Salt Spring Island Apple Festival

Visit the Salt Spring Island Apple Festival (http://saltspringapplefestival.org). This year's schedule hasn't been finalized, but much of the festival takes place on the southern part of the island.

We'll play this one by ear, visiting what we can during the day.

We are booked for a tasting at Salt Spring Island Winery, $5 per person for 4 wines. We can also have our lunch and a glass of our favourite in their picnic area - very scenic. Bring something tasty to suit the wine and the venue. Please bring the $5 with you to pay at registration as this makes it easier for them and for us to pay in one lump sum.

Full ride: 100 Km or so.
Take 65 Km off that if you get to Swartz Bay by other means.

The preliminary map is at Ride With GPS (http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6071501). Please note that the festival's schedule hasn't been posted yet. Stronger riders may break off in their own group.

N.B. The early start time of 8:30 am is so we can catch the 11am ferry to Fulford Harbour. Return ferries are 3:50, 5:50 & 7:50.

Challenge Rating: 10/10 (5/5 for Distance, 5/5 for Hills) This rating is for riding to and from Swartz Bay and doing the full route on Salt Spring. There will be options for a more moderate route and a quite easy one.

(The easier one consists of getting to Swartz Bay by other means and just riding from the Fulford Ferry to the winery and back, with a stop at the Fulford Hall for the apple festival, about 10 km.)

Terrain Rating: 2 (Some gravel sections on the Lochside trail if you ride to Swartz Bay.)

Ride Challenge and Terrain Ratings Explained (https://www.meetup.com/Victoria-Cycling-Adventures/pages/Ride_Challenge_and_Terrain_Rating_System/)

Camping Option - Ruckle Park. Latest plan is to go up on Saturday and camp Saturday night and then meet the rest of the group on Sunday morning. A chance to do some real bike camping. We should pool resources so we aren't carrying any duplicate equipment. Perhaps pot luck it for dinner and breakfast. Leave a message here if interested in the camping option.

You can put your bike on the bus to Swartz Bay to save your energy for the island.

#70 Express (http://www.bctransit.com/regions/vic/schedules/schedule.cfm?p=day.text&route=70%3A0&day=7&)

#72 Regular (http://www.bctransit.com/regions/vic/schedules/schedule.cfm?p=day.text&route=72%3A0&day=7&)

Best is to catch it at the beginning of the route on Government, beside the Legislature. If this is your plan, please leave a comment here so that we know how many are going to do this. There is only room for two bikes per bus!

http://www.flatearthphoto.com/Parks/Ruckle_tents.jpg

Standard Stuff - PLEASE VISIT THE LINKS!

CHANGE TO PROCEDURES! Victoria Cycling Adventures Club (VCAC) has been created as an umbrella society for this meetup group in order that we be able to provide you with ride insurance. You are covered by this insurance on your first ride with us, but for subsequent rides, you must join the VCAC. The annual fee is $5, payable at your next ride. Visit the new VCAC website to find out all about it and to become a member: VCAC.net (http://vcac.net/).

JOINING THE VCAC IS DONE ONLINE ONLY. CLICK TO JOIN THE VCAC (http://vcac.net/join-the-vcac).

Before attending a ride with Victoria Cycling Adventures please complete the general Cycling Safety Quiz (http://vcac.net/CyclingQuiz.php) and the Meetup Procedures Quiz (http://vcac.net/MeetupQuiz.php).

By attending this ride, I declare that I have read, understood and agree to the contents of Victoria Cycling Adventures Waiver (http://vcac.net/documents/VCACWaiver.pdf). If this is your first ride with us, please print, sign and bring with you a copy of the Waiver (http://vcac.net/documents/VCACWaiver.pdf).

In case of bad weather, we will reschedule this ride and substitute an Embrace The Rain Ride (https://www.meetup.com/Victoria-Cycling-Adventures/pages/Embrace_The_Rain_Rides/) in its place. Hey - we live in a rain forest, its gonna rain! Let's learn to enjoy it. This will be a short ride in town with a stop to warm up and dry out.

Meetup.com sending you too many emails? (Click for instructions to turn them off) (https://www.meetup.com/Victoria-Cycling-Adventures/pages/How_do_I_stop_the_flood_of_email_from_Meetup_com/)

If you have any comments about this or any other rides, you may send us a comment anonymously (http://vcac.net/comments). Constructive criticism is welcomed.