BRITISH COLUMBIA
Author: Lois Olive Gray
Photos: Kay Ellen Gilmour, MD
Photo Website: kaygilmour.Smugmug.com
VANCOUVER ISLAND FACTS
The island is the 11th largest in Canada and is part of the province of British Columbia on the Pacific Coast of the country. 748,937 people live in this space of 12,407 square miles, measuring 290 miles long and 50 miles wide, with the majority in and around Victoria. Somewhat confusingly, Vancouver is the capital of British Columbia while Victoria is the largest settlement on Vancouver Island. The two "V" named towns are but a 12 minute flight from each other across the Strait of Georgia.
The interior of the island is rugged with mountains and fast-moving rivers and deep permanent swamps, so most of the people live along the beautiful coastlines. The beaches are boulder- strewn with backdrops of thick dark forests reaching down to the water. There are jagged cuts into the land with very abyssal waters that can be accurately dubbed fjords, recalling similar scenes along the coast of Norway. The highest point on the island is the Golden Hind at 7201 feet, but we never went there.
In another interesting "echoing", there is a Mount Washington near the center of the island but it is not named for our first President George. Instead, its name honors Rear Admiral John Washington who was a British Royal Naval officer who helped map Vancouver Island. The mountain is 5220 ft. compared with New Hampshire's Mt. Washington at 6289 ft. There is a ski resort on the shoulder of Canada's Mt. Washington but the resort shares the land and more of the mountain with one of North America's most endangered mammals the Vancouver Island Marmot (we were never fortunate enough to see one for ourselves).
Though the Island is known for its heavy rainfall yearly, we were blessed with chilly temperatures and skies of clearest blue with magical cloud formations. We had expected a significant bird population with variety as well as numbers but we were disappointed in that hope. During our visit, the most birds we saw were Northern Robins. Now we are not scorning that iconic harbinger of spring for North America, but we thought we would see rarer species and perhaps even some indigenous specimens. We were shocked to see so many bald eagles though, probably the greatest concentration of our national bird any of us had ever seen.
We tried many of the island's parks and trails and found them challenging and yet completely captivating. If we had a complaint about any of them, it was that the signage on some was often uninformative or, even more frustrating, non-existent. Even the better of the trails usually did not include distances. When a visitor is on a time-tight schedule, it is helpful to know how long a trail is so that the time the walk will take can be calculated. We might have taken a couple of walks that we avoided had we known the length of the trail.
ITINERARY
JUNE 8: VICTORIA
Since all four of us had been in Victoria before, we did no real sightseeing in the city. Instead we went to world famous Butchart Gardens to see what flowers were on display at this time of year. We had a perfect day to walk among the dazzling floral displays every color imaginable was available for photos and ooohs and aaahs from everyone.
The sky overhead was brilliant and clear blue with pretty white cottony clouds overhead. The air was crisp and beckoned us outside for a great visit. The Gardens did not disappoint-the beds and displays were manicured expertly and the colors were riotously flamboyant and the water features mesmerizing. These famous gardens deserve their fame whatever the season.
Leaving the Gardens we saw a sign for the Victoria Butterfly Garden on the same street that would take us back to the lovely Oak Bay Beach Resort, so we stopped there too. Of course, here the colorful "flowers" were flitting and flying all around us rather than sitting demurely in their beds. We particularly enjoyed the giant Owl Butterfly and the incandescent Morpho Butterfly with his iridescent royal blue wings. Signage in the Garden was witty and informative making it an interesting place for adults and kids.
JUNE 9: SOOKE AREA (SW OF VICTORIA)
Today we began our hiking exploration of the island, driving southwest of Victoria to the area called Sooke. Our first tentative walk was short but inspirational. We stopped at a small salmon restoration area where the hardworking conservationists had created an unobtrusive pebble path through the small reserve. Good signage there educated us on what was being attempted at the reserve, opening creeks and waterways for the young salmon to thrive before their return to the sea. These are wild salmon being encouraged to return to former nurseries. We approved the efforts of these dedicated people and hope the giant trees shading the clear creeks call the salmon home.
Our next stop was the Sooke Potholes Provincial Park where we tried several hikes and found all of them really beautifully kept forest trails wandering past interesting stone formations and potholes filled with limpid waters and one even led to a pretty beach where huge driftwood logs guarded the approach to the sands. On the walk we saw a couple of wonderful stumps with new growth sprouting from their flat surfaces, looking like friendly gargoyles. Witty folks had put white stones in holes no doubt created by busy woodpeckers completing the "faces" of these "tree critters" by making eyes in the right places.
These walks provided our first education about the worth of huge fallen trees to the forest floor even after they "died.” We saw that they are not "dead & gone" at all. The logs become what is termed "nurse logs" where they nurture new growth all along their length. We had observed part of this phenomenon in our own temperate forests in the USA. What was new to us here is that the logs also become platforms for their descendants which start on the upside of the log and then send their strong serpentine roots down along the log sides into the ground giving themselves a sturdy support so they can grow into behemoth-sized trees themselves. It reminded all of us of how the trees have used the temples of Angkor Wat in the same way, coiling and pretzeling themselves down the temple walls, through the arches, and windows until it is difficult to see the original structures. All over Vancouver Island on all our walks we saw this method of regrowth in the forests repeat itself over and over.
