Powered by Outside

Canadian road trip

PB Forum :: Canada - West
Canadian road trip
Author Message
flag benhg
Posted: Jan 6, 2022 at 16:54 Quote
firewalkwithme wrote:
I've worked out 2 plans and would appreciate your opinions.

I guess the first one is too ambitious

A)
2 days Vancouver
2 days Squamish
4 days Whistler
2 days Pemberton
2 days Kamloops
2 days Revelstoke
1 day Jasper/Banff (not for biking, just for the scenic ride)
1 day Calgary, taking the flight back home

B)
2 days Vancouver
5 days Whistler
3 days Squamish
2 days somewhere on the coast on the way to Powell River
3 days on Vancouver Island
1 day Vancouver, taking the flight back home

what do you think?

Plan B
People have mentioned the distances - Do the West coast this trip, come back another day for the interior.
flag firewalkwithme
FL
Posted: Jan 6, 2022 at 23:23 Quote
djyosh wrote:
I'd go with your second option just to have less driving and to be cheaper for round trip flights. You could hit up Coast Gravity Park in Sechelt on the way up to Powell River, then cross over to the island to ride Cumberland and then down to the Duncan area and back via the Swartz Bay ferry. That route would not really have you driving for more than 2 hours per leg (excluding ferries). There is also so much quality and variety in Whistler and Squamish that 8 days > 6 days.

Thanks a lot @diyosh + @benhg
so be it. I'll discuss things with the other guys.

I will keep you postedand will let you know where and when.....
Finally it all depends whether there are quarantine regulations or not. keep your fingers crossed!

Cheers
Jörg
flag djyosh
O+ FL
Posted: Jan 7, 2022 at 9:36 Quote
firewalkwithme wrote:
djyosh wrote:
I'd go with your second option just to have less driving and to be cheaper for round trip flights. You could hit up Coast Gravity Park in Sechelt on the way up to Powell River, then cross over to the island to ride Cumberland and then down to the Duncan area and back via the Swartz Bay ferry. That route would not really have you driving for more than 2 hours per leg (excluding ferries). There is also so much quality and variety in Whistler and Squamish that 8 days > 6 days.

Thanks a lot @diyosh + @benhg
so be it. I'll discuss things with the other guys.

I will keep you postedand will let you know where and when.....
Finally it all depends whether there are quarantine regulations or not. keep your fingers crossed!

Cheers
Jörg

Sounds like an epic trip, for sure. Best of luck with planning and with COVID stuff (that goes for all of us).

I would recommend making ferry reservations - especially around weekends and definitely if making crossings on long weekends - you don't want to be stuck in a 3 sailing wait. https://www.bcferries.com/

If all goes well, hit me up and I might be able to guide you around the north shore trails here in Vancouver.
flag s-loxton
O+ FL
Posted: Jan 9, 2022 at 9:46 Quote
Just to help muddy the waters in your decision making more I'm going to throw in a vote for a modified version of Option 1 haha. As you say, you may have been a bit ambitious in it's current form, but a week or so on the Coast (Van/Squamish/Whistler/Pemberton) followed by some time in the interior is very doable. If you drive the Duffy/Highway 99 north from Whistler, through Pemby, to Kamloops it's only around a 4 hour drive. Plus the drive has some beautiful scenery. Once you get to Kamloops, Harper (has shuttle or pedal access) and Pineview (pedal access) sound like they'd be your style, then I'd recommend a couple of days up at Sun Peaks Bike Park. Sun Peaks is super fun and has great techy, singletrack-style trails that set it apart from other bike parks so from your description I'd think you'd enjoy it. Lots of accom options right near the base of the chairlift too.

It's about 2 hrs drive further from Sun Peaks/Kamloops to Vernon and Silverstar Bike Park, or around 3 hours to Revelstoke so you could possibly add those on if you really wanted to or end up with an extra week. On the drive back to Van you could go back the same way, or close the loop through the lower mainland and hit Vedder Mountain near Chilliwack on the way to break up the drive.

