VAN ,VAN ISLAND AND THE BEARS

---

VANCOUVER BRITISH COLUMBIA - A VIBRANT METROPOLIS WITH A MULTICULTURAL POPULATION OF 2 MILL PLUS, 3RD LARGEST IN CANADA AFTER TORONTO AND MONTREAL. IT IS SURROUNDED BY TOWERING MOUNTAINS AND CRADLED IN AMONGST BOTH A BEAUTIFUL AND WORKING, AND IN SOME PARTS QUITE INDUSTRIAL, HARBOUR.
THE HARBOUR RIDES AND GLIMPSES SOAKED US IN, FELT A BIT LIKE HOME.
VAN IS THE GATEWAY TO THE INSIDE PASSAGE UP TO ALASKA, WHICH WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO ENJOY THE JOURNEY TO, (BUT WILL COVER IN A SEPARATE BLOG) THE BIG CRUISE TERMINAL, RIGHT IN THE CENTRE OF DOWNTOWN IS BUILT TO RESEMBLE A SHIP WITH 5 LARGE SAIL MOTIFS, 300 SHIPS SAILED FROM HERE TO ALASKA LAST YEAR, WHICH IS AMAZING, CONSIDERING THE SEASON IS ONLY FROM END APRIL TO SEPTEMBER.
THE CITY IS REALLY VERY APPEALING,WITH THE CONSTANT HARBOUR VIEWS. THEN THERE’S -THE CITY’S PRIDE --- “STANLEY PARK”, WHERE YOU CAN WALK, BIKE, POWER WALK, STROLL THROUGH THE GARDENS OR ALONG THE SEASIDE, WALK AMONGST THE TOTEMS, GO SWIMMING, CATCH A SHOW OR JUST ENJOY AND WATCHING ALL THE PASSING PARADE.THEN THERE’S THE CITIES ICONIC LIONS GATE BRIDGE, WHICH ALL THE CRUISE BOATS PASS UNDER, THE COBBLESTONED OLD PARTS OF TOWN, GASTOWN (THE ORIGINAL NAME FOR VAN) AND THE LARGEST CHINATOWN AFTER SAN FRAN IN NORTH AMERICA.
EVEN FOR A GIRL, IT IS AN EASY CITY TO FIND YOUR WAY AROUND IN, BIT LIKE NY, WITH THE NUMBERED STREET SYSTEM.
WE SPENT OUR 4 DAYS AT THE CAPILANO RV PARK WHICH IS OVER ON THE NTH SIDE. A COUPLE OF OUR DAYS WERE DOING A FEW MUCH NEEDED CHORES, INCLUDING GETTING CORRIE ROOTED (IE HAIR COLOR DONE) WE HIKED “THE GRIND” UP TO GROUSE MT, NEARLY KILLED US, 870 MTRES --- STRAIGHT UPPPPPP!!!!! JUST WENT UP THERE TO GET THE CHAIRLIFT DOWN, ------AND TO SEE THE 2 ORPHANED GRIZZLYS AND THE 3 TIMBER WOLVES, IT FELT GREAT WHEN WE MADE IT, TOOK US JUST OVER 21/2 HOURS, -------IN PRACTICE FOR THE VAN 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS!!!--------BEST HIKE TIME WAS 35 MINS BY A MAD (BUT B FAST) NEW ZEALANDER!!!!!!!! AND ONE MORNING WE WALKED ACROSS THE LIONS GATE BRIDGE.
THE OTHER FEW DAYS SIGHTSEEING AROUND THE CITY, EITHER ON THE BUS, WALKING, OR HOPPING ON AND OFF THE TROLLEY BUS, LOTS OF FUN, WEATHER WAS GLORIOUS EVERYDAY.

THEN ON THE 22ND AT 7.30AM WE, WITH ALL OUR BELONGINGS TOOK OUR FIRST FERRY RIDE FROM HORSESHOE BAY TO NANIAMO OVER ON VAN ISLAND AND DROVE UP TO THE NORTHERN MOST TOWN, PORT HARDY, FOR 2 NIGHTS BEFORE TAKING OUR FLIGHT TO THE BEAR SAFARI, PORT HARDY WAS A QUIET LITTLE SPOT, GOOD FOR A FEW ROUNDS OF ‘SKIPBO’ AND SOME WASHING, EARLY NIGHTS AND WE DID FIND A SUPER LITTLE WATERING WHOLE WITH AMAZING VIEWS OVER THE FISHING HARBOUR, WHERE WE COULD WATCH THE BALD EAGLES FISH AND TRAIN THEIR YOUNG TO FLY AND HAVE A COUPLE OF PRE DINNER DRINKS AND WATCH THE SUNSET OVER THE MTS ON THE MAINLAND. WE CALLED IN THERE BOTH NIGHTS, IT WAS SO GOOD, ALSO WAS THE ONLY SPOT IN TOWN, NOT A LOT HAPPENING IN PORT HARDY. WE DID MANAGE TO SOURCE A LOCAL SMOKED FISH OUTLET, WHERE WE BOUGHT SOME ‘TO DIE FOR’ SMOKED SALMON.

