Motorcycle Road Trip - Vancouver - Prince Rupert - Port Hardy - Victoria - Vancouver
Motorcycle loop from Trev Deeley Motorcycles to Prince Rupert- 16hour ferry to Port Hardy – Port Hardy to Victoria – Victoria back to Trev Deeley.
12:30 to 9:30 PM
Trev Deeley to Quesnel
We started our journey from Trev Deeley just after lunchtime on a semi-slick rainy road. The first leg of the trip is the start of a classic motorcycle loop that most Vancouverites have ridden many times, "the Duffy loop." The traffic was bustling for a Saturday until we reached Hope. After a slow start to the trip, the roads became dry when we finally got to Boston Bar. We could lean a little more into the corners and enjoy the curvy roads just a little more.
Once we passed 70 Mile, the rain hit again. Pushing forward into wild blackness as the heavy torrential rain came down. The daylight got entirely engulfed by the storm. Knowing we would definitely be soaking wet setting up our tent that night, we opted for a Super 8 Motel in Quesnel to dry our gear for the next possibly rainy day of riding.
Knowing we would be able to dry off for the night, we enjoyed the next few hours of the roadway. After a quick stop, we loaded an empty saddlebag with take-out food and beverages then headed to the hotel. We brought our gear in, cranked the heat in the bathroom, and hung our stuff to dry.
We woke at 6:30 am, made a coffee, filled up with gas, and hit the road the following day. It was cloudy but not raining. We opted to enjoy the fresh morning air to push on another 215km through Prince George before stopping in Vanderhoof for breakfast. Nothing was open on a Sunday for breakfast but the trusty old Tim Hortons( possibly due to Covid19). My hands had become numb on the morning rip, but the sun was now out, and I was able to get the feeling back before getting back on the bike.
The roads up in northern B.C. are beautiful, filled with dense forests, raging rivers, massive mountains, and plenty of wildlife that we were always watching for. Our next stop was 208km further in Houston. We stopped for a quick refreshment and gas break before we got back on our bikes to stop at the Junction for the Cassiar Highway 37 toward Alaska. Truth be told, our goal was to head up to Stewart BC on the border of Alaska, and we had not made up our minds on whether we were going to head up there or head to Prince Rupert until we stopped at this Junction. We checked the weather, and it looked like if we were to head up to Alaska, we would be in for a day and a half of some heavy rain. Prince Rupert, on the other hand, we would possibly be able to avoid the rain. So, we opted for the latter and put the Alaska trip back on the list of to-dos in hopes of making it a more extensive loop route once the borders are open again.
We filled up at the Petro-Can, got ourselves a road charcuterie for lunch (AKA a Lunchables), a photo at the highway to Alaska sign, and continued our route on Prince Rupert.
There were a few stops for road construction and quite a few kilometers of gravel resurfacing, but boy, those roads will be amazing once the new highway is finished. Once you get past Terrace, the Skeena River starts to open, and you have incredible mountainous, waterfall-filled views on one side and the massive river on the other. Riding past families enjoying the easy of life in northern B.C. fishing, boating, kayaks, and all its beautiful settings.
Heading into Price Rupert is also breathtaking as it opens into the ocean with an inlet. We headed to a gas station, filled up, found a fish and chip restaurant, then grabbed snacks for the 16hr ferry ride the next day. We were able to find a campsite at the Prince Rupert RV Campground very close to the Ferry terminal to post up for the night.
We woke up in the middle of the night to pouring rain. It was raining so hard that I got up to check that our kickstand was on solid enough ground that the motorcycles wouldn’t fall over as the soaking wet ground softened. We woke up at 5:30am in order to get to the ferry before the 90 minute reservation cut off time. The rain had eased to a heavy mist as we packed up our tent in the darkness.
Dressed in full rain gear, we were in the ferry line by 6:00 am, and it was quite a long wait to get through the ticket gate before getting on the ferry. By the time we got through the line, the bikes were already loading.
The workers check your ticket at a few more stops before you get on the ferry so keep it handy and a crew member will set you up with straps and blocks to tie our bikes down for the 16hr trip. The benefit of being a biker on the ferry is loading first, which means you can go up and get a good seat for the long trek.
You can pay extra for luxury lounge chairs at the front of the boat or even purchase sleeping cabins. But we found a nice corner in the central area, and the seats reclined a bit. I brought up my sleeping bag from camping gear and laid on the floor to nap. I noticed quite a few people had also brought up their camping mattresses to sleep in a corner. The view on the ferry is impressive as you keep your eye open for wildlife. We were lucky enough to see dolphins and grey whales, otters, and an abundance of eagles.
We managed to book another campsite on the ferry when we had cell service as the ferry stopped in Bella Bella on the way. They allow you to book over the phone so you can roll right in as you get off the ferry in Port Hardy at 11:30pm.
We set up our tent in the dark and slept in until 8:30 am. After quick stop in Port Hardy at a coffee shop for breakfast we were eager to get back on the road. Our next stop was the cutest little town at Telegraph Cove. They have a coffee shop, ice cream shop, general store, and a pub worth the extra few kilometers off the highway.
After a quick wander down the pier, we headed to Campbell River to stop at my parents' for lunch and load the empty saddlebag with freshly caught just frozen vacuum-packed Salmon...
I was spoiled, I know.
If you haven’t been up island, I highly recommend riding Highway 28 from Campbell River to Gold River. That stretch of road is a full of twisty corners. It is a little more exciting than the road from Port Hardy to Campbell River.
As we headed toward Nanaimo down the Island Highway to take the ferry, we decided to keep ripping to Victoria to extend the trip. We hopped on the 6 pm ferry from Sidney to Tsawwassen and got off the ferry and road back to Vancouver with a beautiful sunset to finish the trip.
Another loop finished on the checklist. Who knows what’s to come next.