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Published: October 25th 2005
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Owen's Old Jeans
Owen's method of getting new clothes is to wear the old ones out.
These are now in his wardrobe as cut offs. September 1st
Left hostel and headed north to commercial area for cooking equipment for camping, food and jeans for Owen.
Steve finds book we hid at the bottom of the pile yesterday. It is a heavy tome about programming Role Playing Games that Rory wants to master.
Squeeze everything into the boot and then head west to Tofino on the other side of Vancouver Island.
Once we turn west the scenery becomes mountainous again. There is only one road across the island and it is under repair in large patches. This means slow going but the views are georgeous. I think the road was originally a logging road that is now being updated to allow easier access for the monied tourists that like to flock to the west coast.
We climb hugging the mountain side with little between me and a big drop.
It's extremely beautiful and we are almost alone on the road.
There is a section where the trees are really huge..I believe they are hundreds of years old. The light is tinted as it fights it's way through the canopy.
Feels other worldly.
Back to narrow steep road where there are people holding stop/go signs to regulate
One of Tofino's beaches
Low tide near Tofino. The rock pools were ace. traffic. Imagine doing that for 8 hours a day.
There are no villages on this road only an occasional lodge by a lake. This is the middle of nowhere.
Near the west coast we find an information centre where there is expert guidance on where to stay etc.
They know that the campsite we are aiming for is full and the lady suggests we try either a wilderness campsite or one of the 2 or 3 commercial sites near Tofino.
The wilderness site would mean carrying everything, including all our water, for a hike of 45 minutes. If it was just Steve and I we might consider it but it's not realistic with the kids. Also no firm info on whether there are acceptable loos.
Decide to go for a commercial site and hope they are not too busy. It's Labour Day Weekend here.
Find a pitch at Bella Pacifica which is not cheap but is right by the sea and has hot showers.
Have trouble finding enough flat space to pitch the tent but we manage. The ground is gravel though.
Down duck-board path past the loo block there are steps down to the bay.
The sea is out
Boy's new pet
Wet boys with new seaweed pet. and the bay is a beautiful sweeping curve of sand that stretches for miles.
The sea is freezing but the boys paddle anyway and get their clothes soaked and full of sand.
There are a couple of islands in the bay that you can walk to when the tide is this low so we do.
Owen finds some weird seaweed which he adopts as a new pet. It's a long tapering funnel shape with a tentacle attached that acts as a lead.
Cook tea on our new (basic) cooker then bed as the light fades.
September 2nd
Up early as the ground is cold and not softened by any grass. Walk on the beach then down with the tent and off to Greenpoint campsite to see if there are any pitches today.
We arrive there at 10.30 and the sign says no vacancies. We ignore that and drive up to the booth. There may be spaces but they wont know until 11.
They add our name to a list and we park and walk down to their beach.
The walk is through trees and down a hillside. The bay is long, straight, fringed with trees, deserted and absolutely
Steve on Rocks
It's a long way to anywhere from here. georgeous.
We are in luck they a 'walk in' pitch available for 2 nights.
Means we leave the car where it is and carry our stuff to the pitch, but it's only a couple of minutes walk so no probs.
Our pitch is a large dell surrounded on 3 sides by ancient trees some of which are growing from the fallen trunks of other trees. Sherwood forest 200 years ago!
The boys immeadiately morph into Robin Hood's merry men and chase through the dell play sword fighting with sticks.
We have to follow Bare Camping rules here.
This does not refer to the amount of clothes we have to wear but the state we have to keep our pitch in.
All food, cooking equipment, trash bags and bear attractants have to be kept either in our car boot or in bear proof lockers dotted through the trees. We are not allowed to leave anything out in our site at all in case it is of interest to bears.
We spend much of the day at the beach.
I go to town for supplies and listen to Country Music Countdown. I m getting to really like Country music! It's great to
View from Greenpoint beach
The bay 5 minutes walk down the path from our Bare Camp. drive to and the words are easy to pick up.
Find Beefburger soup in the shop...whatever next!
It takes ages to heat but the boys love it.
Town is small very quaint with pastel painted houses along the inlet. Not much else except a gas station or two where the price has risen from 99cents 3 weeks ago to 116 now.
After tea we stroll to the theatre to watch a presentation on the rainforest.
Very 'hammy' ranger tells us what temperate rainforest is and uses a story of an 800 year old Cedar tree to illustrate the interdependance of all things in the forest. I really enjoyed it.
I hope the boys retain at least some of this.
Torch needed to find tent it's very dark here.
September 3rd
Steve and I are up early and decide to go to the beach before waking the boys. Meet a Ranger on the way who tells us the people next door (a large wilderness patch between us) have seen a bear and her cub this morning.
No need to worry it's probably long gone.
On our return from the shore Steve spots the bear cub peering over the edge
Bare Camp
Our new tent in the dell at Greenpoint.
of our dell. I didn't see it but I did hear it as it turned and scampered off.
Steve informs the ladies in the booth who send for the ranger while I stand there wondering what to do, should I wake the boys or are they safer where they are? Who konws. I left them where they were.
A different Ranger appears to get detail from Steve. He tells us that one of the bear's cubs was hit by a car this morning in this area so that is why she is hanging round.
Again 'there is no need to worry'.
He's not the one in the tent......
If the bears do reappear just make a lot of noise and dont get between the mum and her cub...As if.
Although slightly apprehensive (scared) we should be honoured to see a bear like this. After all it is us who are invading their habitat.
Visit the bear proof lockers (I can see the point now) to get breakfast stuff.
Walk on the beach and look at the exposed rock pools. Some very unusual green anemonies and lots of starfish with far more than 5 arms each clinging to the rocks.
Join
On the rocks
Rory contemplating life...and what's for tea. a guided walk through an ancient rain forest. The guide is hilarious but I'm not convinced that all of the party understood his humour.
Introduced to young forest, replanted after logging a mere 70 years ago, and real old forest where some of the trees are hundreds if not thousands of years old. Once you know it is easy to see the difference.
The older part of the forest is like Fern Gully. Tranquil and awe inspiring.
Trees growing on old dead trees, moss, standing dead trees and many layers of canopy.
The terrain is very up and down. This area was the leading edge of a glacier and it is gravel morrain.
Duck board everywhere to protect the forest floor.
Lots of facts about Banana Slugs and slime.
Try berries as directed by guide.
See the 800 year old cedar of last night's talk.
Camera has run out of juice so only a couple of pics of this truely amazing area.
Walk ends at a beach, similar to the one at the campsite, with more bleached tree trunks laying around.
Several flocks of smallish birds pecking along the waves edge.
Drive to Tofino. A very pretty town on the
Cedar in Rain Forest
The 800 + year old tree. coast. Plenty of up market accommodation and tours for the monied tourists. Lots of air tours on sea planes and gifty shoppes.
Back to camp for tea and then the boys are off to a Tidal Tunes Review. Music for tides.I stay and clear up. Boys are very complimentary about show.
Sleep well with only a few thoughts of 'Wandering Bears'.
All in all a truely amazing day.
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robert
non-member comment
woot
owen...wheres ma funky munchie??? Thats a nice pet you have there...i used to have one called roger...