Saturday, July 18th – Sunday, July 19th 2015: Washington – Oregon: positiv wherever I look….

Note: this post should have been online already 2 days ago... but in the land of unlimited possibilities it is hardly possible to find a campground with a decent WiFi (though they advertise it).... after more than 4 hours for uploading 6 pictures (with just few pixels) I gave it up....

Rainbow Falls - Mt. St. Helens - Neskowin (appr. 430km)

After a really quiet night at a state campground I started driving a bit earlier than usual. I wanted to visit Mount St. Helens and see what the massive vulcanic eruption from 1980 looekd like today. I took only small sidestreets – some gravel – and had a not-planned stop in a little village: a parade was going on and the traffic just stopped from fierce looking sheriffs ;-) no idea what the parade was about but it had funny cars, beauy queens, military vehicles AND a representation from the Swiss Association district St. Helens. With about 32°C not really ideal to wait more than an hour in the sun in complete motorcycl gear but it was really funny and anyway I rather get used to hot temperatures….

 

The landscape around the Vulcan Mt. St. Helens was absolutely impressing: complete hills where the trees still lying on the ground like matches;just underneath the vulcan tha valley was covered 15 meters of ash. And still: nature was back, faster than they had expected.

 

On the way back towards the oceanside I drove just small roads but breathtaking: 90km through forest and along the river. Many americans spend the weekend camping and picknicking on a state campground or at the river; havig a good time with friends and family.

As there had been many campgrounds on my map I did not reserve a campsite in advance as I had no idea how far I would manage to drive that day. Now that was a big mistake: village after village, campground after dampground: „no vacancy“, „full“. At the end I was just too tired to drive o and took the first motel that had a free room: what a luxury sleep that night ;-)

 

As it was Sunday I did not get on the road early; enoyed a nice strong coffee and then drove on along the coast; I was wondering about the dunes that should show up in about 100km‘s distance.

WOW! That was really special: look to the left you had a cleraly blue little „mountain lake“ surrounded by forest and looking to right the ocean and these huges dunes. I took the chance and rented a quad for an hour. Had quite some problems at the beginning as I always wanted to put my left foot down when stopping; or the gas was just a little „Hebel“ and not as what I was used. Nevertheless after some time it was getting quite fun. Though: I clearly prefer a bike and I am clearly too anxious to have really fun and race along the dunes. Once I was just lucky because I did not see (getting sort of snowblind even with the sunglasses) and had a vertical drive down a bit too direct and fast. Pure luck that I did not roll over. So I slowed down (I do know that this is completely wrong in the sand) as I absolutely did not want to risk any blessures. But it was worth a try anyway….

 

Again I found a really decent campground (with hot tub) and ended up with cooking a delicious risotto with nuts and fresh vegetables…. As you can see my cooking skills improve the longer the journey lasts ;-)

The most difficult and exhausting part oft hat day?? talking with a canadian-french speaking family in the hot tub. But interesting anyway…. And the kids know now where Switzerland is and why French sounds completely different to theirs.

Tuesday, July 14th – Friday, July 17th 2015: Port Angeles and getting my Suzy Blue work fine again….

On the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles I met two charming Canadian Bikers and we spent the 90 minutes talking about Europe and where to drive and what to see around Port Angeles. They just took over to the States for 2-3 days driving on the Hwy. 101 for a start as well. It was really a pity that I had to get my Suzy Blue repaired otherwise that would have been the first chance to drive along with some other bikers, at least for one or two days.

In Port Angeles I drove to the Suzuki dealer right away. They checked my bike and it was the cabel of the speedometer that was broken – as I had assumed. They ordered a new one and I also decided to change the chain as I just was struggling with the one I had (unfortunately a cheap one that was rosty and worn out in spite of oiling and tightening it every evening). We decided to put a more reliable one on. Sure a good decision and with the low prices - I really do not dare to tell how little I paid for : 1 new speedometer cable, 1 new chain, 1 back stroke and 1.5h of work !! - worth it anyway. The guys from Power Equipment in Port Angeles had been very friendly and helpful, just great!

 I spent the days exploring the surroundings, beeing lazy at the pool and doing some washing again. This time also my motorcycle gear as it already looked like beeing driven through mud all the time.

 

The second morning I was invited to having breakfast to Terry and Vicki, a Canadian family from Calgary. He a passionate motorcyclist himself, having been on a motorcycle trip in Europe just some years ago and on that occasion even passing Switzerland. We had a nice chat and again I realise that such encounters – next to the impressing sceneries I will see on my trip – make my trip that interesting and unforgettable.

