Pressing "pause" on life's movie

Riding Fool sign

So I've been more-or-less on the road for almost six months now. To me that seems like quite a lot - especially for a self-avowed non-traveler. My pace has definitely slowed considerably since I left Ottawa back in April. I haven't really had a strong urge to move on and explore in the past several weeks; recent forays to Tofino and the Juan de Fuca Strait were done with company, which certainly kept the enthusiasm up. Admittedly some of the lethargy is due to a nagging (but healing!) injury that I received during some ill-advised antics in Golden, BC, but mostly I think I've seen all the scenery I can handle and just need to sit an process everything for a bit, as well as give myself an opportunity to figure out what to do next.

Riding Fool interior

The old Tarbell's Store

So where am I? To date I've spent over a week in Cumberland, BC, a small former coal mining town in Vancouver Island's Comox Valley. It's a cute little town with a very strong sense of history and many heritage buildings lining its main street. There's rivers and creeks and trails and mountains nearby, and the ocean is a short 15-minute drive away. Mountain biking is supposedly epic, and from the trails I've been able to walk it seems that the reputation is well-deserved. I've been staying at The Riding Fool Hostel, which is on the second floor of the old Tarbell's hardware store, the remainder of which now houses a bike shop and cafe. This is a nice hostel, with a fantastic common area, well-laid-out kitchen, and comfortable beds. The folks who run the place are awesome and I can get discounts for weekly stays. What's not to like about this place? :)

I figure I'll kick around here for a while, maybe find a place to live and work and return to "real life". In the meantime, I'll get caught up on some blogging since there's a bunch of hikes I did in the Rockies for which I've got notes and pics, but never got around to posting. Keep your eye on this space!

Perseverance Creek