57.5 miles, 2582’ climbing, deer
We rose early, knowing the forecast was for temperatures just under 90F. We were also concerned after hearing that a forestry management company closed a lot of roads which might affect our ability to ride to our destination. It’s a long story, a huge portion of Vancouver Island is private land, here’s a link if you’re interested: https://www.openthegates.ca/
We rode thru the forest for around 10 miles to Royston on the east coast of the island. Then we mainly rode on the shoulder of a paved road down to Qualicum Bay. The best sight was the Fanny Bay Inn, sorry we didn’t snap a photo. Their sign is in the shape of a badge and says FBI.
We headed inland along the Big Qualicum River, planning a swim somewhere but we never identified our spot. Soon we were alongside the beautiful Horne Lake which the river comes out of. We rode half a dozen miles to the west end and had a swim. There was a beautiful campground: shady sites with tall trees, potable water, a large beach, a concession that rented paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes, nearby caves to be toured. The afternoon was hot and we were very tempted to stay, but we headed onwards after our swim.
We had a five mile climb before we descended to Port Alberni. We did go past a few signs saying the road was closed and to stay out. There were lots of bike and ATV tracks, but we didn’t see a single person, so it was hard to assess whether they just meant to keep cars out or if they meant hikers and cyclists, too. We had no alternate, so we proceeded. The last mile was a small steep track and a rough road that we pushed our bikes up. It was a steep descent to Port Alberni where we booked a hotel and did our town chores: laundry, groceries, showers, food. We were not in a charming part of town, but the local business people were friendly and kind.
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