A nearby park, the Jordan River Regional Park Reserve, immediately re-enforced this lesson learned just on a hike before. We took a longer hike to another beautiful beach, this one with waterfalls spilling over the rocks as we wandered through. The forest here demonstrated the same wonderful rebirth of the downed forest grandfathers and grandmothers. This beach is called Sandcut and it too displayed those enormous driftwood logs scattered all over its expanse. We could only imagine how powerful the tides had to be to bring in those immensely weighty logs, tossing them like pick-up sticks randomly all over the beach.
JUNE 10: COWICHAN BAY
Goldstream Provincial Park and the Cowichan Valley Trail with its historic wooden train Kinsol Trestle were our goals while we stayed in the small town of Cowichan Bay. We were elated with the beautiful falls in Goldstream and the breathtaking and scarily high trestle on the Valley Trail.
To reach the Falls in the Goldstream we walked under a concrete tunnel and along a riverbed (dry at the time) picking our way among some sizeable boulders that the waters of Goldstream and the Falls had distributed there. We all like waterfalls, no matter how small or how powerful. This fall was generously well watered and fell into a lovely dark emerald green plunge pool surrounded by steep and slippery rock walls.
The falls might have claimed our attentions longer than they did but a group of young people, both girls and boys, showed up and started daring one another to more and more dangerous escapades starting with leaping into the frigid plunge pool fueled by screams and shouts. That wasn't too much, they were having fun and probably endangering nothing more than any future progeny they hoped for.
But when one young woman decided to climb the moss-covered precarious walls the situation became a lot more fraught. When she slipped down, bouncing into the pool, we got more nervous. And when she decided to climb again reaching for a higher perch, we decided to leave the scene immediately before we had to intervene either with remonstrance or emergency first aid.
Our hike along the Cowichan Valley Trail began to impress upon us a truth which we were trying to deny. There are not many birds in these woods. Robins in huge numbers and eagles too, but other songbirds were conspicuously absent. Even when we could hear some twittering in the trees, it was nearly impossible to spot them, much less camera-catch them. Crows, Ravens, Hummingbirds and Steller Jays appeared throughout the trip but not much else in the avian community.
Steller Jay
Dan & Kay did manage to snag some pictures of smaller birds, but not without patient and determined searching. Vancouver Island in June is not a birder's paradise. We made our peace with the situation but it was surprising and disappointing.
The Kinsol Trestle deserves at least a short mention because it is very impressive at 144 feet high and 617 ft. Long. It is often called the Koksilah River Trestle because it spans that watercourse with a spectacular overview. The structure was completed in 1920 and it is still
one of the highest railroad trestles in the world. Even more amazing it was erected by trainmen and loggers rather than professional bridge builders. Though no longer needed for commercial purposes, it continues to live a useful life by providing an interesting section of the lovely Cowichan Valley Trail rather like the new life the trees are afforded after they fall out of the forest canopy and crisscross the forest floor.
JUNE 11: NANAIMO DISTRICT
Little Qualicum Provincial Park was the first goal on this day as we drove westerly towards our night's stay in Ucluelet. The park is quite lovely with its centerpiece the rushing, brawling falls it's named for. The waters are clear and green when they pool. Cliffs are high and steep (no climbing here) and there are undisturbed tree giants that make a hiker think of Tolkein/Jackson "ents.” We enjoyed the walk and the views of the abundant cascades of this river. A much appreciated stop indeed.
On our way to Ucluelet, we stopped at Sproat Lake for lunch
We brought sandwiches with us and a look at the ancient petroglyphs at the end of one trail.
It has a large lake with attractive shores and forests. Experts agree that the petroglyphs are ancient and that they probably depict marine mammals, but there is no agreement as to which people may have carved them.
We liked the walk to the stones on the lakeshore but none of us could be sure what the carvings actually represented since they are very much worn. We did think we could agree that one at least was a fish or whale or orca.
JUNE 12: UCLUELET & TOFINO
The Terrace Beach Resort was one of our favorite stops because we had wonderful birding right off the deck of the main lodge. Lois & Kay had a room that opened onto the deck while Dan & Micki had a wonderful cabin down on the shore so they had to walk up to the deck to watch the bird show. But their walk was worth it.
Right out of our door, we could look at the top of a very high pine tree wherein a huge eagle nest rested in a central crotch. Mother and Dad worked hard feeding their nearly grown eaglet. He was old enough that sometimes he was left on his own while they foraged for his next meal, but usually one of the parents was very nearby. The local ravens resented this domestic scene mightily and constantly "mobbed" whichever eagle was sitting outside the next. They would swoop and dive at the eagle's head sometimes appearing to grab a feather. The eagles complained bitterly & loudly in their oddly highpitched screeches but never fought back. After tolerating as much of this mayhem as they could tolerate, the adult eagle would totter down into the nest to await the other parent.
