Thirty cyclists arrived in Duncan for a 3-day cycling trip of the Cowichan Valley on central Vancouver Island. The Valley takes its name from an Aboriginal word meaning “the warm land” – and indeed, it honored this description when we arrived. The meet and greet and happy hour took place in the lobby of the Super 8 Motel, where most cyclists stayed during the duration of the tour. When I arrived, there was an excited clatter going on; riders were happy to see “old” friends and meet members new to them. It was a vibrant meeting; we all excitedly looked at the available routes, and prepared to explore the area. The maps and cue sheets were tucked under arms as everyone left to study them over dinner. It should be noted that a CCCTS Duncan chapter does not exist, thus two Sidney members, John Pringle and Dave Charles, took up the cudgel once again, having organized a H&S here a few years ago. In the recent edition John did much of the overall organizing, while Dave and his team of day-ride leaders, Glen White (who calls the Cowichan Valley home) and Brian Collier (who call Victoria home, but are most knowledgeable of the Valley) developed the routes. Later, Dave created the maps and cue sheets; both jobs well done.

Next morning we woke to the perfect cycling day. It was sunny, not too hot and no wind. Therefore, I choose the longest of the seven rides, one led by Brian and Dianne Collier. Another reason was that lunch would be at the wellknown Crow & Gate pub in Cedar. The first stretch, through Duncan on the island highway, was quite busy. Shortly, however, the route veered inland on quiet roads with rolling hills. A particularly beautiful section was the Richards Trail, which meandered and undulated passed quaint farms. We then followed the Chemainus road along the Stuart Channel, which offered beautiful views of some of the smaller Gulf islands. We arrived at the Crow & Gate Public House before noon. We were curious about this place, it being the first neighbourhood pub in British Columbia. It did not disappoint! Upon entering, we noticed the beams, massive stonework open fireplaces, and heavy wood trestled tables deco- 7 rated with authentic pub memorabilia from the U.K. After ordering we sat outside to enjoy the beautiful gardens. The menu offered traditional pub food, including Steak & Kidney pie. The portions were generous, the beer plentiful and the company great. It was a very nice place to be. Little wonder this is a popular place for both locals and tourists alike. After lunch we pedaled back through Ladysmith, located on the 49th parallel, and home to the Old Time Bakery that has won the title “Best buns on the island” a couple of times. The afternoon coffee stop was in Chemainus, famous for its 39 outdoor murals. This outdoor gallery was a result of the deep recession in the early 1980s. The town was awarded a grant from a provincial redevelopment fund. Community leaders bought into Karl Schutz’ concept of the “murals revitalization project”. I lived in this area at the time, and remember well the hard times we all faced. Karl’s concept was cautiously accepted, but the town, now replete with gift shops, galleries, antiques dealers and even a repertory theatre appears to be an economic success story.

Once out of Chemainus, and nearing Duncan, one rider’s bicycle rutted, turning the front wheel sharply. He was thrown hard to the pavement resulting in a broken pelvis. Full recovery is expected following rehab in Vancouver.

Happy hour was at the campsite, hosted by Jeannette Zorn and myself. Since I was running late, my husband (a non-cyclist) graciously stood in for me; he bought the French bread, put the tablecloth on the picnic table, and set out the cheese. Thank you Howard.

The next day we pedaled in light rain to Motel Super8 to start our ride. There was a choice of three rides: Shawnigan Lake (81 km); the Cowichan Wine Tour (67 km); and out to the famous Kinsol Trestle (62 km). I decided to do the Wine tour, led by Glen, where there’d be some shelter from the rain. Our group of nine soon stopped for coffee and fresh baked goods at Cowichan Bay’s True Grain Bakery. The rain stopped as we headed to the Cherry Point Estates Wines; currently owned by Xavier and Maria Clara Bonilla, immigrants from Spain. It was obvious from Maria’s enthusiasm that she loved the valley and was proud of her winery. The 24-acre vineyard grows 18 varieties and is the second largest on Vancouver Island. Maria explained what is involved in maintaining grapevines while she poured Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc tasters. Purchases were made and layers removed as the sun beckoned us out. Our next stop was Unsworth vineyards where we were looking forward to tasting the 2014 Petit Milo Vintners Selection, highly rated by Glen. To our disappointment, the wine was sold out. I settled for a bottle of 2014 Allegro, which is a blend of Petit Milo and Epicure; it was a great! After a very busy morning, we were ready for lunch. The bistro at Merridale Ciderworks has a large patio overlooking an orchard and offered great food made from local ingredients at reasonable prices. The local Red Rock crab cakes were delicious as was the pizza baked in the oven on the patio. On the way back to the motel we made one more stop; to buy organic chicken, which was picked up later by Glen, along with all the wine we’d bought.

After a quick shower and change of clothing, we headed over to the Quw’utsun Cultural Centre along the banks of the Cowichan River. About twenty years ago, the Quw’utsun’ 8 People embarked on a project to raise their profile; they now display the Quw’utsun’ culture and history to the world. The interpreter, John George, welcomed us, and described the meaning of each pole along the “totem pole trail”. We then watched a 20 minute multimedia presentation, which depicted an oral history of the Cowichan People. The climax of the late afternoon/early evening was the planked salmon dinner with all the trimmings. The meal was served on giant cedar planks, laid across the tables. It was delicious and plentiful. Dinner was topped off with a tasty blackberry/rhubarb crisp.

The next day it was raining, and I had decided not to cycle. I just didn’t want to get wet! As I looked around the campsite, I saw four members put on their rain gear and pedal away. I suddenly felt a little sheepish, and within five minutes was geared up and yelling “Wait for me!”. I am so glad I went. And it didn’t really rain! Glen, our leader who knows the Cowichan Valley inside out, took us on a short ride to the Holt Trestle, located on the Trans Canada Trail. It was an amazing structure. On our way back, we stopped for coffee and a piece of delicious peach/blueberry pie just out of the oven. How could I have missed this?

Back at the campsite, sudden winds came up. Branches were ripped from trees. Trees were ripped from the ground. Suddenly a strange noise alerted us to the repositioning of the Club’s shelter, which had torn loose from it’s moorings and was now hanging upside down in a tree. With the help of the campsite owner, we managed to pull it free. Others this windy afternoon went to the BC Forest Discovery Centre where they were toured through the wind-blown forest by a forestry technician who gave an excellent overview of both the coniferous trees important to the local logging industry, and with their natural history. She also explained the uses of the huge pieces of machinery that covered the 100 acre site. Later a ride on the Centre’s life-sized and fully restored train toured us through the remainder of this wonderful museum.

I had a very good time on this tour; there are lots of memories to look back on, and I made many new friends.