12 Day West Coast Wilderness Tour

Overview

This 12 day tour is MVMA’s pride & joy! During this ride you will experience cable ferry river crossings, endless riding terrain, a private motorcycle museum, witness the salmon run, have a very good chance at viewing Grizzly & Black Bear, Deer, Moose and scenery like nowhere else in British Columbia to keep you smiling from ear to ear. We wanted to create a trip into some of the more remote areas of B.C where only locals or true adventurers venture into. You won’t find many of these places being promoted through tourism due to the remoteness and difficulty to get to in a 4 wheeled vehicle. But we are lucky, we have 2 wheeled machines that love adventure and technical terrain. This tour has it all from bear watching, fly fishing and helicopter rides to remote lodges, endless riding trails and even a wine tour if you choose. This will not disappoint!!

Daily breakdown

Day 1: Heading off from MVMA Headquarters, we ride 120kms of the scenic Sea to Sky Highway passing through the ski town of Whistler before reaching the town of Pemberton. Here we set the bikes to “off-road mode” and leave the tarmac behind as we hit the dirt and head into the mountains arriving early afternoon at Tyax Lodge where you will have free run of the lodges equipment including kayaks, paddle boards & fishing rods. A scenic float plane ride is also an option at an additional cost and depending on availability. (you can book in advance)

Day 2: We set out along Carpenter Lake for some truly stunning morning views, before hitting the small town of Lillooet. From Lillooet we venture through a series of logging roads and trails heading north through the Fraser Canyon to Big Bar Ferry, a cable ferry located at one of the few places possible for a river crossing in this region. From the ferry we travel through wide open ranch land, carving our way through stunning gorges and one of the most beautiful areas on this adventure arriving at our accommodation for the evening at Chilcotin lodge where you’ll be spoilt with the region’s best cinnamon buns.

Day 3: We head out west along Highway 20, but don’t be disheartened about a paved road day, highway 20 swings beneath the forested flanks of Desous Mountain, crosses the swirling currents of the Fraser River, then contours up the other side of the valley towards our destination for the next two days, Bella Coola. It’s here, with the vast Chilcotin Plateau unfolding toward the Coast Mountains, that a sense of adventure, of leaving behind one world and entering another, truly sets in. Of all the ribbons of asphalt we have travelled throughout British Columbia, Highway 20 stands out as a place where frontier spirit still burns strongly, and the country feels wide open and full of possibility. It’s a place that calls out “Adventure.”

The road descends 43 Km (27 mi) of steep, narrow road with sharp hairpin turns and major switchbacks to the Bella Coola Valley. The descent includes a 9 km (5.6 mi) section with grades of up to 18%. Tourists who have driven to Bella Coola from Williams Lake have been known to refuse to drive back and have had to be taken out by boat or float plane but for us adventure riders this is what we have come for!

Day 4: A rest day in Bella Coola. Now when we say rest day that can be whatever you want it to be. Staying at the Bella Coola Grizzly Bear Lodge we are fortunate enough to have the option of multiple activities for today. You can go on a grizzly bear viewing river tour, try your hand at fly or lure fishing, take a boat ride through the sound to secluded hot springs while looking out for orcas and whales or you can spend the day doing some local adventure riding with your guide up to some high alpine lakes and glacier viewpoints. The options are endless!

Day 5: We backtrack along highway 20, climbing back up the 18% gravel grade, through the switchbacks and through the mountainous Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, which contains a great deal of wildlife, including Grizzlies and Black bears. Then through the mostly desolate country of the Chilcotin Plateau where we leave the asphalt behind and head south towards White Saddle Ranch.

Day 6: It’s almost impossible to explain the area that White Saddle Ranch is located in, but you’ll be left breathless with views across Bluff Lake and the towering mountains that surround it. The owner, Mike King has his own private motorcycle museum we can take a walk through and also operates as a heli-ski outfitter in the winter, so owns a number of helicopters that we have the option to book for a scenic flight. We will also spend a good part of today riding local trails and roads and really getting a feel for the area we are so fortunate to be in.

Day 7: The first time we rode this section it was hard to contain the excitement. We set out from white saddle ranch and link up to a series of forest roads and tighter double track along side rivers and lakes that offer countless photo opportunities. You really get the feeling that your miles from civilization on this section. We re join civilization at the first nations reserve of Nemaiah. The afternoon has 150km of dirt and scenery heading north east to the town of Williams Lake.

Day 8: The day starts off nice and easy with 140Km (86 miles) of scenic pavement passing through numerous historic towns that thrived during the gold rush days. We then navigate through some mountainous terrain before reaching Duffy lake recreation site. Here we can spend the afternoon riding all the trail systems they have in place and wash the dust off with a refreshing swim before riding 40 minutes to our destination of Kamloops.

Day 9: Starting with a small section of pavement before we turn back to the dirt making our way south east through some remote areas before dropping down into the Okanagan valley and into the vibrant town of Kelowna. Known for its world class wineries and striking lake Okanagan, Kelowna will not disappoint.

Day 10: Choose your own rest day from the wide variety of activities available in Kelowna. Swap you bike for a jet ski on the lake, take a tour around the local award winning wineries, get some rest and relaxation at one of the local spas, spend the day relaxing lake side or head out with your guide to explore the local trails – the list goes on. See – activities Kelowna for more information.

Day 11: We set out refreshed for the famous Kettle Valley Trail, taking us via Princeton, Tulameen & past Boss lake before ending with an overnight stay at the Harrison hot springs resort. This resort offers multiple hot pools and is surrounded by a number of fantastic restaurants.

Day 12: We ride dirt roads along Harrison lake stopping to experience the incredible views along the way before heading back to Pemberton and joining the Sea to Sky highway back to MVMA headquarters where the tour will sadly come to an end.

Difficulty: easy/moderate, with options for more technical riding

Please note: all routes are subject to change depending on weather, fire danger and group skill level. All routes are public forest service roads and open trails and there are options for the more advanced to put their skills to the test along the way with easier options for the less experienced riders.

Riders must have previous off road riding experience and be in good health and physical condition.