Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 0 Likes
Twitter 0 Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
22K Followers
0 Likes
0 Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • Mountain Biking
  • The Great Outdoors

Hornby Escape Hatch: Life is Better with Options

  • December 8, 2015
  • Ben Osborne
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
0
0
0
Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Hornby1
Snow doesn’t often make an appearance on Hornby but when it does the island takes on an other-worldly appearance worth every moment of numb fingers and toes.

Living in a part of the world where a matter of metres can be the difference between winter and spring, the weather can play with your emotions and tease you into insanity. Here in the Coast Mountains we enjoy the diversity of being able to be knee-deep in snow one day and paddling around the ocean the next. But the flip side of that convenience is the cruel reality of rain where you want snow and snow where you don’t even really want rain.

by Steve Storey   ::   photography by Justa Jeskova

Hornby 6
These inquisitive guys are more bark than bite. Big, loud, and obnoxious on land, they transform into gentle giants with the agility of a fighter jet once in the water.

In a way, this creates a need to broaden our scope and talents and learn to play with what the weather is offering. A sub-par ski season in the mountains beckoned us to search beyond our wintery borders. A friend suggested checking out Hornby Island in the off-season. With promises of lush green forests with ribbons of moss-fringed single track and the opportunity to swim with sea lions, our winter escape plan set itself in motion.

 

Hornby7
Left: One of the unique geological features of Mount Geoffrey, the escarpment. It runs along the west side of the island with a trail flanking its entirety offering up views along the way and an opportunity to ride among the arbutus trees.

Located off the East Coast of Vancouver Island, Hornby Island is best known as a summer destination. In the warmer months its population swells four fold as people come for the beaches and myriad of ocean themed activities. But the winter months offer up grippy mountain bike trails scarcely touched by snow, empty beaches and waters teeming with sea lions. A chilled-out island experience was just another perk of trading a peak season winter weekend in Whistler for a shoulder season experience on Hornby.

 

Horby 5
Right: Mountain biker, free diver, sea lion whisperer, and the inspiration behind our winter escape, Galyn Franklin. He’s spent years on Hornby dialling in the trail network and more recently, free diving with the sea lions. He may be the first free-diver on Hornby to jump in the water with the playful giants. After seeing photos of his submarine exploits a few years ago I expressed interest in tagging along. He suggested bringing the bikes and checking out the local trails too. He thrives in the outdoors and embodies diversity when it comes to taking advantage of everything coastal BC has to offer.

Despite being only about 100 kilometres west of Squamish, getting to Hornby requires three ferry rides from the lower mainland. The island has seen most of its original old growth forest logged, but small sections have been preserved including an area in Helliwell Provincial Park.  Garry oak and Douglas fir dominate the protected area on the edge of the sea which is home to hundreds of sea lions in the winter. Scraggly Arbutus and dead trees provide roosts for the large eagle population next to the many cliffs formed by years of ocean erosion. To the west of Helliwell is Mount Geoffrey Regional Nature Park where the area’s mountain bike trails are situated.  At an elevation of 330 metres above sea level, it’s the highest point on the island offering views of surrounding gulf islands, Vancouver Island, and mainland BC.

 

Hornby3
The mountain bike trails of Hornby Island offer up their own unique flavour. Break bumps are non existent, there is almost always perfect traction, and its trails are some of the best all-mountain flow riding you’ll find anywhere in the world.

An oft used phrase, ‘if variety is the spice of life, diversity is the main course,’ rings especially true here. Within a few hours travel from our home in Whistler we have access to a spectacular range of eco-systems, weather, and playgrounds. Our extended backyard makes for a perfect winter escape (or at least a new winter wonderland.)

 

Check out our definitive guide to mountain biking B.C.’s South Coast:

Mountain Biking B.C.’s South Coast: Howe Sound

Mountain Biking Vancouver’s North Shore

Mountain Biking in Squamish

Mountain Biking the Sunshine Coast

Mountain Biking in Whistler

Mountain Biking the Chilcotins

Learn how to pack for a multi-day mountain bike trip here.

