Ya that’s what I’m noticing, looking at the maps hmm, how’s dual sporting out there? Might make more sense then I could explore forest and logging roads too?
Dual sport with a GPS to get you home open up endless possibilities. I never did it, but know a few who still do, though ATV's are more popular these days. The logging roads go on forever, with so many options to explore. The only issue is the logging trucks, which barrel down single lane roads fully loaded at hair-whitening speeds, which you do not want to meet head on. Some roads have markers that you can use with a radio, but many do not, and radios don't work well on a bike. We lived between Maple Ridge and Mission with some crown land lots designated for selective clear cutting very nearby, and the local trail riding club was always fighting with the logging companies to communicate their use better.
KLR's and bigger bikes seemed to be very popular, as range and durability is as key as weight. You also need to cover some mikes on regular roads to get new places, something that's no fun on a 250 for longer trips. Just be sure to pack extra rubber, as the rocks they use as the base on some logging roads can shred tires.
I wouldn't abandon the road riding quite so quickly, though, unless that was the plan anyway. Just because it's not perfect doesn't mean it's bad. I used to head to the Sunshine Coast 2+ times a month over the summer with a very small group (usually 3 of us, never more than 4) of Pace-adherent sport riders (ZX-10R, 999, 675R eventually turned into Tuono, RSV4, 765), and it never, ever, ever got boring.
The north half of the highway is generally quiet and enforcement-free, especially if you leave early to beat the trucks and tourists, and is an absolutely perfect blend of medium-speed corners with great paving. Not stupid tight first gear drudgery like the Tail of the Dragon, and not high-speed sweepers like the 507 or Sea-to-Sky, requiring 220+ kmh to work the tires. Most corners are well marked, and they helpfully put jersey barriers on the outside of the tighter corners as a reminder that discretion is the better part of valour.
(We'd take the ferry over early from Horseshoe Bay (about an hour with loading, unloading, etc.), get up to past Sechelt with purpose but never more than 20 over, then start to warm up the tires a bit. The twisty bit from Halfmoon Bay to Madeira Park can be done briskly, then slow down to be polite through the (slightly) busier section there that starts at the Rona. Then the absolute best bit is from the golf club up to Ruby Lake, which we'd go back and forth on three or four times, as aggressively as I'll ever ride on the road. Catch your breath, ride back slower through Madeira Park, have a last stand through the tight section before Halfmoon Bay, then stop in Sechelt for lunch overlooking the ocean. Relive the best bits, complain about the pickup driving idiot (who thought he could impress but just ended up blocking the road), talk some sh*t, fuss over the bikes, comment on tires, then lazily ride your full belly back to the ferry for the early afternoon. Another hour on the ferry, then superslab home, wherever that is. For me, it was typically leave at about 6:20, home between 2:30 and 4:30 (depending on how many laps at the top and ferry sailing times), as happy as I'll ever be on a motorcycle.
Apologies for the long, nostalgic reverie. As you may be able to tell, riding that road is the thing I miss most about BC
by far.)
I have thought about moving out there, but I have friends that live there and say that they get a lot more rain than here. I need to spend a summer out there.
Like anywhere, it has pros and cons. I lived out there for quite a while, but was quite happy to move back to Ontario. Granted, as outlined above, the road riding is much worse where we are here, but the track riding is much better, and we like it more here for a long list of non-motorcycling reasons.
The weather is an odd one and like other stuff, very much down to personal preference. It's actually typically spectacular there over the summer if you stay relatively close to the ocean (Port Coquitlam/Surrey or closer, east of that gets hot and muggy like here), and it doesn't rain much between late may and early September. Winters are pretty variable, but snow and cold rarely stick around long, and it's almost never windy except in specific spots like Howe Sound. A refrain I heard a lot is, "You don't have to shovel rain!" What got me, and what I think gets a lot of people, is the relentless low cloud drizzle through the fall, winter and spring. It's not so much rain, as it rarely rains hard, but it is claustrophobic and wears on a lot of people's mental health. It's hard to describe without sounding silly, but when it's been a month straight of dark cloud so low you can't see the mountains, when it gets dark at 4 pm and light at 8 am, and you haven't seen the sun except as the slightly brighter part of the sky, it wears on you.
This is obviously less of a factor through various lockdowns, but Vancouver is much less culturally vibrant than the GTA. Downtown has become the preserve of the absent rich, and there's not much else going on. I think there's maybe two museums and/or galleries worth visiting, and the live music options are awful (for a long list of reasons, including geography, complaining neighbours and cheapskate venue owners). Weirdly, Victoria is way better for that kind of stuff,
and they have much better weather with less rain. It's unlikely we'll ever move back to the lower mainland, but we would move to Victoria if we could make the finances work (many jobs pay less there, and the cost of living isn't much lower).
That said, if you're into outdoor activities (skiing/snowboarding, hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, mountain biking, parasailing, rock climbing, etc.), it can be an absolute paradise. While we enjoy a nice walk in the woods as much as anyone, we don't revolve our lives around it like so many out there (Grouse Grind!), so it wasn't a big plus for us. One other note is their downtown is so much better planned than Toronto, with easy public access to beaches and the waterfront, lots of trails and paths, and umpteen options to appreciate the stunning natural beauty. It's why so many fall in love with the place when they visit, as they really do show off the best of the place well. (Until you stumble onto the DTES, which is a whole other conversation...)
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