BC Roads - What to ride, what to skip?

[shanekingsley]

Usually when I do a trip, I read all kinds of local forums to find the best roads. But a lot of the time the roads suggested are the best of the best and don't always reflect the hidden gems and lesser known back roads. It was advised to me that I should buy the Destinations Highways BC book, because it contains almost all the best paved roads in central/southern BC worth exploring. The book is pretty thick and comes with BC sorted out by area and then has a rating system for the roads. It also came with a nice large scale map that shows all of BC on one side and Vancouver Island on the other side. I also liked that the fold out map was waterproof and tear resistant. It was a little expensive at $90 for the book & fold out map, but I was happy to support a local endeavour like this.

After using the book and map to check out some hidden gems, it was totally worth it. I rode some insanely twisty and interesting roads that I could have never found on my own or from suggestions online.

An example of their map:

If that sounds like something you are interested in, then feel free to borrow my book and map for your trip.

There is a growing likelihood that I will not ride out to NFLD in mid August and instead ride out to visit my sis in BC and my wife will fly out to meet me and we'll go riding along the coast. So I would just need the book & map for my trip.

 

[PrivatePilot]

Usually when I do a trip, I read all kinds of local forums to find the best roads. But a lot of the time the roads suggested are the best of the best and don't always reflect the hidden gems and lesser known back roads. It was advised to me that I should buy the Destinations Highways BC book, because it contains almost all the best paved roads in central/southern BC worth exploring. The book is pretty thick and comes with BC sorted out by area and then has a rating system for the roads. It also came with a nice large scale map that shows all of BC on one side and Vancouver Island on the other side. I also liked that the fold out map was waterproof and tear resistant. It was a little expensive at $90 for the book & fold out map, but I was happy to support a local endeavour like this.

After using the book and map to check out some hidden gems, it was totally worth it. I rode some insanely twisty and interesting roads that I could have never found on my own or from suggestions online.

An example of their map:

If that sounds like something you are interested in, then feel free to borrow my book and map for your trip.

There is a growing likelihood that I will not ride out to NFLD in mid August and instead ride out to visit my sis in BC and my wife will fly out to meet me and we'll go riding along the coast. So I would just need the book & map for my trip.

Sounds interesting - would you be willing to scan a few key pages for me (or even just take photos) specific to BC and PM them to me?

As much as I'd like to get out to Vancouver Island and especially Haida Gwaii, I just don't think it's going to fit into the schedule without rushing, and if there was one thing I remember about our 2008 RV trip out there, it's that rushing to maintain a schedule and trying to do "all the things" is sometimes not great in the end. We had an awesome trip that we still look back on fondly all these years later (holy hell, it's been ~17 years) there was just a lot of stuff we didn't get to see because we wanted to see all the big stuff at the expense of some of the small(er) stuff, plus we had a string of carefully choreographed reservations from coast to coast in Canada and the USA that we had to adhere to.

As much as I sometimes struggle to slow down and smell the roses, I do want to try to do that on this trip. I doubt my wife will be interested in more than a few hundred KM a day.


The logistics of getting out to both Islands (especially Haida Gwaii) would just consume a lot of time for not a lot of payback vs the mainland.

 

[Gaoler]

I've made it an annual thing to ride out to BC.
My fist ride out I took the Trans Canada (Hwy 1) from Calgary to the Okanagan Valley.
Before I left on the trip I had visions of myself cuttin' lines through the mountains, but instead... From Banff to about Sicamous I was stuck behind Transport Trucks and camper trailers...
Now I take Hwy 3. Much better.

 

[shanekingsley]

Sounds interesting - would you be willing to scan a few key pages for me (or even just take photos) specific to BC and PM them to me?

As much as I'd like to get out to Vancouver Island and especially Haida Gwaii, I just don't think it's going to fit into the schedule without rushing, and if there was one thing I remember about our 2008 RV trip out there, it's that rushing to maintain a schedule and trying to do "all the things" is sometimes not great in the end. We had an awesome trip that we still look back on fondly all these years later (holy hell, it's been ~17 years) there was just a lot of stuff we didn't get to see because we wanted to see all the big stuff at the expense of some of the small(er) stuff, plus we had a string of carefully choreographed reservations from coast to coast in Canada and the USA that we had to adhere to.

As much as I sometimes struggle to slow down and smell the roses, I do want to try to do that on this trip. I doubt my wife will be interested in more than a few hundred KM a day.


The logistics of getting out to both Islands (especially Haida Gwaii) would just consume a lot of time for not a lot of payback vs the mainland.

Sure I can do that, but know that the whole book is dedicated to BC. I would take pics as opposed to scanning them.

Let me know a specific region of BC that you are most interested in knowing some hidden gems and I'll see what the book or map offers.

 

[PrivatePilot]

I think we'll be pretty focused in the area included in my screenshot on page 1.



I'm not sure about making some days a big circle / out and back type thing, get a hotel/motel for a few nights and use it as a base of operation vs moving every day. The downside of a spoke type thing is that we'll end up riding the same roads multiple times - that happened last year in WV when we had a base of operations for the week and then did day rides - towards the end of the week we had ridden some of the roads several times.

 

[MacDoc]

If you are in Vancouver anyways ...go up past Whistler on 99

 

[shanekingsley]

I think we'll be pretty focused in the area included in my screenshot on page 1.

