July 2022 Newsbrief

https://cccts.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Newsbrief-image.png

The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society       July 2022,  Volume 39, Issue #6

 

From the Tour Director’s Desk – July 2022

A group of people on bicycles Description automatically generated with medium confidence

  • The happy group from the Wheatlands 2022 tour –

The 2022 summer tours are in full swing. The two Niagara Pannier tours have completed and we heard that people had a great time on these tours. The Southern Rockies camping tour and Laurentian Pannier tour will depart later this month. (My husband Dan and I are very much looking forward to cycling in Quebec with the Ottawa members on the Laurentian tour.) It is so nice for CCCTS to be back in the tours game. The Sunshine Coast Group 1 and Group 2 tours depart in September and they are both full. Our January 2023 Thailand tour is open for registration and there is still plenty of space available on that one. Thailand is now fully open for visitors and COVID entry requirements are limited to proof of vaccination. Visas can be obtained upon arrival. If you are interested in cycling in the warmth and sunshine in winter, beach walking, swimming, experiencing another culture, and enjoying the fabulous Thai cuisine all along the way, you may want to join this tour.

We had an excellent response to our 2022 tour offerings and are looking forward to tours in 2023 and beyond.

As of today, this is what our 2023 tours lineup looks like:

  • Thailand – Bangkok to Phuket (January 8 thru 23)
  • X-C Ski in B.C. or Washington State (February)
  • Arizona (March)
  • Mallorca (late March/early April)
  • Portugal (April)
  • Vernon, Penticton, & Oliver (late spring)
  • Washington State tour – TBD location (Summer)
  • Croatia (September)
  • PEI and Isle de Madelaine (September)
  • Japan (September)

Details for each tour will be posted when tour proposals and budgets are finalized and the Board has approved them. So, watch your CCCTS emails and the website since tours will be posted one at a time as they are ready.

We really need more tours in Canada. It is very clear that Canada tours are the most popular with our membership. We can only offer them if you step forward to lead them. Of the 53 CCCTS rides Dan and I have participated in, the majority have been in Canada. It is probably fair to say we have traveled to more parts of Canada than the average Canadian. In addition to the more familiar Canadian destinations, we have also cycled in:

  • Haida Gwaii
  • Yukon territory
  • Northwest Territory (Dempster Highway)
  • Quebec
  • New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, and Cape Breton
  • Newfoundland (where I would relocate to today if I could)

We loved every single one of those tours and would like to visit more parts of Canada with the club. Please give me a call or send an email if there is a tour you would like to lead. We are open to any tour idea you have for cycling or winter cross-country skiing as long as it is a safe place for travel. (robincooksandsews@gmail.com, 206.899.7255)

Happy Summer Cycling!

Robin Howe, CCCTS Tour Director

Duncan #1 Hub and Spoke, May 30 – June 03, 2022

The Duncan Hub and Spoke on Vancouver Island, May 30 to June 3, organized by Chris Hodgson and Diane Swindell, was an outstanding success.

Twenty participants enjoyed four and a half days of riding on bucolic quiet country rides and restored rail trails. Key destinations were the historic Kinsol Trestle, Chemainus and its murals, Cowichan Lake and the renowned Duncan wild bird raptor centre. Rides averaged 65 km, just the right distance to start off the season.

We rode each day in three groups, including leaders and sweeps, which set out in different directions each day. This enabled riders to choose their comfort zone with nobody left behind. The accommodations were basic but clean, centrally located, and affordable. Dining facilities were within walking distance.

Apart from the rides, the best thing for me was the social activities particularly the gathering after rides. There was lots of fun and laughter, old friends reconnecting, new friends made.

The only downside was after four days of perfect weather we had torrential rain on the last day and our wine tour had to be cancelled. Never mind, we’ll do that next time!

Allan Smyth

A group of people sitting outside Description automatically generated with medium confidence

 Happy Hour at our Digs at Duncan Motel.

 Kestrel falcon at Raptor Centre.

At Kinsol Trestle with Jean, Sharon, Rob, Denise, Vicki and June.

Allan Smyth explaining the Sikh Temple at Paldi to Diane, Mary, Dale and Allan.

 Allen Olsen faking a crash along rail trail washout near Duncan.

 Mike Young taking in the 1924 Canada Day parade in Chemainus.

Vicki, June and Sharon on the Trans-Canada rail trail.

A group of people sitting around a table Description automatically generated

Garage café in Duncan – the best coffee in town.

 

 

Tours.

  • 2022 Sunshine Coast Tour – Group 2
    Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
    Dates: Sat, 17 Sep 2022 ‐‐ Fri, 23 Sep 2022

    Lovely, coastal ride on the Sunshine Coast of B.C. and the east side of Vancouver Island.

  • 2023 – Thailand Tour – Bangkok to Phuket
    Status: 12 slots are available.
    Dates: Sun, 8 Jan 2023 ‐‐ Mon, 23 Jan 2023

    Escape winter to cycle for two weeks in the sunshine along the southern peninsula of Thailand from Bangkok to Phuket. Enjoy fabulous Thai cuisine all along the way.

  • 2022 Laurentian Pannier Tour
    Status: 2 slots are available.
    Dates: Mon, 25 Jul 2022 ‐‐ Sun, 31 Jul 2022

    Six-day tour of the Laurentian area of Quebec between the towns of Mont Laurier and Saint Jérôme. This region of Quebec is known for it’s scenic beauty. Accommodations are motels and cyclists will carry their own gear and make their own accommodations. Our route will follow the trajectory of the cycling trail, Le P’tit Train du Nord, using this trail as backbone where necessary. To add variety, optional routes using local roads will be proposed where possible. Longer and shorter ride options will be offered for each day with distances ranging between 50 and 90 kms. There will be 6 days of cycling with 6 nights of accommodation in local motels. Overnight stops will be in Mont Laurier, Nominingue, Mont Tremblant, Sainte Adèle and Saint Jérôme.  

