Day 4: Port Alberni to Courtney. 70.6 mi. 3834 FT elevation. Weather perfect. Sketchy Motel Wilson and I were up and ready to Take On The World early today. Of course, we had to stop first at Tim Hortons so people would assume we were Canadians. We had a wonderful scrambled egg box. It does … Continue reading Tragic Miracle
Day 2 = Church in Duncan and day of rest. Day 3: Lake Cowichan to Port Alberni. 79.2 MI. 3721 feet elevation. Leaving Lake Cowichan Today started much like I expected every day on Vancouver Island to be. It was raining. Fortunately, it was just a drizzle, so it wasn't soaking, but it made for … Continue reading Wilson
The inaugural Grand Depart on the GNBR My riding buddy Gumby and I on the southern tip of Vancouver Island Off into oblivion, or Canada Day 1 - Victoria to Lake Cowichan. 64.6 miles. 4334 feet of vertical. Weather perfect! It was a little stressful putting my bike together the night before and then pulling … Continue reading Butter is Better
Beacon Hill Park - Starting point of the GNBR Let me be clear. I LOVE Canada. Victoria is beautiful. Canada is unlikely to accept any American immigrants, but I might be interested. However, they need to draw a new map. Vancouver, for example, isn't on Vancouver Island. It would be like New York City being … Continue reading GNBR – Of MICE & MEN
From May 24 to (hopefully) October 4, I will live out of two large panniers, two small panniers, and one handlebar bag. The total volume is about 62 liters, slightly bigger than a large kitchen trash bag. I'll be homeless, albeit in much better shape than most homeless, as I'll have a credit card and … Continue reading GNBR -Freedom’s Just Another Word…
Over the years, on long tours (1200 to 2600 miles), people often ask how I prepare for that kind of ride. Truthfully, there really isn't a way to prepare to ride many miles day after day. Plus, employment, family, and church commitments before departure make it impossible to ride long distances day after day. So, … Continue reading GNBR – Painful Preparation
The red line (the route) wanders across Canada and through three northern states of the USA as it travels from Victoria, BC, to St. John's, Newfoundland. Map projections, which squish the upper part of the round earth into flat paper images, make Canada look bigger than it is. Still, Canada is the second-largest country in … Continue reading GNBR – The Great Northern Bikepacking Trip – Perspectives
You can't really see it on the map but under the highway "261" marker, the route is a very convoluted and squiggly line. Looking at the profile to the left, you can see that the squiggly route is in fact a rather precipitous rise called the Moki Dugway. It was cut through the cliffs in … Continue reading Bear’s Ears – Day 6
Admittedly posting the map of the day's ride is embarrassing. The only slightly redeeming quality is that we did pedal it both ways. Today was our day trip - another novelty introduced by our local expert Anne. While I complain about the low mileage, I was grateful to be back at the VOG B&B before … Continue reading Bear’s Ears – Day 5
With batteries charged, we left early for the day concerned that wind would be picking up later in the day. We were ready for our first dirt riding of the trip. We had to backtrack to the Valley of the Gods (VOG) and then we would be on dirt until our final destination of the … Continue reading Bear’s Ears – Day 4
Grumpy Grandpa's Great Bicycling Adventures 