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North America, First and Second.
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OnHellas
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Re: North America, First and Second.
Sarah with Easy the shop dog. His specialty is “closing the deal” with dog loving buyers.
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OnHellas
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Re: North America, First and Second.
The second ferry in a week. Goodbye Vancouver Island. The big bit of Canada here we come.
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daveuprite
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Re: North America, First and Second.
I loved Vancouver Island. Did you visit the temperate rainforest ? Fascinating. Did some whale-watching there too.
I'm pretty sure you will already know this, but if you wild camp or use the quieter campsites, make sure you never empty any of your left over food on the fire, and hang up all food in a bag as high up a tree as possible, away from your tent. We made the mistake of burning some old chicken bones before we put the fire out and we had a pair of bears going round our tent all night, literally 1mm of canvas away from us. We didn't sleep much that night...
Have a great time in mainland Canada. So much to see. Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Glacier Causeway, hundreds of great roads and spectacular views. Envious? Oh yes.
I'm pretty sure you will already know this, but if you wild camp or use the quieter campsites, make sure you never empty any of your left over food on the fire, and hang up all food in a bag as high up a tree as possible, away from your tent. We made the mistake of burning some old chicken bones before we put the fire out and we had a pair of bears going round our tent all night, literally 1mm of canvas away from us. We didn't sleep much that night...
Have a great time in mainland Canada. So much to see. Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Glacier Causeway, hundreds of great roads and spectacular views. Envious? Oh yes.
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DavidS
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Re: North America, First and Second.
The last time we travelled back from Jasper to Lake Louise we had 2ft of snow.......on July 4th 
.
It only lasted a few hours before it melted, thank goodness.
What is on the tricycle(?) the other side of the harbour? Gas bottles?
Interested in Vancouver Island as we’re thinking of a few days there and then slow driving from Seattle down to LA, with a few days around Monterey/Pebble Beach/Carmel as we didn’t have long enough there last time.
Looking forward to the Canada and Alaska reports. Have fun. 🏍🏍
.It only lasted a few hours before it melted, thank goodness.
What is on the tricycle(?) the other side of the harbour? Gas bottles?
Interested in Vancouver Island as we’re thinking of a few days there and then slow driving from Seattle down to LA, with a few days around Monterey/Pebble Beach/Carmel as we didn’t have long enough there last time.
Looking forward to the Canada and Alaska reports. Have fun. 🏍🏍
2023 Husqvarna Norden 901
2014 KTM 690 ENDURO R
2014 KTM 690 ENDURO R
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OnHellas
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Re: North America, First and Second.
We didn’t actually explore Vancouver Island as much as we could. We had the couple of days wandering around Victoria, a couple of days doing a few chores and not a lot else and a day at Bernie’s chatting and laughing.
We wanted to get to Mabel Lake to visit George and Shirley before they headed home, which is about 9 hours by road further east, and before we head north to Alaska.
So on the 5th of July we rode up to Nanaimo to get a ferry to the mainland.
Horseshoe Bay just above Vancouver. I was unsure when booking the crossing online as the website didn’t read totally clear to me so when we checked in we found out that I’d paid two reservation fees needlessly.
Luckily an email to BCFerries explaining my confusion as a foreigner got us a refund. I do like a refund, it always feels like a win even though it was your own money in the first place.
The weather forecast made us go east instead of north through Whistler etc.
We found a nice place to stay for the first night and an OK place for the second.
Torrential rain accompanied us for part of the rain and Sarah was beginning to need a change. Some time away from the bike. Some time to regroup, recover and refocus.
It sounds bad I know, but 13 months on the road can get to be a bit to much. Special things along the way don’t seem as special as they might if you’d turned up fresh at the beginning of a trip.
To push on could work, but probably not.
Seeing Shirley and George again was a special thing. I first met them in the Sidecar Travels trip, on the Alaska Highway at Fort Nelson. Their hospitality had been extended here at the lake on that trip and again this time.
Although they’d not met Sarah before they greeted us like we’d been here the week before. Fed and watered us, took us out on the boat. Sarah had a try at wake boarding but after a couple of faceplants and arms quickly resembling those of Inspector Gadget, decided that the opportunity to try was enough.....maybe another time.
Today is Tuesday. George and Shirley have gone home. We’ve stayed at the lake at their place. For some reason George seems to think that I’m a good guy and has left us with the key to the place, the beer fridge is unlocked and there’s even some burgers in the fridge.