As hard as the eagles might appear to be working, their labors paled in comparison with the little hummingbird who had the tiniest little nest at our end of the deck in a fir tree on a very low branch. Her eggs had not yet hatched but she had to leave them untended many times a day while she flitted about fulfilling her own energy demands. Hummingbirds have to eat very often because their metabolisms are set so high. Mother Nature only knows how the mother hummer will satisfy the food demands of her chicks once they hatch. The
owner of Terrace Beach thoughtfully kept hanging baskets with tubular flowers all over the decking of the facility so the overworked little Mom did not have far to go to find appropriate flowering nectar sources.We drove to Tofino from Ucluelet one day to taste the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve by taking several hikes in the Park. We took a beautiful rainforest trail that was almost entirely on boardwalks since there is so much water on the ground. There were two loops of the trail divided by a paved road through the park. The many steps up and down were challenging but the close and dark forest was worth the. effort
BOG TRAIL
Another special trail (totally different from the rainforest loops) was the Bog Walk which was also on a boardwalk but almost totally out in the open. The walkway was completely flat so there was no difficulty in walking it, but we were beginning to realize that though the mornings could begin with chilly temperatures, out in the sunshine it could become warm and we found ourselves removing layers of clothing as the walk progressed. However, we were glad to see a completely different terrain after so many forest walks.
Our last walk in the Tofino vicinity turned out to be a real treat: though it began in another forest walk, it ended on scenic South Beach where we walked a long while. However, what made this walk so rewarding was watching an adult eagle on the sand trying to free itself from a very long "train" of seaweed wrapped in its talons
SPOILER ALERT: The story ends well or I would not be telling it here. The eagle stomped his feet up and down, twisted his legs, plucked at the offending vegetation with his fierce and strong beak. Gradually some of the seaweed fell off the main train and the eagle essayed an attempt at rising in the air but the "train" was still heavy and he could not get enough lift to leave the sand. More of his antics finally freed him from the greater part of the tangle and he was able to spread his enormous wings and take to the sky with the now thin burden trailing along behind him like an unwanted and embarrassing banner.
We continued to observe him, now up on a high branch over the beach, still working at the trap. He finally completely freed himself and flew away insouciantly free and soaring in the great blue dome over our heads. What a beautiful figure he made!
JUNE 13: COURTENAY & THE COMOX VALLEY
We stayed in a very nice golf community resort in Courtenay for 3 nights as it turned out and enjoyed the area's sights and amenities very much. Our first hike turned out to be funny. We drove to the Seal Bay Trail thinking we would walk to the beach where we had been told that we might see Harbor Seals lounging on the beach. However, the trail sign disabused us of that thought since seals do not usually hang out there during June. The sign indicated that there was a swamp trail across the street from where we were parked, so we opted for that suggestion and plunged into the dense forest and began walking on a nice flat and easy path. We walked and walked and walked and didn't seem to be getting anywhere that looked like a swamp/marsh. Suddenly two really large dogs lunged against a chain-link fence and barked at us ferociously. Now we were fairly certain that we had taken a wrong turn somewhere though there had not been any turns on this arrow-straight path. Unsure and tentative, we walked a little further on and came upon a residence with a fellow working in his backyard. He told us that we were definitely on the wrong trail though if we kept walking in the same direction we could finally come to another city street with some signs that would direct us back onto the correct trail. However, by now, we weren't really interested and decided to just turn around and return to where our car (A comfortable Dodge Caravan SUV) was parked. When we emerged onto the street across from the parking lot, we realized that we had started out on the wrong trail altogether! The correct entrance was up the street just a few feet where we dashed into the forest. Too bad, no swamp for that day and no seals either.
JUNE 14: STRATHCONA NATIONAL PARK (COMOX VALLEY)
Today we walked many miles almost all of them wonderful the last couple were boring and we were tired and ready to be back at the car. Our walk was in Paradise Meadows on the slopes of Mt. Washington. Again, the day was perfect in every way cool but not chilly, porcelain blue skies, lots of wild flowers.
The majority of the walk is on boardwalks that are well maintained and flat so the walking was easy. We were so hoping to see elk in the meadows or at least deer, but we had to be satisfied with a red squirrel and a crazy Steller Jay who posed so contortedly that until he finally decided to fly away, we thought he might be neurologically injured or sick. Nonetheless, the walk was exhilarating until we were pulled back into a stony and uphill forest walk to end the Paradise Meadows Trail back at the parking lot.
As we drove away, however, we saw a woman parked by the side of the road with a big camera trained on the cliffs above. So, of course, we stopped behind her. Just to ascertain if she needed any help, you see? We weren't stalking her or trying to horn in on her wildlife moment. She was a good sport and pointed to a tiny fawn huddled against some warm enclosing boulders below the cliff above the road. It was sleeping and obeying mother who had obviously left it there to wait for her return. We took unobtrusive pictures of the tiny creature and left the scene. The lady indicated she was waiting to make sure that mother returned, so we figured 5 people would be scarier to Mom than just one lady.
Later in the evening, we walked around the empty golf course where we were staying at the Crown Isle and discovered some wildlife to photograph, deer and bunnies. Guess these critters come out to play on the fairways when the golfers retreat to the 19th hole for drinks and dinner. We were grateful that they showed themselves to us.
JUNE 15: OYSTER RIVER NATURE PARK (COMOX VALLEY)
This streamside trail is a city project and afforded many pleasures, not least of which was the glimpses of the chuckling and splashing little Oyster River as we strolled along the path in the rather thin forest lining the river. There were little flowers to be spied in the underbrush, deep green ferns with their fiddlebacks curling up at our passing legs, swaying horsehair reeds standing tall in our wake.
