CATCHING UP WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
One of the great bonuses of this trip has been the opportunity to catch up with people we haven’t seen for a while.
The Walls were friends of our family when we were children. Two of the sisters now live on this side of the world. Colleen and her family live in Spokane Washington and they recently visited her sister Bridget and family who live in Duncan BC.
Bridget and Don have certainly had an interesting life. Don is Canadian born and visited Rhodesia in the early 1970’s. Bridget was teaching at a mission school at the time and happened to pick up a hitchhiker one day. The rest is history, as they say. Their son was a newborn when they began a 10year sojourn, traveling to many parts of the world in their sail boat. Paul learned to walk on deck. They now live on a float home in a small float home community.
We spent a lovely day with the two families, taking in a couple of events, canoeing and archery, at the North American Indigenous Games, which were being held in the Cowichan Bay area early in August.
These games draw competitors from various 1st nation groups coming from as far away as Washington state and Alaska. Some of them traveled here in traditional war canoes and these trips took anything from a couple of days to 2 weeks. The canoes all landed on a beach near our RV resort, which is on native land, on the 1st Saturday in August. It was interesting to watch them coming in. They spent a couple of nights camped here where the local band had organized festivities to celebrate.
Colleen also gave a guy a ride many years ago while traveling in BC …. Those sisters must have had a special knack!!!
Much more recently, this past May, she and Fred and their son Bryan spent 6 weeks in Zimbabwe so we were lucky enough to see their power point presentation of photos which included a couple of shots of our old family home, looking very changed and overgrown.
I have mentioned our friends the Bells, neighbours from our Mississauga days. We had another enjoyable visit with them, this time while their son Dave and his new wife were visiting them from Penticton. Al and Emi were there too and there was much laughter and reminiscing; memories such as the time the still small children, got together and made a movie; and how on Canada Day they’d spend hours making a Burning Schoolhouse, which became the grand Finale at our fireworks evening. Each year as the children grew older this part of the evening became more and more dramatic and hazardous.
On the 11th August we took the ferry to Vancouver for a couple of nights.
Here we visited the Howes, old friends from our Pretoria days. They immigrated to Canada about a year after we did with 2 small children and one on the way. They spent their first month with us while they found a place to live and during that time we somehow all got sick. Those were the days!!!
They picked us up from the ferry terminal and we spent a great day with them, visiting Granville Island where there is a famous market and where artisans and artists work and sell the wares; picnic lunching in Stanley park and taking a beautiful drive along the north shore towards Whistler, driving as far as the area where there had recently been a huge rockslide. In the evening we had a pizza dinner and beer with the now all grown up family.
Other highlights of our time with the Howes were visits to 2 National Historic Sites, Fort Langley and the Gulf of Georgia Cannery.
For thousands of years Aboriginal groups traded furs among themselves. As early as the mid 1500’s Europeans became involved in the fur trade. In 1827 Fort Langley was established by the Hudson Bay Company, strategically located on the Fraser River where there was a large Aboriginal population.
“Fort Langley prospered as a trade post partly due to marriages between Company men and Aboriginal women. These helped newcomers break into established Aboriginal trade networks. Abundant salmon, fertile soil and Aboriginal labour allowed the Company to diversify into farming and salting fish for export to new markets.”
These were the early days of capitalist imperialism in North America.
Further down the Fraser River at Steveston is one of BC’s few historically intact canneries, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery. At the turn of the 20th Century there were about a dozen canneries in the area processing the salmon that returned to spawn up the river. We were given an informative tour through the cannery following its workings and history. The original machinery is still there and has some working parts, which made it an interesting demonstration. One could imagine what it must have been like working in that noisy smelly place where the floor was frequently slippery with fish guts.
Our 2 nights in Vancouver were very comfortably spent with my cousin Chris and his wife Val, in their beautiful home. It made quite a change from maneuvering in the limited space of the trailer, which we certainly appreciated. Lots of quality conversation, walks around their neighbourhood and delicious meals made our time with them very special.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
THE ELK RIVER VALLEY
First day, we hiked up this valley to our campsite which, in this photo, is way down the valley in front of us. This photo is taken on the second day on our way up towards the pass.
CAMPSITE IN STRATHCONA PROV PARK
We spent two nights at this site close to a beautiful mountain stream
Strathcona Old Growth
Thank you for this magnificent place. Thank you for being able to be here with Al and Emi. Thank you for being healthy and fit enough to carry the pack up this trail
THE MOUNTAINS ARE FOR MORE THAN HIKING
THE MOUNTAINS ARE FOR MORE THAN HIKING
Living as we do in the flat lands of South Western Ontario, it was interesting to me to come across people who use the mountains as training grounds for what I would call “over the top extreme fitness”.
