January 17, 2010 by Rae

Rain Forest Wonderland

Today, which happens to be in the middle of January, I went hiking in the rain forest in shorts and a tee-shirt.

I love winter on Vancouver Island. 😀

There was no itinerary in mind today; I just wanted to get some fresh air. I parked at the Canyon View trail parking lot and then wandered around until I found the Beaver Pond trail. This involved taking a wrong turn onto what happened to be a private road, which ended up with my being chased by a very loud and territorial dog. Oops! To avoid my mistake, park at the power plant lot that’s just off the highway rather than the one that is in front of the plant itself. Walk across the highway, turn left, and go around the bend until you see a path veering off into the woods. It’s not well marked, but there is a sign (see below) that will confirm you’re in the right place.

I started off in my hiking pants, a tee-shirt, and my rain slicker as the sky was very grey and heavy. I overheated within five minutes and opened up the arm pit zippers for ventilation, but that still wasn’t enough. So, off went the coat and shortly thereafter the bottom part of the hiking pants and then I was comfortable. Have I mentioned that it is presently the middle of January?

Since it had taken me over an hour to find the Beaver Trail and it looked like a long loop with rather monotonous (if rain forest can be considered monotonous) views, I only did a small part of it before doubling back to the car.

The water levels were very high today and there has been talk of possible flooding if the rain keeps up. Be sure to compare some of these pictures to ones taken on my official Canyon View hike!

The mayor* told me that there is an exhaustive map of the hiking trails around Campbell River, so I’ve put finding this map on my list of things to do tomorrow.

swollen river

looking down at the Canyon View trail (and the river) from the powerplant parking lot that’s just off the highway

so much more water than just a few weeks ago!

water levels are at six feet

this wheelchair accessible fishing platform was not underwater last time I was here!

confluence of the Campbell and Quinsam Rivers

This is the only signage for the Beaver Pond Trail. Note the date of the bear warning (June).

beaver pond

I was impressed by all the rocks caught up in this tree’s root system.

ah, the lovely rain forest

*The mayor is a regular customer at the convenience station where I work.

January 2, 2010 by Rae

Canyon View Trail, Campbell River

When I asked my Christmas dinner hosts for ideas on day excursions from Campbell River, the first thing they mentioned was the Canyon View Trail, just outside of Campbell River. Today I awoke to a day off and good hiking conditions (overcast with sunny patches and plus four) so I decided I would go check out this trail.

The Canyon View Trail is very easy to access. Follow highway 28 towards Gold River for about ten minutes (a mere 3km from downtown) to the John Hart power plant. That’s the official trailhead, but I saw two other places to park and access the trail before that. The power plant is on BC Hydro property, but much of the trail is actually in Elk Falls Provincial Park.

One of the things that appealed to me about this trail is that it is a loop. It is about six kilometres long and relatively easy; most of the hike is along established pathways. There is one sudden elevation change that I will discuss below, but, otherwise, it’s a very easy walk.

From the power plant and facing the river, you can either go left or right. I went right and feel that this is the way to best experience the Canyon View Trail as the trail starts off in a rather boring fashion and then, just near the end of the loop, suddenly climbs high above a canyon for stunning views. What a great reward for all those kilometres already hiked!

One thing spoiled the mood in the woods today; an atrocious stench along some stretches of the trail. The riverbank was littered with the rotting carcasses of hundreds of huge salmon. There has been a lot of flooding in that area, so I am assuming the fish all died of natural causes from being caught on dry land after the water receded. I’ve included a picture of dead fish, the least icky one I took, in the following picture gallery; viewer discretion is advised.

From the trailhead, if you go right the trail will pretty much follow the highway and you will need to walk on asphalt for a bit to get to a bridge to cross the river. The trail is definitely a lot more woodsy on the other side and you will have the chance to walk by some old growth Douglas firs. You will circle a BC Hydro installation and continue until you see the power plant ahead of you, on the other side of the river. Shortly thereafter, the trail will climb dramatically until it takes you to a narrow steel walkway spanning an impressive canyon. The walkway covers a natural gas pipeline.

I was surprised by how well I did on that bridge as it was surprisingly bouncy. I did keep an elbow on the railing most of the time, but I wasn’t clinging to anything and I took the time for plenty of shots. Might our intrepid author have actually conquered her height phobia?

After the bridge you will head down towards the power plant and will actually have to cross it to get back to the parking lot. The noise coming from it was deafening and two hours later my ears are still ringing! I’d suggest moving along rather than stopping to take photographs.

My only complaint about the trail is that it isn’t very well marked. I recommend stopping at the parking lot at the entrance to Elk Falls, which you will pass if you starting hiking from the power plant. There is a map there of the extensive trail network in the area which will help guide you along the correct route. Had I not done this, I would have had no idea where to go from this parking lot. As it turns out, it’s where you need to leave the woods for the short walk along the highway. The intuitive thing to do is to keep following the woodsy trail, which ends in a very sudden drop.

I very much enjoyed the Canyon View Trail and look forward to exploring other trails in the vicinity of Campbell River.

Look out for this sign on the right side of the highway if you want to park at the power plant. It’s easy to spot if you’re driving at the speed limit.

This is pretty much what I imagined ‘wild’ Vancouver Island would look like.

fly fisherman

There were all kind of things marked in this sandy cove.

a retaining wall

close up of the a shallow, clear-as-a-mirror river just before a small fall

The flat calm made it hard to believe this is a river.