Friendly townspeople were also enjoying the path with their friends and their happy dogs sniffing everywhere and wagging their merry tails. Short conversational snippets about the weather, the unusually soft and pretty day, satisfactions of walking in the outdoors made the visit more pleasurable. The narrow strand of sand beach was easy to explore, like looking for different stones and watching for birds (few were in sight) like a lone egret standing one- leggedly in the surf. Dan scored a coup when he captured a photo of a redbreasted flicker who futilely tried to elude this very determined photographer. Kay was thwarted, not by the bird's evasive techniques, but by two little white-bonneted girls who chose her moment of chance to come running & chattering towards her! Away flew the by now exasperated flicker.
Our afternoon saw us at Elk Falls Provisional Park including the John Hart Generating Station. Elk Falls is mighty indeed and quite spectacular in its power.
We took the walk towards the Falls which also leads the walker across the generating station tanks on an aluminum bridge and onto the gravel path and up and down the many wooden steps to the Falls itself. All the viewpoints along the boardwalk are impressive because of the tumult of water vaulting over the steep cliffs down into the plunge pool. This was surely one of the most exhilarating walks we took. We were only disappointed to find the Visitor Center to the Hart Generating Station closed; we would have liked to learn more about this big project and how it works. But alas we had enjoyed the paths leading deeper in the forest after we left the Falls site too long.
JUNE 16: PORT MCNEILL
We arrived at Hidden Cove Lodge at Port McNeill too late to do much except explore the grounds before the sumptuous supper we were served in the Dining Room. We saw hummers on the deck of the main lodge as well cheeky Steller Jays. There were also three species of hummers coming to the feeders providing easy "shoots" for the photographers. The Lodge is situated on Johnstone Strait off the Pacific and offers terrific ocean views and chances to see dolphins in the waters and mammals in the surrounding forests.
Tide Rip Grizzly Tours picked us up at our lodge's own pier and provided our entertainment for the entire day. We boarded their small but comfortable boat at 6:50 a.m. and we headed out to search for the true symbol of North American wilderness: the Grizzly Bear. Our ride out to the "grizzly grounds" took about two hours but on the way we saw some early arriving humpback whales and a rarer sight: several Rhinoceros Auklets. Jolly appearing little seabirds that look like a cross between a macaroni penguin and a puffin.
Not bored at all, we were happy to reach the likely spotting areas for bears. It didn't take very long for us to see our first beauty a fine looking black bear eating his way along the shore. His pelt glistened in the sunlight and he looked very sleek and healthy obviously on his quest to lay on enough fat to get him through this winter's hibernation.
Soon enough, we spotted another of his kindred another black beauty. Faces so different from grizzly visages but still feral looking. No hump at his shoulders and no concavity to his long snout.
Next appeared to our wonder-filled eyes a mother grizzly and her 3-4 month old cub.
She was brownish gold and the cub was lighter with a very white face filled with the innocence and beauty of infancy exploring and copying his mother but staying very close to her always even with the whole world to discover. This tour was perfect in that there was no hurry to move on in search of something more instead we sat and watched the bear pair for at least 45 minutes or an hour until they wandered off into the deeper woods behind the beach sand.
Soon after, we saw the "movie star" of this area the grizzly female named Bella.
She is getting on in years and did not produce a cub this last breeding season so she was alone on the beach, grazing leisurely but looking a bit tattered in her molting state and a little thin not having gained much weight since she emerged from hibernation. But what about her "stardom"? Bella was the star of the Disney movie of 2014 called BEARS. Supposedly set in Alaska, it was actually shot here on Vancouver Island with Bella as the movie diva. Oddly enough, a friend and I had gone to see the movie but had had to leave it because it seemed that the story writers thought that constant menacing of the bears and cubs was required to generate interest among moviegoers we disagreed and could not take the tension despite the fascinating topic and the beautiful photography. It was good to see Bella in a safe place without artificial or real menaces around her.
Our trip home was interrupted but made marvelous by the appearance of a pod of orcas (killer whales) disporting themselves right in front of our little vessel.
They were “porposising," jumping up out of the water, rolling and playing, showing their flukes constantly and, incredibly, one of them actually breeched completely out of the water. Equally incredibly, both Kay and Dan missed that shot and were disconsolate over their failure for the rest of the trip. What a show and the orcas were just having fun in the wild without any human intervention, even though their performance looked as if it had been choreographed by Balanchine. But then, they don't need human choreography. Sea World let your orcas go!
JUNE 18: MALCOLM ISLAND OFF PORT MCNEILL
This day dawned overcast and drippy so we decided to don our rain gear and take the short ferry ride over to Malcolm Island to explore that lonely outpost. The very friendly ferry ticket master told us to be sure to eat our lunch at a famous hamburger joint where the burgers could not be bested. We drove around the island that is not very exciting, finally reaching a trailhead for the path to Pulteney Point where the last manned lighthouse in Western Canada sits in lonely splendor.
The walk through the woods was short and the beach walk was atmospheric as the mists gently settled on our rain jackets. We walked quite a while before the beach curved and there on the point sat the lighthouse and its attached lighthouse keeper's cottage. The property is private so we did not approach the structures very closely.
The tiny hamburger spot (whose name I cannot remember) delivered a good sandwich indeed and even better had an associated dining area where we could sit out the downpour that fell upon us after we placed our orders at the window of the cookhouse portion of the establishment.
We arrived in Port Hardy late in the day and immediately took a walk around the Quatse Estuary.
There we met more friendly dog walkers and saw very familiar Canada geese living where nature originally put them instead of on Florida golf courses and houses on any waters in our own state. Guess their cousins have gotten smart and decided that there's no reason to do all that flying back and forth when they can just become permanent residents of the yearlong warm Sunshine State.
