Across Canada in 10 days in a Subaru...

Christian P.

Expedition Leader
Staff member
In keeping up with our overlanding tradition, I am about to embark on another unexpected, unsupported and totally unplanned trip...

I have spent a couple summers in Vancouver but my last trip there was about 10 years ago.
I have a friend of a friend who needed a driver to bring their vehicle back and since I was heading to Quebec in June anyway I figured why not.

So I am flying to Vancouver next Thursday evening. I will spend a couple days at my friend's place in Squamish and then it the road.
I need to be in Montreal by June 7th as I have tickets for the F1 grand prix the next day so that gives me roughly 10 days total.

One thing I need to figure out right now is which phone plan/carrier I could use as I have to be on the phone daily for work.
 
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p1michaud

Expedition Leader
Fun trip. The two big players are Bell and Rogers for best coverage. Enjoy The trip and the race.
 

haven

Expedition Leader
The fastest route would be to drive south to Seattle, head east on I90 and I-94 to Detroit, cross back into Canada, and drive across Ontario to Montreal. This route would take you close to Glacier NP, Yellowstone NP and Mt Rushmore/Black Hills area.

Staying in Canada, I would take Highway 1 east, then detour to Kelowna, then north through Revelstoke, Glacier and Jasper NPs to Banff. Lake Louise is full of tour buses, but if you hike for 30 minutes you'll be alone, and rewarded with the most beautiful alpine scenery in North America, in my opinion.

If you want to add 2000 miles to your trip, the road north from Calgary to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories is paved the whole way. You'll pass Wood Buffalo NP ang Great Slave Lake on the way.

Heading east, I enjoyed my visit to Riding Mountain NP in Manitoba. The Boreal forest here is home to Great Grey Owl and a small population of Wood Bison.
 

Christian P.

Expedition Leader
Staff member
The fastest route would be to drive south to Seattle, head east on I90 and I-94 to Detroit, cross back into Canada, and drive across Ontario to Montreal. This route would take you close to Glacier NP, Yellowstone NP and Mt Rushmore/Black Hills area.

Staying in Canada, I would take Highway 1 east, then detour to Kelowna, then north through Revelstoke, Glacier and Jasper NPs to Banff. Lake Louise is full of tour buses, but if you hike for 30 minutes you'll be alone, and rewarded with the most beautiful alpine scenery in North America, in my opinion.

If you want to add 2000 miles to your trip, the road north from Calgary to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories is paved the whole way. You'll pass Wood Buffalo NP ang Great Slave Lake on the way.

Heading east, I enjoyed my visit to Riding Mountain NP in Manitoba. The Boreal forest here is home to Great Grey Owl and a small population of Wood Bison.

thanks Haven - I have done the route South through the uSA before, so this time I want to stay in Canada only.
 

Christian P.

Expedition Leader
Staff member
Paperwork is sorted, money has been exchanged, car is waiting for me in a hotel in Vancouver...can't wait to fly there tomorrow!
 

rwhitmo04

New member
Staying in Canada, I would take Highway 1 east, then detour to Kelowna, then north through Revelstoke, Glacier and Jasper NPs to Banff. Lake Louise is full of tour buses, but if you hike for 30 minutes you'll be alone, and rewarded with the most beautiful alpine scenery in North America, in my opinion.

Do you have any suggestions for things to do in any of these places along this route? I'll be making the trek from Banff to Whistler in three weeks, and I'm looking for ideas of places to see and things to do in between. I know Revelstoke is a ski town and that Kelowna is on Okanagan lake, but early July might be a little chilly for water in BC.

Also, I wouldn't mind hoping off the pavement for a little ways.

-Ryan
 

vicali

Adventurer
Nice trip Cristian, looks like a lot of fun!


How much time do you want to spend in BC Ryan?

Banff to Whistler says 10hrs and 790kms through the googlator.. but there are lots of alternate routes that would take you through the best part of our province.. it's a choose your own adventure kind of place.

I like this one except I would go south from Canmore on the Kananaskis highway/ gravel Forestry trunk to Coleman and then to Fernie.. twice the time and distance but I'm partial to the Koots.
 

rwhitmo04

New member
Nice trip Cristian, looks like a lot of fun!


How much time do you want to spend in BC Ryan?

Banff to Whistler says 10hrs and 790kms through the googlator.. but there are lots of alternate routes that would take you through the best part of our province.. it's a choose your own adventure kind of place.

I like this one except I would go south from Canmore on the Kananaskis highway/ gravel Forestry trunk to Coleman and then to Fernie.. twice the time and distance but I'm partial to the Koots.

Sorry for the thread hi-jack...

Thanks for the links and suggestions. We'll be in Banff for several days and Whistler for several days, but I didn't have a big itinerary in between the two places. I'm open for several days of travel between Banff and Whistler, and the Forestry trunk road looks like a nice way to get off the pavement. I'll research the route more and read the road description in-depth. That site looks like a great source of information.

If there's any mountain biking or sport climbing sites along the route, then I'd be up for stopping and checking them out. I'm not a trad guy, otherwise I'd get my fix in Squamish. I know there's a limitless number of things to do and see, so I'll have to do a little more digging. I've never been up to that part of the country before.
 

Christian P.

Expedition Leader
Staff member
no problem - keep those suggestions coming! I will be leaving from Whistler so I like the upper portion of that loop
 

Christian P.

Expedition Leader
Staff member
Well I made it. I am in Quebec now. It was awesome. Between driving and working, I did not get any time to write up a report...but here are some highlights:

Day 1 (Thursday )- Missed my flight because of work, had to re-book and finally got to my friend's place in Squamish at 2:00 am...

Day 2 (Friday) - Worked until late pm, then we went down to Vancouver for a night out. Details are not PG...

Day 3 (Saturday) Borrowed my friend KTM 990 Adventure to go for a ride. Squamish has changed a bit and it's becoming a really cool place.
His KTM is set up perfectly - it was a blast to ride.

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At lunch time we packed everything and headed out to Whistler for some downhill rides, then went camping. His setup - a Honda Element AWD manual and a Boler trailer - is really sweet.

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JasonJLamb

Observer
Anything special (mods) about his Element?

Your pictures on Instagram were pretty too. Can't wait to hear and see more about this trip!
 

Christian P.

Expedition Leader
Staff member
Anything special (mods) about his Element?

Your pictures on Instagram were pretty too. Can't wait to hear and see more about this trip!

thanks - the Element is stock. Black, AWD, manual and rear sunroof. Best combo in my opinion. I have a couple pictures to put up.
He does have the rear Element tent that goes over the hatch. He uses it to pull the Boler and still get 25 mpg. It really is a great combo. The Boler is lift up a bit from the frame so gravel roads is not an issue.
 

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