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Post by Ferryman on May 25, 2009 8:42:24 GMT -8
You guys have really sold me on bringing a bike to a Gulf Island, and going for a ride. I'm always teased with stories about going on this trips. Then I remind myself that my bike is up in Kelowna. Last time I was up there, I tried to fix it all up to prepare to bring it back down here since its been 5 years when I rode it last (Drivers License ) I noticed it was going to need a few things, such as new brake pads, gear adjustment, seat adjustment, and a thurough cleaning during my test run. I continued on, and made my way into the massive clearing from the forest fires of 2003 that Kelowna was threatened with that summer. That clearing hosts a number of neat trails to ride down. However as things were getting good, the fate of that bike suddenly occured as I was taking a ride down a sleep embankment and ran over a rock. "SNAP.....VRRRRRrrrrrrrmmmmm (tire rubbing against frame)". Great, just my luck, I broke the rear axle, I thought to myself. As I was walking it back home from the bushes, I was trying to figure out whether I should repair the bike, or buy a new one. I then reminded myself that I had that bike since I was 11 years old, and it would have thousands of kilometers on it, plus fairly heavy mountain riding considering its type. So, I'm hunting for a new bike to ride this summer, and I hope to join you fellows on a biking excursion this summer. Cheers.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,150
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Post by Neil on Jun 5, 2009 9:50:20 GMT -8
Did a day trip to Mayne last Sunday with the family. We went partly because we haven't seen all of the Gulf Islands- except from a ferry- and partly because my interest in Mayne had been piqued by reading about affordable real estate there, and the possibility of selling our place on Hornby, and buying a property on Mayne where we could perhaps afford to build something a bit more comfortable than what we have. The two islands make for an interesting comparison since they're about the same size and have the same population. Mayne, for us, would be much more convenient to get to. We really enjoyed touring the island, but we didn't get to see everything we wanted to. We took the late morning Queen of Nanaimo from Tsawwassen, and the 8:05 evening sailing back. For daytrippers, the store and bakery at Miners Bay are good places to start, as Tru Valu Foods has a pretty decent selection of deli foods and salads to go, and the bakery next door has excellent value sandwiches, as well as pizza, samosas, and other foods, as well as a good variety of treats. Mr Horn would enjoy Miners Bay Books, a compact but fairly comprehensive store on a very nice property. Miners Bay has a very pleasant village atmosphere to it, something that Hornby lacks. It gives Mayne a center. After stocking up, we went to Georgina Point. Despite it being a sunny Sunday, there were only three other people there, and after a short while we had it all to ourselves. From there we looked in at a couple of other coves, and checked out a couple of properties for sale. Then down to Bennett Bay, which is the largest beach on Mayne. It's no match for the sands of Tribune Bay, but there is the view of Mt Baker, and Georgeson Island makes it sheltered. A bit of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is adjacent, with trails and beach access. Mt Parke is like a very small version of Mt Geoffrey on Hornby, with a smaller network of trails, and more limited views. This view is to the west, toward the Penders. Horton Bay, at the south end of Mayne, is a sheltered anchorage inside of Curlew Island, and has a dock, with shoreline access adjacent. It was very quiet and deserted when we were there. There are a number of beach accesses along Navy Channel. This one was near Gallagher Bay, and was at a point where N. Pender is just a short distance across. Looking south. We ran out of time before we could see the Japanese garden and park at Dinner Bay, unfortunately, and we didn't have time to do the whole ridge trail at Mt Parke. A viewpoint from Chu-an Park and a couple of other stops will have wait for next time. Mayne seemed very quiet, with roads virtually empty, and lots of peaceful shore access. What I liked about the island were all the views of nearby islets and larger islands; on Hornby, you're mostly looking out at open water. The ugliness of Roberts Bank and Vancouver's haze is tempered by the views of Baker and the Coast Mountains and Cascades. However, Mayne has very little actual parkland compared to the large swaths on Hornby, and the hiking is much more limited. For residents, a huge bonus is a piped water system. That must come from aquifers, as there are no lakes on the island. Eight hours doesn't give time for any meaningful insights into the character of a place, but Mayne felt less new age- aging hippy-ish than Hornby. Which is neither good nor bad. I wouldn't argue with anyone about which island is 'better'. Personally, I prefer Hornby, but Mayne is a a very nice place to visit, and the convenience of getting there could outweigh the minor downsides.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jun 5, 2009 10:39:59 GMT -8
For daytrippers, the store and bakery at Miners Bay are good places to start, as Tru Valu Foods has a pretty decent selection of deli foods and salads to go, and the bakery next door has excellent value sandwiches, as well as pizza, samosas, and other foods, as well as a good variety of treats. Mr Horn would enjoy Miners Bay Books, a compact but fairly comprehensive store on a very nice property. Miners Bay has a very pleasant village atmosphere to it, something that Hornby lacks. It gives Mayne a center. After stocking up, we went to Georgina Point. Despite it being a sunny Sunday, there were only three other people there, and after a short while we had it all to ourselves. Thanks for the report and advice. I look forward to my own day-trip in July.