JUNE 19: PORT HARDY
I should have already reported on the surprising but entirely pleasant friendliness of everyone we met on Vancouver Island from fellow trail walkers to servers at restaurants and pubs, to personnel in the properties where we spent the nights, service people of all kinds. Not only were they outgoing and chatty, they had good senses of humor and seemed to enjoy bantering with tourists (even ones from the USA). This quality in the people enriched our visit to their lovely island homes immeasurably. What an unexpected plus!
Equally surprising was the sudden change in some folk's demeanor in Port Hardy decidedly rude, abrupt and uncooperative. Not everyone of course Karen, the very friendly reservation clerk at the Glen Lyon Inn, and Kelly, our first waiter at The Quarterdeck Restaurant, were welcome exceptions to the generally sour humor of many "Port Hardians.” We also met two helpful and amiable walkers on the wonderful Quatse River Loop and Echo Creek walk who revived our admiration for the Vancouver Islanders.
Before we ventured out on this wonderful walk that carried a stark warning that a cougar was known to be in the area (we never caught even a glimpse of her), we enjoyed the mudflats where the tide had receded sharply in front of our motel.
Adult Eagle with Raven Waiting his Turn
That was where we were treated to the sight of more eagles than we ever seen in one place. On every exposed rock and stump (& there were so many) sat an eagle, either an adult or even more juveniles (no white heads yet).
The firing cameras could not keep up with the show no matter how quickly they were urged. We spent a couple of hours just walking up and down the sidewalk in front of the water-bereft tidal flats and were thoroughly enraptured with the scene.
As the tide began to refill the empty finger of sea, the eagles started to fly off to the forest behind the town, so that's when we started out on the Quatse River Loop Trail.
A pleasant walk filled with the frustration of not being able to find any of the few twittering little birds we could hear rustling in the brush and the trees. But the walk was shady and well- manicured and the fragrant odors arising from the fresh tree and shrubbery growth as well as some early spring flowers made our time there thoroughly enjoyable. We would have like to see some sign of the cougar but we are no doubt very lucky that we did not.
One curiosity we observed was proof of the intelligence of crows and ravens. As we returned from the long walk, we watched a big crow drop from a good height a shellfish he had gathered so that it would split open. He watched the traffic, since he had dropped it in the middle of the road, and swooped down when it was safe to recover his prize and flew off with it into a tall pine tree for his lunch. Clever fellow for sure.
Another happy sighting that day was a mink who played among the stumps and darted about the muddy flats and watery ponds looking for his favorite snacks.
He was a rich brown and looked rather like a beaver or an otter, but his head was shaped very differently from those species. He is also marked by white spots on his throat and chin. Apparently, Minks (Mustela Vison) are quite common all over British Columbia but this fellow was the first we had seen and the photographers were delighted for the chance to "shoot”.
JUNE 20: PORT ALICE AND HOLBERG
Shock and disappointment were our reactions when we walked down the road from the Glen Lyon Inn expecting to see a repeat of yesterday morning's eagle show. Although the tide was completely out as before and the same stumps and rocks were ready for perching birds, the whole area was completely empty of birds. We did finally spot one lone juvenile eagle who had chosen a stump for his morning sunning but no others came to join him. We saw a couple of herons but even the mink failed to show up. We walked back to the motel to decide what we wanted to do with the rest of the day and we got a brief but fun mink performance. Right around the rocks beneath the dining room of the Glen Lyon, an adult mink rustled the grasses and appeared on the rocks. He moved nervously and quickly among the half- submerged rocks, obviously checking his "grocery shelves" for something to eat for his breakfast.
In another few minutes, a juvenile mink joined him in the skittering and searching. So maybe the adult's industriousness had not been totally selfish. It looked to us like that young one was still being fed though he was learning how to forage.
After lunch, the afternoon found us riding around on gravel roads to explore two small towns west of Port Hardy: Port Alice and Holberg. Port Alice had been a timber town but it has now fallen on hard times and just a short drive through showed its distress. The population hovers around 805 people. Stores were shuttered, houses and yards were not kept up, and most depressing was the lack of people anywhere to be seen. In fact, the only human being we saw was an elderly man who opened the front door of a down-at-heels general store to peer out at us with deep suspicion. You might have thought he would want to welcome strangers into his place to make a sale or perhaps trade some conversation with outsiders. But his face was not at all friendly or beckoning.
On our way to Port Alice, we did have a piece of half-good luck: the sighting of a mother black bear and her two cubs about to emerge from the forest understory to cross the road. Was the bad luck part because it would have been like having a black cat cross in front of you on a path? No indeed! That none of the three photographers in the car could move quickly enough to snag a picture was the regrettable part of the experience!
Needless to say, we didn't linger long in that sad little city, but decided to take yet another long gravel road trip out to explore Holberg another town way off the coastal tourist roads. Lumbering is also the main reason Holberg exists, but the industry has not yet completely deserted the town and left the citizens in a depression as has happened with Port Alice. It was clear that it is a town on the edge of a potential economic disaster, but the people (only 200 of them by last census count) have not lost their sense of hope. Houses and buildings were of the same vintage as those in Port Alice, but they were being cared for by owners and residents. We saw signs of life on the main street with advertisements for community activities and some live people too.
