Trip Report: Bikepacking B.C.’s Sea to Sky Trail

BY CAIT QUIRK

As a climber, I associate British Columbia with the iconic walls of the Stawamus Chief. However, I was instantly intrigued when my friends, Sam and Joey, and I stumbled upon the Sea to Sky bikepacking route that connects Squamish and Pemberton. Instead of climbing granite, we would spend the weekend on 100 kilometers of gravel and pavement. 

On Friday, we arrived in Squamish at 9 p.m., with an hour of daylight and a short 10 kilometers to Alice Lake. The following day, we rode 50 kilometers and 1,500 vertical feet, but the main stat we tracked was how many alpine lakes we could swim in. While Bikepacking.com suggests the trail is 100% rideable, Sam, Joey, and I were pushing our bikes up deep, steep gravel and commiserating with another bikepacking group about the heat and hike-a-bikes. Around 4 p.m., we rolled into Cal Cheak—a first-come, first-serve campsite—to find it already full. As we deliberated about our options, a kind Canadian offered to share his site. After a long day on trail, we biked into Whistler for a beer and pizza before returning to camp.

On Sunday, we covered the quick, mostly-paved kilometers to Whistler. While I prefer gravel, it was inspiring to see the accessible bike infrastructure and interpretive signage from different Indigenous groups in the region, which gave us a deeper understanding of the land we were recreating on. While hitchhiking back to Squamish, I reflected on the interconnectedness of B.C. trails and towns. The mix of flowy singletrack, glistening lakes, and frontcountry pleasures made for an uncannily pleasant weekend. With three different types of bikes and minimal planning, it was a small miracle that the trip went without any major issues. Now, whenever I travel to B.C., I’ll make sure to bring my bike.