Vancouver Island roads

[Fairlaner]

Sounds great. You will have to come towards Victoria on your way to Port Renfrew. I don't have DH so not sure exactly what routes you are planning, but I should be able to find you. I am done with work about 11am on Wed. so could meet you enroute...maybe if you are stopping for lunch?

There is a road that runs between Port Renfrew and Mesachie Lake, do you know how much gravel there is on this?

R

 

[madmike2]

I'll be at the resort the Wed night as well, with a sofa couch and some floor space that can be negotiated
Keep in mind, Tyler and I will be drinking wine and generally misbehavin'

Well.......THAT should've gotten you some volunteers and an interesting suggestion or two....

 

[user 6393]

Sounds great. You will have to come towards Victoria on your way to Port Renfrew. I don't have DH so not sure exactly what routes you are planning, but I should be able to find you. I am done with work about 11am on Wed. so could meet you enroute...maybe if you are stopping for lunch?

There is a road that runs between Port Renfrew and Mesachie Lake, do you know how much gravel there is on this?

R

just in the corners...otherwise paved

But be careful when you go by Fairy Lake. Don't stop, cuz yanno, yer kinda cute LOL

 

[user 6393]

I'll be at the resort the Wed night as well, with a sofa couch and some floor space that can be negotiated
Keep in mind, Tyler and I will be drinking wine and generally misbehavin'

Well.......THAT should've gotten you some volunteers and an interesting suggestion or two....

Not so far, but then they should also know they'll be put to work too. And NO, not fun kinda work either h34r:

 

[madmike2]

I'll be at the resort the Wed night as well, with a sofa couch and some floor space that can be negotiated
Keep in mind, Tyler and I will be drinking wine and generally misbehavin'

Well.......THAT should've gotten you some volunteers and an interesting suggestion or two....

Not so far, but then they should also know they'll be put to work too. And NO, not fun kinda work either h34r:

Most of us are men....we only screw UP!

Are you sure you want "helpers"...who will likely help themselves?

 

[HIGHLANDER]

Sounds great. You will have to come towards Victoria on your way to Port Renfrew. I don't have DH so not sure exactly what routes you are planning, but I should be able to find you. I am done with work about 11am on Wed. so could meet you enroute...maybe if you are stopping for lunch?

There is a road that runs between Port Renfrew and Mesachie Lake, do you know how much gravel there is on this?

R

Same road I asked about earlier, you looked at " street view " on Google yet ? You won't be racing any Darksiders on that road, looks to be a lane and a half wide in sections ! :blink:

 

[McRide]

Sounds great. You will have to come towards Victoria on your way to Port Renfrew. I don't have DH so not sure exactly what routes you are planning, but I should be able to find you. I am done with work about 11am on Wed. so could meet you enroute...maybe if you are stopping for lunch?

There is a road that runs between Port Renfrew and Mesachie Lake, do you know how much gravel there is on this?

R

Same road I asked about earlier, you looked at " street view " on Google yet ? You won't be racing any Darksiders on that road, looks to be a lane and a half wide in sections ! :blink:

See post #4- Freshly paved

 

[McRide]

On closer reading, Barb is referring to the road before PR and PR to Cowicahn Lake is gravel on streetview. Might be an older GE view. Anyone know for sure the status of this route... paved or gravel?

 

[McRide]

On closer reading, Barb is referring to the road before PR and PR to Cowicahn Lake is gravel on streetview. Might be an older GE view. Anyone know for sure the status of this route... paved or gravel?

OK too much answering my own posts, lol.

found this pic with the heading 'yes it's paved all the way'... sooooo.... paved it is.

clicky

 

[user 6393]

On closer reading, Barb is referring to the road before PR and PR to Cowicahn Lake is gravel on streetview. Might be an older GE view. Anyone know for sure the status of this route... paved or gravel?

its paved from Victoria, thru Port Renfrew, past Mesachie Lake, all the way to Parksville.

the only gravel is that which is thrown up in the odd corner by a trailered boat or RV

Lots of stops between Vic and Renfrew for eats, but then you are in forest land which is being actively logged, so the next stop for fuel, eats, a beer would be Lake Cowichan.

