Day 3 - Malahat to Duncan BC

Day 3 of Cross-Canada Tour

53 km / 33 miles

565 m / 1850 feet Total Ascent

After a good night's sleep and a big breakfast to help me recover from yesterday's difficult trail riding experience, I stuck to the paved roads and covered 53 km (33 miles) from Malahat and Shawnigan Lake up to Duncan BC.

The power had been out in the Malahat area for almost 24 hours after an oversized load took down the power lines and shut down the Trans-Canada Highway the day before.  The highway was back open but subject to rolling closures as crews worked to restore power.

Most of the businesses in the area were shut down because they were without electricity.  Fortunately, the Malahat Chalet next to the Moon Water Lodge had an emergency generator for their kitchen, so I was able to enjoy a really nice brunch with an incredible view.

I also got to enjoy some homemade juice thanks to Lily and Alex and their roadside juice stand.  So much better than lemonade.

Overall, the ride went pretty smoothly today.  It wasn't much fun riding along the shoulder of the busy Trans-Canada Highway but that was the only option for a portion of today's ride.  As soon as I had a quieter alternative, I got off the TCH and followed secondary roads.

I passed through Cowichan Bay in the early evening and enjoyed sunset over one of the nearby rivers before stopping for the night in Duncan BC.  

I managed to find a motel with ground floor rooms and direct access from the parking lot so I could get my trike and equipment safely inside.  Unfortunately, the doors were narrower than the trike so I had to remove the front wheels to get the trike into the room.  I am getting tired of all the disassembly and reassembly that I have to do to get the trike where I need it.