Full disclosure, I'm biased because I live in Sun Peaks/Kamloops, but the interior has some rad riding and it's a different style of terrain and trails than you'll find on the coast or Island so will add some nice variety to the trip. It's a little less busy than a lot of places on the coast too. Downside to the Interior is it's often pretty hot in August (Sun Peaks is not too bad, but Kamloops gets proper hot). If you still have flexibility in your dates and early July is still an option that may give you better conditions for the interior. The Island is awesome too, but the downside is BC Ferries is pricey with a car and there will be big ferry lines in August.

The good news is, there's no wrong choice! Everywhere you've mentioned has rad riding. Sounds like you're spending a good chunk of time in Whistler regardless, so I'd recommend at least a day riding in Pemby while you're there. It doesn't get as much hype as Squamish or Whistler but there are some fantastic trails and the views of Mt. Currie from the trails are pretty amazing. Highly recommend a lap down Cream Puff, it's a classic for a reason. Good luck with the planning and enjoy the trip, you'll love BC!
flag gramboh
O+ FL
Posted: Jan 9, 2022 at 21:20 Quote
firewalkwithme wrote:
I've worked out 2 plans and would appreciate your opinions.

I guess the first one is too ambitious

A)
2 days Vancouver
2 days Squamish
4 days Whistler
2 days Pemberton
2 days Kamloops
2 days Revelstoke
1 day Jasper/Banff (not for biking, just for the scenic ride)
1 day Calgary, taking the flight back home

B)
2 days Vancouver
5 days Whistler
3 days Squamish
2 days somewhere on the coast on the way to Powell River
3 days on Vancouver Island
1 day Vancouver, taking the flight back home

what do you think?

Another vote for A unless this is your one and only shot at a BC bike trip, in which case I'd vote B just to see more areas (at the expense of more time on the road). If you can do another trip in the future, then do A now, especially May/June because the alpine riding in Revelstoke/Golden etc. is not open yet.

If it was me I would spend at least one day in Pemberton as well. One day on the shore is enough IMO, just ride the morning at Seymour and afternoon at Fromme or vice versa.
flag srh2
O+
Posted: Jan 13, 2022 at 12:15 Quote
You'll have an amazing time no matter which trip you decide to do. Besides, once you get home, you will already be planning your next visit to BC!

If you go with Trip B, as others have mentioned, you can keep the driving distances down and ride some absolutely spectacular places every single day. Beautiful scenery and and ridiculously fun trails. You'll have some time to put your feet up, relax and enjoy a nice cold beverage from the many craft breweries too. I'm not sure about the comment from one of the other posters regarding liquor stores closing early. I've never had any issues with that. If you do take a day off while you're on Vancouver Island, make a quick rip over to Tofino. You won't regret it!

BC's interior has a lot to offer. Kamloops/Sun Peaks and the Okanagan/Silver Star are amazing, as well as Revelstoke, Golden/Kicking Horse and Fernie. You could add all of these to your tour. But rushing around to get from one place to the next isn't always enjoyable. Another thing to consider would be including an easy or non biking day here and there. I am in the same age range as you guys, and find that I get more sore and don't recover quite as quickly these days.

I'll wrap up my rambling...

Trip B will take you to some fantastic places. There will be a bit less driving and might allow you the freedom to stay in one area a bit longer if you wanted. Then just can just come back see us again and check out BC's interior the following year Smile
flag firewalkwithme
FL
Posted: Jan 20, 2022 at 9:57 Quote
Thanks guys!

I also think that this trip is not going to be the last one.
We still have to discuss but I think it going to be:

2 days Vancouver
4 days Whistler
2 days Pemberton
3 days Squamish (or 2 days and 5 in Whistler)
1 day somewhere on the coast on the way to Powell River
3 days on Vancouver Island (including Tofino)
1 day Vancouver, taking the flight back home

As you see I included Pemberton and due to shorter distances I think we'll be able to squeeze in plenty of riding.
We did something similar in Austria/Italy including Finale Ligure last year. Distances that time were longer and after 3 days in a row with about 5000m decending each day some time in the car, some hiking or on the beach is not that bad.

