Day 3--CHAMPAGNE

September 7, 2000
Nanaimo to  Mill Bay, BC

We packed up the campsite and headed out by 9 a.m. What started as a beautiful morning turned into off and on rain. I took my rain jacket on and off all day, not only because of the rain, but also because of the heat I'd generate climbing. Jess, meanwhile, was bundled into two long-sleeved jerseys and her raincoat asking me constantly that most foolish of questions: "Aren't you cold?" Ha! I rode the last bit of the day in pouring rain and just my RDP jersey with my raincoat wrapped around my waist.

Susan leaving Living Trees campground

Susan already minus arm warmers and with her jersey
unzipped on the road between Nanaimo and Mill Bay 

We stopped in Duncan at a bike shop where Jess bought fenders to keep her rear and gear drier. I bought some yellow tinted glasses which make the world a much brighter place. They protect my eyes when I'm not wearing my sunglasses, too.

We opted for a motel this soggy, chill night. An awesome though inelegant room, kitchen, hot tub (aaahhhh) and a proprietor who dried our clothes in his private dryer. A red deer was munching on the lawn in the rain when we arrived. I thought it was a pet, but the motel owner said it was a pest instead. 

Before getting to the motel, we stopped to get a six-pack and some celebratory champagne, and then had a short but tremendously steep climb to the motel. We both ended up walking the last fifty feet or so.

Jess & Susan enjoying a champagne and some dry warmth after a cold, wet day

Mill Bay Motel living room. Don’t know whether the haze is steam from our wet gear or a fogged camera lens.

Weather: 62°F rain all day

Route: Nanaimo to Mill Bay. Out of Nanaimo on Hwy 1, which was a 4 lane 65 mph roar of traffic with a wide shoulder but very uncomfortable for Jess. Stopped and got directions for getting to Mill Bay ferry on back roads. Longer route but much less traffic. Motel in Mill Bay.
General: A strenuous day in the rain with several climbs, very friendly and helpful people, a very weak Canadian dollar (presently worth .49 to our dollar) which makes possible buying such things as champagne and smoked salmon for dinner.