THEN WITH REVY AND CHEVY TUCKED IN A LITTLE STORAGE SPOT AT THE LOCAL RV PARK AT 2PM ON THE 24TH WE WERE PICKED UP TAKEN TO THE AIRPORT FOR OUR “GOOSE” SEAPLANE FLIGHT UP THE COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA TO THE FLOATING BEAR LODGE. WE WERE JOINED BY AN AUSSIE LAD BRIAN WHO HAD JUST BEEN TO THE CALGARY STAMPEDE AND AN ENGLISH FAMILY OF 4 WHO WERE ON THERE ANNUAL HOL, AN INTERESTING GROUP, WHO BY THE END OF THE 21/2 -3 DAYS WERE OUR 2ND BEST FRIENDS. THE FLIGHT OVER QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND ONLY TOOK ABOUT 45MINS BUT IT WAS FANTASTIC AS THE WEATHER WAS SUPERB AND WE WERE FLYING OVER AN ARCHIPELAGO OF WILDERNESS ISLANDS, LOGGING CAMPS, AND SNOW CAPPED MTS AND THEN SUDDENLY IN THIS REMOTE LITTLE FIORD BELOW WE SPOTTED THE FLOATING BEAR LODGE, OUT THERE ALL ON ITS OWN, LIKE A DREAM. OUR PILOT MANAGED A GREAT LANDING INTO SMITH’S INLET IN ‘THE GREAT BEAR WILDERNESS TEMPERATE RAIN FOREST’
WE WERE GIVEN A VERY WARM AND FRIENDLY WELCOME BY ALL THE STAFF AND TOM AND MARGARET, THE OWNERS (MARGARET IS AN AUSSIE), SHOWN TO OUR ROOMS AND THEN INVITED DOWN FOR A BEAR ORIENTATION TALK BY TOM THE BIOLOGIST.
IT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE WE ATE OUR FIRST OF DEE’S GOURMET MEALS, SHE WAS SUCH A GOOD COOK AND HAPPY AND INFORMATIVE SOUL, GAVE US ALL THE LOCAL GOSS. WINE AND BEER WAS ALL INCLUSIVE, BUT INTERESTINGLY, THERE WASN’T MUCH TIME OR INCLINATION FOR IT AS WE WERE KEPT SO BUSY ALL THE TIME.
STRAIGHT AFTER DINNER WE WERE TOLD TO GET SUPER RUGGED UP IN PREPARATION FOR OUR FIRST SAFARI IN THE BOATS TO HOPEFULLY GET A SIGHTING OF THE GRIZZLYS AND WHAT EVER OTHER WILDLIFE.
CORRIE PUT ON HER 9 LAYERS AT LAST COUNT, DETERMINED NOT TO BE COLD! IT WAS 7PM WHEN WE DEPARTED AND WERE BACK JUST AFTER 10PM, WHEN IT WAS ONLY JUST DARK WHEN WE GOT BACK.
THE 9 LAYERS FELT GOOOOD! THEY CERTAINLY HELPED WHEN YOU SIT STILL IN AN ALUMINIUM BOAT FOR 3 HOURS.
OUR BOAT WAS DRIVEN AND QUIETLY ROWED WHEN NECESSARY, BY SUSANNA, A VERY COMPETENT AND EXTREMELY INTERESTING CANADIAN BIOLOGIST AND WE WERE JOINED BY BRIAN, THE SYDNEY LAD.
BUT YES WE WERE BLESSED, FIRST TRIP OUT, AND WE SAW NOT ONLY A GRIZZLY BUT IT STOOD UP ON HIND LEGS, WOOOOOOAHHHH, IT ALL HAPPENS PRETTY QUICK AND YOU REALLY NEED A SUPER DUPER CAMERA WITH ZOOM LENS ETC TO MAYBE CAPTURE IT, EVEN AT ALL, WHICH WE DON’T HAVE, BUT WE SAW IT, WITH OUR OWN EYES AND IT WILL BE CAPTURED IN OUR MINDS FOREVER.
WE WILL NEVER FORGET THAT MOMENT. THEY STAND UP TO LOOK OVER THE GRASS AND SMELL IF YOU ARE FRIENDLY AND IF THEY KNOW THE INTRUDERS - THIS ONE -BEATRICE- A FOUR YEAR OLD, RECOGNISED SUSANNA AND THE BOAT. ALSO SAW A YOUNGER BEAR THAT DID NOT KNOW THE BOATS AND IT TOOK OFF FROM THE BANK QUICKLY.
FULL OF EXCITEMENT ON RETURN, WE DID INBIBE IN A DROP OF RED TO CELEBRATE AND THEN WERE SOON CURLED UP INTO OUR KING BED, ON OUR FLOATING LODGE OUT IN THE CANADIAN WILDERNESS!