Our first encounter occurred at Mount Robson when a group of 3 women came running by us as I puffed and panted. Lightly clad, trim of body and nimble of foot with one of them was using walking sticks, these 3 ran past, almost before we’d realized that they were coming up behind us. The one in front seemed to be the coach, and as we stepped aside and they passed us, she made reference to a training video they’d obviously watched while she demonstrated allowing the hips to loosely drop as she gracefully made her way over rocks and roots. Eric, being an enthusiastic trail runner, was of course full of admiration. Later, when after a 7 hour slog we’d reached Berg Lake and were having lunch, we heard the trio behind us on their downward trip, happily chatting. I was sitting with a view of the lake and not about to move my weary bones, but Eric jumped up to intercept them and came back to report. They were training for a relay event, a so-called extreme race, called the North Face Canadian Death Race, in Grande Cache, Alberta. “It’s a killer” says their website, complete with skull, is 125 km long and passes over 3 mountain summits. It took place on the August long weekend so I hope they survived.
Later, when we climbed up Mt Findlayson not far from Victoria, a group of young women overtook us running up a steep section. They apparently were training for rowing.
And then when we were hiking up towards the Elk Pass in Strathcona, we encountered a woman who caught up to us after we’d been hiking for several hours and had just completed a particularly rugged section of scrambling. She had come up that morning from the trailhead where we’d started the day before. Her plan was to have her lunch and then run all the way down.
It’s quite amazing what some people can do!!
Living as we do in the flat lands of South Western Ontario, it was interesting to me to come across people who use the mountains as training grounds for what I would call “over the top extreme fitness”.
Our first encounter occurred at Mount Robson when a group of 3 women came running by us as I puffed and panted. Lightly clad, trim of body and nimble of foot with one of them was using walking sticks, these 3 ran past, almost before we’d realized that they were coming up behind us. The one in front seemed to be the coach, and as we stepped aside and they passed us, she made reference to a training video they’d obviously watched while she demonstrated allowing the hips to loosely drop as she gracefully made her way over rocks and roots. Eric, being an enthusiastic trail runner, was of course full of admiration. Later, when after a 7 hour slog we’d reached Berg Lake and were having lunch, we heard the trio behind us on their downward trip, happily chatting. I was sitting with a view of the lake and not about to move my weary bones, but Eric jumped up to intercept them and came back to report. They were training for a relay event, a so-called extreme race, called the North Face Canadian Death Race, in Grande Cache, Alberta. “It’s a killer” says their website, complete with skull, is 125 km long and passes over 3 mountain summits. It took place on the August long weekend so I hope they survived.
Later, when we climbed up Mt Findlayson not far from Victoria, a group of young women overtook us running up a steep section. They apparently were training for rowing.
And then when we were hiking up towards the Elk Pass in Strathcona, we encountered a woman who caught up to us after we’d been hiking for several hours and had just completed a particularly rugged section of scrambling. She had come up that morning from the trailhead where we’d started the day before. Her plan was to have her lunch and then run all the way down.
It’s quite amazing what some people can do!!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
HIKING IN STRATHCONA PARK
1st – 4th August HIKING IN STRATHCONA PARK
The August long weekend had been designated for a backpacking trip with Al and Emi and our destination was Strathcona Park. Eric and I were very excited and poised for an adventure. The week before had been cool and somewhat wet so we prepared for chilly and rainy, while keeping in mind that we needed to be as lightweight as possible. This entailed downsizing in the tent department so after a lot of helpful discussion with Al and checking out all the options, we chose a 4lb, 2 person, 3 season MSR Hubba Hubba (MSR name not ours, the 3 person tent is called a Mutha Hubba!!). It’s a 2 door (we each have our own personal entrance), 2 vestibules (1 for each backpack and boots) design, and we can JUST fit our 2 thermarests onto the available floor space. But it is VERY LIGHT.
We picked up Alan and Emi after work on Friday and complete with food, topo maps, guide books and rain protection, we headed out of Victoria, north towards Campbell River. From Campbell River we travelled west along the Strathcona Highway and into Strathcona Park. It was about 11pm by the time we began looking for a campsite. First we tried at the Buttle Lake campground but it was full, it was after all a long weekend. Fortunately Al is very familiar with these parts having worked at the Strathcona Park Lodge, and knew of a couple of unofficial campsites tucked away in the woods. After a couple of tries we found one away from the road and close to a river. By the lights of the van we pitched camp and headed to bed, falling asleep to the sound of flowing water. I discovered that Al and Neil had camped in the same spot 2 years ago and the next morning Al pointed out to us where they had spent several days rock climbing.
