never been to Vancouver Island

[vash]

thinking of heading out there with the wife, and sending her home and i ride around with my motorcycle. probably solo, since my friends are not that cool or fun..or irresponsible (they all have little kids)

(i'll figure out the logistics later)

that place looks bad ass scenic. never been. anyone do this? did our two explorers go thru there heading to AK?

[recycled sixtie]

I have spent a few times visiting Victoria on the south end of Vancouver Island. I really like the ferry from the Mainland of BC to Victoria. Victoria is very British and touristy. I would avoid it during July and August. Once out of Victoria it is rugged country. I have not driven to the west coast of Vancouver Island but would think it is spectacular especially the Pacific coast. I have flown in a small aircraft to some small communities on Vancouver Island and the scenery is impressive.

Green with envy. Good for you. Gopher it. Be aware of the usual concerns. Cougar, bears and idiot drivers. Of course you can't bring firearms into the country. Buying bear spray here is probably a good idea. Should be a great motorbike trip once away from the Victoria suburbia.

[MRM]

I've been to Victoria on a cruise. We spent the night and took the ferry to Port Angeles. We didn't get out of the city. The city was great. Touristy in a lot of ways but a number of nice nightclubs with live music right by the water. You can easily do city stuff in the morning followed by country hiking and adventuring and still make it back to the city in time for dinner and clubbing. The rest of the island is more rustic and you can do anything from stay at a fancy cabin to camping in a pup tent.

[Skip Newsom]

My favorite area is out on the west coast, Tofino and Ucluelet.
It's several hours to get out there and very VERY scenic, especially the last 30 miles or so as you hit the coast.
Very unspoiled, very beautiful... also very full of black bear and Cougar. This is the only place I've been where I had to brake hard to avoid hitting a bear that ran across the highway, checked my rear view mirror and saw a bear crossing behind me and saw a bear eating berries right on the beach as we walked by in a two day timeframe.
The roads are good, added bonus is they narrow and get curvaceous as you near the coast.
I'd think twice about riding a motorcycle out there alone though... hitting a bear while driving a car is bad, hitting one on a two wheeler much worse.
Tofino has lots of great places to stay but restaurants are few.

Wife and I are discussing when to head back out there, just that much more appealing when the exchange rate is in the US's favor.
2012 was our last trip out there... too long ago!

[Skip Newsom]

[vash]

a good friend just said, "you dont want to take your mountain bike?"

he said there is great riding there.

[MRM]

Another thing to consider is that you can take a ferry from Vancouver Island all the way up and down the coast. You can get to Alaska that way if you are willing to take the time. I love the ferries. They're like mini cruises with bars and restaurants and everything.

[vash]

Originally Posted by NotaBRG

Subscribed, I've never been out there, but I've been through the San Juan Islands and they are beautiful.

Logistics on this would be interesting. Thinking out loud here, but would you ride up together then fly her home? Or drive and trailer maybe? Or fly in to Seattle and I'd be happy to let you use either my VFR or CBR. While they are older and not pretty, I think either would be up for the task.

I don't think they would have gone through on the way to Alaska.

i think i would just start riding from here and have her fly up there and meet me (somewhere, rent a car)

or, tow my bike up there with my truck and have her with me..then fly her home.

dunno. next year is my choice for vacation.

[Skip Newsom]

Mountain bike for the beaches?
Absolutely!
Motorcycle for the roads out there?
I'd want a buddy on a 2nd bike minimum.
The old 911 for the straights and twistys?
Oh hell yes!

[LakeCleElum]

September is a good time to go. If you don't want to go alone, I'd join you for a few days. You can get there via ferry from Port Angeles, Anacortes, Horseshoe bay and Tsawwassen.

A side trip to not be missed is: Lund, BC to Hopkins Landing, BC......Lund is the very North ending of the old Pan American Highway (route includes several short, free ferry rides).

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Lund,+bc/hopkins+landing,+bc/@49.6924622,-124.6796087,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x5487fea904d7d2 39:0xe3400da40ca19334!2m2!1d-124.7590955!2d49.9817127!1m5!1m1!1s0x5486407885442 c33:0x385a2214d06a2dce!2m2!1d-123.480212!2d49.429255

[seafeye]

Aug has the best weather. You can’t go wrong riding your bike �� �� around the island.
Spend a few bucks and take a seaplane tour. Out of either downtown Victoria or the international airport. I’m jealous. I used to fly there and it brings back amazing memories.

[908/930]

Any time after school is back in, not as busy, still great weather until late Oct. I would get to Tofino, and there is a hot spring trip out of there, You can fly of take a boat across, quite good, have not been there in quit a while, the drive in is quite good.

I have never seen a bear or cougar but have seen lots of deer, there are some wolves around Tofino, no surprise.

Victoria is a nice little city. Also some great micro brewery's around the Island and some good Vineyards.
Have not done any mountain biking but there is trails, I don't think that I would do any alone, for safety reasons. Lots of hiking though.

One thing to remember out here is that 40km over the speed limit they can impound your car.

Let me know if you plan to head out and will join you for a beer.

[Bully]

Long time island Resident ( +25 years ) best place in Canada by far and one of the better places on the planet, if you can ignore the politics. Best time to come to get the great weather and no tourists is September. Remember that V.I. is the same size as Britain so give yourself plenty of time. Victoria is cool, but don't waste too much time there. Skip is bang on, the west coast is must see! Unless you plan on coating yourself in gravy and stumbling around the bush naked, I wouldn't worry too much about bear or cougar. I have a farm in Cobble Hill about 30 miles north of Victoria, stop on in. www.silversidefarm.com

[304065]

Does anybody have a photo of Uclulet?

