Vancouver Island, BC - July 16-18, 2010

[Netnorske]

UPDATED ITINERARY

This is the official plan:

If you are…or even think you might make the ride, please make reservations at the motels listed below ASAP. You can always cancel later, but will have a very difficult time booking a room down the road as they get booked very early in the year according to both hotel employees I spoke with. If you prefer to camp out....that's cool too!

Friday July 16-

Official Meeting Point- Tsawwassen BC Ferry Terminal about 9:15 for a 10:15 am sailing to Nanaimo. Just buy your ticket and move to the MC holding spot and gather there.

Once across, ride the Island Highway (old one) right up the coast from Nanaimo to Campbell River, then across the island to Gold River. Although the run to Campbell River is fairly well developed on the old highway, that route is the most scenic and will provide places for fuel, food and drinks, etc. From Campbell River to Gold River the scenery is awesome and is all wilderness!

Lodge in Gold River, BC at the Ridgeview Inn - http://www.ridgeview-inn.com/

Ridgeview Inn 1-250-283-2277
The rates for July and August are 89.00 for single queen, 94.00 for two queens and 99.00 for the kitchenettes...+tax. It includes breakfast in the morning in the hospitality room. They have smoking rooms if any of you smoke. There is another motorcycle group already booked in for the same night (that could be fun)! Let them know you are with a motorcycle group for the discounted rate.

Saturday July 17-
Saturday ride from Gold River to Tofino via the new Inland Island Hwy and Pacific Rim Hwy.

Lodge in Tofino, BC at the Tofino Motel - http://www.tofinomotel.com/rooms.html

Tofino Motel 1-250-725-2055
The rate here is 185.00 (CDN) + tax. No group rates available for one night stays. They only have 13 rooms, all with a balcony and view, so get one while you can! This is a very quaint place to stay right in downtown Tofino with great reviews and walking distance to food, bars and shops! Like I said before, Tofino in the summer is spendy no matter the hotel. The gal said they get 4 or 5 motorcycle groups each summer, the last one being pretty large! All of the rooms here have two queen beds.

Sunday July 18-
Ride from Tofino back to Nanaimo and a return ferry crossing to the mainland...either a 12:15 or 3:15 sailing.

Please drop me a note at your earliest convenience and indicate one way or the other (if you can) whether you plan to add this trip to your summer schedule. I know it’s not possible for everyone to be as flexible as I am regarding travel plans and work related absences, but it certainly helps to know ahead of time what you want to do.

IMPORTANT:
A valid Passport or Enhanced Drivers License is required for all US/Canada border crossings!

The BC Ferry from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo is a 2-hour crossing and is about $22.50 CDN per bike...$40 with a passenger. Bikes are first on/first off the BC Ferries same as in Washington.


Youtube vids...

Campbell River to Gold River


Pacific Rim Hwy 4 to Tofino


Strathcona Provincial Park along Buttle Lake


I hope to see as many Nomads as possible, but this does not have to be a KawaNOW specific event. Please do however give our members time to book rooms before asking other friends to join us!

Cheers....Kris

[Yellow Jacket]

Those rides really look like fun.

Maybe a miracle will happen and we can get to that part of the country some day.

[schoeney]

Just ask Obama...he will send the check!

Those rides really look like fun.

Maybe a miracle will happen and we can get to that part of the country some day.

[Yellow Jacket]

Hey Kris,

Your first route that goes from Victoria to Port Renfrew shows a road that goes from Port Renfrew on up to Lake Cowichan and then east to Duncan.

Is that road passable for a Nomad or would you need a dirt bike to go that way?

Bob

[Netnorske]

Originally Posted by Yellow Jacket

Hey Kris,

Your first route that goes from Victoria to Port Renfrew shows a road that goes from Port Renfrew on up to Lake Cowichan and then east to Duncan.

Is that road passable for a Nomad or would you need a dirt bike to go that way?

Bob

Bob,
I looked at that road too and part of it is definitely paved. I emailed a couple hotels in Port Renfrew to see if it is paved the entire way. That would be a great loop if it is!

When I first looked at it I just assumed it to be gravel as so many roads up there are. Using Google Earth the road is deceiving as it looks gravel, but there are a couple nice photos taken from along that road that prove otherwise.

