Category Archives: Appendix

Seasons in the Sun

Playing around is always risky business but in the outback it is necessarily a seasonal affair. The grid below highlights in grey the seasons when activities in this book can be flirted with. Common sense would dictate that the duration of a season will vary year-to-year depending on about a gazillion factors like climate, snow pack, greenhouse gases, participants’ abilities and conditioning. Whenever planning an excursion factor in current conditions rather than just blindly following the guidebook. After all, there is a big difference between visiting a mountain top in July and October. Plan for the worst-case scenario every time and you should be able to avoid serious trouble.

Getting to the San Juan Islands

Access: To get to the American San Juan Islands from Vancouver take the Tsawwassen Ferry to Swartz Bay. [See Getting to Tsawwassen.] From the ferry follow traffic along Highway 17 towards Victoria, watching for directional signs to Sidney, BC. Follow the signs left on to McTavish, proceed one block, then turn left on to Lochside. Peddle north along the sea shore to Ocean Avenue, across from the Information Center. Turn right on Ocean Avenue continuing to the terminal entrance at 2499 Ocean Avenue. The route is well-marked from the Highway 17 turn-off to the terminal entrance.

There is only one ferry daily from Sidney to the San Juans. Leaving at just before noon, it makes one stop at San Juan Island before proceeding to Anacortes, Washington. Upon arrival at 3 PM it is necessary to clear customs before turning around and lining up to reboard the ferry an hour later. This time the destination is Lopez Island. From here cyclists can island hop at leisure. Frequent sailings on the inter-island ferry provide links to Shaw, Orcas then San Juan Island in turn with the cycling becoming more demanding as each island is conquered. At the end of it all, pick up the international run at Friday Harbour on San Juan Island for the crossing back to Sidney.

Contact: Washington State Ferries Sidney, BC: (250) 381-1551 or (250) 656-1531 USA: 1-888-808-7977 (Washington only) or (206) 464-6400 Internet: Washington State Ferries

Getting to the Gulf-Islands <<->> Getting-to the Sunshine Coast

 

Getting to Boundary Bay

Tide Table: Boundary Bay

Getting to Boundary Bay is as easy as hopping the Canada Line in Downtown Vancouver. At Bridgeport Station in Richmond transfer to the #601 South Delta bus. Starting from Bay 7, the #601 runs every half hour [hourly weekends before 11 am]. Though the bus stops momentarily at Ladner Exchange you won’t need to transfer. Jump off a few minutes later at the corner of 56th Street and 16th Avenue instead, cross the busy main street and continue walking east along 16th for 20 minutes or so until you reach Beach Grove Road. Take a left and you’ll find the GVRD Park one block ahead. The trees on your left as you enter the park are a favourite perching place for Bald Eagles.

The entire trip, crossing three zones during peak hours, takes about an hour.

Walking averse? An alternative is to stay on the bus until South Delta Exchange, transferring to an infrequent shuttle. Both the C89 Boundary Bay and C84 English Bluff service Boundary Bay Regional Park on an hourly schedule.

Incidentally, taxis are usually available at Ladner Exchange for a quicker, though pricier shuttle. Call dispatch at 604-594-5455 if no Green Cabs are waiting on-site.

The #601 Bridgeport bus will return you to where you started in reverse déja vu.

The salt marsh ecosystem of Boundary Bay supports raptors big and small at any time of the night or day. These birds of prey are most active at dawn and dusk.

If starting from outside of the downtown core, zip over to the Translink website to plot your route.

Most bird watching is done from the dikes though at high tide the beach will afford better views of feeding shorebirds. At low tide exploring the extensive mud flats of Boundary Bay is not recommended. Quicksand and in-rushing tides can be perilous. Becoming stranded far from shore is a very real possibility. The best time to see active feeding, particularly from owls, is from late afternoon on to dusk.

Fireweed <<->> Getting-to Buntzen Lake

 

Getting-to Hope & Lytton

Inter-city public transportation options have withered since BC Car-Free was first published in 2001. I would have expected them to grow but with the demise of Greyhound and Pacific Coachlines, routes are now being covered with a patchwork of small, often high-priced operators. This is certainly true of the Hope & Lytton leg.

Ebus has stepped up to partially fill the gap. At present they offer service from Vancouver’s Pacific Station to Hope with buses departing several times daily. View  up-to-date schedules or make a reservation through their website.

From Hope the Lytton Connector Transit Bus will take you the rest of the way to Lytton.

Getting-to Buntzen Lake <<->> Getting to Horseshoe-Bay

 

Getting Up-Island

Greyhound provide seamless service from downtown Vancouver to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and then up island through Parksville/Qualicum Beach to Port McNeill. Both Parksville and Qualicum are serviced twice daily from Vancouver with only the early morning run continuing on to Port McNeill.

Check the Greyhound Canada website for specifics or call: 1-800-661-8747; (604) 482-8747. Greyhound buses depart from Pacific Central station in Vancouver. Pickup is also possible from bus stops on the north side of West Georgia Street at Homer, Burrard, Bute and Denman Streets. Be prepared to flag the bus down.

See Getting to Horseshoe Bay for details on reaching Vancouver Island using transit and the BC Ferry Corporation.

