We boondocked overnight in Bear Cove Park, a marina near the ferry terminal where we arrived after midnight last night. Today was a beautiful, sunny warm day. We did a fun obedience and agility session with Bo before leaving Bear Cove Park. He's been a bit out of sorts the last few days because we've been leaving him in the truck or camper a great deal when we go out, because of the risk of encountering bears, both Grizzlies around Bella Coola and Black Bears around Bella Bella.
We drove from Bear Cove towards Port Hardy's airport, heading for Fort Rupert, a local First Nations "rez" village where there was a free sani-dump station by the curling club. As I connected the sewer hose to the camper ... DARN ... the bayonet mount connector on the end of the sewer hose broke. And I didn't have a spare < mumble grumble >. After dumping and refilling we went over to take a look at a lovely park on the waterfront behind the curling club. HEY ... Storey's Beach ... what a nice place to boondock tonight.
We drove into the small city of Port Hardy and stopped at Carrot Park, the lovely waterfront park where the Visitor Centre was located. It was closed. But we saw the poster in the window for this weekend's fall fair at the Civic Centre. So ... we went to the Port Hardy Fall Fair. First stop inside the fair building was the auditorium where there were a few food vendors and a children's pet parade and show about to begin on the stage. The pet parade and show were reminiscent of the same thing we used to sponsor / plan / organize / execute each year on Canada Day in a suburb of Ottawa when we owned and operated pet food and supply stores there. We had a not very good lunch while we watched the pet parade and show. After lunch we walked over to the adjacent ice rink which was the venue for the rest of the fall fair. We wandered around looking at commercial exhibitors' booths and the tables where the winning food and produce entries were exhibited. I bought some fishing lures ( Buzz Bombs ... much cheaper than in Shearwater ) and fishing flies ( cheaper than ANYWHERE ).
We drove to the local shopping mall where there was a large grocery store and replenished groceries now that we're back in civilization. I walked across the street to a hardware store and bought two new RV sewer hose bayonet mount connectors ... and paid a LOT more than if I had been able to buy them at a Wal-Mart ! We drove to the wharf and walked out to see what the local fishermen were catching. There were no commercial fishers on the wharf today, but some local old men and boys sport fishing. One of the men had a Chum Salmon about the size of the one I caught yesterday. One of the boys had just caught a flounder. Odd fish ! One sided ! It's a flat "circle" that swims along the bottom. The "top" side, with an eye, looks like a fish. The "bottom" side is white and ... no eye !
We drove back out to the village of Fort Rupert, home of the Kwakiutl band. Joanne wanted to drive through the village, renowned for the expertise of its wood carving artists. WOW ! Magnificent totems EVERYWHERE ! ! ! Even in residences' front yards. And we had two astounding experiences. We found a cedar totem in progress.
Thirty-five feet long, being carved out of a cedar log four feet in diameter. AND ... the local cemetery ! Many gravestones decorated with memorial poles / totems and other types of wood carvings. Joanne thinks it is the most astounding display of First Nations culture and art we've ever seen. Of course, I took no photos, in accordance with First Nations' beliefs of not photographing gravesites for fear of trapping their loved ones' spirits forever on film.
What the hell is that romping in the middle of the highway ? Minks ? TWO MINKS ? TWO WILD MINKS ROMPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD ? ? ? Yes, indeed, this area has wild minks ! We had never seen wild minks before ! They seem to have about as much "street smarts" as those Ptarmigan a week and a half ago.
We drove back to Storey's Beach. While Joanne prepared supper I took Bo out to romp on the huge expanse of tidal flats that are exposed at low tide. It's not as if he could get any more stinky than he already is from this adventure trip. HA HA HA ! Especially the fish breath that he's had since I gave him some Chum Salmon sushi yesterday when we were butchering my fish. Joanne was planning to serve us wild Blackberries for dessert tonight, but when she removed them from the fridge ... they had gone mouldy already ! GEEEZ ... the high humidity of the rainforest climate has taken a toll on our fruits and vegetables in the last week or so.
I should stop typing now. Joanne has just requested my company for a late night moonlit walk on the beach !
Monday ; Port Hardy to Campbell River
Sunny and warm, another beautiful day.
This morning we dumped and refilled at the sani-dump station beside the Fort Rupert Curling Club before leaving beautiful Storey's Beach. We drove into the village of Fort Rupert to see if there was anyone working on the giant totem. We expected that it was being carved by more than one person. But ... there was only one person working on the carving. The artist ! He was reluctant at first to chat, but eventually warmed to us. Perhaps our questions weren't as stupid as he was expecting ?