If I understand covid rules correctly you must be fully vaxxed and need a pcr test not older than 72h. That'd be doable. But who knows whats up in August.

again, thanks a lot!
I keep you posted.
flag srh2
O+
Posted: Jan 20, 2022 at 17:49 Quote
Sounds like the perfect trip! I'm excited for you guys!
Maybe you'll report back on how it all went? I'd love to see some photos of your adventures!

...and hopefully all this Covid BS will be done by then.
flag mick06
O+
Posted: Jan 20, 2022 at 18:12 Quote
If you haven't been to Canada before you're missing out on a beautiful drive from Calgary. It is much prettier driving Calgary to Whistler than Whistler to Calgary (sounds weird but it's true). It's only 11 hours in total taking the 99 (the northern route after kamloops to whistler which is much nicer than the highway).

Banff has the moose hotel with awesome roof top hot tubs, revy has the best tacos ever, sun peaks is on the way to whistler too.

Edit: Tofino is good but I wouldn't try to squeeze it into that time frame. It's pretty much a day each way with stops from Vancouver to Tofino. Plus it can be super crowded depending on when you go with bad traffic the whole way and near impossible to get food as everything is booked out for the 2 months that all of Canada goes there. It is good though. Infact I wouldn't try to do Vancouver Island at all in 3 days. It's a big place with lots to do.
flag Deanobruce
O+
Posted: Jan 27, 2022 at 21:58 Quote
firewalkwithme wrote:
Thanks guys!

I also think that this trip is not going to be the last one.
We still have to discuss but I think it going to be:

2 days Vancouver
4 days Whistler
2 days Pemberton
3 days Squamish (or 2 days and 5 in Whistler)
1 day somewhere on the coast on the way to Powell River
3 days on Vancouver Island (including Tofino)
1 day Vancouver, taking the flight back home

As you see I included Pemberton and due to shorter distances I think we'll be able to squeeze in plenty of riding.
We did something similar in Austria/Italy including Finale Ligure last year. Distances that time were longer and after 3 days in a row with about 5000m decending each day some time in the car, some hiking or on the beach is not that bad.

If I understand covid rules correctly you must be fully vaxxed and need a pcr test not older than 72h. That'd be doable. But who knows whats up in August.

again, thanks a lot!
I keep you posted.
You are going to love this trip, biking in Whistler/Sea 2 Sky is the reason my 3 month holiday has turned into living here for 8 years.

If i was you, this would be the time i would spend in the areas you have mentioned;

-1 day Vancouver - Pick a mountain and have at it.
-5 days Whistler (split between 2 days bike park and 3 pedalling/shuttling. Between westside, Alpine and BC)
-2 days Pemberton (Mackenzie area one day, or both. then maybe one mile lake)
-2 days Squamish (Alice Lake one day, Quest area the next)
-1 day somewhere on the coast on the way to Powell River (Should be 2 days, one day at Coast Gravity, one day shuttling Huggies/Duggies)
-3 days on Vancouver Island (including Tofino) Be aware, the tofino leg will take up 2 days of the island trip. Its nice, but not worth using all your time on the island nice. Cant speak for the island riding. Am yet to get over there with my bike.
-1 day Vancouver, taking the flight back home
flag ShawMac
O+ FL
Posted: Jan 31, 2022 at 16:34 Quote
firewalkwithme wrote:
Thanks guys!

I also think that this trip is not going to be the last one.
We still have to discuss but I think it going to be:

2 days Vancouver
4 days Whistler
2 days Pemberton
3 days Squamish (or 2 days and 5 in Whistler)
1 day somewhere on the coast on the way to Powell River
3 days on Vancouver Island (including Tofino)
1 day Vancouver, taking the flight back home

As you see I included Pemberton and due to shorter distances I think we'll be able to squeeze in plenty of riding.
We did something similar in Austria/Italy including Finale Ligure last year. Distances that time were longer and after 3 days in a row with about 5000m decending each day some time in the car, some hiking or on the beach is not that bad.

If I understand covid rules correctly you must be fully vaxxed and need a pcr test not older than 72h. That'd be doable. But who knows whats up in August.

again, thanks a lot!
I keep you posted.