Getting-to Whistler <<->> Whale Watching Introduction

 

Getting-to Whistler

Recreational activities abound in the Sea to Sky corridor which extends from Horseshoe Bay to the Pemberton Valley. The municipalities of Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton are the best sources of services in the area. At one end, peaks rise straight out of the waters of Howe Sound. At the other end, the fertile soil of the expansive, glacial Pemberton Valley is North America’s most important source of seed potatoes. In between the jagged, glacial-covered peaks of the Coast Range provide nearly limitless recreational opportunities extending literally from sea to sky.
That’s the good news. The departure of Greyhound Canada from western Canada and the demise of Pacific Coachlines has left a festering hole in inter-city travel in the province of British Columbia. Nowhere has been hit harder than the Sea to Sky corridor. A few transportation companies have risen from the ashes but they mostly service the same lucrative urban centres, leaving the rural in-between without. That’s the really bad news because choice routes like the following have become far less accessible. Despair not, however, as there are some workarounds. Moreover, plans in the works are slowly moving forward to establish a unified transit system from the Lower Mainland to Mount Currie. In the meantime, take one of the carriers servicing the Sea to Sky corridor to the nearest town, then grab a cab to the trailhead. Be sure to bring a cellphone with plenty of battery charge and ensure there is coverage to call for a pick up at the end of the trip. Alternatively, prearrange pick-up with your driver and be sure to tip well to ensure she shows up and the route remains serviced for those car-free wanderers who follow.

Route Workaround Details and Contact
Deeks Lake Trail & Deeks Bluffs Trail

Bus to Horseshoe Bay then taxi:

  • Sunshine Cabs 604-988-8888;
  • North Shore Taxi 604-987-7171
For Phyllis Creek & Mount Capilano, Petgill Lake, Shannon Falls, The Chief & the Squaw, Eagle Watching

Bus to Squamish then taxi:

  • Squamish Taxi 604-567-1111;
  • Howe Sound Taxi 604-898-8888
 Henrietta Lake

Bus to Squamish then water taxi:

  • Squamish RiverJet;
  • Squamish Marine Services
Brew Lake, Brandywine Falls & Cal-Cheak Trail, Garibaldi Lake & Black Tusk

Bus to Whistler Creekside then taxi:

  • Whistler Taxi 604-932-3333;
  • Whistler Resort Cabs 604-938-1515
  • Park Bus
Wedgemount Lake and Stein Valley Mini-Traverse

Bus to Whistler then local bus BC Transit Bus from Whistler to Pemberton

Buses to Whistler

The following carriers will get you to the community nearest your recreational destination. Just to be a pest, contact the shuttle companies prior to your trip and ask if they’ll drop you along the highway nearest to your trailhead. If the big Greyhound buses could do it, there’s no reason these companies cannot. They’ll likely say “No” while mumbling some excuses about licensing but if enough people inquire, whine and complain a bit they’ll realize they are losing money by overlooking recreational riders. Squeaky wheels and all that rot….

Epic Rides Express Bus to Whistler and points in between is the cheapest choice, offering a whopping 10 trips daily during peak season, twice a day during the shoulder seasons.

The BC Connector is a premium coach boasting comfy seats, onboard WiFi and service from downtown Vancouver to Whistler four times daily, most days.

YVR Skylynx Bus has a groovy name and prices to match. As the name suggests, they feature airport and hotel pick-up on most runs with between two to seven trips daily to Squamish and Whistler depending on the season. WiFi is included but door-to-door service costs a bit extra.

Getting-to Tsawwassen <<->> Getting Up-Island

 

Getting to Horseshoe-Bay

From any bus stop on the north side of Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver catch the #257 Horseshoe Bay Express. The express bus takes 45 minutes and runs twice an hour. The popular express bus boasts extra passenger capacity and a rack for panniers and bulky backpacks.

More frequently, the #250 Horseshoe Bay bus runs roughly every 20 minutes but takes nearly an hour to reach the same destination. Both buses stop on the north side of the road in front of Park Royal Shopping Centre for the convenience of those on the North Shore.

Both buses are equipped with bike racks capable of carrying two bicycles. For up-to-date information on the Horseshoe Bay Route visit the Translink website….

Check BC Ferries schedules for the latest on getting to Nanaimo, the Sunshine Coast or Bowen Island.

Getting-to Hope & Lytton <<->> Getting to Manning Park

 

Getting-to Tofino

Just an hour flight separates Vancouver from the rugged west coast of British Columbia. By contrast the bus is a full-day ordeal but costs just a fraction of what airfare does.

Vancouver Island Connector and Tofino Bus provides  service between the Nanaimo and Tofino, picking passengers  from Vancouver up at Nanaimo’s Departure Bay Ferry Terminal.

From downtown Vancouver take the bus to Horseshoe Bay then hop the ferry to Nanaimo. Catch the Vancouver Island Connector in front of the Departure Bay Ferry Terminal passenger drop-off zone.

Surfboards under 8 feet long and bagged bikes travel free as part of your regular checked luggage but phone ahead 1-866-986-3466 to ensure your needs can be accommodated as space is limited.

Harbour Air provides air service to Tofino from Vancouver Harbour.

Getting-to the Sunshine Coast <<->> Getting-to Tsawwassen

 

Getting-to the Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast Connector now links Langdale Ferry Terminal on the Sunshine Coast with Powell River. Travellers from Vancouver will have to catch the ferry [See Getting to Horseshoe Bay] on their own. Upon arrival at Langdale, just walk off the ferry and follow the other passengers through the walkway towards the parking area. The Connector should be waiting near the transit bus stop.

Those cycling or using other means to reach the Sunshine Coast will find the schedule information at TransLink and BC Ferries invaluable.

Pacific Coastal Airlines has daily flights to Powell River.

Contact Harbour Air for air service to Sechelt from the Vancouver Harbour.

Getting to the San Juan Islands <<->> Getting-to Tofino