February 2, 2010 by Rae

Hot Springs Cove

Well, I just had a completely unexpected amazing day. The wonders of this life never cease.

This morning, I slept in until 9:30 and was enjoying a leisurely breakfast when the manager of the hostel came to me and said that a tour company was trying to put together a trip to Hot Springs Cove and needed one more person to go. Would I be interested for the special rate of $84, taxes included?

Research about this day trip put the cost at close to $150, way out of my price range for this weekend. But $84? When else would I get to stay in Tofino for $20 a night and get to go to the Hot Springs for $84? Never.

So, my plans for the day changed very quickly!!! I only had a half hour to make a lunch (thankfully I had bought supplies last night) and come up with suitable attire since I hadn’t brought a bathing suit (I settled on pyjama shorts and a camisole!). I only had flip flops, which I was warned weren’t going to work out there, so I decided to just go barefoot. The hostel offered to lend me a towel so I wouldn’t have to dirty mine.

The hot springs are located on Vancouver Island, but are only accessible by boat and float plane. Here’s a map:

We went around the other side of Florence island to get to the cove, but came back on the side where you can see the arrows. (Picture from http://www.risingsunkayaks.com/images/Clayoquot/mapclayoquot.jpg)

The boat ride is one to one and a half hours each way, then there is a two kilometre walk up and down a boardwalk to get to the spring. It’s therefore a full day excursion.

We were only four today and everything was in our favour. The smaller group and time of year meant a more leisurely pace, we had the springs to ourselves, and the weather cooperated.

While whales can often be seen on these trips, this was the wrong time of year for that. All we saw were groups of sea otters bobbing on their backs waving their paws at us. Too cute!

The walk through the springs is through the rainforest. We had fun looking at the planks underfoot since they all had the names of ships (why, I didn’t quite catch). At one point, I spotted a board for the Stornoway and dryly commented that it must be the official boat of the opposition. A beat passed and then peals of laughter could be heard ahead of me. I love it when I make a funny. 🙂

The hot springs are nothing like those at Liard, where the springs are highly accessible pools. Here at Hot Springs Cove the springs are completely natural. You have to clamber down rocks and stake a claim in a comfortable spot if you can find one. I hunkered down in one ‘deep’ spot where I could at least be covered to my shoulders while the other lady on the trip preferred to stand under the ‘shower’, while the men moved around.

One really neat thing about these extremely hot springs is that sea water comes up and floods them, so you get a mix of hot and cold water. High tide was coming as we were getting comfy and the waves of cold water coming at us grew larger and larger. At one point, a monster of a wave started to bear down on us. I had no where to go, so I just sucked in a huge breath, closed my eyes, and braced myself so I wouldn’t be slammed against the slimy rocks. A crushing wall of ice-cold water covered me and I just rode it out, figuring the water would subside. It didn’t, so I started to climb to the surface before I needed air. My group was concerned, but there was no reason for that, everything was under control. I am at my best in water, even in less than ideal circumstances.

We had about an hour in the water and twenty minutes or so to have a picnic lunch before we had to head back down to the boat.

Facilities at the Hot Springs include a toilet at both the dock and the springs, as well as large changing rooms. There was no place to store valuables, which was fine today but would have sucked on a day with tons of people there. I can’t even fathom that place overrun with people; it must be so dangerous! Good, waterproof footwear would make the experience more fun, but bare feet are fine if you’re careful and not in a rush.

The weather was so warm that coming out of the springs with bare wet shoulders was no hardship. We did the trip in a covered and heated boat, but the few times I stepped onto the deck for pictures, I was struck by how comfortable we were; I’ve been colder in the middle of San Francisco Bay in late June. We had rain coming into the cove, but nearly clear weather coming out.

that dark spot floating in the water is a sea otter paw!

looking down at the swimming area

you can really see the swimming area in this one; first stop is the ‘shower’ and then you can stake a claim a little lower

looking down towards the swimming area

flat calm between Vancouver Island and Florence Island

you can see the hostel, look for the green roof on the far right side

You can see the hostel quite well in this one.

February 2, 2010 by Rae

Tofino

I’m not sure what to say about Tofino as it really hasn’t made much of an impression on me. It’s a small village of some 1,600 souls which exists at the terminus of highway four (the Pacific Rim Highway). It attracts surfers, nature lovers, and artists. Coming into town, I felt like I was in southern California (Huntington Beach, especially) since every other car had a surfboard strapped to its roof. The main reason to come to Tofino in winter is to see the storms.