The trail we were taking is the Elk River Trail, which lies in Central Strathcona Park. This is also the region where the highest mountain peaks are on Vancouver Island, the highest of which is the Golden Hinde (7219ft). “Central Strathcona is marked by several huge watersheds blanketed in some of the largest tracts of old growth forest on Vancouver Island”.
The trailhead is about 60km from Campbell River, and the trail follows the Elk River south. Saturday was spent hiking the 10 km to a campsite about 2 km north of Landslide Lake. It took me a while to adjust to carrying a loaded backpack, especially as at first the trail zigzagged up and up and then did the same thing down and down. Overall of course we followed the river up its course, over rocks and roots and through the beautiful old growth forest, periodically being reminded of Christmas by the fragrant whiffs of cedar. We stopped for lunch in a sunny spot where the path crossed the river, which was fairly small by this time. We sat on some flat rocks with the river cascading over a small fall above us and dropping down below us. There’s nothing quite like the taste of lunch or fresh-from-a-fall mountain water, after several hours of hiking!
We reached the designated camping area at about 4.30. There were several other camps already established, but we found a perfect site on a gravelly open and therefore warmer section, close to a tributary of the Elk River. We were pretty weary by this time and had just enough energy to pitch tents, make tea and have a rest while admiring the view of huge cloud covered mountains rising up around us.
Supper, made on a one-burner stove, was dished up into and eaten out of a plastic jug. Washing up consisted of adding a small amount of water to the jug, swilling it around until a personally satisfying degree of cleanliness had been reached, and drinking the resulting soup. I really appreciate this level of “leave no trace” camping, leaving this beautiful wilderness that we’re so lucky to still have access to, without any evidence of human presence. In this way the animals whose home this is, bears and cougars in particular, do not become habituated to people and come looking for food.
After we’d eaten we explored the area around us, and watched as the clouds moved slowly across, exposing a sharply pointed peak adjacent to Elkhorn Mountain. The dying sun sent a sliver of golden light onto the side of the mountain. Before bed the bag of food was pulled up into a bear cache out of reach of the aforesaid bears.
The following morning we watched as the early rays gradually announced the coming of the sun until it was high enough to pop over the top of the mountain. At last we could feel its warmth.
After a breakfast of muesli and tea we set off from our camp, carrying day packs, for a day of exploring, hiking further into the upper Elk valley in the direction of Elk Pass. Quite soon the path became much narrower, rougher, and at times difficult to follow, disappearing and then reappearing. We trekked through areas of old growth, enormous trees that are 600 to 700 years old!! As we got higher up it became very rocky and there were sections where we had to scramble. I was so relieved not to be carrying a heavy backpack. It was enough for me to concentrate on staying upright and watching where I put my feet. As we walked we noticed what seemed to us like perfect dens for bears or cougars. I wasn’t sure whether to talk loudly so as not to surprise a bear, or whisper so as not to awaken a cougar. In the end I decided not to think about stuff like that, and enjoy the lush vegetation instead. What an amazing experience. I loved every minute!
Higher and higher we went and now we had to contend with angled sections of crusty snow. The others moved across these like mountain goats but I was not as sturdy on my pins, so dear Al gave me a steadying hand so that I wouldn’t tumble to the bottom of a slope. I’m glad to say that on the way back I did begin to get the hang of it.
We did not actually reach the top of the pass but stopped for lunch and a rest in a large rocky area and among sub alpine mosses and heather close to the chilly waters of the now small but fast moving Elk River. Words can’t really describe the extraordinary experience here. Unlike being on the top of a mountain looking outwards and down, it felt as though we were in an enormous bowl looking up at high peaks all around us, with ridges coming in steeply on different intercepting planes, then dropping down into the valley. At first when I looked up it was like watching an Imax movie and I felt dizzy and disoriented. Gradually I would find my balance and could take in the enormity of the great imposing mountains. The various greens and greys were brilliant and the sky was a crystal clear blue. The sun was hot with a dry heat.
We were looking up at Rambler Peak, Slocomb Peak and Mt. Colwell with Elkhorn behind. These summits are evidently fantastic for alpine climbing and attract mountaineers from all over the world. Totally out of my league!!!
After a good break we returned down the same way.
Once we got within a couple of km of our campsite we took a short hike up to Landslide Lake. This is a beautiful circular mountain lake that looks as though it belongs in a Harry Potter book, and from its edge we looked up at Mt. Colonel Foster. In 1946 an earthquake triggered a huge landslide off the north side of this mountain. “The resulting wave as the debris swept down into the lake flushed old growth trees and scoured soil down to bedrock for several kilometres down the valley.”