View attachment 72596

I'm not sure about making some days a big circle / out and back type thing, get a hotel/motel for a few nights and use it as a base of operation vs moving every day. The downside of a spoke type thing is that we'll end up riding the same roads multiple times - that happened last year in WV when we had a base of operations for the week and then did day rides - towards the end of the week we had ridden some of the roads several times.

Sounds good and message / images sent.

 

[PrivatePilot]

PM received, thanks Shane! So many options, so few days to try to explore them all.

 

[MacDoc]

Might be worthy a stop. Okonagan is nice anyways.

 

[Wingboy]

Doing BC without Vancouver Island would be a shame. I know it stresses your timeline. The Rockies are awesome, but when you have seen one mountain, you've seen them all. The Island with it's rainforests and beaches needs to be seen.Tofino is highly overrated and expensive, but the smaller towns are a bit like easy coast towns.

 

[PrivatePilot]

I’m looking harder at trying to fit Vancouver Island in. As much as I really wanted to run with a “wherever the wind takes us” plan, it’s becoming increasingly clear that there will need to be some sort of actual plan.

 

[GreyGhost]

I’m looking harder at trying to fit Vancouver Island in. As much as I really wanted to run with a “wherever the wind takes us” plan, it’s becoming increasingly clear that there will need to be some sort of actual plan.

Especially with the ferry mess. I don't think you have enough time to do everything. This trip is already a whirlwind. I would probably focus on mainland this time and do the island another time. Ferries can easily cost you a day.

 

[PrivatePilot]

The ferries aren't too bad, Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo is only about an hour and a half from what I remember when I did it in the 90's with my sister - she lived out there at one point while she was going to UBC.

Reality is we've got 8-9 days to work with in BC itself not including the to/from segments for myself solo, so I think it's workable to spend a day and overnight on the island. I gotta start doing a rough sched and see what works and what doesn't.

 

[GreyGhost]

The ferries aren't too bad, Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo is only about an hour and a half from what I remember when I did it in the 90's with my sister - she lived out there at one point while she was going to UBC.

Reality is we've got 8-9 days to work with in BC itself not including the to/from segments for myself solo, so I think it's workable to spend a day and overnight on the island. I gotta start doing a rough sched and see what works and what doesn't.

The moving time on the ferry isn't the issue. Arriving hours early, constant delays and cancelations makes things annoying. Bc ferries make ttc look reliable.

 

[shanekingsley]

If any of your crew likes gardens and plants, then the Butchart Gardens outside Victoria is a great way to spend a couple hours walking around. It's super beautiful: The Butchart Gardens

The Old Country Market in Coombs is a cool place to stop and check out the goats on the roof, then take the #4 through Port Alberni and to the west coast for a really easy walk through an old growth forest - the Ancient Cedars: Old Country Market - Goats on Roof to Ancient Cedars Loop Trail

 

[Wingboy]

Cathedral Grove is worth a stop.

 

[oioioi]

I sometimes travel as far east as Oshawa and further. If timing permits and the interest is still there, I can pick up the book from @shanekingsley and drop it off at or near @PrivatePilot's place.
Let me know.

 

[MacDoc]

The road to Port Alberni is wonder except when there is traffic then it is a really slog and very few places to pass. Tofino is lovely.
If you end down at the south end of the island you'll hit the cold current current and the temperature drop is astonishing...add a layer. Nice little café just as you turn inland to take a break. Y'know I never twigged to the name of this eatery until just now.

Apparently some very good riding as you head north inland but kid was feeling off a bit and we did not go further.
He did get his Chinese food feed in Victoria.
Good memories for me travelling with the kid.
Maybe a few things to do/ look at.

24 Things to Do on Vancouver Island, British Columbia

As one of the most beautiful and adventurous places in Canada, there are so many things to do on Vancouver Island, such as...

www.mustdocanada.com

 

[PrivatePilot]

I sometimes travel as far east as Oshawa and further. If timing permits and the interest is still there, I can pick up the book from @shanekingsley and drop it off at or near @PrivatePilot's place.
Let me know.

Thanks, if that's possible I'd certainly entertain it. Drop me a PM if you plan to make it out this way and perhaps we could arrange something.

I really need to get to actually planning things a little. I used to enjoy the planning stage of trips like this, but I've found it increasingly less interesting over the years as we've done less and less "planned" trips and more and more "wherever the wind takes us" type travels, with only final destination usually in mind, That's the type of travelling we've done with both the RV and the motorcycles for the last decade or so. We really enjoy it.

But I don't think it's super practical on this trip the more I think about it.

So, uh, yeah....gotta get planning.

 

[oioioi]

Thanks, if that's possible I'd certainly entertain it. Drop me a PM if you plan to make it out this way and perhaps we could arrange something.

I really need to get to actually planning things a little. I used to enjoy the planning stage of trips like this, but I've found it increasingly less interesting over the years as we've done less and less "planned" trips and more and more "wherever the wind takes us" type travels, with only final destination usually in mind, That's the type of travelling we've done with both the RV and the motorcycles for the last decade or so. We really enjoy it.

But I don't think it's super practical on this trip the more I think about it.

So, uh, yeah....gotta get planning.

Will do,
If I know I am heading that way in the near future I can let both of you know and I'm sure we can make it happen.