Farewell

Today was our last day of fun and freedom. The weather was perfect for our last day of riding at Whistler. We had a blast riding from 10am until the lift stopped at 8pm, with breaks for food and drink of course. Lost count of the number of runs we did - must have been at least a dozen in the main park of the bike park, and one long run from the top of the Village Gondola all the way down Whistler Mountain. We are both going to be stiff and sore - well, we already are.

Gloria has been cleaned, ready for packing in to her bike box tomorrow. When we get home she will have a well earned rest and a fork service. She has performed brilliantly throughout the trip - not one single problem, not even a flat tyre. And Jill managed not to fall off! Can't say the same for Joel, but only a few scratches and sore hands for him.

So - tonight is our last in our little home on wheels, ie the motorhome. First thing in the morning, we drive back to Vancouver to return it and pack and begin the long flights home.

This is where we have been:

 It is really only a very small part of Canada but we have travelled almost 10,000km through 3 Canadian states and 2 US states. And we have seen a lot of mountains, wildlife, rivers, lakes and it has been a wonderful experience. Thank you for coming along on my wayward wander.

Farewell Canada.

Gloria is on top of the world

Today, along with the normal bike park riding, we did the Top of the World Ride. Talk about epic riding, like alpine hiking on steroids! Rough and rocky trail but stunning views!

This involved 3 chairlift rides to the top of Whistler Mountain at 2182m, followed by 1507m of vertical drop as we rode back down to the village. It took us 2 1/2 hours to do, mostly because we kept stopping to admire the views, but it was a long trail and we did get a little lost lower down on the hill, below the alpine area.

View from the third chairlift:

Views from the top:
That is the top of the chairlift.

 Looking down in to the valley. Whistler in between and around the two lakes.

 

Joel near the start of the ride:

 

 

 Gloria on the way:

Beautiful!

Beaver tail for lunch today

Canadians eat beaver tails!
Deep fried with cinnamon and sugar. I had mine with apple as well. Yum, yum, yum!!!

I thought they'd be tough and leathery, but, no, they taste like donutty pastry - which is what they actually are - shaped like a beaver's tail. Very delicious.

Normality

Three days left of fun and freedom. And, then it is off to the airport for the long journey home and back to normality - whatever that is.

'Normality' - I have decided is very subjective. What you might consider 'normal' I might consider abnormal, even unhealthy and undesirable. Or maybe, your normality is normal and healthy for you, but not for me. Who, really, can be the judge of someone else's normality? We are all different.

However, I believe it is very important for your own sanity and peace to become aware of what really is essential and important and fulfilling in your own life. Too many of us lack this self awareness and are too easily blown this way and that way by society's 'normality', by media advertising and consumerism, by the idea that bigger is better, and when we have more we will be happier.

I have decided to redefine my 'normality' so that I can live more simply and live more. The journey never ends!

Poutine?

A Canadian favourite - basically it is chips and gravy with lumps of white cheese curd that does not have much flavour. Sometimes they use mozzarella instead of curd which I think tastes better. I have never really been a fan of chips and gravy, but if the gravy is good it's not bad.

Dinner with a view

What a difference 6 weeks makes! Last night Joel and I took the Village Gondola ride up Whistler Mountain to have dinner at the Roundhouse BBQ. When we first came here at the end of May, it looked like this:

 Now - it looks like this:

And our dinner view:
All you can eat roast hog (pig) and ribs, veges, salads and deserts - YUM

 Whistler and Green Lake in the valley below:

Dinner guest:

Good little Chipmunk - ate his dandelion greens first, and then helped himself to a chip under a table.

Whistler!!!

Today, Saturday, Gloria is basking in the sunshine, leaning up against the picnic table, having a well earned rest day after 3 days of full on riding. Here are a few shots of her exploring Whistler Bike Park.

The cool thing, well - one of the many cool things - about Whistler, is that your lift ticket gives you access to not one, but three lifts! The Fitzsimmons lift takes you to the top of the main bike park. The second lift then takes you to a higher section - Garbonzo -which has heaps of trails that link back up to the lower part of the park. And then you can also take the Village Gondola from the very bottom up past the Garbonzo zone and there is another trail that takes you back down to Grabonzo and Fitzsimmons and all the way down. And all for the one price.

But wait! There's more! For a small extra cost, from the top of the Village Gondola, you access a fourth lift and go up even higher, to where there is still quite a lot of snow and there is quite a long trail called Top of the World, which takes you back down to the other bike park trails. We will be doing that one before we leave.

Sea to Sky

After our four days on Vancouver Island, we returned to the mainland. Vancouver from the ferry - looking more than a bit smoggy.

 

We have now come full circle back to where we began. On the first day in Canada, when I collected the motorhome, the first thing we did was drive via the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler. It poured the whole way. I was jet lagged. It required all my powers of concentration to drive on the right side of the road. I knew there must have been some good views along the way but I saw nothing! This time it was very very different!

Shannon Falls

 Kite boarders at The Spit at Squamish with Shannon Falls in the background.

Brandywine Falls

Whistler!!! Mostly riding for the last week of freedom and summer!!

