Did you know Vancouver boasts its own stunning fjords? Indian Arm, a glacial fjord nestled between North Vancouver and Belcarra, offers an incredible wilderness escape right in our backyard. This breathtaking body of water stretches north for approximately 20 kilometers, leading towards the rugged beauty of Squamish and Whistler – a true mountain paradise.
The allure of Indian Arm, with its fjord and the untamed wilderness beyond, has always captivated me. Last winter, rumors of an old logging road connecting the top of Indian Arm to Squamish sparked my adventurous spirit. While training for a 100k run in February, the idea took root. With Kerry and Tara, I embarked on a memorable 65-70 kilometer snowy run along the Stawamus Fire Service Road. We started in Squamish, ventured towards the marshes at the head of Indian Arm, and then returned, completely immersed in the winter wonderland.
That journey was deeply fulfilling, yet the explorer within me yearned for more. A new idea began to form: canoeing the entire 20km length of Indian Arm, linking up with that Squamish road for a 35km bike ride, and then completing the return journey by canoe. Having previously canoed a portion of the Arm and run the road, this ambitious plan felt both challenging and achievable.
Months passed, and the logistics seemed daunting. Transporting a canoe without racks, securing bikes, and the sheer distance of paddling – these details lingered. However, a sudden urge for a weekend adventure reignited the dream. Even a touch of Achilles tendonitis wouldn’t deter me; I simply shifted from running to mountain biking.
Julien was instantly on board. As relatively new mountain bikers and somewhat sidelined runners, we envisioned canoeing up Indian Arm with our bikes, stashing the canoe, and then cycling to Squamish. We even planned a celebratory campout with friends in Squamish, anticipating a noon arrival after a 7 am start. Minor details like canoe transport, bike storage, paddle distance, and my nascent mountain biking skills were brushed aside with optimistic enthusiasm. We even mapped our bike route to the campsite using RunGo App, ensuring voice navigation through every turn.
Saturday morning arrived, and our preparations were… creative.
True to form, our 7 am start morphed into a 10:05 am launch. We finally pushed off in our canoes, and surprisingly, paddling with bikes onboard was smooth. Favorable tides and a leisurely pace carried us up the fjord in about four hours. (Julien, ever the planner, had consulted tide charts).
After stashing the canoe at the fjord’s end, we eagerly hopped onto our mountain bikes. A quick 3-hour bike ride to Squamish was our optimistic estimate. My memory of the run on this road was devoid of significant hills. It was just a road, after all. We’d fly!
But memories can be deceiving. The terrain on a bike proved to be a different beast altogether.
The rocky Stawamus Fire Service Road transformed the experience. What seemed like gentle slopes on foot became challenging climbs on two wheels. The rocky path served as an intense mountain biking crash course. And the elevation! How had I forgotten the relentless uphill sections?
Our anticipated 3-hour bike ride stretched into a 9-hour epic. We rolled into camp at 7 pm, humbled by the climbs and rocky trails. The highlights? Actually learning to mountain bike, an unexpected electric fence encounter, and witnessing Julien’s numerous bike dismounts.
The return journey was even more… adventurous.
A 10 am start became our new normal, Zephyr Café’s delicious offerings partly to blame. The return bike trip, we reasoned, would be faster – downhill, and we were now seasoned mountain bikers (sort of). Endurance junkies that we are, we somehow managed to climb 7 vertical kilometers on our bikes, mistakenly ascending roads far beyond the intended route. We even scaled higher than the peak of the Chief on a detour up the Sea to Sky Gondola road before realizing our navigational blunder. More calories burned, right?
Despite the bonus elevation, we made good time on the bike return. As if rewarding our efforts, we encountered Roxy, a kind soul on a yacht anchored in Indian Arm. She welcomed us aboard her boat, cheese and fig platter and white wine in hand, providing a luxurious respite before our canoe paddle back.
The canoe journey back to Deep Cove was magical. We glided through still waters under a sunset sky, transitioning into dusk and then starlight, the emerging stars guiding our way.
This canoe and bike adventure on Indian Arm was an unforgettable experience. I wholeheartedly recommend this multi-modal trip to anyone seeking a unique and rewarding outdoor challenge in the Vancouver area. It’s a fantastic way to explore the stunning fjord and surrounding wilderness, offering a great workout for both your arms paddling and legs pedaling!
