Day 4 - Ladysmith to Comox, BC

Day 4 - Ladysmith to Comox,  BC

154 km

We woke to find the air quality even worse than yesterday.  The haze was thick and the sun had a spooky look to it.  It was unsettling to say the least.  Our concerns grew worse as we cycled along the E and N Trail in Nanaimo.  A fellow cyclist rode up beside us to chat and ride a few kilometers with us.  He was wearing a mask and told us about the air quality advisories.  We continued on and a few minutes later passed a fellow getting out of his truck...he was wearing a full gas mask.

Mid Day Sun - Believe or Not!

Of course, we are worried about the effects of cycling under these conditions, but truly we are deeply concerned about our precious forests and the young people on the fire crews who are valiantly battling over 161 forest fires currently raging in our province.  I can not begin to express how angry we feel seeing cigarette butts on the ground at almost every rest stop and park we visit.  Will we ever learn?

Thanks to the route tips from Mike and Lesley we managed to cycle from Ladysmith all the way to Parksville with very little time on the Island Highway.  Of course, when you take the back roads, you often add a few extra miles and a few more hills, but it is worth it.  We enjoyed touring through parts of the Island we had never visited before.  Unfortunately, we could not take in all of the scenic view points along the way due to the heavy haze.

We stopped for second breakfast, a cycle touring tradition, in Parksville.  Our waitress immediately noticed Rob's turtle nails, and sweetly commented, "You've been painting your nails, I see."  Rob, a man of few words replied, "It's along story."

Our backroads route took us through Lantzville and Chemainus.  We enjoyed strolling the streets of Old Downtown Chemainus and took time out to explore their famous murals.  We ended our day at our favourite B and B in Comox.  As usual the company and accommodations were superb!

It was an incredibly long, hot day and once again I was reminded of the importance of having a solid touring partner.  Rob literally willed me to make it to Comox.  I am 100% sure that without him I would still be lounging on the beach at Fanny Bay.

Giggle of the Day:

Our friendly hosts in Comox went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and welcome.  As we went to bed, we found several tree branches and twigs on the duvet cover.  Nothing like bringing the outdoors in to make us feel at home!