February 2, 2010 by Rae

Tofino Evening

I returned home, sopping wet, mid-afternoon changed into dry clothes, and had a late lunch as I uploaded my pictures. That done, it was still too early for dinner, but I was very sleepy, so I decided to head out and see if there were any shops open

Tofino is incredibly compact, so everything is within walking distance. ‘Downtown’ comprises about four square blocks. There is a street called ‘Main’ but the real main street is Campbell Street. I strolled down it until I came to the Mermaid Tales bookshop which had lights blazing. I spent about a half hour browsing the small selection of quality books. I really don’t like to spend full price on books, but having worked in the book business I know how tough it is for independents to compete against the big chains. So, I bought a reasonably priced novel before heading back out; the cashier (possibly the owner?) thanked me for supporting the shop.

I’d been told that the Dockside Pub, on the edge of town, as good nightly specials. I wish I’d known about them last night since they had an all you can eat salmon buffet for only $16. Tonight’s special was $6 burgers (veggie or beef) and $3.50 sleeves. A veggie burger sounded good and would have been a nice frugal dinner, but it sounded so mundane. I decided that I could afford one nice meal on this trip and splurged on the ‘caramelized bourbon salmon’, served with a basmati/wild rice mixture and a nice serving of grilled veggies for a very reasonable $17. Add the sleeve (which turned out to be a wonderful Okanagan pale ale) and a 20% tip and the meal came to an acceptable $27. The salmon was sooooo delicious. 🙂 After seeing the outrageously priced offerings of the other more visible restaurants I was especially grateful to find this place.

Coming home, I stopped at the Co-Op to get lunch fixings for tomorrow and a pint of ice cream for dessert (Ben & Jerry’s half-baked, for those curious about such things 😀 ).

I got in around 7 and planned to spend a couple of hours updating the blog, but I was interrupted by a German gal who had noticed my licence plate and wanted to know if I could tell her anything about Dawson. Much gabbing with her and another gal (the one who greeted me last night) ensued. 🙂

It’s now past eleven and quiet hour has started. Just about everyone has gone to bed but one of my roomies and me who are sitting in the atrium updating folks about our lives. I’m just about ready for a shower and then I’ll read a bit before retiring (all the bunks have a nightlight that doesn’t really illuminate the room).

Since I’ve exhausted my list of affordable things to do in winter in Tofino if you don’t surf, I will not be spending tomorrow in Tofino….

February 1, 2010 by Rae

Hiking Near Tofino

Well, I can scratch “Hiking in Pacific Rim National Park” off my bucket list….

When I was studying natural resources in college, many of my teachers were from out west and they regaled us with their tales of life on the ‘wet coast.’ I heard so many stories about Pacific Rim National Park and it just sounded so exotic, with its redwood stands and and moss-draped trees. I couldn’t imagine a scenario that could take me here, other than my doing so after retirement. I made up this vague plan of maximizing my time out west by doing the West Coast Trail and then taking the Inside Passage up to Skagway to do the Chilkoot. How narrow my vision was back then!

While I’m still interested in doing the West Coast Trail, a grueling 75km trek over beaches and through rain forest, I’ve pretty much conceded that the Chilkoot will be the one and only major hike of my life. My knees haven’t recovered from those brutal 50km and have been worse than ever. Before the Chilkoot, I hadn’t had a blowout in exactly two years; I’ve had three since getting back. My current job, with its 33 hours a week of standing on a hard surface combined with a lot of crouching isn’t helping, nor is the damp weather that always seems to make the swelling worse. It’s only because I’m accustomed to this grating pain that I can do any hiking, walking, or running for pleasure. Soon as I get my Yukon healthcare squared away, I’ve conceded that I need to have a professional take a look and perhaps prescribe a brace or other supporting device.

All that to say that when I looked at the list of trail options for today, I focused on doing the ones that didn’t seem to have too much climbing or descending, but I did end up doing quite a bit of both.

I warmed up with the Bog Trail, an easy (and wheelchair accessible) loop on a boardwalk through a bog filled with stunted and twisted shorepine trees, some hundreds of years old. They looked like bonsai, making me feel very small. It was otherworldly and immensely enjoyable.

Next came the Nuu-chah-nulth Trail and its offshoot, the South Beach Trail. The Ncn is 2.5km one way; add about 400m to go to South Beach, too. There are interpretive signs which provide information about the local native culture. South Beach is an isolated, wind-swept cove with a pebble beach. I had intended to hike the Ncn both ways, but 99% of it is on boardwalks, which were impossibly slick. After a few near misses, I decided to just hike back via the road. By the time I got back to the car, I was soaked to the bone and very grateful there was some bread, cheese, peanuts, and a juicy apple waiting for me. 🙂

Next, I stopped at Long Beach, which is famous for being the longest stretch of surf swept sand on Vancouver Island’s west coast. Surfing here is quite dangerous because of rip currents.

My next stop wasn’t on my map, so I’m not sure what it’s all about other than it being called ‘Incinerator Rock.’ The view was spectacular!

