Keats Island: From Kits to Keats
It was time to try camping with Kai. The forecast looked good, we had just purchased a four person tent and we had a destination. We decided to head to Keats Island, a place we had wanted to explore for a while. After a bit of research we decided there was really no point in bringing our bikes and that decision made our life easier. We packed two backpacks, put Kai in the carrier and off we went by bus. Our timing wasn’t perfect – we left Kits a bit too late and we arrived with just a few minutes to spare before the ferry to Langdale. We had to…
- Cycling & Cycle Touring, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Kayaking and Canoeing, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
Savary Island: Forgotten on a Small Island
We had one week that we could take off at the beginning of September. The options seemed more limited than usual. At 32 weeks pregnant we didn’t want to go very far, or do long biking or hiking trips. In addition, most of the interior of BC seemed be on fire and we didn’t want to cross into the US in case of a medical emergency. We tried to think of things we wouldn’t normally do. Then I remembered a few people recently mentioning Savary Island and its magical atmosphere. We started researching and we got curious. A tiny island, just off the shore of the Sunshine Coast, off the…
- Cycling & Cycle Touring, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids, Vancouver Island
Gabriola Island: A Relaxing Weekend on a Quiet Island
After our success on the previous weekend in Victoria we decided to head to Gabriola Island. As is typical for us, we didn’t check the ferry schedule and discovered in the morning that if we don’t leave within half an hour the next ferry would only be at 1pm. We probably broke our all time record for leaving home, biking downtown just in time to catch the bus to Horseshoe Bay. Luckily there were no other cyclists waiting for the bus. The waterfront in Nanaimo is awesome, but for some reason bikes are not allowed to use it for part of the way… Neil rode his bike, and we arrived…
Family Cycling Close to Home: Vancouver Island, Hornby, Denman & The Sunshine Coast (Video)
In September 2017 we left our home in Vancouver on our bikes with our toddler in tow and cycled for ten days on Vancouver Island, hopped over to Denman and Hornby Islands and went down the Sunshine Coast. We took eight ferries, stayed with three Warmshowers hosts, camped, swam at many beautiful beaches and ate an endless amount of blackberries. There was something very magical and yet simple about leaving home on our bikes and returning ten days and 330 kilometers later on our bikes. This video gives a taste of this amazing trip.
- Cycling & Cycle Touring, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Metro Vancouver & North Shore, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids, Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island-Sunshine Coast Loop: Blackberry Summer Ride
All great trips start with a single idea, and we had been thinking about this one for quite some time. Although we have visited most of the southern Gulf Islands, many of them several times, we had yet to explore the northern Gulf Islands. They are a bit farther away and more complicated to get to from Vancouver. In addition, a weekend, or even a long weekend is not enough time to do a decent bike tour there. The stars finally aligned in early September when we decided to take off for ten days. While it didn’t make sense to fly anywhere, combined with the fact that we don’t have…
Salt Spring Island: Mini-Vacation in (our) Style
My birthday was coming up and all I really wanted was to wake up in our tent by the ocean. I remembered years ago that we spent my birthday weekend on Salt Spring Island and how magical the place was. We camped at Ruckle Provincial Park twice and it’s definitely one of my favourite campgrounds. With the huge space there you never feel it’s overcrowded even when the campground is completely full. Of course there is the extra advantage that it’s a walk-in campground, so no need to worry about cars, hearing generators and car doors slamming. One can just enjoy the sounds of the ocean and the occasional ferry…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Cycling & Cycle Touring, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
Pender, Saturna & Mayne: The Magic of the Gulf Islands
Not all trips are off to a good start. This was one of them. For years we have wanted to make it to Saturna island, but the ferry schedule makes it difficult to fit it into a regular weekend, and even a three day weekend was stretching it. So as soon as we knew that we had a four day weekend ahead of us (thanks 1QBit!) I was hoping that we could finally make our way to Saturna Island, while adding another island or two. In the week before, we constantly checked the weather forecast which seemed borderline, but since the odds of it being a nice weekend seemed higher…
- Cycling & Cycle Touring, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids, Vancouver Island
Gabriola Island: Escaping the Rat Race
As much as we hate to admit it, we are sometimes part of this ongoing rat race too. We live in a big city, Gili is working full time for a successful start-up company, I started my own cycling education program and peak activities were this April. And then there is Neil, of course – who is growing and changing every day, and who is now walking, even though it feels like it was just yesterday that he started to crawl. Between all of this it is sometimes hard to slow down, disconnect, get away. But we must do it, we know it, since really this is what life is…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Carfree, Cycling & Cycle Touring, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
Galiano Island: Cycle Touring with an Infant – Impossible or Possible?
Cycle touring with an infant: possible or impossible? We decided we’d find out the only way that makes sense: by trying it ourselves. The weekend before this trip we bought a used trailer on Craigslist. “Would he like it?” – this was a bit of a question mark for us, due to Neil’s obvious dislike of the stroller. Over the next week we took Neil for short rides in the city, to the beach and so on, and he seemed to enjoy it. On the following weekend, we set out towards Dionisio Provincial Park on Galiano Island. The first ferry to Galiano leaves at 8:40am, which we deemed “impossible”, given…
- Backcountry Skiing, British Columbia (and nearby), Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Trip Reports, Varsity Outdoor Club (VOC)
Tetrahedron: A Stagette Party in the Backcountry
On a sunny Saturday morning nine of us headed to Tetrahedron, on the Sunshine Coast to celebrate Pascale’s upcoming marriage, on a girls only trip, also known as a Stagette. I was excited by my late pick up time of 7:55am, especially due to the fact that Gili left our nice warm bed before dawn. Sometimes it’s nicer to be on a relaxing easy going trip than on a slog fest. Of course, I was also happy to go on a trip with a bunch of cheerful people and to explore a place I haven’t been to before. We met with the rest of the crew at Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal.…
