The Vitals
Date: July 1 – 5, 2023
Location: Upper Sunshine Coast and Texada Island
Partners: Brittany
Resources: Bikepacking.com Powell River Sampler and Bikepacking.com Texada
Photos: Brittany
The Trip
Day 1 – Saltery Bay to Inland Lake Provincial Park (44 km/44 km total)
Saturday morning of Canada Day long weekend meant an early wakeup call and drive to the ferry to try and catch the first of the six sailings we would take this week. Arriving 90 minutes before departure was good enough to be the third last car on the boat. The plan was to drive to Earl’s Cove at the end of the lower Sunshine Coast, park at the long-term parking, and ride on to the second ferry. The day would have been made complicated if we didn’t make the first sailing from Horseshoe Bay so our luck was looking good!
There was no time to tour the lower coast, we drove directly to Earl’s Cove and snagged the last long-term parking spot (though the ferry attendant said it was fine to park along the road too, if the lot was full). We packed up our bikes and walked on the second ferry as the crew did an impressive job to squeeze on every last vehicle.
In Saltery Bay we would finally begin riding after a quick lunch at the terminal that allowed the ferry vehicular traffic to clear out. For a few years we haven’t been able to do a proper bikepacking trip because I didn’t have a burly enough bike. However, I recently purchased a new Landyachtz AB Steel and Brittany was back on her Timberjack with the full complement of camp gear, just like our Sabbatical trip.
We chose pavement for the first 10 km to skip a heinous climb and “rowdy” descent before turning off the highway to climb on gravel past a dam to Lois Lake. We rode mostly gravel road but a short section of double-track also led to a descent on a blue mountain bike trail. It had a really cool bridge feature but riding was tough on rigid bikes with lots of gear so we stayed on the fsr’s past Duck Lake and on to Inland Lake Provincial Park with a bit of traffic and dust to contend with.
There is a 13 km long path on the perimeter of Inland Lake and about 3 km from the drive-in campsite we found a nice cabin on Anthony Island. We arrived around 4:30 as the last day visitors were leaving, allowing us to swim in the warm water, watch the tadpoles, and sleep in the cabin in glorious solitude. In the evening we checked out the trail a bit by foot and found many snakes sunning themselves in the day’s last light.
Day 2 – Inland Lake to Bob’s Lake Recreation Site (63 km/ 107 km total)
We had another early wake-up call in order to ensure we could go grocery shopping in Powell River before catching the ferry to Texada. If we missed the one around noon there wouldn’t be another one for four hours. The best riding of the day was finishing the last three quarters of the Inland Lake trail before the dusty roads and pavement that brought us to an easy descent to Powell River.
In Powell River we loaded up on food for the remainder of the trip (about four days’ worth) and had a second breakfast at McDonald’s before pedalling the main strip in town and meeting the ferry.
Across the Malaspina Strait, we took the same tactic of letting all car traffic clear the road before starting our ride to Van Anda. A few hundred meters from the terminal, we stashed our bear spray in some bushes. There are no large predators on Texada and we didn’t need the extra load.
The 9 kilometers of pavement to Van Anda were very quiet, interrupted twice by groups of Turkey Vultures feasting on deer roadkill. The road was a bit hilly with some fantastic views. Once in Van Anda we found the local museum was open and popped in to check it out.
The museum is a labour of love and completely unpredictable. One room of Chinese history leads to a section on mining. Then there is a room full of stuff from the old general store and ancient medical equipment. There are also many model ships. The two people working there were knowledgeable, helpful, and genuinely very enthusiastic about the island. This should not be missed if at all possible.
Once filled up on water and oriented in town, we began a long afternoon of super steep climbing on dusty roads with a little bit of traffic. We took all of the steep pitches slowly and it took several hours to ride the ~27 km and 700 meters of elevation up to Bob’s Lake Rec Site. On the Saturday of the long weekend there were still several campsites left including a choice selection on the water’s edge. We swam and enjoyed the sunset before heading to bed early. After two very early mornings and a tough ride, we were ready to start relaxing on our vacation.
Day 3 – Bob’s Lake to Shingle Beach (15 km/ 122 km total)
We almost never left Bob’s Lake. We slept in late, had breakfast, swam for an hour (across the lake and back with some more exploring) and went for an afternoon nap. Around 4:00 we decided that, while Bob’s Lake was very nice, maybe we had had enough fun and we should try out Shingle Beach. The ride would be about 15 km with nearly 700 meters of elevation to lose so not very intimidating.
