Waking up to the sun bathing the outside of the tent was a welcome relief following the days of incessant rain. However, the heavy dew meant things were still pretty wet so I laid out the various sheets to dry as I made some porridge and coffee. After leaving the campsite, I was quickly off the highway and back on the forest service roads which were a roller coaster of steep ups and downs which made for pretty slow progress. I could hear the sounds of active logging nearby when my progress was halted completely by a rope across the road saying it was closed. Contemplating having to painfully retrace my steps and find an alternative, one of the logging trucks stopped and asked if I was OK. Seemingly pretty surprised to see a lone bike all the way out here. As I explained where I was trying to get to, he told me to come under the rope and radioed his colleagues to let them know I was coming though. I waved a thanks to the other trucks and was soon past the area of the forest condemned for the chop and back to having the road to myself. After some more climbing I dropped down into Port Alice, the only ‘major’ settlement in this part of the island for some lunch. 

 

Port Alice was a lovely setting with a small harbour and steep green mountains rising from the water’s edge on the other side of the coastal inlet. I got some food from the cafe and supplies from the supermarket before sitting for a while in the sun. My stomach was still causing issues and I felt very nauseous after eating, so I was not in any rush to get back on the bike. 

 

The afternoon was much the same as the morning with lots of climbing but did include a stop at ‘The Devil’s Bath’ - a deep pool formed by a series of underground caves. Despite being in need of a wash, I thought it sensible to give this particular bathtub a miss and continue on to the next rec site for the evening. There was a family already there with a small RV, so I said hello and found a spot out of the way to set up the tent. My stomach was still not feeling good at all but managed to force down a small packet of noodles and went to bed. The nights are noticeably starting to close in now which at least makes going to bed early easier.