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Post by Canucks on Jul 15, 2009 19:51:03 GMT -8
I will be doing a bunch of ferry trips in a few weeks, including the Inside Passage, and the Coho. I will be taking lots of photos so stay tuned . Also, if you have any photo/video requests I'll be happy to try and fulfill them.
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Post by Mike C on Jul 20, 2009 22:19:11 GMT -8
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Post by Balfour on Jul 26, 2009 19:22:11 GMT -8
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Post by Scott on Jul 26, 2009 21:17:01 GMT -8
Nice shot of the Alberni. We all like nice close up photos of the ferries, but the ones I like best are when the ferries are shown in the beautiful setting of the coast (our header is another fine example).
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Quatchi
Voyager
Engineering Officer - CCG
Posts: 930
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Post by Quatchi on Jul 26, 2009 21:45:30 GMT -8
I agree John! Its not always the ships its the combination that I like.
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rt1commuter
Chief Steward
JP - Overworked grad student
Posts: 167
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Post by rt1commuter on Aug 16, 2009 18:55:42 GMT -8
Did a random, unexpected day trip yesterday. For weeks I've been telling myself that I would cycle the malahat. Well, yesterday I actually did it. Funny thing, once I got to about Mill Bay, I decided that I did NOT want to go back over. It's not that it was too hard, because it wasn't actually that bad. Instead, it's because the exhaust from the cars was intense. I actually felt sick. Add that to the tight shoulder when going southbound and you see my conundrum! Instead, I decided to keep going North and turn it into a BC Ferry day! I kept going to Crofton where I caught the ferry to Salt Spring. I flew across Salt Spring in 45 minutes to try and catch the Skeena, and made it in the very last moments. The Skeena itself was absolutely packed! Standing room only type of load. In any case, I made it to Swartz Bay and had a relaxing ride back to downtown. 135 km of riding and two great ferry rides. On Friday, Cathy and I set off for a cycling trek to the Queen Charlottes. That's going to be very exciting .
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Post by WettCoast on Aug 31, 2009 21:50:25 GMT -8
Warning - Photo HeavyI have been away from the forum over most of the last few weeks. My wife and I, along with seven others, took a cruise via canoe, down the Stikine River from Telegraph Creek, BC to Wrangell, Alaska, a distance of about 250 km. We were 'on the river' from Sunday, Aug 16th until Tuesday, Aug 25th. Stikine River - The Green Wett Coastt Boat
On Wednesday, the 26th we caught AMHS's M/V Taku for the journey south from Wrangell to Prince Rupert with a three hour layover in Ketchikan. We arrived in Rupert at 1:30 AM, and saw the NorEx all safely tucked in for the night, with all exterior lighting ablaze. We then off loaded and took canoes and a few tons of gear by foot through Canadian customs. We did not get home and into bed until 6:00 AM.