Sitting on a rock in the evening light looking across the lake at the enormous scar on the face of the mountain and the scoured out path into the lake, I found it hard to imagine what it could have been like. The sound of falling rock alone must have been unbelievable.
On Monday morning we packed up camp, loaded the packs onto our backs, a little bit lighter now since we’d eaten most of the food, and hiked out, reaching the trailhead hot and sweaty and ripe. We stopped off at Buttle Lake for a swim and lunch before heading back the 41/2 hours to Victoria.
What a memorable trip made extra special by the spending of 3 whole days with Alan and Emi.
The August long weekend had been designated for a backpacking trip with Al and Emi and our destination was Strathcona Park. Eric and I were very excited and poised for an adventure. The week before had been cool and somewhat wet so we prepared for chilly and rainy, while keeping in mind that we needed to be as lightweight as possible. This entailed downsizing in the tent department so after a lot of helpful discussion with Al and checking out all the options, we chose a 4lb, 2 person, 3 season MSR Hubba Hubba (MSR name not ours, the 3 person tent is called a Mutha Hubba!!). It’s a 2 door (we each have our own personal entrance), 2 vestibules (1 for each backpack and boots) design, and we can JUST fit our 2 thermarests onto the available floor space. But it is VERY LIGHT.
We picked up Alan and Emi after work on Friday and complete with food, topo maps, guide books and rain protection, we headed out of Victoria, north towards Campbell River. From Campbell River we travelled west along the Strathcona Highway and into Strathcona Park. It was about 11pm by the time we began looking for a campsite. First we tried at the Buttle Lake campground but it was full, it was after all a long weekend. Fortunately Al is very familiar with these parts having worked at the Strathcona Park Lodge, and knew of a couple of unofficial campsites tucked away in the woods. After a couple of tries we found one away from the road and close to a river. By the lights of the van we pitched camp and headed to bed, falling asleep to the sound of flowing water. I discovered that Al and Neil had camped in the same spot 2 years ago and the next morning Al pointed out to us where they had spent several days rock climbing.
The trail we were taking is the Elk River Trail, which lies in Central Strathcona Park. This is also the region where the highest mountain peaks are on Vancouver Island, the highest of which is the Golden Hinde (7219ft). “Central Strathcona is marked by several huge watersheds blanketed in some of the largest tracts of old growth forest on Vancouver Island”.
The trailhead is about 60km from Campbell River, and the trail follows the Elk River south. Saturday was spent hiking the 10 km to a campsite about 2 km north of Landslide Lake. It took me a while to adjust to carrying a loaded backpack, especially as at first the trail zigzagged up and up and then did the same thing down and down. Overall of course we followed the river up its course, over rocks and roots and through the beautiful old growth forest, periodically being reminded of Christmas by the fragrant whiffs of cedar. We stopped for lunch in a sunny spot where the path crossed the river, which was fairly small by this time. We sat on some flat rocks with the river cascading over a small fall above us and dropping down below us. There’s nothing quite like the taste of lunch or fresh-from-a-fall mountain water, after several hours of hiking!
We reached the designated camping area at about 4.30. There were several other camps already established, but we found a perfect site on a gravelly open and therefore warmer section, close to a tributary of the Elk River. We were pretty weary by this time and had just enough energy to pitch tents, make tea and have a rest while admiring the view of huge cloud covered mountains rising up around us.
Supper, made on a one-burner stove, was dished up into and eaten out of a plastic jug. Washing up consisted of adding a small amount of water to the jug, swilling it around until a personally satisfying degree of cleanliness had been reached, and drinking the resulting soup. I really appreciate this level of “leave no trace” camping, leaving this beautiful wilderness that we’re so lucky to still have access to, without any evidence of human presence. In this way the animals whose home this is, bears and cougars in particular, do not become habituated to people and come looking for food.
After we’d eaten we explored the area around us, and watched as the clouds moved slowly across, exposing a sharply pointed peak adjacent to Elkhorn Mountain. The dying sun sent a sliver of golden light onto the side of the mountain. Before bed the bag of food was pulled up into a bear cache out of reach of the aforesaid bears.
The following morning we watched as the early rays gradually announced the coming of the sun until it was high enough to pop over the top of the mountain. At last we could feel its warmth.
After a breakfast of muesli and tea we set off from our camp, carrying day packs, for a day of exploring, hiking further into the upper Elk valley in the direction of Elk Pass. Quite soon the path became much narrower, rougher, and at times difficult to follow, disappearing and then reappearing. We trekked through areas of old growth, enormous trees that are 600 to 700 years old!! As we got higher up it became very rocky and there were sections where we had to scramble. I was so relieved not to be carrying a heavy backpack. It was enough for me to concentrate on staying upright and watching where I put my feet. As we walked we noticed what seemed to us like perfect dens for bears or cougars. I wasn’t sure whether to talk loudly so as not to surprise a bear, or whisper so as not to awaken a cougar. In the end I decided not to think about stuff like that, and enjoy the lush vegetation instead. What an amazing experience. I loved every minute!
