UNLIKELY ADVENTURER — SECOND INSTALMENT IN A FOUR-PART SERIES

by Wendy Maurer

2021-A YEAR FOR ADVENTURE!

I LOVED WATCHING THE DRAMATIC AND RAPID WEATHER CHANGES OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. The thrill of waves crashing, eagles soaring, gulls hovering in the air during a brisk wind. Some days the sun was beaming off the crests of huge waves with the frothy tops a brilliant white. Other days, the ocean was flat and long lines of birds skimmed the surface as they zipped past so close to the water it was a wonder they could fly that low. Then there was the magic of weather getting socked in as I watched. The sky was filled with layers of light and shadow that flowed and shifted. In five minutes, it would transition from sun to dense fog – from full colour to black and white – then shades of grey suddenly backlit by glowing light – then rainbows.

Getting out of the house and into the cold turned out to be harder than I thought it would be. Yes, I procrastinated - lots of Facebook research by joining new groups specific to Vancouver Island outdoor activities. Then one day I walked outside, and it smelled like spring. It lifted my spirits and my renewal began. My husband tempted me out of the house to go for a bike ride and I was grateful, even though the tips of my fingers almost froze because bike gloves don’t have full length finger coverage – another lesson learned. There is a certain exhilaration and freedom when riding a bicycle because the bike carries most of the weight and if you ride an e-bike, the ondemand power assist really adds to the fun.

I ventured out into the garden and found plants sprouting, some blooming and tons of birds all around. Then one day the quail came back. Spring for sure.

Visiting quail, a sure sign of spring

Red currants for the hummingbirds

Next, my husband and adventuring partner, Lotar and I decided to check out some backroads to find potential camping spots to reserve for this year. A bonus was an annual hunt for pussy willows. Every year since I was little, my mom would challenge us to be the first to find them in the spring and it made her so happy when we found them. Lotar and I keep up the tradition. Pussy willows are much harder to find now and when we hunted this year, we found them on an active logging road busy with loaded trucks so there was no stopping to pick any. The excitement was still there though and I’m sure Mom was smiling as we spotted them.

A steep section of the trail to Ammonite Falls with knotted ropes at the ready to help hikers.

One week we decided to hunt for a campsite we had seen from the water many years ago while taking a trip to Bamfield with Lady Rose Marine Services.

LADY ROSE MARINE SERVICES

Due to the pandemic, Lady Rose Marine Services is only running service for residents of Bamfield, Haggards Cove and Kildonan. No day trip or tourist passengers until further notice.

In normal times, the day trips to Bamfield and Ucluelet with Lady Rose are a true joy and a great west coast experience. You get to travel the length of the Alberni Canal, then emerge into a multitude of islands, see rugged and wild places, witness the diversity of local landscapes and if you are lucky, you may see whales. It is advisable to dress in layers and take an umbrella just in case you want to sit outside for the whole day and the rain sneaks in. ladyrosemarine.com/wildlife-scenery

We remembered that the campsite was along Alberni Canal and after a few false starts we found the right map. Maps don’t all agree and as we learned to say on a recent cross-Canada road trip, “there are no wrong turns, just alternate routes, so don’t panic and keep smiling.” Our campsite turned out to be as gorgeous as it looked from the canal. We found it in Macktush Creek Campground; it is one of the reservable semi-rugged sites managed by mosaiccampsites.com. To get there however, we drove 24 km down a gravel road so full of deep potholes, it took over an hour each way and we hit some spots with snow. We thought several times about turning around but I reminded myself that attitude is everything. We were in a pickup truck, we had food, and no set timetable so I bit my tongue and we kept going. My stomach was in knots when we got back to paved highway. I hope for the sake of this year’s campers, the road will be graded. In addition to Macktush Creek, that day we also discovered some beautiful campsites and a day-use area right along Stamp River. Part of a provincial park, these facilities are well maintained and accessible via paved roads. To end the day, we treated ourselves to a stop at J&L Drive-in, in Port Alberni – yes, you still pull in and turn on your headlights for service and the food is great.

