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Published: October 11th 2006
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When working on the travel blog for yesterday we were surprised to find that we finished the day slightly further south than when we started - it was a pity that it took us so long to make so little progress!!.. So, did we sleep in? Yes, we looked out the window at about 7 am - it was gray, so we turned over and went back to sleep… Only to find…
Statistics
Starting Destination: Ucluelet, British Columbia, Canada
Ending Destination: Ucluelet, British Columbia, Canada
Ending Destination GPS: N: 48° 56.081’ W: 125° 32.355’ Elev: 61’
Miles Driven: 66.3
Distance Walked: 4.2 km (2.6 miles)
Stairs Climbed: 907
Quote for the Day: “We don’t inherit the earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children”
Slipping and Sliding in the Pacific Rim National Park
After sleeping in we looked out the window and we could actually see blue sky! So we hustled up and got on the road. The part of the Pacific Rim National Park that is accessible from this end is quite short, so our plan was to drive to Tofino (at the other end of the park) and work our way back towards our home for the night. The only exception to this was a short side trip to the Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre, which we thought might be closed on our way back. On our way into the Center we took a short detour to look at Long Beach (the longest beach on the island); both Carl and Maria were surprised at the amount of timber on the beach - it gave a whole new meaning to the term “drift wood!” We were also surprised by the number of surfers, we hadn’t checked the water temperature, but with nothing much between where we are and Asia - it was bound to be cold!! The center had lots of information about the flora and fauna in the park as well as the First Nations People of the region and the West Coast Trail. We had thought about trying to walk part of the trail, however, only a certain number of people are allowed on the trail at one time and with the Thanksgiving weekend we figured all the available spaces would be taken… Also, the following quote on one of the maps was quite a deterrent: “Hiking Safety: The West Coast Trail does require some previous hiking experience. Expect rainy weather and long periods of discomfort…” Maria was particularly interested in the exhibit showing the differences in the amount of rain that falls across the province of British Columbia - no wonder everything was so green!!
Our next stop was the town of Tofino, about as far as you could go on Route 4 without ending up in the ocean. There were lots of surfers, gift shops, art galleries and the paraphernalia of a “resort town.” We bought a snack and sat in one of the parks and watched the boats in the harbor and even saw a flying boat land. Back in the park we stopped first at Radar Hill, so named because of the radar station that was built there in the 1950’s due to the cold war. It was on our way up that we overheard a Canadian couple talking “we need to get some loggers up here so they can open up the view!” Our guess was that the plants and trees had grown significantly since the viewing platforms had been initially installed. Nearly to the top of the hill was a memorial to a group of Canadians that had performed bravely during the Korean War, however, it was not clear exactly why the memorial was at this location… It did, however, resolve the mystery of the “Canada Remembers” signs.
Our next stop was The Schooner Cove Trail - about a kilometer’s walk and 325 steps one way. Most of the trail was on an elevated board walk, which could get quite slippery in places, but was mostly so people didn’t walk on the sensitive plant life. We had been quite surprised to find that the soil in this area is quite acidic and thus not very good for growing plants that have not adapted to the region - you definitely wouldn’t have been able to tell by the number of plants!!
Once we got to the end of the trail we could walk on the beach, which we did - the tide was going out so we walked around the small headland onto the beach “around the corner.” However, it really wasn’t anything like the beach that Carl and Maria were used to with lots of golden sand… Never a fan of sea weed, Maria thought that the seaweed and kelp was enormous! The beach was also where Carl met his new friend!!(left)
Our next stop was the Rainforest Trail, another board walk trail that had information signs telling you all about the rainforest ecosystem. By this time it was getting towards sunset and we thought we should try and find a good viewing point…
So our next destination was the lighthouse back in Ucluelet, unfortunately there wasn’t much to see along the way as the road feels like it is on borrowed ground - the trees are only just held at bay by the black top. We glimpsed the sunset on our way past Little Beach, where the Cabin was - it looked like it would be spectacular; but by the time we got to the lighthouse (with one backtrack section due to Maria’s navigation) we met people with camera’s coming the other way… We missed the red ball of the sun slipping beyond the horizon, but there was enough color in the sky for some reasonable photos! After a short investigation of the rocks and a walking trail we went back to the cabin for dinner and a relaxing evening. Unfortunately, we didn’t get as much done on the blog as we had thought—there were two very interesting programs on the Discovery Channel: one on China and one on Stonehenge - where they actually carved a life size version of what they thought it would have looked like out of Styrofoam!!
Plant related Mysteries - solved and unsolved
Along the way we have encountered several plant related mysteries, some of which we think we have solved, but most we have not! A few examples are: (1) From Yellowstone and Grand Teton - Why does there always seem to be a line of small pine trees growing at the edge of the road where the blacktop ends? Theory: The road bed contains several layers, however, the top one is usually some sort of small gravel/sand mix - this probably contains more “nutrients” than the native topsoil and thus would be preferred by the trees? (2) From the drive along highway 12 in Idaho - what are the purple berries in the photograph (left) (3) From several northern locations - Why are farmers baling up the straw from the fields into large bales and would it make a difference if it was wheat vs. some other grain? For extra points: Is it possible to tell from the highway if some other grain (I.e., not wheat) is growing? And (4) from hiking in the Pacific Rim National Park - What are the red berries on the bush in the photograph (far left)? Theory: Huckleberries.
Any help from blog readers would be greatly appreciated!!
Carl’s Travel Trivia
Yesterday’s Answer: You - Clue - Let (Congratulations to one of our Canadian blog readers!)
Today’s Question: In what year was the road connecting Tofino to the rest of the Island Complete?
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Paul Cox
non-member comment
The small purple berries look like wild grapes to me. Small red berries are typical of Sumac here. Don't know if it grows out there or not. wheat straw is baled to get it off the field and not interfere with tillage and planting the next crop, it has value to nearby feedlots in cattle rations, depending on ingredients available straw may be added to a ration to add bulk. May also be used for bedding on other animal situations. Also there is an effort to grind up wheat straw, mix with resin glues and produce a plywood like construction material. trees along the edge of the pavement, trees are weeds that will grow any where they can find moisture , light and space.