Higher and higher we went and now we had to contend with angled sections of crusty snow. The others moved across these like mountain goats but I was not as sturdy on my pins, so dear Al gave me a steadying hand so that I wouldn’t tumble to the bottom of a slope. I’m glad to say that on the way back I did begin to get the hang of it.
We did not actually reach the top of the pass but stopped for lunch and a rest in a large rocky area and among sub alpine mosses and heather close to the chilly waters of the now small but fast moving Elk River. Words can’t really describe the extraordinary experience here. Unlike being on the top of a mountain looking outwards and down, it felt as though we were in an enormous bowl looking up at high peaks all around us, with ridges coming in steeply on different intercepting planes, then dropping down into the valley. At first when I looked up it was like watching an Imax movie and I felt dizzy and disoriented. Gradually I would find my balance and could take in the enormity of the great imposing mountains. The various greens and greys were brilliant and the sky was a crystal clear blue. The sun was hot with a dry heat.
We were looking up at Rambler Peak, Slocomb Peak and Mt. Colwell with Elkhorn behind. These summits are evidently fantastic for alpine climbing and attract mountaineers from all over the world. Totally out of my league!!!
After a good break we returned down the same way.
Once we got within a couple of km of our campsite we took a short hike up to Landslide Lake. This is a beautiful circular mountain lake that looks as though it belongs in a Harry Potter book, and from its edge we looked up at Mt. Colonel Foster. In 1946 an earthquake triggered a huge landslide off the north side of this mountain. “The resulting wave as the debris swept down into the lake flushed old growth trees and scoured soil down to bedrock for several kilometres down the valley.”
Sitting on a rock in the evening light looking across the lake at the enormous scar on the face of the mountain and the scoured out path into the lake, I found it hard to imagine what it could have been like. The sound of falling rock alone must have been unbelievable.
On Monday morning we packed up camp, loaded the packs onto our backs, a little bit lighter now since we’d eaten most of the food, and hiked out, reaching the trailhead hot and sweaty and ripe. We stopped off at Buttle Lake for a swim and lunch before heading back the 41/2 hours to Victoria.
What a memorable trip made extra special by the spending of 3 whole days with Alan and Emi.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
EAST SOOKE REGIONAL PARK
The Coastal Trail in East Sooke Regional Park at the southern tip of Vancouver Island looking across the Juan De Fuca Strait to the Olympic Mountains in the USA.
BUTCHART'S GARDENS
Mary in Butchart's Gardens. Mary is the luxurious purple flower to the right of the picture.
BEACH NEAR OUR CAMPSITE
The beach adjacent to our RV Park on the east side of the Saanich Peninsula north of Victoria.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
HIKING ON THE ISLAND
HIKING ON THE ISLAND
There are endless choices of places to hike on Vancouver Island and we have walked a couple of memorable ones.
One Thursday after my yoga class, Eric and I climbed Mount Finlayson in the Goldstream Provincial Park, which is about 16 km from Victoria. There are many interconnecting forest trails in this park and the one we took climbed steeply out of the rain forest up on to dry rocky ridges of arbutus trees and pine.
The arbutus tree is a very distinctive and unusual looking tree which reminds me somehow of being in Zimbabwe. It is the only broadleaf evergreen tree in Canada and does seem out of place among the conifers and hardwoods of BC. It usually has a “crooked or leaning trunk that divides into several twisting branches.” Its bark, a beautiful reddish brown, is in sharp contrast to its glossy dark green leaves and against the often deep blue sky. It peels in thin flakes or strips exposing a smooth “greenish to cinnamon red” bark underneath. The trees grow on well-drained soils high up in rocky places, or on bluffs close to the seashore. Sometimes you might see one with a branch that is dead and looks like a piece of white curling drift wood, attached to the rest of the tree that is still happily alive, in its reds and greens.
The trail up Mount Finlayson was steep and rugged, a challenge for me. There was much puffing and panting coming from this engine! Thank goodness for my trusty boots. As we got closer to the top it was a case of scrambling up on all fours much of the time. The descent was a whole lot easier on the heart and lungs though not on the knees. It took us couple of hours up and an hour and a half down. In our trail book there is an ominous warning in bold letters which says “Take this mountain seriously: people have lost their lives on Mount Finlayson”. Thankfully we made it with no mishaps and still had the energy to walk a short way along a small river called the Niagara River to a very pretty though mini Niagara Falls, which had an alluring pool at the bottom.