You are probably going to want two days on the sunshine coast. As mentioned, Coast Gravity Park, and then there is lots of good trail riding. You also have three ferries to contend with which will eat a day.
Personally, I would do only one day in each of the bike parks and try to get more days on the Island. Don't go to Tofino as it is just going to eat up too much time. A day or two in Cumberland, a day at Hammerfest/Englishman River, a day or more in Nanaimo/Cowichan.

Consider hiring a legal guide where you can. it's worth it. There are SO MANY trails, that you will spend all your time looking at Trailforks without a guide.

When you are in Squamish, send me a PM. I am an older fart too so I can show you around for a few hours.
flag benhg
Posted: Feb 1, 2022 at 15:09 Quote
ShawMac wrote:
firewalkwithme wrote:
Thanks guys!

I also think that this trip is not going to be the last one.
We still have to discuss but I think it going to be:

2 days Vancouver
4 days Whistler
2 days Pemberton
3 days Squamish (or 2 days and 5 in Whistler)
1 day somewhere on the coast on the way to Powell River
3 days on Vancouver Island (including Tofino)
1 day Vancouver, taking the flight back home

As you see I included Pemberton and due to shorter distances I think we'll be able to squeeze in plenty of riding.
We did something similar in Austria/Italy including Finale Ligure last year. Distances that time were longer and after 3 days in a row with about 5000m decending each day some time in the car, some hiking or on the beach is not that bad.

If I understand covid rules correctly you must be fully vaxxed and need a pcr test not older than 72h. That'd be doable. But who knows whats up in August.

again, thanks a lot!
I keep you posted.


Don't go to Tofino as it is just going to eat up too much time.

Agreed - it's simply not a quick, convenient drive.
flag Quinn-39
O+
Posted: Feb 1, 2022 at 16:10 Quote
firewalkwithme wrote:
Thanks guys!

I also think that this trip is not going to be the last one.
We still have to discuss but I think it going to be:

2 days Vancouver
4 days Whistler
2 days Pemberton
3 days Squamish (or 2 days and 5 in Whistler)
1 day somewhere on the coast on the way to Powell River
3 days on Vancouver Island (including Tofino)
1 day Vancouver, taking the flight back home

As you see I included Pemberton and due to shorter distances I think we'll be able to squeeze in plenty of riding.
We did something similar in Austria/Italy including Finale Ligure last year. Distances that time were longer and after 3 days in a row with about 5000m decending each day some time in the car, some hiking or on the beach is not that bad.

If I understand covid rules correctly you must be fully vaxxed and need a pcr test not older than 72h. That'd be doable. But who knows whats up in August.

again, thanks a lot!
I keep you posted.

Good times!!

If you do decide on a few days on the North Shore I'd be happy to draw up some routes for you on the different mountains based on what you want to ride/skill/fitness levels.

Cypress and Seymour are shuttle-able, but Fromme is awesome (and it's my backyard- so I'm a little biased). If I'm around I'd be happy to join in too- if yall wanted.
flag firewalkwithme
FL
Posted: Feb 6, 2022 at 4:59 Quote
You guys are awesome! Thanks a lot for the feedback.

We'd be most happy to ride with you!


When looking for condos or houses in Whistler there is plenty offered. Any areas or places you would recommend due to being close to the park or for whatever reason?
Pemberton has few places. Would you stay in Whistler and go there by car instead. I actually think it's better to see something else as well, especially to get somewhere quieter after a couple of days.

We would like to do some crazy shit (probalbly totally normal for you guys) like using a water plane shuttle and heli drops.
I've found the plane thing in Whistler. Would a heli drop be possible in Pembi or Squamish? If yes where, or if no, where else?
flag mick06
O+
Posted: Feb 6, 2022 at 7:23 Quote
Dont stay in pemberton. Its a tiny drive from whistler if you want to ride there and if you stay in whistler youve got way more stuff you can do when not on the bike.

Are helidrops normal for people here? Or is this like an ‘Australians ride kangaroos to school’ thing. Maybe ive been doing this mtb thing all wrong and peddling like a sucker.

 


Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv56 0.185274
Mobile Version of Website