Yes, we'll have a car. We'll be staying in Squamish right next to Smoke Bluffs so early or late starts are both an option if the crowds are hectic. We were in Yosemite a couple of years ago at peak climbing time (late September/October) and it was pretty busy then so hoping nothing much worse than that. Perhaps I'm being naive though.
We'll be in Vancouver for a few days at the beginning of the trip and are definitely planning on getting to Vancouver Island. I also really want to see Orcas if anyone has done the whale watching thing?