Day Three - July 2, 2013

Powell River

A ferry ride directly across the Straight of Georgia from Courtenay/Comox (1hr 20min crossing time) brings you to the warm, friendly community of Powell River on the Upper Sunshine Coast.

Accessible only by sea or air, the Sunshine Coast is a mountain biker's delight! Your adventure starts and finishes at Willingdon Beach, just a short walk from BC Ferries' Westview Terminal, and takes you along incredible trails of "rolling thunder"!

A teaser of what's in store:

Racers will be treated to some of the best XC trails the West Coast has to offer, such as the W8 Trail, the newest and loamiest piece of singletrack on the entire Sunshine Coast, which ends with a long sweet descent. Next are a number of old trails, alternating between early 20th century logging railbeds and fast, twisting, singletrack through a forest of old growth Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir and Sitka Spruce. Riders will cross several salmon-spawning creeks on handbuilt wooden bridges built by the local BOMB Squad, leading towards the new Ho Chi Minh Trail, incorporating a challenging classic West Coast rock slab drop down into Frog Alley and onto a meandering, elevated boardwalk ride of several hundred metres through a sea of Labrador Tea, towards the newest and longest BOMB Squad bridge, the beautiful Squirrel Crossing.

Distance ~ 48km | Elevation Gain - 1070m | Aid 1 ~ 20km | Aid 2 ~ 35km
Start - Powell River | Finish - Powell River

Base Camp Highlights

Once again, we're camping beside the Pacific Ocean! You'll come ripping out of the trails with the ocean breeze on your face as you roll into Base Camp and find your tent set up on the beach.

The downtown/Westview area of Powell River is just up the street, so make sure to grab a slice at the Rocky Mountain Pizza & Bakery!

Support Team Teasers

Check out these tempting options to keep your moral supporters busy today! And for more travel/tourism information about this area, visit Tourism Powell River.

• Visit the Powell River Historic Museum and the Sliammon Fish Hatchery
• Powell River is known for their scuba diving - while the others are out on the trails, check out the marine life through a diving tour
• If you prefer to stay above the water, rent a canoe or kayak and explore the Powell Forest Canoe Route
• Go explore around town to experience the creations of local artisans and discover the unique heritage of the Sliammon First Nations peoples
• Relax on the beach and go for a swim