Sails to Trails - Traveling by Boat to Trails in Coastal BC

Inspired by our good friends, endearingly known as the cult leaders, we joined the already traveling sailing vessel Nahoa and made our mark on the first attempt at operation sail to trails. As usual, we showed up a day late and sail short for the first leg, where the cult leader and company had already ridden assisted laps in Squamish and Whistler and that morning made way to land and ridden the Sprockids trail network off Gibsons, where they had the Nahoa anchored the night before.

After settling the bruised ego of losing a sail in the journey to novice boating skills, Ben found a suitable anchorage place and fought with our recently purchased dinghy motor that he didn't know how to operate. After rowing ashore and meeting up with Mark and Molly, the owners of the Nahoa, and Matt and Katie, an adventurous (to say the least) couple from Colorado, it became apparent the days would be epics and the plan would need to go smooth.

A group decision was made to skip Roberts Creek due to the lack of good anchorage and make our way to Sargent Bay the next morning with the tide and explore the local blue lines on Trailforks in the Connor Park and Trout lake area, which did just fine for a leg warm-up and a lesson in how not to load a dinghy with bikes.





After only a few U-turns and killing one phone battery, we found our way thanks to Trailforks. The trails in West Sechelt showed a few black trails we were familiar with from a previous trip, so Ben convinced the gang an all day heat stroke and gummy snack day sounded fun. After roughly an hour and change to the road and an hour plus up the FSR road we found ourselves at the beginning of the Gem hunt with an XC giggle-fest called NMA. NMA—No Modification Allowed—lead us to Cheap and Easy, which after that climb was anything but.

After what most of the group considered a good enough ride already, we began the second leg of the journey with a climbing hike-a-bike across a few FSR's to meet up with VFR a flowy xc seat dropper type of trail which leads to my personal favourite E-line. Next was a moment when you have gone too far to turn back and the world gives you something nice, rationing water from the limitations of the fanny pack fade and hot weather, we found a few blackberry groves and gobbled up what we could on the way to what was expected to be the highlight and way out; Sniper.

With a few fun stunty sections up high and a realization XC Minions do not have the flat protection of downhill Minions, the group had a much-needed morale boost and sugar high from the blackberries to push on and ride the rest of Sniper and the demoralizing road ride back. A short swim, a few beers, and getting the dogs to shore, we pulled up Trailforks and Chart Plotter to see where to ride next. After a short debate and few more refreshing drinks, we settled on Nanaimo. Ben and I spent five days fixing our boat in an unexpected donation of our propeller to the bottom of the ocean earlier this season so we felt it necessary to get redemption, and redemption we certainly had.






We anchored in Mark Bay near Newcastle Island and dodged the float planes as we dinghied to Nanaimo. Luckily more of the Colorado contingency were around for assistance to the bottom of the trail network outside of town. Ben and Amy—the next section would not have been possible without you, so obviously, we owe you one. Chainsaw Ridge was a highlight of the summer with some of the most giggles per kilometre and aesthetic views making the sun-baked road ride and baby head hike-a-bike well worth the time.





After another lesson in running XC tires on modern all-mountain bikes, I was out of tubes for and with Ben pumping up his gouged sidewall, limited sealant tire the rest of the ride, the group split up. Mark, Molly, Matt, and Katie set off for a road ride and ice cream back to the boat while Ben and I, believing this would be easier on his tire than the road took the road back up towards Rooster for a more favourable trail exit to the town. As usual, the cult leader was correct and they had ice cream and one load of bikes shuttled back to the boat by the time we arrived.

A test at minimal effort filming and editing on an iPhone 7. Music by Bensound.

With one final night together we made our way to Silva bay, had a beautiful sunset beach party and parted ways in the morning already planning our next sails to trails.


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