It was a photo in Vanity Fair magazine of actor Ewan McGregor riding a yellow Ducati that inspired Trevor Marc Hughes of Vancouver, B.C., to buy a bike.
“It spoke of freedom, rebelliousness and a lack of anxiety,” explained Hughes.
Having no prior riding experience, Hughes first took the BC Safety Council motorcycle training course and when he was ready, bought his first bike. It was no Ducati though.
“My first bike was a Yamaha Seca 400-cc, candy apple red,” he said. “I remember going to the lot . . and it was the kind of lot that sold lawnmowers as well. I bought it for about $1,200.”
That was 13 years ago and now Hughes is more of an adventure rider, owning a dual-purpose Kawasaki KLR 650. He’s logged thousands of kilometres on the KLR, but up until August 2012, had never been farther on it from home than Williams Lake.
That summer, after deciding it was time to expand his horizons and finally explore the northern part of the province, Hughes set out on a two-week solo ride from Vancouver to the Stikine River, via Highway 37, also known as the Stewart-Cassiar Highway.
A new sense of appreciation
Along the way, Hughes learned a great deal about northern B.C. and the people living there.
“It didn’t start off as being a trip where I wanted to learn more about my province,” he said. “But now I have so much more of an appreciation of how vast the province is.”
A moment of realization came while Hughes was viewing the Bear Glacier—which is located off Highway 37A between Stewart and Meziadin Lake.
“The size and the rawness of the mountains around me—that’s what I remember,” said Hughes, "(as well as) the people I met when I was there, who I am still in touch with.”
The trip changed not only his perspective of B.C., but the nature of travelling by motorcycle as well.
“My intent on getting on the bike now is to go further afield and that is certainly where my instincts are taking me,” said Hughes.
Last season, Hughes put about 700 kilometres on his KLR. His trips included the Orca Run—which is a dual sport rally in the Cowichan Valley—and riding through Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. He also rode the notorious Hurley Wilderness Road between Gold Bridge and Pemberton, B.C.
The road is wide open
Hughes plans on venturing off the beaten path even more this summer, as well as riding some well-known motorcycle routes—such as Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana. He, of course, has a few rides set aside on his bucket list.
“One thing I’d love to do is tour Ireland by motorcycle . . .” he said. “I’ve been to the east side of Ireland but I’d love to see places like Galway and just see the cliffs on the western side.”
For Hughes, the KLR has opened the door to many new ventures. After working as a reporter, a TV broadcaster and, at one time, an actor, he now finds himself pursuing a career as a motorcycle travel writer.
His first book, Nearly 40 on the 37: Triumph and Trepidation on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, was published in October 2013. It is the complete story of the trip Hughes took to northern B.C. in the summer of 2012, and you can find the book at various bookstores throughout B.C. and online at Whitehorse Gear and Amazon.
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