  • 2022 Sunshine Coast, B.C. – Group 1
    Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
    Dates: Thu, 15 Sep 2022 ‐‐ Fri, 23 Sep 2022

    Lovely, coastal ride on the Sunshine Coast of B.C. and the east side of Vancouver Island.

  • 2022 Southern Rockies
    Status: Registration closed
    Dates: Mon, 25 Jul 2022 ‐‐ Fri, 5 Aug 2022

    Come join us on the most popular ride through the Southern Rockies. Be prepared to see wildlife and witness spectacular views of the Southern Rockies, lakes and rivers. Enjoy a relaxing time in the Radium Hot Springs, trek the boardwalk in Johnston Canyon, experience the bicycle trails connecting Cranbrook to Kimberley and Bow Valley Parkway to Banff which continues on to Canmore. Relax on your day off in Cochrane, AB. Experience the comradery of fellow riders on the road, in the campground and around the firepit.

  • TOUR Cancelled/Delayed – 2022 Sri Lanka
    Status: Registration closed
    Dates: Fri, 16 Sep 2022 ‐‐ Sat, 8 Oct 2022

    See the entire island of of Sri Lanka on this 23-day van-supported cycling tour. Visit many cultural sights, stay in lovely accommodations, and enjoy the fantastic local cuisine.

  • 2022 Niagara/Erie Pannier Ride – Group 2
    Status: Completed

    Join us for a week of self-supported touring in the Niagara and Lake Erie region of southern Ontario. Our tour will begin in Brantford and follow paved and unpaved bike paths including the Waterfront Trail, with opportunities to visit beaches and wineries along the way.

  • 2022 Niagara/Erie Pannier Ride – Group 1
    Status: Completed

    Join us for a week of self-supported touring in the Niagara and Lake Erie region of southern Ontario. Our tour will begin in Brantford and follow paved and unpaved bike paths including the Waterfront Trail, with opportunities to visit beaches and wineries along the way.

  • 2022 Washington Wheatlands
    Status: Completed

    A gentle cycling season opener through quiet and beautiful wheat farming countryside in eastern Washington.

Hub and Spokes

  • 2022 Duncan Hub & Spoke #2
    Status: Completed

    Welcome to Duncan, the “City of Totems”, an attractive town near the mouth of the Cowichan River. You’ll get to visit Cowichan Lake, Chemainus and its world class murals, Cobble Hill wineries and a cidery, ancient railroad routes and the famous Kinsol Trestle, while enjoying five days of riding around the beautiful Cowichan valley. Leads & sweeps for all rides.

  • 2022 Duncan Hub & Spoke #1
    Status: Completed

    Welcome to Duncan, the “City of Totems”, an attractive town near the mouth of the Cowichan River. You’ll get to visit Cowichan Lake, Chemainus and its world class murals, Cobble Hill wineries and a cidery, ancient railroad routes and the famous Kinsol Trestle, while enjoying five days of riding around the beautiful Cowichan valley. Leads & sweeps for all rides.

  • 2022 Florida Gulf Coast Hub and Spoke
    Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
    Dates: Thu, 10 Nov 2022 ‐‐ Fri, 18 Nov 2022

    Extend your 2022 biking season with a week of cycling on Florida’s beautiful Gulf Coast! This hub and spoke will take place in November and will be based out of St. Pete Beach, known for its sunshine, soft sand beaches and dedicated bike trails. We will explore the Pinellas Trail and other bike trails and roads in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area, with stops along the way to explore the sites and sample the seafood.

  • 2022 Fraser Valley Chapter Hub and Spoke – April 4, 2022: Ride CANCELLED due to low registration. Refunds will be processed by Jurgen Harding, Club Treasurer.
    Status: Registration closed
    Dates: Thu, 7 Jul 2022 ‐‐ Mon, 11 Jul 2022

    Daily ride options to choose from – quiet country roads in the Fraser Valley and south of the border, to more urban rides along a network of bike paths and designated routes in Richmond, Vancouver and beyond. Special interest rides may include gardens, public art and/or historical sites. Start locations of the routes will vary.

  • 2022 Fraser River Canyons, Benches & Grasslands Hub & Spoke
    Status: Completed

    Explore four scenic ranch roads less travelled on the dry side of B.C.’s Coast Mountains. A group supported camping and three ride days Hub & Spoke based from Clinton and Lillooet. Bring your camera, binoculars and mountain bike or gravel bike!

  • 2022 Shuswap – North Okanagan Hub & Spoke
    Status: Registration closed
    Dates: Tue, 28 Jun 2022 ‐‐ Sat, 2 Jul 2022

    Welcome to the beautiful and diverse landscapes of the Shuswap – North Okanagan region. Enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of nature as you cycle some of the 1500+ km of paved back roads in the area.

New Members

Bill Burgers Victoria BC
Chris Taggart Vernon BC
Pat Roberts Comox BC
Suzanne Reeve Victoria BC
Danielle Bavis Vancouver BC
Byron Henry North Vancouver BC
Mary Davidson Denver CO

Published at least ten times a year by The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society, a non – profit organization for retired people and others who enjoy recreational cycling. 

Items for the NEWSBRIEF must be received by the 28th of the month. The Editor reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity and suitability of publication. The views expressed in the “NEWSBRIEF” are not necessarily those of the CCCTS or the Editor.

Submissions for NEWSBRIEF should be emailed to alaird212@gmail.com