The culture Herbal medicine or Farmacy (yes, not pharmacy, because it has the word „farm“ in it) is a big thing in Oregon since the cultivation and consumption of marihuana was legalized. It is of course a prejudice to think, that all Oregonians are former hippies. We perceived it as true, though, that Oregonians generally have an easy-going and practical nature: wearing outdoor jackets even in restaurants is a common thing, as weather can change rapidly. Also food is important and has to taste good; it goes without saying that organic or “home-grown” is even better. In Tillamook we also visited the Air Museum in an WWII-era, wooden hangar, which was originally built to shelter blimps. The various leavings from the US air force base and a wild mix of flying machinery were rather poorly presented, though. It is during such moments that we realize how highly patriotism is regarded in American culture.
The second one were Carina and Matt, touring cyclists from the UK, whom we met during lunch break in Neskowin. It was actually our second encounter and a funny hazard: on our road trip by rental car, we had seen a touring couple crossing the still snowy pass in the Sierra Nevadas and we were impressed by their effort. It turned out it was Carina and Matt. They are also cycling north (about the first ones we met!) and started around the same day in Los Angeles as we did. There were many other parallels too, which we found out in the evening as we all stayed at the same campground. It was great meeting them and maybe we will again further up the coast :-). 4. The milestones We hit some milestones: 2000 km of pedaling, 100 h on the bike and over 20’000 m of altitude. And of course it makes us proud :-). 5. The first flat tire(s) It happened in Newport on Philipp’s back tire. At least it was thorough: a long nail punctured both sides of the tube. Although the tube was repaired quickly, it remained fragile. On a really hot day (35 °C) it deflated on a rough gravel road and we had to entirely replace the tube. 6. The road conditions We agree that the Oregon coast bike route is utterly scenic and well laid out. However, we would supplement that the latter is primarily true if you are travelling from North to South. Pedaling the opposite direction, we often had to search for our path. Also, there are well-maintained and designated bike paths, but often we had the impression that a rough road, needing repair, was simply declared a bike path and thus was fine. Shoulders exist, but often are covered by gravel, waste, metallic splints and thus more dangerous to ride on than on the highway itself. 7. The campsites Hiker & Biker campsites are very well dispersed and maintained along Oregon’s coast in both state and county parks and they are often situated beautifully, even though separated from the rest of the campground. We were only missing food lockers on some of the campgrounds. Luckily we had our bear-proof canister, but neighboring tents had to defend their food towards cheeky and hungry raccoons during night. Our bear vault only has some raccoon-teeth-signature in the meanwhile… And we were astonished that a raccoon, which is only slightly taller than a cat, manages to move the huge container 10 meters away from our picknick table! 8. The weather All these days we could profit from sunny days and mild temperatures in Oregon. Usually it was cloudy or foggy in the morning, but by midday the view had cleared up and even allowed for some astonishing sunsets at the beach and starry nights. Our friend, the northerly wind, was once more very loyal and made sure that we couldn’t race past the beautiful landscape… For today's post we have been thinking of giving you an insight into how our daily routine looks like when we are touring. Therefore we have taken pictures throughout the day, documenting our activities. You might have been wondering, why we are often writing about weather conditions, quantities of food we eat or how we perceive the landscape. Maybe after seeing this, you may understand that our focus often is on the basic needs: where do we sleep tonight, what do we eat, how will the weather and road impact our plans... Usually, though, these questions are quickly answered once the leg is set for the day and we have a free mind to enjoy all unforeseen happenings - and there are many! From landscape, to animals, to encounters with other people on the road. It literally makes each of our days an adventure. As you may expect our day starts of with a rich breakfast. A hot breakfast is especially appreciated on chilly mornings and therefore we have become lovers of oatmeal. In the past few weeks we got used to the local “bread” and discovered that peanut butter is a good source of energy… After breakfast it’s time to tidy up the campsite. Click through the following time lapse series to see how we dismount the tent, pack everything in the bags, load the bikes and leave: On the road we take frequent breaks to enjoy the scenery. At noon it is time to look out for a nice picnic spot and enjoy some rest. In the later afternoon we usually arrive at the next campsite where we first pitch the tent, arrange the mattresses and sleeping bags and opt for a hot shower. Depending on the arrival time we find the time to stroll around, drink a coffee, plan the next day, check e-mails, etc. At this specific day we got some curious visitors: three Roosevelt elks (the largest red deer in North America) were checking out the hike&bike area. Sometimes we have to hurry up to do the cooking before dusk. This time we failed and we finished our meal with tea and cookies in the romantic light of our headlamps.
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Blog Archive
September 2016
CountersKilometers pedalled
Hours on the bike
Meters cycled uphill
Flat tires
Burgers eaten
Bears sighted
Day by day statisticsFor those interested in our day by day activities and statistics, please download the following document.
World Clock
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