Generosity is not a big enough word.
We can stay for a while and relax, recharge and recover. Already the long ride North doesn’t seem such a task.....but hang on....we need to sit about for a few more days yet.....and not just because we need to use the washing machine.
So although we have one weary motorcycle traveller, we are still very much....
Two happy people, two happy bikes.
We wanted to get to Mabel Lake to visit George and Shirley before they headed home, which is about 9 hours by road further east, and before we head north to Alaska.
So on the 5th of July we rode up to Nanaimo to get a ferry to the mainland.
Horseshoe Bay just above Vancouver. I was unsure when booking the crossing online as the website didn’t read totally clear to me so when we checked in we found out that I’d paid two reservation fees needlessly.
Luckily an email to BCFerries explaining my confusion as a foreigner got us a refund. I do like a refund, it always feels like a win even though it was your own money in the first place.
The weather forecast made us go east instead of north through Whistler etc.
We found a nice place to stay for the first night and an OK place for the second.
Torrential rain accompanied us for part of the rain and Sarah was beginning to need a change. Some time away from the bike. Some time to regroup, recover and refocus.
It sounds bad I know, but 13 months on the road can get to be a bit to much. Special things along the way don’t seem as special as they might if you’d turned up fresh at the beginning of a trip.
To push on could work, but probably not.
Seeing Shirley and George again was a special thing. I first met them in the Sidecar Travels trip, on the Alaska Highway at Fort Nelson. Their hospitality had been extended here at the lake on that trip and again this time.
Although they’d not met Sarah before they greeted us like we’d been here the week before. Fed and watered us, took us out on the boat. Sarah had a try at wake boarding but after a couple of faceplants and arms quickly resembling those of Inspector Gadget, decided that the opportunity to try was enough.....maybe another time.
Today is Tuesday. George and Shirley have gone home. We’ve stayed at the lake at their place. For some reason George seems to think that I’m a good guy and has left us with the key to the place, the beer fridge is unlocked and there’s even some burgers in the fridge.
Generosity is not a big enough word.
We can stay for a while and relax, recharge and recover. Already the long ride North doesn’t seem such a task.....but hang on....we need to sit about for a few more days yet.....and not just because we need to use the washing machine.
So although we have one weary motorcycle traveller, we are still very much....
Two happy people, two happy bikes.
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OnHellas
- Posts: 2610
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Re: North America, First and Second.
400 horsepower jet boat, Willy and Uber the Labradors and a big lake. Nice!
Oh, and a BBQ on board for a Hot Dog Picnic on our own beach. Very nice.
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OnHellas
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Re: North America, First and Second.
George and Shirley headed back home last Tuesday morning. We took them up on their kind offer to stay at their lake ‘home’ for more rest and relaxation.
We have been staying in the garage. Their trailer, caravan in English, is available for doing the washing up but we sleep in the garage with our bikes.
It’s great, there’s a proper bed and a shower room. A garage with an en-suite.
A BBQ outside provides the heat for cooking and reclining chairs a perch from which to chat or read.
We haven’t ridden the bikes since we arrived here. They are parked where we put them, unmoved.
We’ve ordered a new visor for Sarah’s helmet as her current one has become badly scratched. From glove wiping in the rain probably. The new one may arrive in Enderby today which is about 35km from here.
If it does I’ll go and collect it and we will probably head off tomorrow. If it doesn’t we’ll just have to have another day doing not a lot and wait another day.
Either way...
Two happy people, two happy bikes.
We have been staying in the garage. Their trailer, caravan in English, is available for doing the washing up but we sleep in the garage with our bikes.
It’s great, there’s a proper bed and a shower room. A garage with an en-suite.
A BBQ outside provides the heat for cooking and reclining chairs a perch from which to chat or read.
We haven’t ridden the bikes since we arrived here. They are parked where we put them, unmoved.
We’ve ordered a new visor for Sarah’s helmet as her current one has become badly scratched. From glove wiping in the rain probably. The new one may arrive in Enderby today which is about 35km from here.
If it does I’ll go and collect it and we will probably head off tomorrow. If it doesn’t we’ll just have to have another day doing not a lot and wait another day.
Either way...
Two happy people, two happy bikes.
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OnHellas
- Posts: 2610
- Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2014 2:12 pm
- Location: By the sea, Kent, UK
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Re: North America, First and Second.
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