What follows are some AMHS ferry pics captured on the trip. More are available at my photo site s90.photobucket.com/albums/k268/wetcoastkidjst/AMHS/.
Taku pics:
Taku arriving @ Wrangell
@ the Wrangell Terminal
Solarium deck with what looks to be a helicopter pick off in foreground
@ Ketchikan secondary AMHS berth
Cafeteria pano
Taku Sunset - SE Alaskan waters south of Ketchikan - a variation on this is currently in use as my 'sig' photo.
We also saw the M/V Matanuska while departing Wrangell, and the M/V Columbia, while at Ketchikan. A few pics follow:
M/V Matanuska arriving @ Wrangell. In the background, to the ferry's left, is the valley that the Stikine passes through as it empties into the salt chuck.
Matanuska & Wrangell, as seen from the Taku's stern. The Matanuska was northbound while we were southbound.
The Columbia @ the primary AMHS Ketchikan berth
M/V Columbia - she would depart soon for Bellingham, WA.
While in Ketchican we also saw several cruise ships - more on that tomorrow on the cruise ship photos thread. We also saw the Inter-Island Ferry Authority's mini ferry M/V Stikine. It runs a two round trips per day service from Ketchikan to Hollis, on Prince of Wales Island. www.interislandferry.com/
Lastly, the Northern Expedition @ BCFS's Fairview Terminal, Prince Rupert, Thursday, 1:30 AM PDT.
PS: Here is a AMHS passenger warning sign...
Sound familiar?
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Post by Kahloke on Sept 1, 2009 8:19:31 GMT -8
Excellent photos, Wett Coast! Thanks for sharing those. It's a real treat to see photos of our AMHS friends to the north. Thanks to you and a few others here who have been taking trips up to the Panhandle, we've been blessed with getting glimpses of that part of the world.
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Post by EGfleet on Sept 1, 2009 9:37:59 GMT -8
Excellent photos! That is one awesome sunset shot!
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Post by WettCoast on Sept 1, 2009 19:05:06 GMT -8
A bonus for all of you who have a soft spot for AMHS's beautiful old Spaulding designed ferries - a hi-res version of the Columbia at the Ketchikan Terminal. i90.photobucket.com/albums/k268/wetcoastkidjst/AMHS/db95a463.jpgThe Columbia remains, IMHO, the best looking ferry in any of the fleets operating on the North American west coast. This pic currently lives on my desk top.
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Post by WettCoast on Sept 1, 2009 21:06:06 GMT -8
Here are a few more pictures from my time in south east Alaska, last Wednesday... Alaska Airlines coming in for a landing at Wrangell airport (as viewed from deck of Taku). These are for 'FNS'. close-up Dogs in sunglasses - Ketchikan Entertaining swarms of tourists...
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Sept 4, 2009 22:21:42 GMT -8
I did a route 2 trip on Wednesday to Horseshoe Bay. Took the 12:15pm Cowichan over and came back on the 5:20pm Coastal Renaissance. Nothing too exciting on this trip just thought I would mention it. Photos are on my facebook!
