Blog - bike travels & such

Cycle Touring Vancouver Island

This section is my chance to ramble on, to have an ongoing conversation with readers. I'll post updates & photos as I do more rides, get gear worth noting, or come across interesting stuff about cycle touring or bikepacking on Vancouver Island & the Sunshine Coast (and beyond).

See the 'search tags', listed in alpha order down the right side below. Check this list out if you want to find out if there is a post about a location - click on a tag of interest, and any relevant blog post(s) will show along the left.

Top of the Island

West from Port Hardy, at the far north of Vancouver Island, there's a grand hinterland of wild coastline, pristine parks, mighty fjord-like inlets, a few scattered villages and near endless wilderness. This is rough, end-of-the-road, backroads riding country, gateway to Cape Scott Provincial Park, the North Coast Trail, and the BC Marine Trail. The rewards are rich, and a trip up to the Top of the Island leaves a lasting impression. I had an stretch west of Coal Harbour, wher

The Wonders of Alert Bay

A few months past, I visited Malcolm Island off NE Vancouver Island - and loved it. But almost immediately, people started asking me - "how could you not visit nearby Alert Bay on Cormorant Island"? So, I figured I'd best check it out. And - wow - what a place. U'mista Cultural Centre, opened in 1974, Canada's longest running First Nations museum There are regular ferries to Alert Bay from both Port McNeill (45 minutes) and nearby Sointula (Malcolm Island). There is also a s