We hopped busses to the ferry and the sun made a very appreciated appearance as we waited in the parking lot. I was also now always on the hunt for outlets to charge my iPhone. I was using it to track my rides but the GPS eats battery and web surfing while in transit is not much easier on the battery either.
A pretty and uneventful ferry crossing led to an amazing welcome in Powell River. There were bagpipes, flag waving community members and a choir as you walked from the ferry to the parking lot where our bikes were stored. The sun was out and feeling awesome. It was surreal and awesome all at once. It was also a bit of a rush to find your bike, get setup and get ready to go.
I realized quickly that I had not cleaned my bike very well and a slightly rusty chain and dirty bike waited for me. I said sorry to her and lubed up the chain for another 50+km of riding. The forecast called for mostly sun so I wore a long sleeve shirt that I regretted about 2minutes after the starting gun went off.
Powell River had similar trails to what I vaguely remembered from Campbell River but they were drier. All said there were some awesome moments in Powell River and the community was super cool. This is also where I am pretty sure we started to see more "BC-like" features. Log bridges and other features started to appear in among the big trees. Only negative was a pretty long road ride to return to the camp. I decided to hammer as best I could to make up some time but it felt like it went on for quite a while. It wasn't long before I was wishing for 29" wheels when the big bikes tracked me down and made it hard to stay on their wheel. After a bit of a disaster on Day 2 I was happy to finish with big smiles and legs that had pop to them for a fast finish.
By far, Powell River had the best camping spots. Right down on the ocean - gorgeous. They also had the best high class for the no class dining setup. Also, amazing food to be had here as well. Good times in PR.