It's not about the destination...

Since we had an early start, I packed my Devote the night before and rolled to downtown Vancouver in the morning to shamelessly take transit straight to the ferry terminal. I'm happy my bike has so many mounting options. This allows me to bring more than enough supplies for my escapade - since I'm still not too sure what I'll need exactly. After coffee (first thing first), I meet up with Sarah and Juliet and we hop on the next boat! Taking BC ferries on a bike is one of the most satisfying things: no lineup and you get the best seats with views that never get old. If you know, you know.

We reach the island before noon and start pedaling. Trying to avoid the main highway, in pure bikepacking fashion, we go off course for a little bit. But this wouldn't be an adventure otherwise, right? A couple hours into the ride, we reach our first stop: an iconic Dutch candy store with shelves filled with sweets I've never seen before. I’m not a candy person myself, but with her Dutch roots, Juliet is reminiscing childhood memories and using the little bit of space left in her bags to pack treats for her friend Amelia we’re going to meet the day after.

After a nice little break, we carry on. The beautiful lake we pass a few kilometres later brings peace to this long stretch on the busy road. Not too far from there, we reach one of the now rare old-growth forests on the island. One of the most accessible places where you can still find giant Douglas fir trees as old as 800 years old. We take a moment to stop and appreciate this calm, but still busy, part of the journey. The park is a common stop for many tourists, and I don’t blame them at all. The day is flying by and we’re almost at our first sleeping spot. Juliet has booked us a room in a cheap-but-full-of-personality motel since we have to spend the night by the port where our next adventure awaits. We gather in the motel’s yard for a picnic and take a good stretch before bed.

Being at sea level, we wake up in thick fog. It’s early and there’s nobody around. After packing our bikes, we take off for a short ride to the local ferry terminal. When we arrive, the passenger-only boat is getting loaded with items to be delivered to communities along the way: a mattress, a BBQ, appliances and even a side-by-side vehicle. It’s equipped with a crane at the front to facilitate loading and unloading. The 4-hours sail will take us down an inlet passing through communities that are only accessible by boat. Legs are feeling good, but I do appreciate this day off the bike and this forced opportunity to relax and enjoy my surroundings and the amazing people I’m sharing this journey with.

Juliet has done the trip several times, so she knows the best spot on the boat. She leans against the funnel as we watch the fog disappear. The landscape emerges, and so does the smell of bacon. The boat is equipped with a kitchen and serves pancake… which we had been looking forward to since the day before. Coffee on hand and pancake in the belly we enjoy the sun on the deck and chat with tourists who are curious about our bikes and routes.

The captain announces our arrival as buildings start taking shape in the horizon. Here we are! We’re dropped off at the quay and head out to Amelia’s. Unique and iconic, the main “road” is a boardwalk that goes along the water and through a wet forest. It’s a little before noon and the place is already packed with people ready to enjoy the long weekend. After delivering candies and saying hi, we head out to the beach to scope our camping spot for the night. We leave the bikes behind, borrow a wheel barrel and carry wood on the gravel rollercoaster that leads to the sea.

The salty smell of the ocean, the sensation of sand on my feet, and the sweet melody of the waves breaking on the shore fill my heart with joy. We settle for a little bit and start heading back to the bistro for happy hour. The place is filled with locals and friends visiting who all came to support. The bistro looks fabulous, Amelia is happy, and the opening is a great success!

As the sun starts going down, the chill air takes us back to the beach where we start a campfire and cook a delicious meal. We enjoy the sunset while sharing stories.

Today is going to be my biggest day on the bike: 125km, mainly on gravel, with the additional challenge of the added weight of my bags. I’m excited. We enjoy coffee at the beach, pack up everything and head to Amelia’s for our farewell. After grabbing more snacks at the market, we hop on a taxi-pontoon that takes us to the other shore. And off we go.

Although I’ve had my gravel bike for a certain period of time, it’s my first “real” gravel ride. It takes me a little bit of time to adjust to the loose terrain and to learn to deal with the potholes. After a few kilometers, we take a break and Juliet briefs me on techniques and how to read the road.

Gravel keeps you on your toes way more than I expected. I’m all smile when taking the descents and trying to pick the best lines through the potholes. The FSR is so quiet after that first day spent on the highway… I’m starting to get it. I understand and experiment what’s so special with gravel riding. The opportunity to look, smell, hear.

The first part of our trek is quiet, with only a few cars passing by. Eventually we reach a substantial lake that hosts several recreation sites on its shore. Suddenly, the traffic increases but most people are friendly and curious. Dust is in the air and I’m grateful for my bandana.

After 100km on gravel, we reach the road and enter a small community. Just as Juliet is telling me about the elk community that lives in the surrounding area, we see antlers rising on the side of the road. Suddenly, three elks cross in front of us and start running on our sides. The scene stunning. These animals are majestic. Over the next five kilometers, we see two more groups of elks. My heart is full.

We eventually reach our “destination” for the day and head to the closest grocery store for dinner. We treat the place like our pantry, shopping and picking all the treats to fill up after a big day on the bike. We’re not done yet; we still need to find somewhere to hit the hay. We pedal a few kilometres to set up camp, I crawl in my tent to get changed… and never come back.