Finally, I hiked the short, accessible, trail to the top of Radar Hill, which had been slated to be a radar installation during the Cold War. There is also a lovely tribute to those Canadians killed in the Korean War, erm ‘police action’ (*cough, cough*).

The Pacific Ocean looks nothing like the Atlantic. The water is more blue than grey, the sand more white than cream. I stood in the surf of several beaches today and was convinced that I could tell just by the sound of the surf which coast I was on.

The following picture gallery has more information on the trails I hiked today:

Notice the recent date; I was on my guard.

entering the Bog Trail

this tree on the Bog Trail had an interesting, twisted, bark pattern.

close up of the bark pattern

I’ve never been to a place where tsunamis could happen! 🙂

war memorial at the South Beach trailhead

access to beach blocked by logs

access to

Wickaninnish Beach

Wickaninnish beach

Wickaninnish Beach

Wickannish Trail

Wickaninnish Beach

totem pole at the begininning of the Nuu-chah-nulth trail

Wickaninnish beach

close up of the details on the totem pole

Nuu-chah-nulth trail

boardwalk on the Nuu-chah-nulth trail

blue water

Wickaninnish Beach

Wickannish Beach

boardwalk on the Nuu-chah-nulth trail

foggy conditions

steps down to South Beach

caution sign at South Beach

South Beach

boots on the beach

South Beach

boots in the surf

South Beach

stairs back up from South Beach

along the Nuu-chah-nulth trail

Nuu-chah-nulth trail

old corduroy road

I was a bit surprised by how deep this boggy section was. 🙂

slightly muddy boot

put down some branches and this would make a nice little cave 🙂

mighty redwood

Nuu-chah-nulth trail

Florencia Bay

I like this log that had a whole world sprouting out of its top.

I looked like that stick figure quite a few times today 🙂

wreck of the ‘Florencia’

Florencia Bay (end of the Nuu-cha-nulth Trail)

Long Beach

Island off of Long Beach

logs on Long Beach

island off of Long Beach

Long Beach

island off of Long Beac

danger warning at Long Beach

ooh, another tsunami sign

Incinerator Rock

I couldn’t get enough of the Tsunami signs 🙂

striking redwood stand at the Schooner trailhead (apparently ‘very steep’)

Korean War monument

view from the top of Radar Hill

view from the top of Radar Hill, with the Korean monument in sight

I found it amusing that there are stairs leading to the top of the boulder where the foundation is, instead of having people clamber up it.

radar installation foundation

view from the top of Radar Hill

steps up the granite slab to the foundation of the proposed radar installation.

summit of Radar Hill

February 1, 2010 by Rae

A Tofino Morning

Quiet hour at Whaler’s on the Point starts at 11, so that’s when I shut off the computer and went up to have a shower. The showers here are very roomy and clean with good pressure. By the time I got back to the room, my two roomies were sound asleep, so I decided to turn in also. I can’t remember the last time I went to bed before midnight!

I had a pretty good night, even with one roomie snoring and there being a bright orange streetlight illuminating the room. I got up around quarter to nine and hiked down to the ‘Uncommon Bakery’ to get coffee since I hadn’t thought to bring my French press and own coffee supplies. A cup of joe was $1.75, and this with my bringing my own mug. Were my stay longer than a couple of days, I would have turned around and gone to the supermarket to get my own supplies.

virew from dorm room \’N\’, which is very similiar to the view from the atrium, directly below

Coffee in hand, I returned to the hostel to make breakfast and plan my day. There are numerous hiking options near Tofino, so I decided to spend my day exploring the trails. There weren’t really any other frugal options for today, with museums and shops being shut tight for the winter. I would have loved to take a cruise to Hot Springs Cove, but that’s something that my budget this week just can’t absorb. I’m just grateful to be in Tofino and getting a taste of the area.

Since all the hiking trails and beaches are located in Pacific Rim National Park, visitors require a day pass to use the facilities. At least, unlike Banff, you don’t need a pass to just drive through the park. A day pass is almost eight dollars, but the hostel rents them for just five dollars, so that was one more reduced expense.

There’s a small full-service ‘Co-Op’ grocery store in Tofino, so I stopped there to get snack materials, intending to return to the hostel for a late pasta lunch before going out for dinner at a restaurant on the edge of town offering good Monday night specials.

The sky was misting as I pulled out of Tofino and I knew that rain was forthcoming. I had brought my full rain gear, so I had no excuse not to get out into the rain forest and the beach even if spending the day by a hot fire with a good book sounded pretty appealing.

First stop, the Bog Trail…

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A Life By Design

"Sometimes in life, we reach to a right place by departing from a wrong port with a wrong ship!" ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan

Month: February 2010

Hot Springs Cove

Tofino

Tofino Evening

Hiking Near Tofino

A Tofino Morning