A point of interest in the park is that late in the fall all along this stretch of the Goldstream River the coho and chinook salmon come back upstream to spawn. I hadn’t realized that this is such an exhausting process for both the male and female salmon that once it’s over they die.
About a week later we took off to the other side of the Island to do a coastal trail in the East Sooke Regional Park. We had spent several days in a cottage in the Sooke area 2 years ago with our dear friends June and Rod and their 2, Jamie and Anna. But this section was new to us. East Sooke is it’s own knob of land jutting out into the Juan de Fuca Strait and we followed the coast line from Creyke Pt. to Cabin Pt. and back again, a walk that took us all day.
The scenery was magnificent and all the way along we could see across the strait to the Olympic Mountains in Washington. In the morning when we started out there was a deep mist resting over the water and above that the mountains rose up a pale steel blue with white spotty patches of snow, illuminated by the morning sun. As the day advanced and the sun moved, the blue of the mountains changed and became clearer and crisper. By the afternoon the mist had disappeared and there were whitecaps as the tide came in.
The walk itself was somewhat reminiscent of the Nootka Trail though nowhere was there passable beach to walk along. The path ran above the water level, sometimes climbing up through patches of wildflowers and arbutus to the tops of cliffs, and at other times dropping down over roots through red cedar to lower rocky outcrops. All along the way there were views down into deep coves below that were being battered by waves, and across the strait to the mountains. There was a feeling of wildness and remoteness that I loved, enhanced by the constant cry of the seagulls.
I was thrilled at one point to spot a group of seals sunning themselves far below on some rocks. There was a small island a short distance away and they had found a warm spot protected from the wind between our coast and this island. I was glad to have my binoculars with me and we were able to get a good look at them and vice versa. They seemed totally relaxed stretched out on the rocks but were visibly keeping one eye open to see what we were up to too. We watched them for a while on the way out and on our return trip we noted that they hadn’t moved and were still lounging about.
A glorious day and weary limbs, what could be better than that!
There are endless choices of places to hike on Vancouver Island and we have walked a couple of memorable ones.
One Thursday after my yoga class, Eric and I climbed Mount Finlayson in the Goldstream Provincial Park, which is about 16 km from Victoria. There are many interconnecting forest trails in this park and the one we took climbed steeply out of the rain forest up on to dry rocky ridges of arbutus trees and pine.
The arbutus tree is a very distinctive and unusual looking tree which reminds me somehow of being in Zimbabwe. It is the only broadleaf evergreen tree in Canada and does seem out of place among the conifers and hardwoods of BC. It usually has a “crooked or leaning trunk that divides into several twisting branches.” Its bark, a beautiful reddish brown, is in sharp contrast to its glossy dark green leaves and against the often deep blue sky. It peels in thin flakes or strips exposing a smooth “greenish to cinnamon red” bark underneath. The trees grow on well-drained soils high up in rocky places, or on bluffs close to the seashore. Sometimes you might see one with a branch that is dead and looks like a piece of white curling drift wood, attached to the rest of the tree that is still happily alive, in its reds and greens.
The trail up Mount Finlayson was steep and rugged, a challenge for me. There was much puffing and panting coming from this engine! Thank goodness for my trusty boots. As we got closer to the top it was a case of scrambling up on all fours much of the time. The descent was a whole lot easier on the heart and lungs though not on the knees. It took us couple of hours up and an hour and a half down. In our trail book there is an ominous warning in bold letters which says “Take this mountain seriously: people have lost their lives on Mount Finlayson”. Thankfully we made it with no mishaps and still had the energy to walk a short way along a small river called the Niagara River to a very pretty though mini Niagara Falls, which had an alluring pool at the bottom.
A point of interest in the park is that late in the fall all along this stretch of the Goldstream River the coho and chinook salmon come back upstream to spawn. I hadn’t realized that this is such an exhausting process for both the male and female salmon that once it’s over they die.
About a week later we took off to the other side of the Island to do a coastal trail in the East Sooke Regional Park. We had spent several days in a cottage in the Sooke area 2 years ago with our dear friends June and Rod and their 2, Jamie and Anna. But this section was new to us. East Sooke is it’s own knob of land jutting out into the Juan de Fuca Strait and we followed the coast line from Creyke Pt. to Cabin Pt. and back again, a walk that took us all day.
