Video: Weekend Escape to Hornby Island, British Columbia
Time seems to move just a little slower here. It feels like it is a world of its own. Nestled in the middle of the Salish Sea, this remote island in British Columbia captured us with its mossy forests, buff, loamy singletrack and cliff-side trails with breathtaking ocean vistas. It is the type of place you won’t forget once you’ve ridden your mountain bike there.
Welcome to Hornby Island…
Norco ambassadors Michelle Davies, Jo Peters and Melanie Schumacher together with Norco staffer and photographer Tom Richards took the opportunity to head over to the island for a weekend escape just before the busy summer season kicks off.
4:30 AM - the alarm is blaring. Stumbling out of bed and in desperate need of coffee, we pack up the van and make our way to Horseshoe Bay to catch the very first ferry of the day to Vancouver Island. Being it the first trip with all of our Western ambassadors, the spirits were high and everybody was looking forward to getting to know each other and spend a few days mountain biking together.
Hornby Island isn’t the easiest island to get to but after three ferries and 180 km of driving, we were finally able to gear up, throw a leg over our bikes and start exploring the island’s extensive trail network.
Thanks to milder winters, the 80+ km of remote trails remain open year-round. The lush valleys with the rich green of the Coastal Rainforest are complemented by tacky dirt, flowy trails, carpets of moss and seas of sword fern in spring and early summer. It's laid back, some would call it "hippie" charm and beautiful scenery is topped off with extremely friendly islanders who welcome you with open arms and are willing to help whenever needed. Hornby Island should definitely be on every mountain biker’s bucket list.
We sure couldn’t complain about having the trails all to ourselves – just one of the perks of going on that trip before the busy summer season is in full effect.
 | It’s really easy to just ride from your door. We have epic trails right in our backyard. But if you really want a holiday and just have a short amount of time, coming to this little island feels like being in a little oasis in the middle of nowhere away from home. |
After a few warm-up laps, we made our way from the cliff trail into some mossy, wooded goodness. Or as Michelle would say: “Your auntie’s tacky, green carpet from the 80s.”
| It’s great to come here, especially not during the summer. It’s so very quiet. |
Back at the lodge and with the sun dipping below the horizon, we enjoy our well-deserved burgers and cold beers after a long day on the trails and are planning out the next day’s route.
The next day, we want to explore some more of the riding on Hornby before heading back to the Mainland. Keen on riding the ridge line at sunrise we decide on another 4 AM wake-up call.
Natural berms, technical descents, fast trails and, of course, some jumps - this little island really has everything a mountain biker could ask for. We’ll be back!
| It’s a beautiful, little hidden gem in BC and I’m really grateful for mountain biking to help show me some of these places that I otherwise would probably never visit. |
Presented by Norco Bicycles
Featuring the Norco Optic and the Norco Sight
Cinematography and Photography by Tom Richards
Featuring Jo Peters, Melanie Schumacher and Michelle Davies
MENTIONS: @norcobicycles
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Watch out for the locals though!!
www.islandcupseries.com/portfolio/hornby-enduro