Arrived in Port Hardy, the top of Vancouver Island, having made it here from Metchosin, the most southern part of the island. My feeling on pedaling in was not so much a sense of accomplishment but a feeling that I did not want to stop. The 46 km from Port McNeill to Port Hardy, which I started at 6 pm, is smoothly paved and there were maybe a dozen cars that passed the whole time. It does seem like Canadian dinner time makes for the most tranquil time to ride. I am told it was unusual to make the run from Campbell River to Port Hardy with just a few showers.

What follows are some updates from earlier in the day when I did not have Internet access:

Morning update on the food kept in the bear proof trash bins: After a freight, it worked. The freight was two official looking highway trucks pulling into the rest stop early in the morning. I guess they just needed to get rid of their morning coffee. When they left, I quickly recovered my food. When cycling away from the stop, trash man came. Turns out he just reaches in with his hand and pulls out the trash and does not replace the trash bag. So I would have been okay after all. A nice sustainable approach to trash collection.

What better place to store your food in a bear populated campsite?

Then just retrieve it in the morning.

This morning I try what I think is the world’s lightest stove: An Esbitt. The titanium mug I bought came with two Starbucks instant coffee packets so here goes.

One little tablet boiled 500ml of water in about 15 minutes. A good emergency stove. Super light and in non emergencies, a good excuse for a hot drink when you are many kilometers away from a coffee shop.

And lunch today had a new variation. Pepper on the tuna.

Finally a few odd signs.

Do you eat a tornado ?

This seems like a serious fine to me:

Stats:

Start: Woss 10:45 am
End: Port Hardy 8:20 pm
Distance: 101 km
Time on the Bike: 5:27
Average Speed: 18.5 km/hr
Maximum Speed: 52 km/hr
Distance to Date: 546 km