Our goal in Holberg was to have lunch in the widely advertised Scarlet Ibis Pub & Restaurant! How in the world it remains open was hard to fathom, especially once we realized the local population was so tiny. When we first entered the pub at about 11:30 a.m., we were the only ones there except for the lady who was waitress, cook and cashier but friendly and funny as well. She was obviously content with her role in the town. After we had placed our orders from an unexpectedly full menu, others began to push open the heavy doors and settle themselves in the front room where there was a widescreen TV (we had chosen to sit on the porch away from the television). The new patrons were obviously lumbermen and their families who clearly all knew each other and the bar lady very well. There was much kidding back and forth and good spirits among them all (probably about 12-15 folks).
Later a foursome came in and sat on the porch with us; some were current locals but at least one man was someone who knew the area but no longer lived there and was visiting. There was no conversation between them and the group in the main restaurant but they did talk with us in a friendly manner.
Lots of color from flowers planted around the sign for the Scarlet Ibis created a merry first impression. A huge pile of firewood stacked around the wooden structure created a meaningful contrast with the spring flowers winters must be pretty awesome this far north and inland. Actually all houses had sizeable woodpiles around them in the town. Our friendly, but not very informative, hostess answered our question which she has probably heard a few times before why the name since not a single scarlet ibis has ever been seen in these parts. She said no one knows why the original owner, a rather eccentric lady, never discussed her reason for so naming her establishment. But the name has stuck fast,
The interior of the pub is suitably dark and a little aromatic but with good smells. The counter looks as if it has never been altered in anyway and the furniture looks original too. We were grateful that we could not see into the kitchen area because we did not want to spoil our impression of the tasty food we were served quickly. Perhaps the locals wanted the "furriners" out of their own cozy nook.
Holberg's other claim to fame is its proximity to the beginning the Cape Scott Trail, a favorite hike among locals and visitors to Vancouver Island. Maybe the visits to the Pub from hikers helps sustain the Scarlet Ibis. May she last a hundred years more!
JUNE 21: BC FERRY TO PRINCE RUPERT
Little did we know that our 16-hour ferry ride from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert on the mainland would turn out to be a mini-cruise. We had expected the ferry to be a utilitarian vessel that provided little except transportation for vehicles and people. What a surprise when the ferry turned out to be a new ship designed and outfitted like a cruise ship!
We had previously learned that we could purchase assigned seats for an extra $35 over the cost of the passage, but we did not know we could also reserve a cabin each for just $120 more!
There were two dining areas, several lounges for watching the passing scenery (including the Aurora Lounge where our reserved seats were waiting), a movie theater with two features being shown, an observation deck and of course underneath all that was the vehicle deck which were closed during the cruise except for two chances at retrieving things left in the car. We had no car since we left it in Port Hardy, so that didn't concern us.
Anyway, a ferry passage which we had pretty much dreaded turned out to be a relaxing and completely pleasurable cruise. We had to be at the ferry terminal at 6:30 a.m. and the Northern Adventurer arrived in Prince Rupert about 11:15 p.m., disgorging us to find a taxi to our hotel. Despite some anxiety, getting a cab at that hour was not difficult at all and we ended up checked in and almost in bed by midnight. The cabins gave us space to lock up our luggage that was very helpful since we did not have to drag it around the ship with us or leave one of our number to watch it while others ate, or took pictures, or just dozed in the comfy recliner chairs in the Aurora Lounge.
The 16 hours passed very quickly and comfortably as we used the amenities and explored the new ship with modern appointments and decorations. The food was served buffet style in both restaurants and it was nothing to write home about but it was filling and easily available.
The scenery was spectacular. Whales were seen frequently. See the complete photo album for glimpses of the western coast of Canada in all its glory.
The ship also had a well-supplied gift store that the cashier informed us rather sourly was the "Mall for Prince Rupert.” She added that many residents took the ferry just for the shopping experience since so little was available in Prince Rupert. It was clear that she was very bitter about a scam that had befallen the town of Prince Rupert when a Canadian businessman opened a large factory there, hired many folks in town, help the town grow, and then turned out to be a crook who filed for bankruptcy and fled to the USA, leaving the town high and dry with most workers owed money they would never see and no replacement jobs in the offing. Needless to say, we expected the destitute city to be a larger version of Port Alice. However . . .
Despite the clerk's unhappy story, we did do a little shopping in the gift shop. New rain jackets for three folks, a fanny pack substitute for the fourth of our party. We were lucky in that there was a very good sale going on plus the cash exchange rate was very much in favor of the American dollar over the Canadian.
Of course, when we arrived in Prince Rupert we were all tired and since it was finally dark (sunsets didn't happen until 9 and 10 o'clock in the evening) we really had no impression of the town but we were not disappointed in the Crest Hotel. It was quite comfy even if the
décor was decidedly on the Victorian side with lots of heavy furniture, little geegaws set about, dark in its carpeting and bedding very frew-frewy really. However, that describes the older part of the hotel where Kay & Lois had their room. Micki and Dan requested a suite in the newer part of the dormitory section of the hotel and it was bright and modern and without anyfurbelows.
Our original plan had been to book a second grizzly bear tour for our last day in Prince Rupert, but we got a disappointing surprise when we called about 9:00 to make the reservations. The lady answering the phone reported that the tour was completely booked for the next day. I guess I sounded down and out about the news because she next announced that if we would get to the dock not far from the hotel in 15 minutes there were seats available for today.
