Northern Vancouver Island Ride - not XS

[TX650A Van Islander]

Thought I would put this in the lounge as it is not XS related - just a brief photo essay of my solo trip last weekend on my 2019 Suzuki DR650. I know some of you guys like these photos and the scenery was spectacular - I am blessed and fortunate to live here!
1400 km round trip in 4 days, about 300 km of that on gravel/dirt forest service (logging) roads. I camped 3 nights.
Day 1: 400 km to Gold River from Victoria, via Campbell River. Stayed in a campsite right beside the Gold River. Sitting in the river with a cold beer after a long ride is beyond great!
The last photo with the boats is at the Gold River Port, in Nootka Sound.

 

[TX650A Van Islander]

Day 2 I rode out to Tahsis, about 60 km of dirt and some pavement road from Gold River. In Tahsis there is a small cafe called Sally's, which has the best hamburger I've ever had in my life! On the way back I stopped at another campground, and accessed a riverbed - only 2 vehicles there and no one around where I took the photos of the bike by the river. This area is wilderness with very sparse population. Most of the campsites are "forest recreation sites" they just have outhouses and are first come, first served. No reservations required. Excellent. My type of camping.
I took another detour down a dead end scrabbly rocky road and found the Cougar Creek campground, on another arm of Nootka Sound. Stunning scenery.
Back to Gold River for more fuel and food and then rode about 50 km north towards the community of Woss. I camped that night alone right beside a lake. There is a stand of old growth trees there, left by the forest harvesting company. Unreal size. Douglas Fir and Cedars, plus others. Some of them 8 to 10 foot diameter.

 

[TX650A Van Islander]

Day 3. I woke up to a cool morning and has a quick swim in the warm lake. Rode up to Woss for fuel and breakfast. This area of Vancouver Island was the last to operate a logging railway in Western Canada. They shut it down about 5 years ago when there was an awful accident involving runaway cars and sadly 3 workers lost their lives and two were injured by being crushed by logs.
Woss is where the locomotive photos were taken.
I rode through more forest roads up to the east side over Vancouver Island to Beaver Cove (photo of the dry land logging sort), and then on to the community of Port McNeill for ice cream and coffee. Next stop was up to the north west community of Port Alice for another coffee. Finally, I rode south on the highway (2 lane) to camp for the night at Sayward.

 

[TX650A Van Islander]

Day 4. Rode down to Campbell River for breakfast and stopped to take a few photos of a beautiful old de Havilland Beaver which the community put up on display recently. This was and is, a remarkable aircraft, and I'm sure you cool airplane/jet guys know all about it. Built in Downsview, Ontario, Canada, this was the first aircraft purchased by the US military from a foreign manufacturer, and was used, as per a book I have on the Beaver, by the USAF during the Korean War. Nothing else at the time was as versatile and could take off or land in such a short distance. It was a critical tool in the development of the Canadian hinterland, and continues to be used for commercial and private use in my area, flying between Seattle, Vancouver, and Victoria, and many other communities.
Next stop was home, and looking forward to the next multi-day ride already.

 

[kiwi]

Cool ride. Notice there is not much smoke from the fires over there, looks like blue sky in your photos. Always enjoy time on the Island, wife and I had plans on retiring to the South Island, maybe Sooke area, but plans changed a couple of years back. And those ferries, what a disaster. Lower Mainland to the Island has become a joke. And the Beaver, one of aviations greatest aircraft I reckon.

 

[Mailman]

Wow! Epic ride! You have got have some of the most beautiful scenery on the continent And your photos are superb! It looks like you have got your bike really well set up. I have always thought that the DR650 is one of the best adventure bikes out there, I like it for its simplicity , toughness and light weight. What’s your opinion of it? I can’t tell from the photos, have you fitted an oversize tank to it?
Any other mods? Color me curious!
If you are not already on this forum, check out Adventure Rider, they would eat this trip up.
https://www.advrider.com/f/

 

[Mailman]

And those ferries, what a disaster. Lower Mainland to the Island has become a joke.