The scenery was magnificent and all the way along we could see across the strait to the Olympic Mountains in Washington. In the morning when we started out there was a deep mist resting over the water and above that the mountains rose up a pale steel blue with white spotty patches of snow, illuminated by the morning sun. As the day advanced and the sun moved, the blue of the mountains changed and became clearer and crisper. By the afternoon the mist had disappeared and there were whitecaps as the tide came in.
The walk itself was somewhat reminiscent of the Nootka Trail though nowhere was there passable beach to walk along. The path ran above the water level, sometimes climbing up through patches of wildflowers and arbutus to the tops of cliffs, and at other times dropping down over roots through red cedar to lower rocky outcrops. All along the way there were views down into deep coves below that were being battered by waves, and across the strait to the mountains. There was a feeling of wildness and remoteness that I loved, enhanced by the constant cry of the seagulls.
I was thrilled at one point to spot a group of seals sunning themselves far below on some rocks. There was a small island a short distance away and they had found a warm spot protected from the wind between our coast and this island. I was glad to have my binoculars with me and we were able to get a good look at them and vice versa. They seemed totally relaxed stretched out on the rocks but were visibly keeping one eye open to see what we were up to too. We watched them for a while on the way out and on our return trip we noted that they hadn’t moved and were still lounging about.
A glorious day and weary limbs, what could be better than that!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
VICTORIA & ENVIRONS
17th July – 31st July 2008 VICTORIA & ENVIRONS
It was so good to be back on the Island and the first 2 weeks sped by at a frightening speed, every day a full day.
Here are the highlights.
Being able to spend lots of time with Alan and Emi has of course been highlight NUMERO UNO. It’s been so wonderful to see them in the context of their busy lives and to know that we have 6 weeks here.
On our first evening Al came out to see us and we went to a flea market and to have dinner in Sidney, which is very close to where we’re staying. Every Thursday evening during the summer, the main street of this busy little coastal town is closed off and venders come to sell their wares, such things as fresh veggies, clothing and jewelry, and musicians come to entertain. At one booth a woman was selling her freshly baked bread and she recognized Eric’s accent. It turned out that they had both been born in Pietermaritzburg!
We’ve had a yummy meal at Al and Emi’s place on Yates St in Victoria, and they’ve eaten with us at Site #102 Oceanside RV Resort on the Saanich peninsula, delicious food and lots of time for fun and conversation.
Al introduced us to the Gowlland-Tod Provincial Park, our first walk on the Island, which took us through the enormous rain forest trees, and down to the rocky water’s edge of the Saanich inlet, home to numerous starfish. He also introduced us to The Red Barn, a great place to buy fresh fruit and veges and Udder Guys icecream.
And one evening Eric and Al managed to fit in 9 holes of golf after work.
One Sunday, Eric and I visited the famous Butchart Gardens which cover 55 acres. The idea for these gardens came from a Jeannie Butchart a hundred years ago. She wanted to beautify a worked out limestone quarry that had supplied her husband’s nearby Portland cement plant. The couple evidently traveled extensively and brought back plants from other countries, some quite rare ones. First a huge sunken garden complete with waterfall was created and later a Japanese garden, rose garden and Italian garden were added. “In 2004 The Butchart Gardens, in bloom for 100 years, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada”.
They are obviously accustomed to dealing with large numbers of people, cars and tourist busses. A Sunday afternoon in July is a very busy time. The gardens that day were vibrant with great swatches of brilliant colour, opulent in places, I’d say. There was much stepping aside to get out of the way of people taking photos under archways dripping with roses, or against a backdrop of giant begonias or fushsias.
One day we spent a couple of very happy hours at the Royal BC Museum where there was a most interesting feature Exhibit called Free Spirit, Stories of You, Me and BC. All kinds of people had contributed to this exhibit with stories going back 150 years, the age of BC. These were the stories, letters and artifacts of ordinary people. I was particularly interested in the stories of hardship and adventure during the gold rush since we’d recently driven the Gold Rush Trail; and another display of letters from children written to their families while they were at boarding school.
We also viewed an exhibit called War Brides, One Way Passage, which was a celebration of these women by Bev Tosh, a Calgary artist, whose mother had been a war bride. She used paintings, photography and many old letters to depict and record their varying stories in order to create her powerful exhibit.
On another day we went to the Art Gallery where there was an Andy Warhol exhibition, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The gallery is in a large century old house, which has been added on to, a really lovely location I felt.
When we got to Victoria, I signed up to do 5 weeks of yoga at the Ayengar studio here. What a bonus to be able to slot into a yoga class so easily. I go on Thursday mornings and so far have been to 2 classes with 2 different teachers. Interesting to notice the different teaching styles.