25TH OF JULY, MUM’S BIRTHDAY, (SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN WORRIED SICK ABOUT US GOING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS TO FIND GRIZZLY BEARS AND SHE WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY THOUGHT WE’D GONE QUITE MAD) THE DAY BEGAN WITH A 6.30AM WAKE UP CALL, BREAKY AND THEN 7.45AM WE WERE ALL BACK IN THE BOATS, AMONG THE MORNING MIDST, FLOATING SLOWLY UP THE ESTUARY, SPOTTING THE ABUNDANT BIRDLIFE, INCLUDING FAMILIES OF MERGANZA DUCKS FLOATING, BALD EAGLES, SEALIONS, OTTERS, MINKS, CANADIAN GEESE AND THEN THE GRIZZLYS, THIS TIME IT WAS NOT ONLY A GRIZZLY, BUT ALSO THE CUB, MANAGED TO GET A VIDEO OF THE GRIZZLY GRAZING ON THE SEDGE AND BERRIES, WHICH THEY APPARENTLY CAN EAT UP TO 3,000 OF IN A DAY AND AT THIS TIME OF YEAR THEY ARE BEGINNING THE STORING OF THEIR FOOD (BODY FAT), IN PREPARATION OF THEIR 5-6 MONTHS OF HIBERNATION, WHICH BEGINS FROM OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER AND ENDS WHEN THE SNOW MELTS - THEY TAKE THEIR 0 TO 3 YEAR OLD CUBS INTO HIBERNATION WITH THEM AND IF PREGNANT HAVE THEIR CUBS DURING HIBERNATION PERIOD.

AFTER THIS SESSION IT WAS BACK IN FOR ANOTHER ONE OF DEE’S GOURMET MEALS AND --THEN A REST? NO! NO REST!!!---- IT WAS THEN OFF FOR A NATURE WALK/HIKE, OFF THE PONTOON TO A TRACK UP INTO THE BUSH WITH TOM CALLING AHEAD “HEY BEAR” AND SUSANNA BEHIND US CALLING “HO BEAR” - THIS IS TO LET THE BEARS ON THE TRACK KNOW WE ARE COMING - AS THEY ARE NOT SOCIAL ANIMALS, EVEN AMONG THEMSELVES, AND AS LONG AS NOT SURPRISED THEY ARE NOT AGGRESSIVE - IF THEY DO GET SURPRISED AND APPROACH THE GUIDES HAVE BEAR SPRAY ON THEIR BELTS THAT IS LIKE CAPSICAN SPRAY ONLY STRONGER. WE HAD A GREAT HIKE AND LEARNED ALL THE INTERESTING BIOLOGICAL FACTS OF THE TRACK AND EXAMINED BEAR ‘POO’ ON THE TRACK AS WE WENT BUT DID NOT GET TO DANCE WITH A BEAR!! BUT CORRIE DID GATHER A MUCH APPRECIATED BUNCH OF THE LOCAL WILDFLOWERS TO TAKE BACK FOR THE DINNER TABLE. AND THEN IT WAS ANOTHER GLORIOUS GOURMET DINNER AND THEN - YES YOU GUESSED IT - OUT IN THE BOATS AGAIN UNTIL 9.30 PM.
TO BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO VIEW A BEAR, WAS SOMETHING ALL PEOPLE TRAVELLING IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD PRAY FOR, BUT TO SEE IT WITH CUBS AND IN IT’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, JUST HAPPILY GRAZING AND NOT RUNNING OFF, IS A JOY BEYOND DESCRIPTION, A TRULY AWESOME EXPERIENCE AND NATURE AS IT SHOULD BE. WE REALLY FELT QUITE BLESSED THAT WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE!!!!!!
FROM THIS TRIP, WE NOT ONLY WERE GAINING A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE BEAR KINGDOM, BUT ALSO DEFINING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WORDS ‘THE CUDDLY BEAR” AND THE NEED FOR RESPECTING THESE GIANT SOLITARY ANIMALS.

THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS OFF AGAIN EARLY AND VIA THE CRAB POT TO GET LUNCH - PULLED UP 12 DUNGENESS CRABS BUT PUT BACK 6 TO GET BIGGER AND DELIVERED THEM TO THE CHEF. OFF AGAIN IN SEARCH OF THE BEARS AND AT THIS STAGE IAN WAS SO TIRED HE DECIDED TO TRY SLEEPING SITTING/RECLINING IN A MOVING DINGHY - IT WORKED!! NO BEARS THIS TRIP OR THE NEXT AND THEN WITH NEW ARRIVALS AND A LITTLE MISTY RAIN WE DECIDED TO SIT OUT THE NIGHT TRIP. OUR FINAL TRIP WE PICKED UP ON THE MOTHER AND CUB GRAZING TOGETHER WHICH MADE SIGHTINGS ON 3 OF 5 TRIPS. ALSO HAD BUS TRIP ALONG THE ‘OLD LOGGING ROAD TO NOWHERE’ TO VISIT THE RIVERSIDE ‘HIDES’ THAT ARE USED TO WATCH THE BEARS IN THE RIVER CATCHING THE SPAWNING SALMON AT THE END OF THEIR LIFE CYCLE AS ONCE THEY SPAWN THEY DIE, AFTER RETURNING TO THEIR BIRTH RIVER AFTER 4 YEARS AT SEA - AMAZING PIECE OF NATURE. ONCE THEY DIE MANY DON’T GET EATEN BY THE BEARS AND THEY WASH UP ON THE BANKS AND PROVIDE NITROGEN FOR THE TEMPERATE RAIN FOREST OR THE AREA.
CIRCLE OF LIFE!!
TOM AND MARG HAD BEEN AT THE LODGE FOR 4 YEARS AND HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB OF SETTING IT UP WITH ALL ALTERNATIVE POWER, EITHER HYDRO, WIND OR SOLAR DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF YEAR.IT IS ONLY RUN AS AN ECOTOURIST LODGE FROM MAY TO OCT AND THEN IS CLOSED DUE TO THE WINTER, ALL THE STAFF HEAD HOME AND JUST TOM AND MARGARET STAY AND LIVE IN THE WILDERNESS. ALL TOO SOON IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE AND WING OUR WAY BACK TO PORT HARDY AND PICK UP THE RIG FOR A QUICK OVERNIGHT STOP AT CAMPBELL RIVER DOWN THE EAST COAST OF VAN ISLAND ON THE WAY TO VICTORIA ON THE SOUTHERN TIP.

VICTORIA, IS ONE OF THE FEW SPOTS WE’VE STOPPED AT WHERE YOU THINK TO YOURSELF “WE COULD LIVE HERE” ----IT IS JUST ONE OF THOSE RARE TOWNS THAT HAS BLENDED A COMBINATION OF THE ELEGANT HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE WITH AN AMAZING YOUTHFUL ENERGY THAT THE PEOPLE AND THE STREETSCAPE HAVE CONTINUED TO BE DEVELOPED IN A SENSITIVE WAY. THE TOWN IS A BUZZ AND FOR US OF COURSE IT WAS MORE GLORIOUS WEATHER WHICH SHOWED IT OFF TO IT’S BEST.
WE SPENT THE AFTERNOON AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF BC, WHICH WAS WELL WORTH WHILE AND THEN STROLLED THE CITY AND FINNISHED IT WITH A DRINK ON THE BALONY OF THE HISTORIC EMPRESS HOTEL WATCHING THE HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGES GO BY ON THE FORE SHORE, A SUPER LITTLE SPOT.
NEXT MORNING WE HEADED OFF UP THE COAST TOWARDS THE FERRY, WITH A SIDE TRIP TO THE FAMOUS NATIONAL HISTORIC SIGHT OF THE BUTCHART GARDENS, A MAGNIFCENT DISPLAY OF AN OLD REHABILITATED QUARRY LANDSCAPED INTO A WORLD CLASS BOTANICAL GARDENS WHICH DISPLAYS OVER 700 VARIETIES OF BEDDING PLANTS THAT EVRYONE WHO GOES VAN ISLAND VISITS, IT REALLY WAS A BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY, ONE THAT BOTH OUR MUM’S WOULD HAVE LOVED.

FROM BUTCHART IT WAS OFF TO SWARTZ BAY TO BOARD THE CAR FERRY BACK TO THE MAINLAND.
THEN BACK TO CAPILANO RV PARK TO DO A REPACK FROM SAFARI GEAR TO CRUISING ATTIRE.

---

Comments

[Tony Park]

Fantastic
Brilliant stuff, Ian and Corrie. Makes us want to go!