Is it difficult to travel to Vancouver Island? What’s the deal with the ferries?

 

[TX650A Van Islander]

Is it difficult to travel to Vancouver Island? What’s the deal with the ferries?

As Kiwi mentioned, the ferries are a bit of a problem, unless you're traveling by motorbike, then you're first on and first off, no reservations required. Sometimes the cars have to wait half a day if you don't have a reservation, even though the ferries run on the hour in the summer. All that said, since Covid there have been staffing problems everywhere here, ferries no exception, amd sometimes they don't sail due to insufficient staff (Transport Canada safety thing)
The DR has been fantastic and is a perfect Vancouver Island bike! It does suck on the big highways over 65 mph as it weighs only 370 lbs they way I have it set up, and the riding position makes me a bit of a sail to catch the wind. It has a stock gas tank and I take an extra gallon on these trips to avoid fuel anxiety. It is fastened between the bike and the left saddle bag. I also like the simplicity of its design and maintenance.
We've been really lucky with not much smoke this summer, but I did get I to some on thr trip home on the last day. Sooke is great but like everywhere on the south island, huge amount of population growth in last 8 years with virtually no road improvements so becoming logjammed with traffic in last few years during peak hours.

 

[Jim]

Beautiful country. Was it your ankle that was broke? I'm guessing it healed up quiet nicely then?

 

[Adamc]

Day 4. Rode down to Campbell River for breakfast and stopped to take a few photos of a beautiful old de Havilland Beaver which the community put up on display recently. This was and is, a remarkable aircraft, and I'm sure you cool airplane/jet guys know all about it. Built in Downsview, Ontario, Canada, this was the first aircraft purchased by the US military from a foreign manufacturer, and was used, as per a book I have on the Beaver, by the USAF during the Korean War. Nothing else at the time was as versatile and could take off or land in such a short distance. It was a critical tool in the development of the Canadian hinterland, and continues to be used for commercial and private use in my area, flying between Seattle, Vancouver, and Victoria, and many other communities.
Next stop was home, and looking forward to the next multi-day ride already. View attachment 250168View attachment 250169

What a cracking ride. Great images and storyline too.
can’t wait for your next one.

 

[TX650A Van Islander]

Beautiful country. Was it your ankle that was broke? I'm guessing it healed up quiet nicely then?

It is beautiful for sure. Like I said, we are blessed to carve out a living here. Yes, you're correct it was my right ankle I broke, back on October 23, crashing the DR I had the 6 screws and plate removed on June 26. Best thing for sure to have gotten them out. I am almost back to great flexibility but more work to do.

 

[bosco659]

Great story and fantastic pictures! I’m envious of your island location.

 

[WideAWAKE]

Pretty awesome ride!

For about 5 years in a row I did a big ride on the island every year.

Always loved riding there.

I don’t ever remember the ferries being a problem, by then again, this was 15 years ago.

If my memory serves me correctly, I did a few good rides in the pouring rain haha.

I have no idea where I was in relation to the island, just remember a lot of country riding and coastal coves/cobblestone beaches.

 

[46th Georgia]

Day 4. Rode down to Campbell River for breakfast and stopped to take a few photos of a beautiful old de Havilland Beaver which the community put up on display recently. This was and is, a remarkable aircraft, and I'm sure you cool airplane/jet guys know all about it. Built in Downsview, Ontario, Canada, this was the first aircraft purchased by the US military from a foreign manufacturer, and was used, as per a book I have on the Beaver, by the USAF during the Korean War. Nothing else at the time was as versatile and could take off or land in such a short distance. It was a critical tool in the development of the Canadian hinterland, and continues to be used for commercial and private use in my area, flying between Seattle, Vancouver, and Victoria, and many other communities.
Next stop was home, and looking forward to the next multi-day ride already. View attachment 250168View attachment 250169

I have such fond memories of the year I lived in B.C. when I was 10. One of my favorites was being in the Junior Forest Wardens and going Kokanee fishing with my dad in Jones Lake. Such a beautiful place. Thank you so much for sharing, I'm a little jealous.