News & Photos - November 2008
Rainforest in the Rain
Current Location: Site 29, Duncan RV Park,
Duncan, British Columbia
Dates: Nov 1-4, 2008
Services: E/W; Cost: $25.00;
Nights: 3
Despite the daily rains, I headed west on Highway 18 to Lake Cowichan.
This paved highway turns into a rough Forest Service logging road, but
goes around the entire lake. Small campsites are located along its
shores; it's probably a popular place in the summer. This time of
year, it's almost deserted. Although many of the commercial campgrounds
are open year-round, tourist attractions like the BC Forest Discovery Centre
are closed until spring.
Raining Among the Cedars
Current Location: Site 12,
Brannen Lake Campsite,
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Dates: Nov 4-7, 2008
Services: E/W/S/WiFi;
Cost: $22.50 (Club discount: 10%);
Nights: 3
This is a strange park — although the park is open year-round,
the office is closed for the winter and there isn't a park manager
on-site. Similar to provincial parks, payment is self-serve (money
left in a vault). Several sites are occupied by year-round residents,
but I seem to be the only short-term visitor here.
Oddly, there doesn't seem to be much to do in this area —
Petroglyph Prov. Park was small and disappointing, and there appears
to be no road access into either Benson Creek Falls Regional Park or
Arbutus Grove Prov. Park.
Rain and Rivers
Current Location: Site 5, Nanoose Creek Campground,
Nanoose Bay, British Columbia
Dates: Nov 7-11, 2008
Services: E/W/WiFi; Cost: $20.00;
Nights: 4
This is another small quiet campground set among huge trees. Just
north in Parksville is Englishman River Falls Prov. Park, where a river
seems to disappear into a crack in the rock. Down-river, Englishman
River Regional Park is the start of a small hiking trail into town.
Tall and Twisted Trees
Current Location: Site 13, Redford Motor Inn and RV Campground,
Port Alberni, British Columbia
Dates: Nov 11-13, 2008
Services: E/W/WiFi; Cost: $28.75;
Nights: 2
Port Alberni is half way across the island, and is a good access to
several nearby provincial parks. Nearby is
MacMillan/Cathedral Grove park, with some of the largest old-growth
forest in the area — some more than 800 years old. A severe wind
storm in 1997 toppled hundreds of trees, but many are still standing,
and are filling in the gaps.
Down the road is
Little Qualicum Falls, which has 2 waterfalls on the Little
Qualicum River. The park contains a few Arbutus trees, which lose
their bark every year. These trees grow in very rugged conditions, and
are often twisted in bizarre shapes.
Hiking in the Rain
Current Location: Site 29,
Bella Pacifica Campground,
Tofino, British Columbia
Dates: Nov 13-16, 2008
Services: E/W/S; Cost: $29.00;
Nights: 3
West of Port Alberni, the highway becomes narrow and winding as it
climbs several mountain passes. Although much lower in elevation than
the Rocky Mountain passes, this road doesn't receive the same number of
visitors, and therefore does not get as much maintenance. At the end of
a long road with few other cars and no services, Tofino is clearly a
tourist town, with numerous surf shops, restaurants and spas. The
constant rain and the late time of year means that the campground is
almost empty, with just the roar of the ocean and the rain on the roof
to keep me company.
Nearby Pacific Rim National Park has a handful of small trails which
explore the rainforest or lead down to the coast. The shore consists
of sandy beaches and quiet inlets, surrounded by steep rocky hills.
A Break in the Weather
Current Location: Site 16,
Island West
Resort,
Ucluelet, British Columbia
Dates: Nov 16-21, 2008
Services: E/W/S/WiFi; Cost: $23.10;
Nights: 5
Most of the campsites here are on a small cliff, overlooking the
harbour. A few small fishing boats are tied up at the dock; not much
is happening this time of year. With the busy tourist season over, the
beaches are empty, except for the crashing of the waves. Ucluelet
seems to be more of a fishing village and less of a tourist attraction
than Tofino.
Two days of sunshine gave me the opportunity to do more photography,
including re-visiting some trails that I had previously hiked in the
rain.
Alone in the Storm
Current Location: Site 22,
Toquart Bay
Campground,
Port Albion, British Columbia
Dates: Nov 21-24, 2008
Services: None; Cost: Free;
Nights: 3
This is a very unusual place — Forest Service campgrounds are
usually very small (with only room for a few tents) and have very poor
access, on steep and narrow gravel logging roads. In 2001, this
campground received a huge upgrade; it now has a marina and over 80
campsites, including room for the largest RVs. Although the 16 km
logging road is gravel, it is wide and well-maintained with very few
hills. An overnight stay usually costs $12 here, but the fees are not
collected at this time of year. As you might expect from a campground
with no services and a remote location, I was the only person camping
here! A large storm to the north of Vancouver Island brought lots of
rain and high winds. The trailer was shaking for most of the day, but
there were no large trees in the area which might fall down in the
storm. By the first evening, the wind had died down; the next day was
mostly sunny. Away from all of Ontario's light pollution, the night
sky was filled with an amazing number of stars! Although I was
planning on staying only one night, the peacefulness of the area
convinced me to stay longer.
Errand Stop
Current Location: Site 57,
Riverside Resort Motel &
Campground,
Qualicum Beach, British Columbia
Dates: Nov 24-26, 2008
Services: E/W/WiFi; Cost: $21.00;
Nights: 2
I saw most of the tourist attractions in this area before I went to
Tofino; I'm just staying here for a few days to catch up on errands
such as groceries, oil change, veterinarian, bank, etc.
Watching the Waves
Current Location: Site 2,
Saratoga Beach
Resort,
Black Creek, British Columbia
Dates: Nov 26-30, 2008
Services: E/W/S/WiFi; Cost: $21.00;
Nights: 4
This is a small (30 site) RV park located in a resort area, between
Campbell River and Courtenay. I managed to get a nice site, facing the
Strait of Georgia. Although the weather was rainy during my stay
here, it looks like this place would have some beautiful sunrises if
the weather cleared.