[zakthor]

Everyone has an opinion and so do I.

My family and I have visited Vancouver island a few times. 3 times by car, twice by private boat.

The tragic thing is that the entire island has been logged, there is no old growth left. Economy is resource based and it was easy money, now you talk to locals they don’t know what old growth is. I didn’t see any old forest in a car/hiking accessible place. even in the crown parks, for that visit Olympic Park in Washington (the hoh), or rainier Park, both of those parks are truly stupendous. Makes me feel bad for bc, they don’t know what theyve lost.

Frankly I don’t think it’s worth a visit by car, not much to see from the roads. Lots of driving, the place is huge. Be careful of logging trucks if you’re exploring, carry a radio that can receive and transmit the logging channels.

The area nearby I liked the best with car and mtb was around Powell River on the mainland, take the ferries south along Sunshine Coast to Vancouver. Pretty touristy as you descend south though, but the north is cool. great mtb trails there.

The real thing to see is the west coast of the island by boat, but those are serious seas, and if you’re doing that then maybe buck up and visit the charlottes?

[gatotom]

We did a trip to Campbell River about 10 yrs ago when I still had the 911. drove the entire inside passage hyway to Port Scott, yes, a lot of trees but thank goodness they still clear cut there so you can see the scenery, a lot of mountains. Just north of Campbell River is a salmon resort called Painter's Lodge, good food and drink. It was august when we were there and everywhere on the water people were pulling out salmon.

Have a good friend who has a place in Winter Harbor, northern part of island on the west side, one road in and its all gravel.

Returning home we ferried on the BC ferries, super clean compared to Wa State ferries in San Juans to the sunshine coast. Islands everywhere, it is alittle bit of heaven up here.

This june am taking my only brother on our sailboat to Prince Louise Inlet, south of Powell River and east 25 miles up Jervis inlet. Should be fun. Next yr Queen Charlotte Islands.

[exc911ence]

I think you'll find old growth trees in Cathedral Grove between Parksville and Port Alberni.

I live just outside of Victoria and can attest that we do have some really great motorcycle roads here (hence why I own five motorcycles)... when they're not clogged by commuters and/or tourists.

Campbell River to Gold River is a great stretch of road, as is the road from Parksville to Tofino/Uclulet. Closer to Victoria is "The Loop" (https://www.hellobc.com/driving-routes/19/pacific-marine-circle-route.aspx) that takes you up the west coast of the Island to Port Renfrew, then east across the Island through active logging areas to Lake Cowichan. From there you head through Duncan (City of Totems) then down to Mill Bay, the Malahat and back into Victoria through Langford. Alternatively, you can take a BC Ferry from Mill Bay to Brentwood Bay on the Saanich Peninsula and enjoy West Saanich Road south into Victoria. Cash only on the ferry, btw.

Apparently the road up to Port Hardy at the northern tip of the Island is quite scenic in spots but I have yet to ride/drive it so can't say from first-hand experience.

There are also the many Gulf Islands that you can check out but most have only one periphery road although Saltspring being fairly big, has a number of fun roads. Again, when not clogged with tourists or market-goers.

Come and enjoy!

[zakthor]

Cathedral grove: yes, I've been there. Thats about all the old growth you'll find on vancouver island, maybe in all of bc: little 0.6 mile loops though a tiny spot of big trees. Someone bucked up and decided to save a pitiful remnant. Is a far cry from a forest. The saddest thing is that these few big trees are packed with tourists in the summer. People want to see them but now only these few remain. Come down to the parks in washington and oregon and you can see big intact old forests, not a bunch of 30-50 year old scrub monoculture.

I went into a sporting store in a little town to ask where we might find old growth. I mean jeese, bc, the primo forest environment and we were having trouble finding anything. This is a store with trophies on the walls, scopes and rifles. The clerk says "oooo yeah, just down the road at the xxx park." No, those trees are 60 years old. "oooo, uh, well maybe on the crown land there will be some". A guy hollers from the back: "There's no more old growth forest - we cut it all down 40 years ago!" This old guy, suspenders and gut comes out from the back office and tells us a story. His brother worked on the contract for the last valley of old growth on vancouver island, up on the northwest tip, early 80s? He visited while they were still setting up the camp, then him and his brother spent the day exploring the valley. Said the average spruce was 11 foot in diameter, they walked the whole valley. He's telling this story and there's like tears in his eyes. Says it was a huge mistake they made to cut everything, now no one has any idea what it used to be like, and its gone forever.

Cambell river: The first time we visited the river was choked with salmon, sons had a great time. We drove through for the next two seasons and no one had caught a thing. Like literally nothing. The runs just didn't come. I didn't go up this year or last, maybe next year will be great. I'd check ahead if I was looking forward to fishing. We had a good time hiking out to try our luck at beautiful remote spots (and caught nothing.)

Yeah, so pretty much I'm not keen about vancouver island. Is depressing for me. If you want to see something great in canada bring your mountain bike up to revelstoke and the chilcotins - but you need to like long climbs.

Or take a boat trip tour around the haida gwaii - that will be amazing. Someday I want to do that (and try not to see the logging.)