I rushed into the hotel dining room, interrupting Micki and Dan's delicious looking breakfast to relay the news. Could they be ready in 15 minutes? Of course they could for grizzly bears! Leaving their meal half-finished, they rushed upstairs as did we. The hotel desk clerk made the reservations for us as we hurriedly readied ourselves for the 5-minute walk to the dock.
Our walk in the merry sunshine revealed what appeared to us to be a vibrant and busy little city. We wondered at the ship shopkeeper's portrait and tried to reconcile it with what we were seeing. The dock was really quite close and we entered the building relieved to see that others were also coming in late. Tickets bought, we boarded the Adventure Tour's large yellow boat to join the other grizzly seekers. This vessel was much bigger than the little boat we explored in back in Port McNeill. It would hold 100+ folks. It was not completely full, thus we could join the tour at the last minute.
The ship had an enclosed main cabin with two toilet facilities at the stern, a lunch bar where drinks could be purchased, and a lunch that came with the ticket price. There were three outside areas from which to watch the scenery and scan the shores for creatures. It was a two- hour sail to the Grizzly Bear Preserve, run jointly by three local First Nation tribes and the British Columbia government We saw a few birds and a lazily spouting humpback whale on the way and lots of rocky and boulder shores with trees meeting them like ladies in straight-cut skirts. Beaches were small when they were present at all. But those sandy spots were where we would be seeing bears, if we saw any.
A welcome critter sighting that occurred before we arrived at grizzly country was a group of harbor seals lounging all over a rocky island we passed.
They were very alert and watched the approaching boat warily. When we reached some spot they found intolerable, they all slipped easily away into the water. But we had a chance to see them well nonetheless before we encroached on their "personal spaces."
At last we reached the reserve boundaries and began searching the shores with greater concentration. Not much time passed before we were rewarded with a marvelous scene a mother grizzly with two cubs, one very young (3-4 months old) the other about a year and half old. Bear young remain with their mothers for about 3 years so it is not unusual for a female to have cubs with her that are not the same age.
The bears were intent on feeding, though the younger one also played around a bit climbing atop large boulders to play "King of the Mountain" to get his Mom's attention which was rather hard to command since she was eating voraciously in preparation for the coming winter. Baby Bear stayed close to her even as he played. The older cub was brave enough to wander away further searching for his own meal.
In fact, he was distant enough from the pair stuck close together that it took some folks a while to realize that there was another bear in the area. Again, we were given plenty of time to observe and photograph this lovely threesome. The baby was much blonder than his Mom and Brother and his little face had the same innocence and sweetness of the first one we had seen during the Port McNeill boat tour we took.
Reluctantly, we felt the boat move away from that shore but we knew it was the right thing to do since the tour operators did not want to stay long enough to disturb the creatures who needed to eat steadily. Not that they paid us or our boat the slightest bit of attention like lions who ignore safari vehicles in Africa.
All told we saw 5 more Grizzlies on this tour worth every minute we spent and every dollar it cost (not much really considering how long the tour was 7 hours). None of the other bears we saw here were very active, except in their determination to eat everything on their diet grasses, barnacles, mussels, and whatever lived in the mudflats.
One large male was the most persistent in his search for food he wandered all over the rather long beach, turned over big boulders with no effort at all. He patrolled his territory tirelessly until at about the same time we were leaving him, he turned to go back into the dark woods.
All the bears we saw during this visit to Vancouver Island seemed healthy but not as big as they will become as the winter approaches. Canadian and Alaskan grizzlies are the largest of the world's populations because their diet is the richest in protein chiefly salmon during the yearly runs of these fish returning from the ocean to their spawning grounds. It is not unusual for a male grizzly in these two areas to achieve weights of 1200 lbs. before hibernation. The grizzlies we observed were waiting impatiently for the yearly salmon run to begun.
AN INTERESTING GRIZZLY FACTOID:
Because a female grizzly (the sow) does not feed, urinate, or defecate during her 3-4 month hibernation period, she is in a race against death, especially if she is pregnant. The wastes of digestion build up in her own body and, if she is pregnant, the embryonic cubs also empty their wastes into her blood stream. Therefore, the babies are expelled in an unformed state (rather like kangaroos) weighing about 500 grams and then they begin to nurse. Now the sow has less toxic waste to deal with, but she is feeding the cubs with her own vital fat stores. Anything which can delay her emergence from the den can further endanger her life. Mother Nature occasionally makes some strange decisions about animal lives.
After we left the reserve, we thought we would just enjoy a lovely ride back to Prince Rupert, but the tour guides had one more surprise for us an eagle feeding. They assured us that the biologists working in the reserve approved of the feeding because the food they threw into the air for the birds to catch was not injurious to them; actually it was healthy since it is protein in the form for meat scraps provided by the local Safeway Store. More important, research into eagle behavior demonstrated that the eagles who joined the feasts did not change their native eating habits and continued to seek their own food.
When we passed one of the First Nation villages (with an unpronounceable name), a recorded voice began calling the not yet visible eagles in imitation of their own cries. Obviously the eagles have been conditioned to expect food when they hear the cry. Suddenly the air was filled with eagles, juvenile and adult, circling the boat and diving towards it. When the meat began to be hurled into the air, the eagles demonstrated their air acrobatics catching most of the pieces before they hit the water.
