Despite having lived in Horseshoe Bay as a teenager for some 10years, I have never explored north of there by bike. True this was also the part of my life when I hated exercise and hoped in all seriousness that I would break my leg to get out of PE class.... but still biking has always been the exception.
But yesterday we ventured out into this unchartered territory. We rode up the Eastern side of Howe Sound in the direction of Squamish and Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway. It's a funny thing; you (as in I) think you know the city you live in, but then someone goes and says the Eastern side of Howe Sound, and you have no idea that is precisely where you have lived most of your time here. That's why I love this blog. It pushes me to figure these things out.
But yesterday we ventured out into this unchartered territory. We rode up the Eastern side of Howe Sound in the direction of Squamish and Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway. It's a funny thing; you (as in I) think you know the city you live in, but then someone goes and says the Eastern side of Howe Sound, and you have no idea that is precisely where you have lived most of your time here. That's why I love this blog. It pushes me to figure these things out.
The ride was surprisingly difficult - there were 13 (!!) small (ish) climbs at giving it a climb rating of 5 according to mapmyride.com - whatever that means. I think it's something like - good for you, you warmed up your legs a little for all the real climbs out there, here's a pat on the back.
Porteau Cove lies just south of one of the most dangerous spots for rockslides along the Sea to Sky Highway. In 2008, a slide blocked the highway seriously messing up traffic for 5 days, but thankfully nobody was physically harmed. Porteau Cove has an emergency ferry dock, so that when slides do happen, traffic can be sent via ferry either to Horseshoe Bay or Squamish.
The area is really spectacular with views of a million little islands (I exaggerate a little), and bluey/green water, unlike the adjacent ocean water - perhaps due to glacial water coming down from the mountains?
So another thing I came across - Howe Sound is a sound - a sound is a geological term, not just some word they stuck to Howe to make it sound better. A sound is a large ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord ... what are all these terms!!!
Porteau Cove lies just south of one of the most dangerous spots for rockslides along the Sea to Sky Highway. In 2008, a slide blocked the highway seriously messing up traffic for 5 days, but thankfully nobody was physically harmed. Porteau Cove has an emergency ferry dock, so that when slides do happen, traffic can be sent via ferry either to Horseshoe Bay or Squamish.
The area is really spectacular with views of a million little islands (I exaggerate a little), and bluey/green water, unlike the adjacent ocean water - perhaps due to glacial water coming down from the mountains?
So another thing I came across - Howe Sound is a sound - a sound is a geological term, not just some word they stuck to Howe to make it sound better. A sound is a large ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord ... what are all these terms!!!
RSS Feed