 

[McRide]

On closer reading, Barb is referring to the road before PR and PR to Cowicahn Lake is gravel on streetview. Might be an older GE view. Anyone know for sure the status of this route... paved or gravel?

its paved from Victoria, thru Port Renfrew, past Mesachie Lake, all the way to Parksville.

the only gravel is that which is thrown up in the odd corner by a trailered boat or RV

Lots of stops between Vic and Renfrew for eats, but then you are in forest land which is being actively logged, so the next stop for fuel, eats, a beer would be Lake Cowichan.

Is there gas in PR? or we should fuel up somewhere south of PR.... and thanks.

 

[user 6393]

On closer reading, Barb is referring to the road before PR and PR to Cowicahn Lake is gravel on streetview. Might be an older GE view. Anyone know for sure the status of this route... paved or gravel?

its paved from Victoria, thru Port Renfrew, past Mesachie Lake, all the way to Parksville.

the only gravel is that which is thrown up in the odd corner by a trailered boat or RV

Lots of stops between Vic and Renfrew for eats, but then you are in forest land which is being actively logged, so the next stop for fuel, eats, a beer would be Lake Cowichan.

Is there gas in PR? or we should fuel up somewhere south of PR.... and thanks.

I'd fuel up by Sooke, as remote stations usually charge more per/litre.........cuz they can

 

[Fairlaner]

Dude the whole route from Victoria thru Port Renfrew to Mesachie Lake on to Victoria is only 161 miles, even we can do that on a tank of gas.......

R

 

[Ian Stephens]

My wife and I gassed up at Port Refrew last year on our Burgmans - had to or we wouldn't have had enough gas to make it to Lake Cowichan! Burgmans have small tanks.

I'd tank up again at the Port Refrew Marina, just for the third world experience of getting gas from a big tank set up on a stand. There was also a cooking trailer that was serving lunch for cheap to the campers and folks coming and going from fishing. I'd eat there again I guess.

Ian

 

[user 6393]

My wife and I gassed up at Port Refrew last year on our Burgmans - had to or we wouldn't have had enough gas to make it to Lake Cowichan! Burgmans have small tanks.
I'd tank up again at the Port Refrew Marina, just for the third world experience of getting gas via gravity from a big tank set up on a stand. There was also a cooking trailer that was serving lunch for cheap to the campers and folks coming and going from fishing. I'd eat there again I guess.

Ian

The bus just past the bridge? Good eats, fer sure, uh huh

 

[Fairlaner]

My wife and I gassed up at Port Refrew last year on our Burgmans - had to or we wouldn't have had enough gas to make it to Lake Cowichan! Burgmans have small tanks.
I'd tank up again at the Port Refrew Marina, just for the third world experience of getting gas via gravity from a big tank set up on a stand. There was also a cooking trailer that was serving lunch for cheap to the campers and folks coming and going from fishing. I'd eat there again I guess.

Ian

But how was the road?

R

 

[user 6393]

It's paved, not much traffic, buncha tight 20kmph hairpins up and over. Kinda twisty. You'd hate it. I'd avoid it at all cost.

 

[Ian Stephens]

Ahhhh ..... The road - it was awesome, even on the Burgman, which is not a sports bike.

From Sooke to Port Refrew it's all nice pavement with the occasional rough stretch - its prone to flooding during the winter I hear. From Port Refrew to Lake Cowichan it's all paved and all twistie with lots of elevation changes as well - think tight hairpin at the bottom with fairly steep hills to climb on either side. More than a few of those. Very few straight sections of road. From Port Refrew side it starts off rather sedate but gets better in the middle.

Here's the gas station at Port Refrew as of 2009:

This guy lost lost it on one of the hairpins ... actually not sure of the story on the car.

A sample of the road and my wife's Burgman! (This link goes to my photo album on my website)

Victoria 2009 Trip Pics

 

[Fairlaner]

looks like fun to me.

R

 

[Beamer Reamer]

Richard,

Found this blurb:

Cowichan Lake Road

For those a little more adventurous, there is also a forest service road that goes from Port Renfrew to Mesachie Lake located near Lake Cowichan. The paved road takes around one hour to do and goes through some active logging areas.

Motorcycle Ride - OurBC Blog