Slow Coast Bikepacking Event
Slow Coast qathet
Slow Coast qathet is an annual bikepacking event based in and around the qathet region. Our goal is to blend non-competitive bikepacking events with opportunities for community building, learning, and creative play. We hope that each attendee leaves our event with a deeper understanding of the land, place, and their role as cyclists.
In our inaugural year of 2024, our route took us to Texada Island in the qathet Regional District. After listening and learning from local advocacy groups the night prior, 40 folks hopped on a ferry from Powell River. We climbed along the spine of Texada before dropping back down to sea level and camping at Shingle Beach Recreation Site. We bonded during the challenging gravel climbs on Day 1 and connected over cooling off in the ocean, creating cyanotypes, and sharing laughs and burritos around a fire.
The feedback we received from last year’s event was filled with kindness and excitement. We weren’t sure what the reaction would be to our weekend. What we learned is that people loved the opportunity to connect with others and experience a large group bikepacking trip, without any race element, as well as the educational aspect. We encouraged folks to slow down and soak it up, and we were met with the best crew and positive attitudes.
When planning this year’s event, we knew we wanted to switch up our location and route. We toyed with the idea of heading into the backcountry in qathet, and though we may still do that one day, we decided that keeping a group closer to centers is a safer bet when travelling with 40+ folks. We also remembered that during our event last year, the ferry was one of the easiest times for people to slow down, enjoy the view, and be together. Our Island Hopping Route was born, taking our group on a clockwise route from qathet, over to Comox, up to Campbell River, across to Quadra Island, to Cortes Island, and finishing the loop with a water taxi back to Lund and down highway 101 to Powell River. In an effort to continue learning, listening, and connecting with the land we’re riding on, 25% of attendee fees were donated back to local advocacy and conservation groups (We Wai Kai Guardians, Friends of Cortes Island, and Bike Lund) again for 2025.
On September 5, 2025, 45 folks from across BC gathered at the Westview ferry terminal in Powell River. As we waited on the wharf to board the Salish Orca, returning attendees greeted one another with big hugs, and new faces were gently introduced. The ice slowly broke for most attendees during that ferry ride, as we bonded with big smiles after seeing humpback whales breach off of Texada, and enjoyed the setting sun above Comox. Living in qathet, all of our trips out of the region begin with a ferry ride, and though for some long-time locals the ferries can be a nuisance, the 75-minute sailing from Powell River to Comox is a form of forced relaxation. There’s nothing much else to do but sit, grab a snack, and contemplate the plans ahead.
We might be biased, but one of the most underrated parts of our circle route is the section connecting Comox to Campbell River. There are many gems in between these bigger centres, and linking them together in a fun and creative way was a highlight for many. We followed the Tree to Sea bikepacking loop, a 1,000 km route that starts and ends in Comox, creating a loop on the North Island. The route does a fantastic job at keeping riders off the highway, weaving in small paths, trails, and side roads. Starting right from the Little River terminal, you quickly pop right into trails that connect towards Seal Bay Regional Nature Park. A fun toodle through trails and on side roads brought our group to our first campsite, Kitty Coleman Beach Park. It’s an incredible spot right on the ocean that is always kind to cyclists and will make room in a pinch, a rare thing in the busy summer season.
After a cozy night camping at Kitty Coleman, we continued north towards Williams Beach, incorporating bits of unexpected gravel, and continued this theme by mixing in old doubletrack and trails that brought us a back way to Miracle Beach. This section was a highlight for some Comox Valley attendees, who shared they hadn’t ridden this way before. The grin-inducing trail, albeit a bit overgrown, is a fun way to enter the popular campground. It creates a feeling of “how did we get here!?”
From Miracle Beach, we headed on side roads towards Oyster River, an easy resupply and halfway point for this section of the ride. Jason from The Hidden Gem Bakery spoiled us with a mid-morning treat, and here we feasted on lemon-y sourdough cinnamon buns and coffee. We ordered ours ahead of time for the large group, but we highly recommend stopping by if you’re heading through. Note that they often sell out on weekends, so ride fast(er)!
From Oyster River, the Tree to Sea loop takes riders by the ocean through the Oyster River trails, maximizing off-road time. Our group decided to stay on the Old Island Highway, north of Oyster River, and head towards another snack spot at the Oyster Bay Rest Stop. We decided to stay closer together and rode the 6 km of highway before we headed west, connecting side roads through Woods Creek, on the Jubilee Connector, and finally towards the ERT. The ERT generously led us directly to Campbell River, requiring only a short and sweet ride along a paved road to arrive at the ferry terminal that would take us to Quadra Island.
This section of the route between Comox and Campbell River is an impressive example of how to connect paths creatively, existing trails, gravel roads, and side roads to create a diverse and exciting route between urban areas. Part of the challenge of biking in urban areas is finding ways to stay off busy roads. If you were to connect Comox and Campbell River using something like Google Maps, chances are you’d likely end up riding on the side of a busy road for the majority of it. Instead, we experienced singletrack, gravel, undulating pavement, and only a few cars. Many attendees mentioned that it was the perfect section, as when you felt fed up with one challenging section, the terrain type changed to something new. From ocean views to fern gulleys, we had a little taste of everything!
From Campbell River, the options are endless. If you’re riding the Tree to Sea Loop, you would continue North or West, embarking on a significant endeavor. Our group wasn’t done with ferries yet, and we caught an afternoon sailing to Quadra Island, where we camped at the We Wai Kai Campground, before catching another ferry to Cortes Island the following morning. On Cortes, we broke for a snack, rest, and a frisbee game under the trees at Linnea Farm. Here, we received a tour from Autumn of the Dillon Creek Wetlands, a project by Friends of Cortes Island and Linnea Farm, and learned about the crucial role of wetlands in improving lake health and creating habitats for wetland wildlife.
From Cortes, your choice is either to turn around or charter a boat to Lund. We opted for the latter and completed our loop with multiple boat rides, thanks to the help of our friend Ben, as well as Captain Kelli Turner of Access Point Marine. After a chat and swim tour with Charlier Latimer of Bike Lund, a volunteer-run organization that seeks to make the qathet community a more bike-friendly place, we rode from Lund back to Powell River along Highway 101, our longest stretch of pavement on the entire route. In total, our route included roughly 60 km of ferry and boat travel, and around 120 km of riding. Not a bad ratio, in our Slow Coast opinion!
With so much emphasis on racing in the cycling world, we think events like Slow Coast are more important than ever. It’s an opportunity to slow down, learn about the places we ride in, build community, and maybe even build confidence for your next bike trip. Seeing riders, whether strangers or friends, making everyone feel safe and included, sharing laughs and memories, slowing down, creating space to learn and listen, grinning through tumbles, sand, and flowy singletrack, were all great reminders as to why we started this event last year and hope to continue building and growing in the future.
For our route, we can’t share the exact route as we had permission to ride some private property sections on Cortes Island, but we’ve attached a similar version of the loop below.