The wife and I rode the Nomad over a very similar wilderness road going from Pemberton to Lillooet last summer on the BC Mainland. It was a really cool run! I'll post more when I hear back... ! Thx!

[doublel]

Gravel? better put those knobbies on Kris!

[Netnorske]

Originally Posted by doublel

Gravel? better put those knobbies on Kris!

No gravel roads for me unless I have to... !

[duffy]

I used to chase race cars (dirt sprint cars) and the last race of the year was at a small track not to far from Naniamo. It's long gone now (I understand it got "developed"). Victoria is neat place to run around.

[delivery58]

I'll need 4 days (from Coeur'd Alene, ID), but the Vanc.Island has also been on my "to do" list. Isn't this area Rickyboy's stopping ground?

[Netnorske]

Originally Posted by delivery58

I'll need 4 days (from Coeur'd Alene, ID), but the Vanc.Island has also been on my "to do" list. Isn't this area Rickyboy's stopping ground?

Most definitely rickyboy's....and Elvis' too! This would be a great 3, 4 or even 5 day ride if we could put together a plan, which I'm sure we can.... ;)! Lomax might want in on it too!

[lomax]

Hey Kris
A Vancouver Island ride is sure something we would like to do. Its been many years since I was on the island and then only for a short time for work in Parksville. Lorna has never been there and we have talked about it from time to time. One of my sons was there last summer with his family and they sure loved it. Its gonna be a busy riding summer with Kallispell and a trip to Alberta already on the list so depending on when you are planning the trip, as well as the cursed day job, will determine if we can make it. Let us know when planning gets underway. :)

[Netnorske]

Originally Posted by lomax

Hey Kris
A Vancouver Island ride is sure something we would like to do. Its been many years since I was on the island and then only for a short time for work in Parksville. Lorna has never been there and we have talked about it from time to time. One of my sons was there last summer with his family and they sure loved it. Its gonna be a busy riding summer with Kallispell and a trip to Alberta already on the list so depending on when you are planning the trip, as well as the cursed day job, will determine if we can make it. Let us know when planning gets underway. :)

Right now I have not set any dates in stone or confirmed any hotel info, but I do have a route plan. I was kind of leaning toward July 16-18 (Fri-Sun). I think it would be best to plan for three days on the island, with our meeting point being the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal.

I'm thinking if we meet there for a 10:15 am sailing to Nanaimo on a Friday morning, we could easily be in Gold River by Friday evening and spend the night there, taking the old island highway right up the coast from Nanaimo to Campbell River, then across the island to Gold River.

Although the run to Cambell River is fairly well developed with lots of little towns along the way, that route is the most scenic and will provide places for fuel, food and drinks, etc. From Campbell River to Gold River the scenery is awesome and is pretty much all wilderness!

Saturday we could ride from Gold River up along Buttle Lake in Strathcona Provincial Park, turn around, then head to Tofino via the Pacific Rim Hwy for another night. Sunday we ride from Tofino back to Nanaimo and a return ferry crossing.

This might require additional time for some people to get to and from the Tsawwassen Ferry, but I think that would be the best place to meet. We could all plan to be there an hour or so before sailing time and BS for awhile. I think it would be a great ride and a good chance for some of the NW members to hook up with the BC bunch!

Obviously no matter when we plan for it, the weather is going to have to look fairly decent to make the trip. Nobody wants to ride for two out of three days in the rain....but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it and July is probably a good bet for good weather. Does this sound like something you could make?

[duffy]

I'll put it on my ride "list" but vacation time this year is still up in the air..........

[schoeney]

Kris,

I think I will have to pass on this one. I have a 3 day Vegas trip planned, a 3 day running event, and the NW KawaNow Rally (6 days) all within a 5 week time frame. Somewhere in there I have to earn a living ;)

I have been to the Campbell River area....it is beautiful!

[Netnorske]

Originally Posted by schoeney

Kris,

I think I will have to pass on this one. I have a 3 day Vegas trip planned,...a 3 day running event....and the NW KawaNow Rally (6 days) all within a 5 week time frame. Somewhere in there I have to earn a living ;)

I have been to the Campbell River area....it is beautiful!

3 day running event... ?? 5 minutes of that and I call it good..... ;)!