Monday, July 10th - Port Clements to Masset

We got up, did some stretched (you may notice a theme), at breakfast and got all our stuff ready to go. I got our bags to the driveway along with Marieka's bike, and began to prepare for my ride. I had decided to pull my trailer, with my shoes and a few other lighter things in it.

We were all ready to go for 10am and talked with Dawn while we waited.

Elsie arrived around 10:15am and, after some learning around how to fold flat the rear seats, we got Marieka loaded up and on the road.

I was off shortly after. Taking a wrong turn, I started heading South, but quickly realized this when I got to the main highway turnoff to town. Heading the right way again, I kept at my usual pace, aiming to get to Masset in under 2 hours. There were a number of hills to climb, but also a number of hills down which to fly, so I kept a good speed, although I was definitely feeling that this was the most intense ride I had done in a long time.

I saw some new sights - a big sign for the future site of a tidal generation demonstration project being the main on I can recall.

As the ride went on, I felt sore in my butt from the time in the saddle and remembered to stand a bit more, and wondered if part of this was being sore from pedalling at a faster, more intense pace, but kept going.

I pulled into Masset in a little under 2 hours, and got to Marieka at the 626 Fish & Chips at a bit more than 2 hours on the road, taking advantage of the location to get some lunch.

Conveniently, this was next door to the Gwaii Naay House, so we were able to lock up the bikes and get ready for a walkabout.

Walking through the centre of Masset I saw a weight lifted: Last time I was here, the old barracks, boarded up, were an emotional weight and really sunk my spirit. This time, all that was left was foundations and grass, with children playing in the field and positive, life-affirming graffitti covering the foundations.

Roller Skates and Foundation

We walked across the causeway to the highway and Visitor Info Centre, took a photo at the Mile 0 sign, then walked back past the Copper Beech House, along Waterfront streets and over to the Maritime Museum before we got back to Gwaii Naay House and tried to figure out dinner.

Mural on the Gwaii Trust Society building

 

With most places closed on a Monday, our only option was the "Pub Faves" menu of Daddy Cool's - all deep friend and carby. It took me a long time to figure on something marginally healthy-ish (yam fries). Thankfully, we'd had a big lunch, so weren't really in need of a real meal.

Before dinner, we had done a grocery run and seen a poster about a Hawaiian Canoe journey that would be landing in Old Masset tomorrow, so we began to plan around this, so we could be there for this and the welcoming ceremony.

 

I also gave a call to Masset Car & Truck rental and was able to make arrangements to rent a car Thursday and Friday to get Marieka, her bike and bags, and my trailer and bags down to our next stop in Lawn Hill (~90km away) on Friday. Plan C is coming together.