Friday, July 10th – Tuesday, July 14th 2015: Vancouver Island : more than expected ….

The ride on the ferry from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy was long but the scenery was again just breathtaking – we even got the chance to watch some humpback whales ; I just was not speedy enough to make any pictures  - have to work on that if I intend to increase my wild animal count ;-)

Had again the chance of talking to a nice lady sitting next to me ; she was from Powell River coming originally from Hungary and used to have a restaurant before getting retired – so there was a lot of interesting topics to talk about.

 

 

After an speedy check-in at the hostel shortly before midnight I got a really nice 2persons-room. The other girl was not in, just her luggagge and the backpack (on the nice and big bed) showed that I was not alone that night. But she did not show up all night, missed the expensive ferry and referring to the smell of her lugagge she spent the night at a party smoking some nice stuff ;-)

So I had a nice and cheap single room and decided in the morning to stay another night. I took the chance of driving a windy road to Port Alice. Not much to see there but the ride was worth it anyway.

After that I again tried to sort out my lugagge to a reasonable way of packing. Though I packed just a few things I already realised having taken too many things with me. First thing to do in Port Angeles was therefor to send some stuff back home. Sunday morning I took off to Campbell River. As it was not that far away I decided to take the longer gravel road – even though it was slightly raining. Didn’t had any problems to find the junction but then it got somehow difficult. No road signs and my GPS did not know that nice gravel road. I just drove on and quite soon realised that it was not funny with the highg pressure (meant for paved road conditions) I had in my tyres. So I just lowered the pressure and from then on it was REALLY nice driving. Different to what I’m used as driving normally  offroad-tyres but I am getting used tot he „Heidenau K60 Scout“ and it seems tob e as good as I was told before. Somehow I got back tot he highway – not exactly where I wanted tob e: came out in the north instead of south; so I was travelling back towards Port Hardy instead of driving towards Campbell River. But I didn’t care: it was a nice drive and I could train my offroad skills again – though looking like a pig meanwhile J before getting back tot he highway I tried the little compressor I had with me: and hey, it just works fine. Good to know! Means that from now on, I will always lower the pressure from my tyres driving on heavy gravel roads.

 

After just a short night in Campbell River – next to my tent site three somehow symphatic motorbikers on a brewery-tour !!! and therefore with a sleeping habit that was quite noisy….. I think they did not see that sign before ;-)

In the morning I decide to shorten my stay on Vancouver Islands – feel like I need a different scenery now ; got enough from mountains and woods, was longing to see the coast, the beaches oft he West Coast. So I drove down to Victoria and bookd a ferry to Port Angeles (WA) fort he next morning. Victoria by the way is a nice really English looking like city where you can spend hours of of just strolling around.

 

 A last night at a cosy campground next to the river…. The perfect ending of the first part of my journey.Vancouver Islands : almost 4000km driven so far and it just feels good tob e on the road. No real problems so far, people are absolutely friendly and curious about my journey; most oft hem admiring  what i’m doing – not just because they think it is a brave thing to do at all or not just beacuse I was travelling alone (as a woman) and not just beacuse they had been afraid of all the „dangerous“ countries on my way south but I also felt because they just never got the chance to do something like that; never crossed the border of their own country. I know that it is a privilege and I really appreciate having the chance to do it. I take every day of my travel as a gift and enjoy whatever is coming up.

Wednesday, July 8th – Friday, July 10th: Prince Rupert surprisingly different….

Yesterday afternoon  I reached Prince Rupert that will be sort of the last point on my Alaska–British Columbia-mainland tour ; after 3000km I just have positive memories  so far – in spite oft he small electronic and other difficulties. But they are sort of like „the salt in the soup“ J

Didn’t have any problems to find my B&B which turned out to be the oldest resident house of Prince Rupert (1808) and which is maintained by a really cool elderly lady. It’s overloaded with old bits and pieces but is nevertheless cute, has a perfect view over the harbour and is right in the middle of Prince Rupert. After7 days of camping again a night in a „normal“ bed and the landlady – she calls herself Auntie Fifi - promised me a fabulous Canadian breakfast the next morning. So I was sitting at the breakfast table together with an English an and a Belgium couple, enjoying a rich breakfast. But that was just the begining of what turned out to be the most weird breakfast I ever had – in a positive way. Auntie Fifi used to earn her l living in her young days as a Edith-Piaf-double touring around in theaters and Casinos and so she sung us 3 original songs while we had our breakfast. And she did that absolutely perfect with that unmistakable French rrrrrr-Accent of Edith Piaf. What a start into the day!