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,150
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Post by Neil on Sept 22, 2009 11:00:00 GMT -8
Far from a solo trip, but solo in terms of other forum members. My daughters, wife, sister in law and her daughter, and me, went to Pender for the day. Arriving on the ' Nanaimo just after one, we toured around until it was time to catch the ' Cumberland at 7:20. Not really enough time to do the islands justice. We missed the Bedwell Harbour area, other than seeing it from the top of Mt Norman, which is truly one of the most spectacular viewpoints in the Gulf Islands- reachable by a half hour hike from the road on South Pender. We also didn't get to the Camp Bay area at the south end. There are quite a number of beach access points on the islands, many little more than narrow corridors between properties, but still worth checking out for the views. Port Washington is an interesting stop, although the hundred year old store there was closed. Hope Bay has a few shops and a restaurant in one complex, the restaurant having a very nice view over to Mayne. 'Downtown' Pender is the Driftwood Centre, with a large TruValue Foods, very good bakery for treats and ice cream, book store, fish and chips shop, and other outlets. We drove around Magic Lake Estates, just because I wanted to see what looked like a large real estate development. I wouldn't recommend others do it- it's a labyrinthine tangle of windy residential roads around a very unremarkable little reedy pond. Rural suburbia, but I suppose nice enough for those so inclined. Thieves Bay is in there somewhere, and it had a nice vantage point west over Swanson Channel. Mortimer Spit, right by the bridge between North and South Pender, is a lovely spot to picnic and watch boats (not ferries, though). With a decent amount of hiking trails, there is more to do and see than can be accomplished in one Sunday afternoon, as allowed by the ferry schedule. Somehow we're going to get around to seeing Saturna, but I think an overnight stay will be required. No ferry pictures, as I didn't think we captured anything that hasn't been seen a hundred times, and we weren't really there to watch ferries anyway. The bridge between the islands. The Penders were once one, until a canal was cut in 1903; the bridge was built in the late '50s. Mt Norman gives amazing views to the west and south- yes you can see ferries approaching and leaving Swartz Bay- even the Olympics are in view. Well worth the walk. at Hope Bay, beside the restaurant. Looking rather Okanagan-ish, Plumper Sound and the south west side of Saturna.
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Post by Kahloke on Sept 22, 2009 11:40:55 GMT -8
Great pics, Neil. Thanks for the trip report. I have friends who used to like to sail in the area. They would rent a sail boat in Anacortes, then travel through the San Juans and Gulf Islands. Bedwell Harbour was one of their favourite stops, and that was before it became all glitzy with the Poet's Cove Resort.
I'll be heading to Orcas again this weekend. This time, I'll bring my camera and try to get some pics of the island itself, not just of the ferries and ferry landing area. I need to get some more current pics, anyway, for my Orcas album.
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Post by Kahloke on Sept 26, 2009 23:55:39 GMT -8
I went to Orcas again this weekend - I know, what a shock, right? This time I needed to go up to the island to help my dad who lives there. While I was there, I decided to take some pictures of the island itself, more scenery photos this time, in addition to my usual snapshots of ferries. So, here are some glimpses of Orcas and the San Juans. Enjoy! Sort of an artistic shot of Yakima's house Evergreen State Evening falls in the San Juan Islands. This is a view down Wasp Passage Arch at the entrance to Moran State Park Eastsound - the main town on Orcas Island Main Street in Eastsound Episcopal Church in Eastsound looking down East Sound Old farm building I love old island signs
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,150
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Post by Neil on Sept 27, 2009 10:09:14 GMT -8
Eastsound looks like a pretty little place, and Mt Constitution looks like a spot where I would definitely like to spend some time. How high is it, and what's involved in getting to the top?
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Post by Kahloke on Sept 27, 2009 11:17:19 GMT -8
Mt. Constitution reaches a height of 2409 feet (734 metres). It's really easy getting to the top. There is a narrow, but paved, road all the way up to the tower, with lots of hairpin switchbacks and some breathtaking views along the way up, at the higher elevations. There are a few places where you can pull over. You can also hike up the mountain, which I have done before. There's a great trail from Cascade Lake at the bottom all the way up to the top - takes about 2 hours with rest stops. It's a pretty steep climb, and you'll need plenty of water, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable hike. Most of it is in the woods. Here's a Wikipedia article on the mountain: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Constitution
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Post by johnnytindale on Oct 12, 2009 12:09:03 GMT -8
Had the pleasure of traveling on Route 1 this weekend. Waited 2.5 hrs on Friday at SB but only 10 min yesterday at Tsa. Ended up on the QNW for both sailings. As I sailed home yesterday, I realized that I've sailed quite a lot this year on the QNW. Upon further recollection of my Rt.1 trips this year, I found this to be true. I never plan to be on a specific ship, I just try to be on whichever sailing best fits my schedule, so it's somewhat random as to what ship I end up on. Anyway, in 8 round trips (16 sailings) so far in 2009, I've been on the QNW 9 times, the CC 3 times, and 2 each for the Spirits......
