This year, local bike shop Kissing Crows hosted an official Swift Campout overnighter to Saysutshun (Newcastle) island just outside Nanaimo BC. I don’t typically camp in big groups but it’s really fun to do occasionally, and this was a really good group and a perfect destination for the large numbers.
It was an early morning start to catch the nine-something in the morning ferry, with a lumpy 30km ride along West Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay ferry. This was nearly all the required riding to get to Saysutshun, as once the ferry landed in Nanaimo it was just a stone’s throw to the dock where our adorable little water taxi would take us to the little island.
As we waited for our taxi, the summer rains hit. Not forecasted, this caught a lot of us by surprise – but a BC bike-packer always has a rain jacket on hand!
The showers were intense but short-lived. Most bikes were transported in a dedicated bike boat, but a few stragglers were piled on the outer decks of the taxi while the humans all piled within with their bags.
Once we dropped our stuff in the sprawling group camp area, we took off on a loop of the island. A small island, the perimeter trail is about 10 km long. The trail was smooth gravel in some sections but rooty and rocky in others. Beautiful riding all the way.
There is a distinct, unique feel that is common to all the gulf islands: the exposed rock, grassy knolls, proliferating arbutus trees jutting out at impossible angles. It brings me a deep joy to be on any of these islands.
After the loop I was pleased to find the lone cafe was open, and enjoyed a rather delicious halibut sandwich. After this, I spent time exploring the extents of the camp ground.
Fifty people in a group site would usually be crowded, but the group sites on Saysutshun are so large that we were plenty spread out. I found a nice spot by some mature trees, away from the social area. I love being social but it’s not a full time thing for me!
After hanging out for a while, having a beer and some dinner, as the light was starting to wane I made a spontaneous decision to do a second, solo loop of the island. Given the terrain it’s about an hour to complete the loop and the sun was already beginning to set.
I was able to get more photos of the loop this time around since I was travelling solo.
I returned to camp in the last bits of twilight and enjoyed some time around the fire. At right, being greeted by the morning sun the next day.
I was able to sleep in until around 7:45, and emerged to make coffee and oatmeal on the shoreline while deer wandered about the camp area.
The rig, all packed up for the ride home:
Riding onto the ferry never gets old.
I chose to take the more challenging, but more lovely route home which includes some hike-a-bike. The heavy camp load made it quite a challenge, so I stopped halfway to enjoy my remaining beer over a deep ravine.
I started to get real hungry as I passed through West Vancouver so I stopped for one of my favourite long-ride meals – fish n chips at Ambleside, ordered from a take-out window. I wish there were more take-out windows you can ride up to around here!
Upon returning home, I emptied each bag and photographed its contents as a curiosity. This represents a hasty re-pack as well as things migrating around as I went about my day, and not how I’d have packed them when preparing for a trip.
Leave a Reply