For more images like the ones you see here, be sure to follow us on Instagram.

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • Galyn Franklin
  • Hornby Island
  • Justa Jeskova
  • Mountain Biking
Ben Osborne

Previous Article
LowproBPAWSport200
  • THE GEAR SHED

Lowepro Photo Sport BP 200 AW II

  • December 7, 2015
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
Next Article
BT2feature
  • Skiing
  • The Great Outdoors

Torture to the Tusk: A Journey to the Sea-to-Sky’s Most Iconic Peak

  • December 9, 2015
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
You May Also Like
wff-2023-diving-in-a-drop-stills-0-2021474
View Post
  • Mountain Biking
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Stay & Play
  • Travel
  • Trips & Expeditions

Mountain Culture and Outdoor Adventure Spotlighted at Whistler Film Festival ’23

  • Mountain Life Media
  • November 24, 2023
Todd-Lawson-Inside-the-Belly-of-an-Elephant
View Post
  • The Great Outdoors

The Biggest Buzz in Books: Inside the Belly of an Elephant

  • Sarah Bulford
  • November 15, 2023
Bromont-Mountain-Biking
View Post
  • Mountain Biking

Bromont: Berms + Brews

  • Mountain Life Media
  • October 20, 2023
20230209 Z62 8605
View Post
  • Mountain Biking
  • Ontario
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Stay & Play

Are you Moving to Sault Ste Marie Yet? 

  • Sarah Bulford
  • October 16, 2023
Porc-Bracebridge_Peter-Mountain-Life_Paolo-Laberge
View Post
  • Mountain Biking
  • Mountain Lifer
  • On The Trail
  • Ontario
  • Photography

ML Blue Mountains Fall ’23 Issue Out Now

  • Ned Morgan
  • October 10, 2023
Traslin-Kuipers-Peak-Mountain-bike1
View Post
  • Mountain Biking

Backyard MTB Mission: Kuiper’s Peak

  • Ned Morgan
  • September 28, 2023
Leon_reza_plane_wreck-Hidden-Frontiers-Arabia
View Post
  • Mountain Biking
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Trips & Expeditions

Leopards + Lost Civilizations: New Series Explores the Hidden Arabian Peninsula

  • Ned Morgan
  • September 26, 2023
Route-Boosters-CORC-Collingwood-mountain-bike
View Post
  • Mountain Biking

Route Boosters

  • Mountain Life Media
  • September 25, 2023
Featured Posts
  • Pemberton-Shaped-by-Wild-film 1
    ‘Shaped By Wild’ Film General Release + Q&A
    • November 30, 2023
  • Pemberton-Mountain-Life-Mount-Currie 2
    Stories on the Mountain
    • November 28, 2023
  • Devils-Glen-climbing 3
    Gallery: ML Photographers’ Best of Ontario
    • November 27, 2023
  • MEC-Bromont-Jacket-down-recycled-Mountain-Life 4
    Manteau en duvet recyclé Bromont de MEC : au chaud pour braver les pistes les plus givrées
    • November 22, 2023
  • wff-2023-diving-in-a-drop-stills-0-2021474 5
    Mountain Culture and Outdoor Adventure Spotlighted at Whistler Film Festival ’23
    • November 24, 2023
RECENT POSTS
  • Hilaree-Nelson-nickkalisz_NIC4424
    W2W Hilaree Nelson Scholarship Helps Advance Women in Snowsports
    • November 23, 2023
  • Gift-Shed-Mountain-Life
    The ML Gift Shed ’23
    • November 21, 2023
  • Ancient-spearpoint-Indigenous-Ontario
    The Telltale Plink!
    • November 20, 2023
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 0 Likes
Twitter 0 Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
INSTAGRAM
avatar
mountainlifemedia
Mountain Life
5K Following
26K Followers
13 0
15 0
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

13 0
15 0
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.