It has been special too to connect with our ex-neighbours from Mississauga. The Bell family lived across the road from us and have 3 children of comparable ages to our guys. They recently left Ontario and have almost completed the building of a gorgeous house overlooking the Saanich Inlet. We had dinner with them one evening and were given the full guided tour of their new home after 36 years on Albertson Crescent and enjoyed catching up on all the news of their now grown up family. Since then we have joined them on a short hike in Gowlland-Tod Park and had a
fresh-from-the-fish-market salmon dinner with them here.
It was so good to be back on the Island and the first 2 weeks sped by at a frightening speed, every day a full day.
Here are the highlights.
Being able to spend lots of time with Alan and Emi has of course been highlight NUMERO UNO. It’s been so wonderful to see them in the context of their busy lives and to know that we have 6 weeks here.
On our first evening Al came out to see us and we went to a flea market and to have dinner in Sidney, which is very close to where we’re staying. Every Thursday evening during the summer, the main street of this busy little coastal town is closed off and venders come to sell their wares, such things as fresh veggies, clothing and jewelry, and musicians come to entertain. At one booth a woman was selling her freshly baked bread and she recognized Eric’s accent. It turned out that they had both been born in Pietermaritzburg!
We’ve had a yummy meal at Al and Emi’s place on Yates St in Victoria, and they’ve eaten with us at Site #102 Oceanside RV Resort on the Saanich peninsula, delicious food and lots of time for fun and conversation.
Al introduced us to the Gowlland-Tod Provincial Park, our first walk on the Island, which took us through the enormous rain forest trees, and down to the rocky water’s edge of the Saanich inlet, home to numerous starfish. He also introduced us to The Red Barn, a great place to buy fresh fruit and veges and Udder Guys icecream.
And one evening Eric and Al managed to fit in 9 holes of golf after work.
One Sunday, Eric and I visited the famous Butchart Gardens which cover 55 acres. The idea for these gardens came from a Jeannie Butchart a hundred years ago. She wanted to beautify a worked out limestone quarry that had supplied her husband’s nearby Portland cement plant. The couple evidently traveled extensively and brought back plants from other countries, some quite rare ones. First a huge sunken garden complete with waterfall was created and later a Japanese garden, rose garden and Italian garden were added. “In 2004 The Butchart Gardens, in bloom for 100 years, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada”.
They are obviously accustomed to dealing with large numbers of people, cars and tourist busses. A Sunday afternoon in July is a very busy time. The gardens that day were vibrant with great swatches of brilliant colour, opulent in places, I’d say. There was much stepping aside to get out of the way of people taking photos under archways dripping with roses, or against a backdrop of giant begonias or fushsias.
One day we spent a couple of very happy hours at the Royal BC Museum where there was a most interesting feature Exhibit called Free Spirit, Stories of You, Me and BC. All kinds of people had contributed to this exhibit with stories going back 150 years, the age of BC. These were the stories, letters and artifacts of ordinary people. I was particularly interested in the stories of hardship and adventure during the gold rush since we’d recently driven the Gold Rush Trail; and another display of letters from children written to their families while they were at boarding school.
We also viewed an exhibit called War Brides, One Way Passage, which was a celebration of these women by Bev Tosh, a Calgary artist, whose mother had been a war bride. She used paintings, photography and many old letters to depict and record their varying stories in order to create her powerful exhibit.
On another day we went to the Art Gallery where there was an Andy Warhol exhibition, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The gallery is in a large century old house, which has been added on to, a really lovely location I felt.
When we got to Victoria, I signed up to do 5 weeks of yoga at the Ayengar studio here. What a bonus to be able to slot into a yoga class so easily. I go on Thursday mornings and so far have been to 2 classes with 2 different teachers. Interesting to notice the different teaching styles.
It has been special too to connect with our ex-neighbours from Mississauga. The Bell family lived across the road from us and have 3 children of comparable ages to our guys. They recently left Ontario and have almost completed the building of a gorgeous house overlooking the Saanich Inlet. We had dinner with them one evening and were given the full guided tour of their new home after 36 years on Albertson Crescent and enjoyed catching up on all the news of their now grown up family. Since then we have joined them on a short hike in Gowlland-Tod Park and had a
fresh-from-the-fish-market salmon dinner with them here.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
FERRY TO VANCOUVER ISLAND
The ferry trip from Tsawassen to the Saanwich Penninsula on Vancouver Island. Photo is taken from our ferry passing through the Gulf Islands.
COQUIHALLA RIVER NEAR HOPE, BC
The Coquihalla River flows through the canyon below the tunnels and then down to Hope. We walked most of this stretch of the river.
OTHELLO TUNNELS
Our walk through the Othello Quintette tunnels. If you look through the first tunnel, you can see 2 more tunnels in the distance.
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