Vancouver to Port Hardy - Part 1

For anyone wondering about the trip, the official information is here -
http://www.cyclecanada.com/Tour_Arctic.html

The first challenge was getting from Squamish to Vancouver with four people, four bicycles, four bike boxes, two tents, bike spares, and bags of clothing. Solution: Bike boxes and one bike in the good old Subaru, the rest of the gear packed around it and in the front passenger seat...

Ursula drive the car to Vancouver...

 Rae, Henk and Louise ride their bikes to Vancouver and get a 85-km warmup...

 Arrive at UBC accommodation and get a nice view of the support van and trailer...

 One shelf for each of us... they have space for twenty...

 Briefings, stash the car in long term parking, eat dinner, back to the room in time for sunset, and get ready for an early start tomorrow...

Day 1... breakfast in the parking lot at 0700...

 ...then to the totem poles by 0800 while the moon is still up...

 ...mandatory photos to prove we could all stand on our feet at the start...

 ...and off we go...

 ...a couple of stops at Vancouver landmarks and a few more photos...

 ...then across Lion's Gate bridge...

 ...endure the ups and downs of Marine Drive to Horseshoe Bay to catch the ferry to Nanaimo...

 ...and after a total of about 85 km we're at our first campground at Parksville where this little foal was quite happy to graze while we ate our supper. First day finished, good dinner, early night into the tent to be ready for an early start next day...

Day 2... on the road again under blue sky and warm temperatures, here with Bud Jorgensen (who runs Cycle Canada and its associated tours) leading our little peleton.

We go just over 100 km up the coast today with the usual fishing activity...

 ...and get into camp at Black Creek, a bit north of Courtney and Comox. Got in early enough to enjoy snacks and drinks...

 ...and another swim at the beach.

Overall the trip is going well. Organization and support is good. Chris and Tara, our support crew, are terrific. The other riders are all good people; we're mostly riding close enough to the same pace that we see each other en route.

Day 3... in the next post.