Leaving Port Angeles, the spirit of adventure has returned. I was getting pretty comfortable and settling into a little routine while I was there. But this trip is about adventure, and I'm rolling again. As I rode through downtown PA, I came upon a line for the ferry to Vancouver Is. I got in line and was just in time for the lunchtime sail. I bought a ticket and parked the motorcycle in the appropriate area. Then I decided I'd run quickly to fuel up. I did, and leaving the gas station, my wallet, passport and cash blew off from the non-secure spot I'd left them. When I got back to the ferry terminal and found my wallet missing, I dashed back to the gas station and started searching the station and the street for my wallet. And there it was, in the middle of the city street. Dodging traffic, I grabbed the wallet and spotted my passport another 30 feet down the road. When I got to it, I could see that my cash had spread down the road as well. I hopped down the road picking each of the missing bills, and then ran back to the motorcycle, hoping to make my ferry. When I returned, the other motorcyclists were lining up to board. On this ferry, bikes board last and exit last. Whew...someone is looking out for me up there!
This is a picture from the ferry ride from Nanaimo on the east coast of Vancouver Island to Vancouver, BC. This was about a 90 minute ride. There were several cruise ships I could see in the distance. This one sailboat was closer to the ferry. But there were no whale sightings. I spoke to one of the guides operating a whale watching boat. She was helpful in explaining that there are many species of whale in the area, and sometimes they breach, which means to surface for air, exposing some portion of their body. And also that on more rare occasions, the whales leap out of the water giving great photo opportunities. These leaps don't happen so often.
This old fellow must survive some heavy snows in Squamish, BC. Entering Squamish from the free camping area on a logging trail, this logger seems to stand guard, watching all of the adventurers entering the city.
Today's trip will be another off-road adventure. I hope to ride highway 99 to Pemberton, turn northwest on a partially paved road for some 50 miles, then enter highway 99 again in Lillooet. It's supposed to be a tremendously scenic motorcycling area. And so long as the off-highway run goes okay, I'll be looking for a campsite in the Marble Canyon Provincial Park.
The off-road adventure through the British Columbia wildness was majestic. I've run out of words to describe the heavily wooded canyon walls rising 1,000 feet or more. The dirt road was well traveled and fairly well maintained. Some street bikes would have navigated these dirt/gravel roads adequately, but the Africa Twin handled them admirably. The extra 80 pounds of equipment I carried makes a difference in how she handles, but overall, the high ground clearance and tall suspension smoothed out any bumps or potholes well.
