Is there is a ferry running from Bella Coola to Vancouver Island?
 

We will have one week left at the end of our Trans Canada & US Sept. '06 trip and we are wondering if it is feasable to go north from Vancouver catch the ferry at Bella Coola to Vancouver Island then finally to Vancouver.
The questions that I have are
Is there a vehicle ferry running form Bella Coola to Vancouver Island?
Are you aware of costs and timetables?
If so what is the duration of the trip, or have you done this yourself?
We think we could fit it in as far as distance goes but the final decision will depend on answers to the questions above. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Glen

BC Ferries offers service to Bella Coola twice a week during the summer season (June-September). Fares and schedules are available at:
http://www.bcferries.com.

Your blood's worth bottling John, have you done the trip yourself? I am guessing that the scenery is spectacular.

No we haven't been there but it looks nice. I did a online search and found their site.
http://www.bellacoola.ca/

I went into my map programs and Bella Coola is about 282 miles (454 KM) from Williams Lake, BC on Hwy 20.

Booked passage
 

All booked yesterday $285.35 Canadian and waiting for confirmation, approx. 48 hours away. Will post a report after we have done it. I have since discovered that there is about 45mins of dirt riding to get to the ferry terminal, should be fun on the biggest motorcrosser I have ever ridden, a CBR1100XX Blackbird. Should awaken those long lost dirt riding skills.
Anybody else got reports to add for the ferry ride?
Glen

What a trip
 

"The Hill" as it is affectionately known by the locals, is a section of very steep good dirt road on the way in to Bella Coola with hairpin corners and no guard rails. We cut the engines and coasted down, had a ball. It can't be too bad as they drive huge RV's down it, even if the brakes do get a little warm. Caught the car ferry from Bella Coola to Port Hardy on the northern tip of Vancouver Island early on Monday (18/09/06) morning and got the fine weather we were hoping for. We saw Humpback Whales, Killler Whales, White Side Dolphins, Bear etc. on the banks. A pod of over 100 Dolphins were feeding on fish with scavenging birds flying overhead about 1km off to the side of the ship. When they heard the ships engines they raced off in our direction in V formation like it was an Olympic race. To top it off the sun was setting behind them as they raced towards us and the water was like glass, a sight I will never forget. One crew member that we spoke to, commented that in the 10 years she had been on the boat she had never seen such a spectacle. A fantastic day.

Hope this helps the next biker who uses this ferry service

Glen

Glad you made it in one piece, I was abit worried when I saw the bike you where gonna take down the gravel road, especially after searching around abit and saw pics of "The Hill"...

Talked to a former truckdriver who just summed you trip up in one word... "Idiots!" Then he had a few more words that I leave out... ;)

But what you wrote it didn't looked that bad.

Nice meeting you out in nowhere and I hope you had a great trip after that.

Cheers,
Zappa

"Idiot" I have been called worse than that along the way, but I have a thick skin. Nothing like riding an CBR1100XX motocross bike on gravel roads. I was expecting a lot worse than that, that's not a hill! Bike has not arrived home yet, can't be far away. Looking at a trip over your way next, lots to investigate.
Keep in touch.
Glen

the hill
 

kind of a late follow-up to this thread, but here is an aerial photo of "the hill" that descends from the Chilcotin Plateau down to the Atnarko river valley that leads out to Bella Coola.

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View...472&p=75141602