He's fifty years old. He is one of only about twenty totem artists, and the youngest one. He was bemoaning the younger generation's lack of interest in totem carving as an art form. He learned from his father and uncles and older brother. He's trying to persuade a nephew to learn from him. He's carving the thirty-five foot totem for a wealthy, retired banker who lives on an island near Seattle. His fee is $2000 per foot, for a total charge of $70,000. I think he's undercharging ! If I was rich(er) I would gladly pay $70,000 for a thirty-five foot cedar totem. I wonder if Riverside RV Park Resort would permit me to mount a thirty-five foot totem in my yard ? HA HA HA ! It's going to cost his client another $100,000 to transport the totem by water, and mount it on his island property.
We drove south on Hwy. 19 to Telegraph Cove. We were eager to visit based on what we had read in tourist magazines. What a disappointment ! We never even got out of our truck ! Telegraph Cove is an artificial / manufactured / created community, all developed within about the last ten years or so for upscale, wealthy clients, very much like Shearwater. Part of why I was interested in seeing it is because eight years ago when we were buying a lot at Riverside RV Park Resort near Keremeos, I was considering a similar development at Telegraph Cove. We made the right decision by buying at Riverside !
Just after leaving Telegraph Cove we stopped at a roadside rest area to have lunch. It was perched on a cliff above a log sorting and grading mill on a sheltered bay. The logs were being graded and sorted by size on land, then bundled by size and grade on the water, for shipment by water. Very interesting to watch. Joanne prepared lunch and we ate outside at a picnic table when she noticed ... HEY ... look at that large Blackberry bush ... FULL of ripe berries waiting to be picked. WOO-HOO ! We picked a lot of Blackberries, consoling ourselves for the batch that went mouldy. And we got a lot of deep scratches on our arms and legs from the Blackberry bush thorns.
We continued south on Hwy. 19, the main highway that runs the entire north / south length of Vancouver Island. Our objective for tonight was Shoen Lake Provincial Park, but when we got to the turn to the provincial park, and realized it was a further 18 km. of rough gravel road to the campground, we decided to keep on driving south on Hwy. 19. We reached Campbell River, a small city about halfway down Vancouver Island. Joanne was disappointed in the northern half of Vancouver Island. Except for Port Hardy, the "North Island" didn't have much going for it !
GEEEEEZZZ ... I'm typing this at the camper's dinette table at 9:30 PM and Bo is fast asleep beside me, snoring loudly like an old man !
When we reached Campbell River I refilled with diesel, then we found our way to Elk Falls Provincial Park on the edge of the city. Very nice campground. I lit a campfire and ... < insert drum roll here > ... barbecued fresh Coho Salmon ( wild caught and given to me on Friday in Bella Bella ) on the open fire. It was wonderful, very similar to wild Sockeye Salmon. I fed the skin to Bo. HE APPROVED ! And I gave a small piece of barbecued salmon to Sully. HE APPROVED ! HA HA HA ! I approved of the fresh blackberries for dessert !
After supper we went for a walk around the campground and a short hike alongside the Quinsam River flowing beside the provincial park. The river is beginning to stink with dead salmon. I guess the closer the river is to the ocean, the sooner the salmon have returned, spawned, and died.
Tuesday ; Campbell River to Miracle Beach Provincial Park
Another sunny, warm day. Joanne was feeling quite ill today with a cold that started a couple of days ago. We spent most of today running errands and doing chores in Campbell River.
This morning we left Elk Falls Provincial Park on the edge of the small city of Campbell River and backtracked a very short distance on Hwy. 19 to a farm we saw yesterday that sells fresh produce, but it was closed when we drove by it yesterday. We bought some fresh produce and drove back into the city. We found our way to Tyee Mall which included, amongst other things, the Visitor Centre and a laundromat. Upon the recommendation of the Visitor Centre we walked a short distance to the waterfront and had lunch at Dick's Fish & Chips. Throughout this trip Joanne has wanted fresh halibut "fish & chips".
After lunch Joanne did laundry at the laundromat and I worked online using Wi-Fi at the Visitor Centre. I got my journal for last week posted to my blog, but text only. I wasn't able to upload all the photos that accompany last week's blog entry. We finished our afternoon in Campbell River by going Wal-Martin'.