There was a chance there would be no fresh water at Shingle Beach so we packed 6 litres from Bob’s Lake and headed out on the road. In this stretch we only saw one car and enjoyed some big views to the south of Jedediah and Lasqueti islands. There were some sections of very fresh logging which are pretty ugly but the blocks that have even had just one year for some small flowering plants to establish can be pretty. In one cutblock we saw a hawk flying low with a swinging snake in its talons.
Upon arrival we knew it had been a good choice. Shingle Beach was sparsely populated with just two other parties and a prime, shaded picnic table overlooked the ocean. We cooked our dinner and set up our tent on the beach before watching some cruise ships pass in the waning light. On a set of small bluffs we found the biggest arbutus trees we’d ever seen and soaked up the seaside breeze until well after sunset.
Day 4 – Shingle Beach to Shelter Point (15 km/137 km total)
Brittany woke up early to take some photos but came back to bed to have another little sleep in. We were again in no rush as we only had an hour of biking to do and could leave at any time. This trip in particular was light on the biking and heavy on the lounging which turns out to be extremely pleasant. Essentially we had chosen a route that could be done in 3 days and stretched it into 5.
There were many birds around Shingle Beach and after breakfast we strolled through the woods starting at a trailhead sign that said something like “Colossus Grove”. At first there was just one set of pink flagging (and at least a couple huge trees) but then forks began to appear with no clear indication where they led. We meandered through the woods following whatever fork felt right. After maybe 45 minutes we began to wonder where we were. We had left camp with literally nothing but our clothes – I wasn’t even wearing my watch let alone any food or map. This was not a dire situation and moments later we popped out on an overgrown road that I recognized from the prior day. We were less than 5 minutes walk back to our campsite proving our good luck once again.
At camp we were beginning to run low on water so we packed up and cycled the short ups and downs to the beginning of the paved roads and Shelter Point. This was definitely a much more popular campsite but there were still many free on this Tuesday afternoon after the long weekend. The sites are in the woods with a beach facing west. As a treat we rode to the nearby town of Gillie’s Bay and picked up a couple of beers from the general store before spending the early afternoon on our picnic blanket in the shade.
Later we went wandering in the shallow water as the tide came in and hiked on the trails of the adjacent Bella Maria campground (completely empty). We hadn’t yet swam in the ocean so we got our suits on after the hike and went for a dip as the sun began to lower. The ocean was a lot colder than the lakes had been but it felt good to swim every day.
As we ate dinner, Brittany spotted some spouts from some large mammals far in the distance. We stared out with the sun in our eyes and kept catching the glare when the animals broke the surface but it was too far to see exactly what they were. Brittany is sure she saw a tail rise up out of the water. As the sun set, there was not a breath of wind. The entire trip was composed of warm days and cool nights. A better forecast is not possible.
Day 5 – Shelter Point to Home (55 km/ 192 km total)
Our last day required another early wakeup call in sharp contrast to our last two lazy mornings. We had three ferries to catch in a row with some riding and driving in between. The ride from Shelter Point to Blubber Bay was quite a bit faster than we expected despite the steep climbs and we recovered our bear spray canisters without incident. The first ferry left 15 minutes early but then there was no room at the Powell River ferry terminal to dock so we ended up just waiting out in the strait.
Off the boat we wasted no time in beginning the ride to Saltery Bay that would take place entirely on the highway. This section of the Sunshine Coast is not as steep as that outside of Earl’s Cove and there is generally a good shoulder. We had a slight tail breeze and it made light work of the ride. We once again arrived at the ferry with plenty of time to spare.
Another uneventful crossing brought us to our very hot car as the day began to take on a sweltering tone. We were glad to pack up, put on our fresh car clothes, and crank the AC. Unfortunately, this very last stage brought about our only stroke of poor luck as the 5:55 ferry from Langdale to Horseshoe Bay was already full by 4:30 and we were still 45 minutes away. Knowing it was futile, we grabbed dinner in Gibsons before rolling to the terminal in time to see the 5:55 leave. We had also just missed the ice cream stand closing so we had over two hours to kill in the hot evening before the next sailing. We played cards, read our books, and generally spaced out before we had our chance to sail away home.
This trip, with its abundance of off-the-bike activities, fantastic weather, and solitude, was one of our best bike touring trips ever. I think we’ve found the slower pace and generous leisure time is a great way to combine an active vacation with time to recharge as well.
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