       

I had decided to do some exercise for a change and got the hiking maps at the tourist board for a roundtrip up to Mount Hays: 18km and about 1500 up-and-down. They just had a detailed copy for the first part oft he roundtrip, from the second part I had to make a picture out of their visitors-book with my cellphone. As I am used to hiking from back home I thought that wouldn’t be a problem. Now I know better and I know why they did not have any copies anymore! An easy way through the city, a short walk through a mystic forest and then up a gravel road -  which would be a dream for every offroader and even legally to drive! I walked up in a steady pace and reached the summit after 2 hours. What a view over the sund of Prince Rupert up there! 

I did not rest long and looked fort he connecting trail to get tot he other summit. No way. Even the help of two other hikers to look for it was unsuccessful. After a while I saw the tracks of a Quad into what I assumed to be the right direction. I followed that track slowly down the hill through a quite muddy area and when that tracks of teh Quad ended I finally saw the connecting trail – or what was left over from it. The wooden pannels that should lead over the marsh and the little creeks had been completely rotten, breaking at the lightest weight on it and rosty nails looking out everywhere. I gave me another 15 minutes to check whether it would get any better. But when I just with luck did not get a rosty nail into my foot (after going straight through my heavy hiking boots) I decided to go back. I sort of crumbled back up the hill back to the former trail and returned to the city the same way. Back I went straight to the visitors board to inform them about the desolete trail and suggest them to take the second trail better completely out of their hiking suggestions.

 

Fazit for today: the first sunburn on my shoulders, a big scratch in my leg, a hole in the hiking shoe but definitely the most funny, weird and adventurous day so far. And that even without driving the bike ;-) 

 

 

Now today I had to get up at 5 in the morning to get on time onto the Ferry that brings me to Vancouver Island. During that 15 hours on the Ferry we even saw some dump whales and bucket whales but apart from that it was just an easy day cruising smoothly along the shores and through the narrow sound of the Islands towards Port Hardy where I will stay again at a hostel. 

My last booking so far. From now on, everything is unplanned and I can go spontanously wherever I like to go. What a great feeling!! 

Sunday, July 5th – Tuesday, July 7th 2015: Canadian Camping and other stories….

Whitehorse – Watson Lake – Meziadin Junction – Terrace: appr. 1200km

         

Already three days since my last Blog. Three days of driving on through the huge landscape of Yukon and British Columbia. Cruising smoothly (yes, that’s even with my offroad-used DRZ400 possible) on the highway 37 towards Prince Rupert. Again I saw breathtaking, beautiful spots and now even some wild animals: 2 mooses, 2 buffalos, 1 white-tailed sea eagle, uncountable sand squirrels and red squirrels, and even 1 bear unhasty crossing the street. So the days are just going by in an already „regular“ way. I get used to that way of living and feel really good with it J

 funny driving over these metal ridges !!

The most funny thing during the last few days? The Canadian official campgrounds: mostly no water (and so of course no showers), no electricity, no WiFi/telephone-availability. But in every campsite a table and bench and a firplace made out of a metal barrel with integrated grill ! SO I tried out my fire-making skills and hey, I got a really nice fire, lasting for some hours and feel absolutely cosy (still in the middle of bear-homeland). The bigger problem was to buy some food for me. All the stores just have food in XXL-amounts. As because of the bear you should not leave any food overnight ( and I do not have a car to close it in) I made quite a funny mix of food: some baked potatoes, 1 pack of Salami, 1 cream cheese and 1 pack of tortillas (they are really great roasted on the grill). What sounds a bit weared turned out to be a tasty dinner: Tortilla Wraps „à la Judy“, going together with a nice and hot Earl Grey tea…. After that I slept like a baby and did not bother about any bears hanging around my tent.

 

The most interesting during these days were the ecounters with all kind of different people: a Swiss couple at the gas station, the employee at Wallmart (actually a student from India) who sold me the cellphone and the camera), the three retired bikers at the campsite who invited me to join their 

„beer—and-gossip-party“ ;-)

No matter where I buy something or make a rest, people start talking with me. That’s really great and makes this journey even more interesting.

Tomorrow I will be heading to Prince Rupert… sort of „back to civilization“…. at least fort he moment :-)

  

nothing "wild" but my 3 companions on that trip :-)