Closer to home, rainbow season rewarded me many times as I tracked the herring spawn and whale sightings listed on the Nanoose Bay Whale Facebook page. This group is very active and one day after seeing a whale sighting post for near me, I ran upstairs to my spotting scope and was actually lucky enough to see whales passing. I had no idea there are so many sightings in this area.

For the first time last year there were a few moments when I truly thought, “I feel old.” It was a shock, and each time it happened, I administered some self-talk to dispute the notion. Nonetheless “old fossils” have been on my mind so it was appropriate that our first hike of the season was to Ammonite Falls near Nanaimo. I kept seeing posts about this trail online so I knew it would be best to do it after a few days of sun, to avoid mucky conditions. It turned out to be a great choice: interesting terrain, not too busy, easy parking and well marked. We even got to watch a small portable sawmill in operation as they cut fallen trees into timbers for a new sign. The most challenging section was at the falls where the bank is steep and ropes are in place to help hikers manage the slope. The bottom section is closed off due to erosion and it did look like you could get sucked right into the muck. We rappelled down the section where thankfully there were knots along the rope to help with control. And we were glad to have our walking poles for the elevation changes and the many roots and rocks on the path. We hiked 5.75 km round trip and felt great – until we went to get out of the car at home and found we had stiffened up a bit. Thank goodness for hot tubs!

Again thinking of fossils, I decided (after many years of thinking about it), to go looking for Vancouver Island fossils in the wild. I have long admired Graham Beard’s collection at Qualicum Beach Museum. So, when a Facebook ad popped up offering guided tours along Trent and Puntledge River near Courtenay, I immediately booked an outing with Comox Valley Fossil Adventures. My guide, Russ, advised me to wear tall rubber boots for walking in the river and to be prepared to get wet and dirty. He would bring the hammers and the band-aids. I was a little nervous about walking through the river but the anticipation of finding something that nobody else had ever seen was pretty compelling.

Ammonite fossil. Ammonites were squid-like creatures with a hard, coiled shell. This species lived during the Jurassic period, approximately 150 million years ago and had a shell diameter of up to 1.4 m.

Once at the river I spent an enjoyable few hours learning to look for concretions, those oval shaped rocks in shale beds where you may or may not find a fossil. Concretions come in all sizes from that of a walnut to several inches across, and larger. I learned how to safely use the rock hammer to crack them open – no band-aids needed after all. Inside, we discovered impressions of shells, crab claws and other creatures with Latin names I’ll never remember. The shale itself was fascinating, so fragile and amazing as it crumbles.

Rock hammer

It really helped to know where to go, how to stay safe, and what to look for. At one point Russ pointed out a thin, curved piece of rock just barely sticking out of some shale and after carefully excavating, it turned out to be an ammonite! It was thrilling to find all these treasures just walking up the river. I learned about responsible collecting and was given a sneak peak at a large turtle fossil. It had been reported by my guide and will soon to be excavated by Royal BC Museum staff... apparently, water levels will be critical for this exercise.

The hike involved only one steep hill, an “interesting” ladder, rushing water, some slimy rocks, and the satisfaction that although the water came very close to going over the top of my boots, it didn’t. I was so caught up in the experience, I forgot to take many photos.

On the way home my mind was racing, as I thought about which adventures I want to take on next. I’ m no longer feeling old. It’s time for me to shortlist my adventure ideas and with the weather changing, I’m ditching the down and breaking out the Gortex. I’m also debating new hiking boots…

NATURAL HISTORY OF VANCOUVER ISLAND

A primary draw to Qualicum Beach Museum centres around its paleontology exhibit, a collection assembled and curated by the internationally known fossil collector and researcher, Graham Beard, in conjunction with Vancouver Island Paleontology Museum Society. Vancouver Island is recognized as one of the best fossil collection areas in the world and Beard’s many years spent exploring these rich fossil beds has resulted in a vast collection of more than 20,000 pieces. The museum’s palaeontology exhibit is one of world-class stature, recognized by palaeontologists from all over the world. "Natural History," Qualicum Beach Museum. qbmuseum.ca/natural-history