When It Rains...

Day 1: Vancouver to Gibsons - Sep. 24th

Today's Distance: 33 Miles

Total Distance: 33 Miles

Well this is it, my first real day of riding!  Got a later start than I expected partly because I stayed up so late last night but also because I had to keep adjusting all my equipment.  This was my first time fully loading up my bike and wow what a difference it makes.  Because there is so much weight in the back, any time I lift up the front end the bike wants to pop a wheelie or fall over on its side. Not cool man. I started to get a little worried that maybe this was a bad idea to not practice at all beforehand. After a coffee and a bagel I was off and getting a little more used to the weight on the bike.  My original destination was Roberts Creek Provincial Park where I would be camping but as you can tell from the start of the post I didn't quite end up there; more on that later. I started with a nice ride along the Seawall which is basically like a boardwalk in California but with the English Bay instead of the beach.  It was a really beautiful and peaceful way to start my ride. There is a separate lane for cyclists so you don't have to worry about running anyone over and along the way is an "Open Air Museum" that displays different pieces of art. For example: Humongous Jelly Beans

I crossed over the Burrard Bridge and through Stanley Park to finally make it to the Lions Gate Bridge that would take me into West Vancouver.

 The Lions Gate Bridge was definitely intimadating because on one side is speeding cars and on the other is a huge drop into the water below. Luckily I had my own lane and barricades on both sides or else I would've probably passed out.  When I hit West Vancouver it became much more peaceful and I'm pretty sure I saw an otter swimming around😍.  Shortly after that it started to rain. And as I kept going it started to rain even more. And spoiler alert, it didn't stop.  I expected this today but I also expected to be much further along.  One thing I like about these Canadians is that they don't mind the rain. I even saw two nicely dressed women, walking in the rain with no urgency, with their umbrellas still closed up in their hands!  I could tell the tourists were the ones running for shelter.

Even though it was raining, the ride was still nice until I hit Marine Dr.  I wasn't ready.  Pouring rain and lots of climbing for the next 10 miles with a heavy load made this so difficult for me.  Multiple times I had to get off my bike and push it up the hills and even that was difficult. Of course this got me even more soaked and more miserable. Every negative thought attacked my mind at that point.  I'm not ready for this, I'm gonna get myself killed, what was I thinking, I'm gonna let everyone supporting me down...I tried to stay positive but it just kept getting more and more difficult.  

Finally I made it to Horseshoe Bay where I would be taking a ferry to Gibsons, BC and the Sunshine Coast. I go to buy my ticket only to find I just missed the ferry and would have to wait another 2hrs to cross.  The good news is that it gave me time to get some fish & chips and then a hot tea from Starbucks. The bad news is that it would be completely dark by the time the ferry took me to the other side and I still had another 12 miles to get to Roberts Creek.  I didn't want to miss my goal on the first day but it's also not worth risking my life over.  I sat there in Starbucks contemplating my next move.  I hoped the hot tea would warm me up but I couldn't get rid of the chill in my bones and my damp, wrinkly skin. I made up my mind to take the ferry and just book the closest hotel room.  I can't believe I was even considering setting up camp in the rainy darkness. 

While in line for the ferry I met a local cyclist with an Australian accent. We chatted a bit and I told him my plan.  He looked a bit concerned.  Got off the ferry and it felt like it was raining even harder.  I knew there was a big hill and then a few miles to the inn, so I waited for all the cars to pass by, turned my lights on, and right as I start to take off I hear "Hey San Diego!" in an Australian accent.  "You know what you're doing?"  I said, "Yeah, I think so."  I don't think that inspired confidence, so he let me know that it's not just a big hill, it's a huge hill and it's long.  Trying to help me out he told me that I could wait for the bus with him.  But I already made up my mind that I'm gonna finish this day strong.  It was full on ego and pride that drove that decision to ride up a long, steep hill at night time, in the rain, in a foreign country.  And I'll go ahead and say it before everyone else does: It was a stupid, dumb move and I'll never do something like that again.  What I did was seriously dangerous and I'm not even trying to sound cool, I'm just owning up to it.  When I made it to the top I had a few miles of flat riding through a foresty road with nothing but my bike light to lead the way.  When I finally reached the Sunshine Lodge I let out a celebratory "Hallelujah!" and was happy to hand over a wet credit card.  Took a hot shower, cranked up the heater, handwashed my clothes, and even had time to watch the end of the Thursday Night Football game. What a trying 1st day.