Once the meat sank, it was lost to them since eagles do not dive into the water for their prey. The feeding show went on about 20-30 minutes and the photographers were as happy as the eagles because they could get such close-ups of faces, fierce focussed eyes, talons, & spread wings. As soon as the meat stopped flying into the air, the eagles quickly dispersed and went on their way. It was quite a show and we enjoyed the performance immensely.
We four were so happy that we had called for reservations early enough to be included on today's tour since our first idea was impossible.
JUNE 23: PRINCE RUPERT
On this last day of our trip, we decided to rest up for the interesting experience we anticipated for the next day. So we all did whatever until time to get together in the Crest Hotel Lobby around 10.00. Then we walked down the street in the direction of city waterfront but stopped at the little museum we had noticed on our hurried dash to the grizzly tour. We thought we could spend an hour or two there to learn something about the history of the First Nation Tribes who lived on this part of the British Columbia coastline.
The Museum is constructed like the tribes build their long houses and it is very attractive on the outside. Inside it is a little treasure with excellent displays and informational signs.
An hour does not make anyone even lightly conversant with the long and convoluted history of these peoples. But we all enjoyed their artistic abilities. They decorated even strictly utilitarian objects such as bowls and spoons with geometric designs and figurative representations of the creatures who lived around them. The ceremonial clothing, masks, aprons, leggings, blankets were intricately worked and quite beautiful. Little figurines, statues, and totems are astonishingly sophisticated and lovely.
The interior of the museum was constructed very attractively too and the lighting on the various exhibits was excellent. There was more history than we could assimilate during our brief visit but we did understand how complicated life was and is for these people with their world view and the modern pressures on their culture and heritage. The very presence of this cultural gem seemed to contradict once again the gloomy picture of Prince Rupert that our sour informant on the ferry had painted of this little city.
After we left the museum, we searched for a lunch spot that might carry some of the flavors of this seaside city and we were directed to a place called "Smiles." It was a rather plain little folksy restaurant but full of patrons. The fish and chips and other seafood dishes were excellent. Service was not particularly quick but then this is a local hangout for lots of people who don't want to be hurried. So here is another business that appeared to be doing well in the supposedly depressed town.
The Adventure Tours Company also seemed to be doing well based on their being completely sold out on one day and their boat was almost full the day we enjoyed the adventure. Granted, we did not explore the suburbs or much off the main street, but again we would find the airport busy, busy, busy!
We shared a good final supper at the dining room of the Crest and discussed the success of this trip to Vancouver Island. We knew we had to be about 5 blocks away at 8:45 a.m. in the morning to catch the bus to the airport. Perhaps I forgot to mention that we had decided to forgo renting a car while in Prince Rupert that also explains why we did not do more extensive explorations of the area. We had been assured that the walk to the bus depot would not take more than 10 minutes but we were also cautioned that we must not be late because the bus leaves promptly at 9:20 a.m. and there wouldn't be another that day.
JUNE 24: LEAVING PRINCE RUPERT
When we arose, we discovered that it had begun to rain and that we would get very wet in our walk to the bus. So an arrangement was made for a taxi pick us up at 9:00 a.m. so we could stay dry before boarding the plane.
This interesting situation obtains for those who would fly in and out of Prince Rupert. The airport is on an offshore island and can only be reached by a car ferry. Prince Rupert is one of two such airports in the world (the other is in Sweden). The price of the air tickets includes the approach to the city airport. You must board that bus and be driven to the ferry port where the bus drives onto the ferry for the 15-minute crossing. After the ferry docks, the bus rolls off and drives the passengers on the rest of the way to the airport. That leg takes another 10-15 minutes. Then you check in, go through security and sit in a waiting area (without a toilet) until the flight is called. If nature calls, you have to get permission to exit the waiting room and then go through security once again.
Our flight was supposed to leave at 11:45 a.m. but it became clear that it was going to be delayed. That was no problem to Micki and Dan since they were getting off in Vancouver City to enjoy a few days there since this was their first visit. But Kay & Lois had a connecting flight to catch that would take them on to Victoria where their return flight
home originated the next day. Well, we figured there was no sense in getting anxious since there would always be the option to take a taxi to the Vancouver to Victoria ferry and then another taxi to our hotel at the Victoria airport.
Well, the plane was late so we began to disembark thinking we would be using one of the alternatives to Victoria we had discussed. Lois got off the plane first, started walking to the waiting area, and suddenly realized that Kay was not behind her. On turning, she saw Micki and Dan laughing and motioning to her to return in their direction. Thinking they just wanted a word before we parted, she started walking back. Between the laughs, they explained that this was the same plane that would take us on to Victoria in a 12 minute flight across the strait. Therefore, no matter how late the flight had been out of Prince Rupert, we would not have missed the connecting one.The Travelodge where we were staying the night was okay but for some strange reason the counter clerk put us at the very end of a very long hall room was satisfactory but because we were so far from the internet router, we had spotty connections that day and most of the evening. But since we had to arise at 4:30 a.m. to catch the hotel shuttle to the airport at 5 a.m. we were ready to turn in early. All went smoothly after that and we got back to Jacksonville exactly on time despite having to take three flight legs to get there. On the San Francisco to Houston leg, we flew in a Dreamliner! Much more roomy and comfortable than the usual economy seats in smaller planes!
It was a great trip in every way!