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Post by Ferryman on Dec 7, 2009 19:07:14 GMT -8
I did a random little round trip on the Queen of Cowichan yesterday afternoon. I had other intentions of meeting someone at Horseshoe Bay as a surprise for their trip to the Island. But I also was simply wanting to go for a cruise for something to do. I never brought a camera with me, just because I didn't think I'd be seeing anything interesting.
The load going over to the Mainland was quite crammed. In my mind I was saying, we need the Renaissance back for these sailings. The lounge space on the Cowichan/Coquitlam just doesn't cut it anymore on Route 2 during the busy sailings. I spent most of the sailing standing or walking around. I was however lucky to find a spot to rest my feet in the cafeteria near the end of the sailing. The Cowichan had also just returned to service from her annual refit. Nothing to really mention about that, since her onboard conditions was much the same as what I could remember back in the summer. I will say though, after doing a round trip on the Coquitlam just two weeks ago, the Cowichan is still in alot nicer shape than the Coquitlam.
The skies were clear, but was it ever cold out there! The wind was howling from the North too, so it made for somewhat of a bumpy crossing. The most eventful part with the wind was just as we were nearing Horseshoe Bay though. Howe Sound was much like a wind tunnel, and it looked far worse further up the sound along the Queen of Surreys route to Langdale. I stood up in the forward lounge and positioned myself right in front of a window facing the bow. As we got closer to the bay, we were being broadsided by the waves, and there was some decent rolling. It had some people on edge, even though I've witnessed far worse conditions on that route. The sound of the hull breaking the waves was certainly interesting to listen to, as it reverberated throughout the ship. She handled good in the wind it seemed, and she just glided into Berth 2 like it was a calm summer day.
Coming back to the Island had probably the same traffic count, maybe double the amount of foot passengers though from the previous sailing. We glided back home with the waves, and you wouldn't have even noticed the wind outside unless you looked out the window.
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Post by Northern Exploration on Dec 8, 2009 6:55:51 GMT -8
I never brought a camera with me, just because I didn't think I'd be seeing anything interesting. Oh my. Your ferry geekness is slipping badly. A camera is basic equipment for any ferry trip. I think you better add a review of the Ferry Geek Code of Honour as an urgent item on your todo list.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 11, 2009 10:32:07 GMT -8
I had a great day of ferry riding yesterday.
On my 2-3-3-2 combo, it was a cold & clear day (clear over the Sunshine Coast, but cloudy over the Strait and Nanaimo). I spent most of my time outside on the ships, sheltered from the wind, but enjoying a cold sunny day.
Nature had a treat for me: there was a curtain-effect with a wall of cloud forming a distinct line, and then clear sky below that. That was pretty great for both sunrise and sunset (I saw both, on such a short almost-solstice day).
I'll be posting more pictures (select items, I will show restraint ;D) in the various photo threads. - Stormaway (I've already posted these) - Langdale terminal - Dep Bay terminal (I've already posted these) - Capilano Queen - Coquitlam Queen - Scenes from a ferry.
In the end, I was tired, not frost-bitten (but cold), and very satisfied with a fun day on the water.
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Post by SS San Mateo on Sept 19, 2010 19:58:41 GMT -8
One of the trips I did in 2009 was a 4 hour cruise around Vashon Island on board the SS Virginia V (it's an annual event that started several years ago, but for whatever reason didn't happen in 2010). This is the first time I've done this trip (as well as the the first time I've been aboard the Virginia V). Pictures of the trip can be found at: picasaweb.google.com/vashon118/SSVirginiaVTrip20100816Here are a few videos from the trip:
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