Whale watching

My first whale watching tour turned in to an epic 9 hour day. It was supposed to be a 6 hour tour but our captain was determined to find us some whales. Ten hopeful tourists piled into an open zodiac boat for the day.

The latest fashion in whale watching attire! Very elegant!  We all had to wear a survival suit - kind of like an all body life jacket. In the end I was glad to be wearing it as not only did we get sprayed with sea water numerous times, but it was very cold!!

Our route took us via the famous Inside Passage where all the cruise ships take their passengers up to Alaska. We saw lots of rugged heavily forested mountains and rocky shorelines.



 

It was hard to keep the camera level as the water was very choppy at times and the front of the zodiac was bouncing up over the waves and slamming down back in to the water. Joel and I sat in the front row. "Try and sit in the front row to get the best views," advised Leigh. The front row also gets the wettest and roughest ride. Thankfully, the ginger tablets Jay gave me worked and I did not get sea sick and actually enjoyed the rough ride!



Shortly after WWII the numbers of salmon began to rapidly decline. The suspected cause was large numbers of orcas (killer whales). It was thought that there were thousands of them migrating annually through this narrow channel. A group of local men got a WWII machine gun set up on this headland, aiming to reduce the orca numbers. They practiced shooting it, aiming at birds. Finally, they were ready - and that year the orcas never came!  (Somehow they knew not to come that year!?)

Then more scientific research was done and it was discovered that there were only several hundred orcas, not thousands, so obviously there was another cause for the salmon decline. And, thankfully, the gun was removed.

 

 

Transporting logs, It takes quite a lot of skill for a tug boat to tow a raft of pine logs, all tied together, about one third above water and two thirds below.

 

They also use tug boats to tow large barges all the way to Alaska, loaded with freight and supplies.

 

 

Lunch time - at Port Neville, on a remote part of the mainland, only accessible by boat. This used to be the post office and store.

 



 Our orange zodiac boat tied up to the wharf for lunch.

Before lunch we did spot some bald eagles, seals, and a bear on the shoreline.
After lunch we finally started seeing whales and porpoises. (Sorry - not very good photos)

A pod of Dall's porpoise feeding and diving under and around our boat. They are sometimes confused with baby orcas due to their black and white colouring.

 

One humpback whale feeding probably on small herring.

 Down he goes for a deep dive of 6 to 8 minutes.

 

 

Finally - orcas!! I have seen humpbacks before as they migrate past Devonport every year, but never orcas, so I really wanted to see them.

 

 At first, just a solitary male feeding. Then a group of about 6 swimming along in perfect unison. Then the male again. Our tour leader was constantly communicating with whale researchers in the area, and knew which orcas we were seeing. We were not allowed to get closer than 100 metres. The orca has quite a different dorsal fin to the hump back. It is long and upright. And when it goes down for a deep dive it does not put its tail up high in the air like the humpback does.

 

Nine hours and 208 nautical miles - epic!!! Exhausting but worth every mile and wave!

The White House burns

Did you know that Canada is the only country to ever invade the US? And they burnt down the White House and numerous other public buildings! It happened in 1812 as a result of the US attempting to take over Canada. True!

Leigh and Jay's island home

Leigh and Jay live in Campbell River, a town of around 35,000, half way up the coast, a few minutes from the beach and 40 minutes from skiing at Mt Washington and plenty of local mountain bike trails. It is a nice sized relaxed town with all the shops and facilities. A nice place to live.

The beach at Campbell River. Canadian drift wood is way bigger than Australian drift wood and very straight! And you are allowed to cut it up for fire wood.

 The beach is rather rocky and grey and gravelly - but look at the snow capped mountains across the ocean! That's something we don't see in Australia.

Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island lies off the southern west coast of Canada. It has a milder climate than much of the mainland, but also receives metres of snow in winter. It is 460 km long and has an average width of 100 km. It is less than half the size of Tasmania but has a population of approximately 800,000. Tasmania has just over 500,000. Most of these 800,000 people live along a narrow section of the eastern coast which makes that area quite busy in places. There are many small islands, mountains, forests, and rugged remote coastal areas. Forestry, fishing and tourism are the main industries. A one and half hour ferry ride gets you there from Vancouver and the ferries travel all day every day on the hour via two routes. Lots of people live on small islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland so there are also ferries and water taxis travelling all around them too.

Yes, Baden - brings a tear to the eye. Reminds one of the Spirit of Tasmania.

Transformations on the shoreline

Campbell River hosts an annual wood carving competition on the shoreline. Numerous huge logs are carved over a week long period, judged and later auctioned off to be displayed in local gardens and businesses. Here are some of this year's creations:

Orcas (my best whale watching photo)

 Very hungry caterpillas

 Mother's Day - very intricate carving on the bears for their fur.

 Leigh and Joel admiring this dragon with a marble (a bowling ball)

 Raven - an important indigenous symbol

Humming bird on roses. Leigh and Jay have a humming bird feeder hanging from the eaves at the back of their house which is visited every day by tiny humming birds whose fast moving wings sound like a buzzing insect.