Go the Wrong Way: First Motorcycle Camping Trip

It was my mother's 89th birthday on Sept 19 and my brother's 60th on the 25th. In between these important family commitments, I squeezed in a short 5 day camping trip from Vancouver, that made a loop out the Sea to Sky highway through Squamish and Whistler, and then on through Lillooet, Pemberton, Cache Creek, Ashcroft, Logan Lake, Manning Park, and back to Vancouver via Hope and the Lougheed Highway.

The first day was a quick run out to Squamish where I camped below the 'Chief' - a world renowned climbing area. I was very lucky to get a campsite at the end of a busy weekend and for $10 too! I had time that afternoon to climb to the three summits on the Chief. There were lots of other people with the same idea but the trail is very well made and there were ladders and chains in places to help non-climbers. Later, I went into town and ran across a couple of larger black bears. A local told me they were not interested in my take-out supper, but were there for the acorns.

Across the inlet in Squamish - The Chief towers over the town. The green webbing strap near the rear tire was used to prevent my dry bag luggage from getting caught in the wheel or touching the exhaust.

Big fat black bear on a walking trail near Squamish. They are eating acorns to bulk up for the coming winter

Looking back to the first summit from the second Chief summit with Howe Sound below

Windswept pine on the second summit of the Chief

On day 2, I packed up my tent and camping gear and headed up past Whistler along highway 99. I saw another large black bear in the town of Pemberton and had a picnic lunch there before driving the Duffy Lake road to Lillooet. Twisty riding that is great fun on a motorbike and spectacular mountain and lakeside scenery.

Despite a very dry summer there was still water in several falls along the route

Duffy Lake

Another view down Duffy Lake

I camped at Marble Canyon on the second night, a beautiful location but right on the highway.

Beautiful view from near my campsite at Marble Canyon

Alkaline Lake at Marble Canyon campsite

The third day, I changed my original plan to head for Shuswap Lakes and turned toward Logan Lake, passing Canada's largest copper mine on the way. I also visited, en route, an excellent little museum at Ashcroft and ate the largest cinammon bun of my life in that town, too.

Movies filmed in or around Ashcroft - Posters in the Ashcroft Museum

Tailing pond at the Highland Valley Copper Mine

Highland Valley Copper Mine

I camped that night at Kentucky Alleyne Provincial Park, a campsite recommended to me by a fellow camper the night before. It was well off the highway and very peaceful. My campsite was right on the lake and the trail around the lake provided excellent exercise after the substantial supper I made of a salad picked up at a grocery store in Merrit. I did not bring a camp stove on this trip, so made a point of picking up something for supper from grocery stores along the way. I also tried to stop at a cafe to warm up with a coffee each morning, but brought along instant coffee and whole milk powder to give me a cold morning jolt if needed.

Camp site on Kentucky Lake prior to setting up tent

Lovely late day sun over Kentucky Lake

The next day, I drove to Manning Park and camped at the Lightening Lake campsite there. It was here that I most regretted not bringing a warm sleeping bag because this campsite is at over 4000 feet. The hike around this lake as also very lovely and I saw a couple of large beaver dams on the next lake over.

Lovely views up Lightening Lake

The views the next morning were gorgeous with three loons chattering and splashing away

On the morning of my last day, a park ranger dropped by and recommended a hike and ride up a nearby mountain. I rode up Blackwall Road on a series of switch backs on pavement and then onto a reasonably smooth dirt road with some washboard. This provided access to a long hike into the interior called Heather Trail and some shorter loops. I did part of Heather trail and a couple of the local scenic loops. This area would be spectacular earlier in the year when the wild flowers carpet the hillsides. Rain was forecast, so I decided to head for home and rode down into Hope and then onto the quieter highway 7 that runs along the other side of the Fraser River from the busier faster Trans Canada highway. I had a few scattered showers from Mission on into Vancouver, but made it home mostly dry. It was a great introduction to motorbike camping and I am already planning another trip for next year.