We decided to leave the city by driving south along Hwy. 19A, the alternate route along the ocean. Campbell River is an impressive small city, with a lot of green space ; parks and walkways along the waterfront, etc. Lots of totems and wood carvings. Hwy. 19A wound its way along the ocean shoreline, passing through suburbs and bedroom communities. Looks like a nice place to call home. Less than an hour south of the city we stopped at Miracle Beach Provincial Park for the night. After getting set up in a site,
I lit a campfire and we had a wiener roast for supper.
Wednesday ; Miracle Beach Provincial Park to Courtenay / Comox by road, then to Powell River by ferry
Another sunny warm day ! We've always had good luck with great weather travelling in early September. I'm beginning this entry at 6 PM as we wait at the Comox ferry terminal for the ferry to Powell River. Our lack of having a Vancouver Island to Sunshine Coast ferry schedule resulted in a lot of waiting for us today.
We slept late. Joanne is ill. We did a fun obedience session with Bo before leaving the campground around noon. We continued south on Hwy. 19A, the "alternate" highway route along the ocean. And we did some back roads exploring on the way to the ferry terminal at Comox, arriving about 1:30 PM, only to discover that the next ferry was leaving at 6:50 PM. DARN ! We drove back to Courtenay and found our way to a large shopping mall. Courtenay and Comox are adjacent "twin" small cities. Well ... Courtenay is a small city, Comox is mostly just a ferry terminal and a large military base.
We parked at the shopping mall and had lunch in the camper. I used the ferry waiting time as an opportunity to have an afternoon nap with Sully. Joanne went into Real Canadian Superstore and bought some groceries. We left the mall at 5 PM and headed back to the ferry terminal. While waiting at the ferry terminal for an hour and a half we chatted with a busload ... twenty people ... of tourists from France. They were a family group ; four brothers, one sister, their spouses and families, on a B.C. exploration trip by chartered bus, in celebration of frère Jacques' sixtieth birthday. How novel ! The conversation started when one of the couples walked by and were admiring our truck camper, speaking in French. They were surprised when we spoke to them in French.
By the time the ferry arrived in Powell River ( at 8:20 PM ) it was dark. With just a bit of difficulty we found our way to the large shopping mall in town to have a very late supper ( at 9 PM ) and spend the night in the Wal-Mart parking lot.
HUH ? ? ? Why is there a doe and her fawn wandering around right in the city of Powell River ?
Thursday ; Powell River north to Lund then south to Saltery Bay Provincial Park
Another sunny, warm day. Gee, we've had great weather on this trip !
We left Powell River's Wal-Mart this morning and drove to the municipal campground at Willingdon Beach to use the sani-dump station before heading north on Hwy. 101 to Lund. The End Of The Road ! Hwy. 101 starts / ends in Lund. Can't go any further north on Hwy. 101. I think the other / south end of Hwy. 101, which follows the Pacific Ocean coastline through British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California, is near Los Angeles.
Lund is what Telegraph Cove is trying to be, but fails. A beautiful, small, seaside town with a waterfront boardwalk, lots of cute little stores and shops and restaurants. We wandered around for an hour or so. Heading back south on Hwy. 101 we stopped at Okeover Provincial Park to have lunch. The tide was low so Bo and I went for a short walk on the cobblestone tidal flats while Joanne prepared lunch. HEY ... OYSTERS !
I picked up an oyster to have as an appetizer for lunch. Joanne disapproves of me eating wild raw oysters. < shrug >
After lunch ... no, no, the oyster didn't kill me ... we continued south on Hwy. 101 back to Powell River. We drove around the "old townsite" built about a hundred years ago when the pulp and paper mill was developed. And I took a photo of "The Hulks Of Powell River", a series of concrete barges built during the First World War, sunk in the 1930's in front of the mill to serve as a breakwater.
We continued through Powell River and south for about 35 km. / 20 miles to Saltery Bay Provincial Park. We set up in a campsite then I went to nap with Sully for an hour. Afterwards we took Bo for a hike to the ocean / Mermaid's Cove where he and I explored tidal pools. What a lot of interesting little creatures in tidal pools ! I think Bo ate a teensy little Hermit Crab. We hiked a short distance along the waterfront Mermaid's Trail.
Back at the campground I lit a campfire and cooked an excellent meal of steak, fresh tiny potatoes, and Patty Pan squash on the barbecue. After supper at the picnic table we sat around the campfire and mused about what a wonderful trip this has been. And how excellent Elsie / the Lance truck camper has proven to be.
