An early start saw me at the ferry terminal for 0600 and a cup of coffee and a cookie from a Prince Rupert café mobile annex – a coffee cart – later and I was on the ferry settling into my outside cabin. You may think that extravagant, but having somewhere to lie horizontally during the thirteen hour cruise through the Inner Passage was money well spent in my view. Especially looking at the dead-eyed, pacing zombies that endlessly encircled the boat trying to see if the things they’d seen a few minutes ago in the gift shop or café had changed and were worth another view.
There was another cyclist on the boat. He was a young Canadian and I think a little simple. Through the very brief and one-sided conversation I had with him I managed to extract from him that he was from somewhere called Surrey and that he’d cycled a circular route somewhere through Canada and was on his way home. This took about ten minutes with him smiling inanely all the time. After that I saw him a few times throughout the voyage, but kept my distance. He never once took off his helmet or removed his light blue tinted glasses. Weirdo!
The trip itself went through some amazing scenery – that is a recurring theme throughout this part of the world. And the photos probably tell the tale better than words.
The ferry got into Port Hardy at about 2230 and it was the first time I had to use my lights this trip. That’s been more down to the continual daylight rather than any late cycling, but it did mean for the first time that I had to put up my tent by the light of a head torch. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – head torches are brilliant! You turn your head and there’s the light, right where you need it. Turn it again and the light’s just right there! Brilliant! Maybe only FingerTorches(tm) could be better. Add that to the list along with the NanoKayaks. We’ll be millionaires, I tell you!
The knee is still hurting, but I’ll adjust the saddle tomorrow and see how we get on. Also, pain killers seem to work pretty well which doesn’t solve the problem, but at least keeps me cycling. I’m going to stay in Port Hardy for a day and then leave for the south of the island. There seem to be lots of campsites spread along the length of Vancouver island so if the knee starts hurting I can always stop and keep the mileage low. At that rate I think I should ‘do’ the island in about four days.
Love
Pete
Patagonia Pete 
Yay – we are in the same country, though at opposite ends. In Toronto, population 2,500,000 (do they put population signs at the entry to all settlements???in your case, including moose, bears etc?). So a rather different experience to yours, it’s all skyscrapers and Asian fusion restaurants round these parts. Also a rather large lake.
sounds like the knee is getting you down a tad. Worth trying to see a doctor?
lots of love.
You will take care of that knee, won’t you? The legacy from your amazing trip is going to be the tales told round the fireside and the book-signing sessions – not a romantic limp, as you bare your knee and show your scars, St.Crispin style!
I am so thankful you got through the Cassiar Highway bit without the bike needing roadside repairs, I’ve worried about that. I mean, you don’t hear that bears have sporting instincts that would wait till you had effected repairs before giving chase!
Take it steady, rest up., you have absolutely nothing to prove, you are amazing. So there!
Mum xx
Ha, i can picture you now, arriving back in NZ with your helmet and glasses still on, smiling inanely and dribbling slightly…
If its tendon or ligament you will have to back *right* off for a little while, so take it easy. Have you got travel insurance – if so go rack up a few thousand in bills for the insurance company and go see a doc. It all sounds a bit familiar to me – i had to pull out of the Dunwich Dynamo for similar reasons last year.
Yeah, it’s still hurting a bit, but the pain killers deal with that. I read on the interweb that one should rest it completely for a few weeks. Sadly I can’t afford that luxury, so will push on gently. When I get to Vancouver I might try a doctor. If I can find my insurance details…
Worried to hear you saw Rush. My lovely brother sprayed RUSH in silver paint on my brief case on my first day at secondary school and I was asked all about how much of a fan I was by the other Rush fan at the school. I had absolutely no idea about who they were, and had to go over Sam’s back catalogue of albums to avoid being exposed as a fraud. Ahh, 2112 – it all comes Rushing back. Did you see what I did there.
2112 is bloody fantastic – they did Temples of Syrinx at the O2. It is the only album i know/like though…i try to keep my love of 70s rock under wraps a bit.
Be careful, knees are funny – better a longer break(s) now than having to abandon ship altogether.
Hi Pete
Just been out on my bike, did a bit of off roading (just over 12 miles), and it’s shaken my old bones quite a bit, aching a bit now. Still, at least I can sit here with a cup of tea and recover rather than seeing some long straight bear strewn roads out in front of me! When Sonia and I were driving in Washington state, loads of deer came crashing through the forest straight across the road! We missed then by inches! The wildlife is probably a better companion than other cyclists from Surrey…
I remember catching my knee on some coral when diving in Australia and it took months to heal. Piriton helped, but I guess you’ve got some muscle trouble there. Rest is the only answer. Take care and love the blog.
Chris & Sonia