Mountain Bike: Bella Coola Wharf to the Big Cedar Tree Via Clayton FSR (with a boat shuttle return)

I tackled this adventure with a bunch of totally awesome Bella Coola ladies. Some who have a ton of Mountain Bike experience and some who have only a little.

There are a number of different options with regards to this trip. Myself being a sucker for challanges decided to be part of the group who biked from the Bella Coola Wharf up the Forest Service Road over Clayton Pass, and down the Big Cedar Tree Trail to Larso Bay and South Bentinck

Total trip 39.66km one way

Those of us riding from the wharf started early (6am) and tackled the FSR.

While another (probably more sane!) group left a little later and shuttled their bikes to the pass via vehicle (this removes about 20km of steep up hill forestry road riding!)

Our full group of ladies met at Clayton Pass just above MGurr Lake Trail Head and started the decent down to the BC Parks Campsite at Blue Jay Lake. The road riding is steep and gravely however very manageable. After passing the BC Parks Blue Jay Lake Campsite

you start down the approximately 6km trail portion of the route towards Larso Bay and the Big cedar tree. There is a steep switch back section (about 1 km long) which has tons of gnarly routes and is quite challenging – a number of us had to walk our bikes through

The trail section ends after about 6km and you once again find yourself on a forestry resource road. If you’ve come all the way from the wharf, you’ll enjoy the easy downhill riding on tired legs!!

1km from Larso bay there is a sign indicating a small trail down to the Big Cedar – its a massive short but stubby tree, well worth venturing down to look at.

The end of the road finds you at the logging camp, where we had boat connections and organized friends and family to pick us up. I happen to be related to the folks over at Tallheo Cannery – a good option if you are looking for a boat shuttle!! Tallheo Cannery