Friday ; Saltery Bay to Earl's Cove by ferry, then to Roberts Creek Provincial Park by road
And yet another sunny, warm day !
This morning we left Saltery Bay Provincial Park shortly before 11 AM and drove to the ferry terminal about a mile or so down the road to catch the 11:20 AM ferry to Earl's Cove. Immediately after getting off the ferry at Earl's Cove an hour later we turned off the road to head 6 km. to Skookumchuk Narrows Provincial Park to see "tidal rapids" and have lunch. We parked at what appeared to be the Skookumchuk Narrows parking area but turned out to be just a trailhead to Skookumchuk Narrows. Okay ... we hiked for about 15 minutes before reaching a sign advising that Skookumchuk Narrows was about another hour of hiking away. OH ... **** THAT ! We turned around and hiked back to the parking area to have lunch in the camper.
Right near the parking area was a "bakery & lunch café ". Just a young couple baking in their house, but ... okay. Lots of signage touting "fresh baked daily ... local organic", that sort of thing. The sort of signage that can be interpreted to mean $6 loaves of bread and $12 egg salad sandwiches. When I went inside to buy a loaf of bread, there was only one loaf on the shelf behind the young woman behind the counter. I asked about buying it. She said it wasn't for sale, her husband needed it to make sandwiches for lunch customers, he had just put the loaf of bread there to thaw ! Really ? ! ?
After having lunch in the camper we drove another short distance to the very small village of Egmont, then returned to the highway and continued south. We stopped again at Sargeant Bay Provincial Park and went for a short hike along the sun drenched cobblestone beach around Sargeant Bay. It was too hot for Bo. He seemed a bit ill today. Maybe he shouldn't have drunk seawater yesterday at Saltery Bay ? Or eaten that Hermit Crab ?
We stopped again in the upscale town of Sechelt and bought a loaf of bread. A bit south of Sechelt we stopped for the night at Roberts Creek Provincial Park. After getting set up in a campsite we went for a long slow walk around the entire campground. I lit a campfire and cooked a couple of pieces of ( caught by me ) Chum Salmon on the open fire, along with sweet potato fries. First time eating Chum Salmon. It was okay, not as good as Sockeye or Coho, but on a par with Pink Salmon. HMPH ... I've become a salmon snob. HA HA HA ! Bo thought open fire barbecued Chum Salmon steak was pretty good. Sully thought it was GREAT ! HA HA HA ... now we know what to cook him if we ever run out of cat food.
Sunny and warm again. This morning we dumped our waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank at the sani-dump station at the campground before departing. We drove the short distance remaining on Hwy. 101 on The Sunshine Coast south to Gibsons. We parked downtown ( not easy ! ) and wandered around the village and Gibsons Landing / the harbour for a couple of hours. Very scenic, very serene ... everything outrageously expensive, somewhat typical for The Sunshine Coast, but especially for Gibsons. HEY ... Molly's Reach is advertising for a dishwasher.
RELIC ... QUICK ... TELL NICK ... HE'S DOWN AT THE PERSEPHONE.
HA HA HA ! For my American friends ... sorry ... that was an "inside joke" for Canadians over the age of fifty.
We left Gibsons and drove the short distance remaining to the ferry dock where we had lunch while waiting for the 2:45 PM ferry to Vancouver. The scenic ferry ride across to Horseshoe Bay got us to the outskirts of North Vancouver about 3:30 PM. We drove across the Vancouver and Lower Mainland area heading east on Trans-Canada
Hwy. 1. Between Abbotsford and Chilliwack we detoured to Cultus Lake. Joanne wanted to see what was the outcome of an RV resort property that we went so see in 2005, contemplating the purchase of a lot there. At that time it was just an empty piece of land with a developer's dream and site plan blueprints. Well ... now it's a huge waterslide park. Guess the RV resort development idea never got beyond the dream and blueprint stage.
Since we were already nearby we went to look at Cultus Lake Provincial Park's campground. YIKES ! Huge campground, thirty bucks a night, and crowded, most sites occupied, most by multiple vehicles / campers. I'm SO glad we don't live close to the congested Vancouver / Lower Mainland area. We returned to TCH 1 at Chilliwack and continued east, stopping to have supper and boondock overnight at a rest area near Hope.
Home tomorrow !
DSK
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