Friday, July 4th, 2008

I woke up to a rainy day in Tofino, and the man on the TV said it would be a rainy day all day on the Island. This news was unwelcome, and set the tone for the day in a negative way. I was not interested in riding through some of the tight passes from Tofino to Port Alberini in the rain. I was also troubled by the lack of a phone to call for help should the unthinkable happen.

Alas, I slowly packed my things onto Silver, and proceeded to start today’s journey from Tofino to Victoria. I stopped again on Long Beach for one last good-bye, but the beach isn’t nearly as attractive in the rain as it is in the sun.

The first problem with riding in the rain is visibility. No matter what a rider wears on their head- a half helmet with glasses like me or a full helmet- the rain beads on your eyewear and in some cases even fogs up. This is in addition to the usual loss of visibility for all drivers in the rain. The second problem is road quality: hydroplaning, large puddle buildup, and slippery conditions are very perilous on a motorcycle. Where a car may experience a slight hiccup on a slippery road, there’s no such thing as a hiccup on a motorcycle. When you hiccup, you have trouble.

Another problem with rain is the temperature because it’s usually cold when it rains. This was not the case today. It was actually rather warm- although I did have neoprene gloves that I wear overtop of my leather gloves to keep my hands warm and dry. Discomfort is also an issue, as sitting for hours while wet with the wind blowing by can start to take its toll on a person. I have a good rainsuit to keep me dry, but this does nothing for my face.

The ride to Port Alberni was uncomfortable and unpleasant.  The road is really tight and many cars behind me did not understand that I needed to go slower in the rain. I’m sure I was annoying them with my slow speed, but there was no way that I was going fast on this ride in the rain.  I was able to stop a few times to give myself a break.  There’s a very cool approach next to a river with crystal clear water right next to the highway.  I could have hung out there all day.  Took a picture…here it is:

I eventually made it to Port Alberni and the rain subsided for a while. I rode into the Cathedral Grove for a second time and stopped for a break to check out the trees again. The power and majesty of this place lightened my dark mood slightly, but I was still not amused with the weather.

The remainder of the ride to Victoria included intermittent showers, but not the heavy driving rain I experienced between Tofino and Port Alberni. I took the road less traveled through Chemainus instead of the heavily traveled Trans Canada highway (Highway No. 1) actually includes the ferry to Nanaimo and ends in Victoria- not Vancouver.

At suppertime I finally made it to Victoria where I was staying with Twyla and Michael- my friend Scott’s sister and brother-in-law. They had a lovely view of the harbour and the city. Victoria is a beautiful city, and I went to bed looking forward to discovering this area before heading back to Vancouver tomorrow.