Subject: Vancouver Island
Hello all,
We stayed exactly three weeks on Vancouver Island. Just took the ferry back to mainland B.C. yesterday afternoon. Which, by the way, was the rainiest day on record for the entire month of August in known history in these parts. Great day to travel.....also the reason why we did travel. The weather was getting to us. But all in all we had a great time on the island and I, for one, really look forward to the next time we get to visit this beautiful place.
After leaving Barkley Sound we camped in Parksville where I think I last did email to you all. We tried, in vane, to get together with Dave and Eddylee who were close by but our schdules didn't mesh. We're going to try and catch up with them in Anacortes later. We did see Kyra (and her buddy/dog Archie) up in Campbell River. She showed us this great dockside fish and chip place and we all enjoyed. Roger was helping a distressed neighbor that day but we caught up with them again on our way back through Black Creek where they live.
We stayed at a provencial park called Kitty Coleman that so many locals had told us about. It was right on the bay and a real find. No signs to say how to get there....makes you wonder. Only locals around.......hummmm. I think they want to keep it a secret!!! Can't say as I blame them.
We headed up north to Port McNeil. What a cute town. There was so much to do and see up there but much of it was weather dependent so we didn't do a lot. We stayed at a private park and looked right out at the tip of Malcolm Island. The cruise ships go by and we were allowed a campfire and though it was cool, it was enjoyable. There is a province wide campfire ban but this place was on native property and they were allowing fires with restrictions. Mike lives for campfires. And, for once, we had a ton of wood.
Then we drove the about 40 miles out to the west coast to San Josef Bay. It's a logging road but in pretty good shape though dirty of course. We camped near the trailhead to the bay, which is about a two mile walk on a very good trail. This same trail branches off to the Cape Scott trail. San Josef Bay is only ten miles from Cape Scott though the trail is about twenty. Cape Scott is the northwesternmost tip of Vancouver Island and a wild and beautiful place. It was fun to be out in such a remote area. And though it was drizzly and cool, the hike was beautiful. Amazing fungus and trees....a real rain forest. The beach is huge and has caves and rock croppings that are unique and hardly any people. The campground was in the thickest forest imaginable and very wet and dark. Creepy but fun. The guy who owns it wants us to send him a postcard from Hawaii. He kept saying how lucky we are to live there. He's correct, of course.
On the road to San Josef there is a tree called the "tree of soles". It's supposed to be shoes that have made the trail to Cape Scott. There are so many shoes, unbelievable. But some were baby shoes so I'm thinkin' not all those shoes made the trip.
We visited Port Hardy, which is as far as you can go on a paved road. It's also where you can catch the ferry up to Prince Rupert. It's an eighteen hour trip and we're looking at the possibility of taking a ferry in or out or Prince Rupert as part of our Alaska trip next year. I've lots of homework to do to try and figure out the possibilities.
Telegraph Cove was a cute little cove and we had to at least go see it. Mostly we washed the mud off the truck and camper from our logging road experience in the rain....and did laundry! We were chastised for not visiting the museum while we were there so perhaps we'd better be sure and do that in the future for sure.
We headed south and wound up in Kelsey Bay which is right on the Johnstone Strait half way down (or up depending on how you look at it.) We were right next to a small, picturesque dock and we watched several cruise ships go by during our two night stay. Rainy and cold a lot of the time. We're getting a little sick of this weather and not being able to have a campfire. So we headed a little south again and drove about ten miles off into the logging roads again to a place called Stella Lake. Pretty place but real windy and cold....no fires allowed. Getting discouraged.
On our way out next day, just about two miles from the highway, we're driving along and hear some guy hollar "Help Me" off in the woods. Can't see a thing...not sure what to do. Just then another car came up the road with two guys and we stopped them and all walked to where we'd heard this cry for help. There is a car completely turned over down the bank (pretty steep) and in the thick trees. Two guys are walking around and there is a third person, a female, in the car with a possible head wound. The other guys stayed there and we drove down to the main highway to try and get someone to call the RCMP. No phone service. We stopped a truck that had a radio and they were able to get someone to call the authorities so we waited for them to arrive.
Meanwhile, this truck comes down from the direction of the accident and asks us if we're the one's waiting for the ambulance, etc. So we get to talking. Hawaii license plates insure that everyone wants to know how we got the camper here from there, if we have waterwings, how does that thing float, what the heck are we doing in Canada if we live in Hawaii?, etc. Anyway, they asked us if we'd been fishing and we said no license. They asked if we wanted a sockeye? Well, duh! Of course. So they gave us this nice sockeye salmon that they had caught the day before. Wow. They said they go to the States a lot and the people are always to nice to them so they wanted to do something nice in return. Boy is it ever tasty!!
So then this motorhome comes down the hill with the driver of the car that's in the ditch and his dog! And drops them off. The guy is a complete slob, drunk, loudmouth, not too bright 21 year old. He told us about all the accidents he's been in and all his broken bones. He said this was the second accident this week, if you can believe anything he said at all. Oh well, at least we got a fish, we're thinking and he'll be gone soon. So he decides that he's now worried about the hurt girl and wants us to give him a ride back of the hill. We were told to wait for the ambulance so didn't really want to.....he says "she can stay here and they'll bring her up". What an idiot. Luckily the ambulance showed up just then and took him but we had to take the dog. Nice dog....not really his fault in any way. Just damned dirty and it was totally lame of the guy to come down and to bring the dog in the first place. Oh well.....we did get a fish!
After the dog delivery two RCMP cars showed up. We were excused and had to share the logging road with two full on fire trucks on our way out. But, that salmon was worth the experience. I think the dude was in big trouble cause I heard the mounty asking how much he'd had to drink......it was obvious the guy thrived on negative attention. Hope the girl is okay......
So then we headed down toward Campbell River once again. We stayed a second time at Elk Falls Provincial Park.....in the rain with no fires still. Hopefully that will change soon since it has rained a bunch.
We were in touch with Roger and Kyra and our last night on the island was spent at their home for dinner and good company. We enjoyed them so much in Mexico when we met and it was very fun to be able to visit their home and talk, talk, talk. They live out in the country a ways and their house is wonderful. It's a magical little cottage but has lots of extra bedrooms so not so small actually. It's full of things they've collected in their travels and I loved it! They built a large outdoor covered patio with one of those cool outside heaters that was the perfect place to hang out and chat into the night. Thanks you two....
Rained like crazy all the next day, yesterday, so we're now in partical sun and thinking of where to head. It's noon and check out time so I'm outta here....
Til the next time,
Gayle and Mike (he's pacing and ready to start the engine)
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