Mushrooms

map of the trail network

Fishermen

Fighting the current

Campbell River takes fishing seriously; this is a wheelchair accessible fishing platform. Impressive!

this was a shrine to a young boy

bamboo

the not-so-nice part of the trail

this gull fought the current for a bit…

then decided to just go with the flow until he finally flew off

lovely beach

the least gruesome dead fish picture

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…”

Dead bamboo that I mistook for a nanosecond for tarantula legs. *shudders*

some cool fungus

close-up of the jewel-like fungus

all the yummy varieties of salmon found in the campbell river

what a lovely place for a picnic, right next to a noisy power installation

having grown up near a hydro-electric dam I know that this sort of flat calm right next to active water spells danger

ducks not caring about the warning signs

one of the very rare trail markers

Douglas fir

the passage of eons, immortalized in layers of stone

part of the way up the canyon…

with this ahead of you

keep your eye out for this brief flash of blue hidden within the emerald foliage

one heck of a drop….

worth the climb and, especially, the whole stopping over thin air on a flimsy bridge thing

this sign amused me

cute little staircase

this part of the trail reminded me of wandering around Alcatraz Island!

December 13, 2009 by Rae

The Museum at Campbell River

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon perusing the displays of the Museum at Campbell River.

Two exhibits made the $6 admission fee worthwhile.

The first is one about the local First Nations culture, including a spectacular show featuring a storyteller and carved masks. No photographs were allowed in this exhibit, so it’s really hard to convey just how great it was. It was a feast for the eyes to view all those colourful carvings and the mask show was a breathtaking journey to a world below the ocean. This appears to be a permanent exhibit, thankfully!

The second exhibit I liked was one of the three videos viewable on demand in a theatre at the end of the tour. The video in question is a documentary about the Ripple Rock explosion, which I’ve previously discussed in my post about Seymour Narrows. The video was comprised of footage of the day, that is from the 1950’s, which added an additional level of interest. I was amazed by the engineering feat that was the destruction of these underwater peaks. Tunnels were dug under the channel and up into the mountains and then charges were laid. Three times as many explosives as would have been needed in an open air project of this size was needed to displace not only the rock but also the water.

In between the First Nations gallery and the Ripple Rock video were galleries about pioneer life in the Campbell River area, a popular hotel, and the local salmon fishing industry. There is a final, temporary, gallery about climate change that I do not feel was sufficiently tied in to the history of Campbell River. A panel showing how climate change has possibly affected the fishing industry would have sufficed.

While I found the exhibits to be over all very well done and informative, I had come expecting to learn more about Campbell River’s general history and left feeling that I’d only been giving small snippets of it. So, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with my visit but do not feel that this is the museum’s fault; I should have checked my expectations at the door and enjoyed what was offered.

Be sure to walk the grounds before or after your visit; there is a wonderful native plant garden to explore!

a striking building

Boat outside the museum that was owned by a Japanese fisherman. The boat was stolen from him by the Canadian government during WWII. Our treatment of the Japanese during this war is one of the most shameful moments of our history.

torii seen from the museum

Lord Vancouver, after whom a city and a whole island would be named

Another shameful incident in Canadian history is that of the residential schools for Native children

I was amused that the museum dressed up the pioneer cabin for the holidays

reminds me of my student days, only substitute a radiator for the stove

check out the info on the plaque; this tree was more than a thousand years old when it was chopped down!

logging truck

water pump outside the pioneer cabin

façade representing the third Willows hotel, a popular spot for vacationers to Campbell River at the start of the 19th century

my impression upon entering this exhibit was awe; I really felt like I was in a Victorian hotel!

Being a huge fan of my bank (CIBC), I always note historical instances of it. CIBC came to Campbell RIver to handle payroll.

I liked this exhibit tucked away under the stairs

Those are big fish! (from days before we worried about fish stocks)

I was also impressed by this floating fishing cottage. I really felt like I was on a dock by the ocean.

type of salmon canned by year (see next picture)

this is what I apparently look like when driving a huge vehicle

that was my reason for studying history in university

more about the Japanese fishing boat

the grounds are lovely and feature a native plant garden

December 13, 2009 by Rae

Seawalk-ing, Redux

The popular Campbell River tourist attraction that will the subject of my next post is about three kilometres from home, of which about two follow the Seawalk. While it was a bit nippy out, hovering between 0 and +1 with the odd flurry, there was no threat of rain, so I decided this was the perfect afternoon for a six kilometre stroll that would allow me to photograph some of the things that I’ve only glanced at while zipping by in a car.

Daybreak Park

this is the stuff I met on my last sea walk that I thought looked like Devil’s Snare from Harry Potter!

it says HELLO on that brightly painted rock

Doesn’t he seem to belong there? It is almost as though a man stood in that spot, battered by the ocean wind, until he was rooted there and turned to wood.

that’s a heron out on the rock

that light…

Campbell River lies on the 50th parallel

I just liked this roof 🙂

First time I see a sign with Segway regulations

This is the most bizarre tree I have ever seen. It looks like a parrot.

leaves from the parrot tree

a seaside cottage

a torii (traditional Japanese gate)

tribute to Nova Scotian miners

This wonderful sculpture is across the highway from the gas station and I had never seen it!

Close up of the details

It even has whiskers!

this magnificent totem pole stands next to the torii

Post edited to add onto Donna’s comment about the parrot tree. It is an arbutus tree (Arbutus menziesii), Canada’s only broad-leaf evergreen. It is also known as the ‘strawberry tree’ and ‘Pacific Madrone.’ Thanks for the heads up, Donna!

December 1, 2009 by Rae

Travels Without Miranda, #3: Flying from Las Vegas, Nevada, to the Grand Canyon, Arizona

My first morning in Las Vegas had me being driven down the Strip to McCarran airport in a stretch limo.

There, I climbed into a tiny helicopter that took me over the Mojave desert, within view of Mead Lake and the Hoover dam, all the way to the Grand Canyon. We landed within it and were given time to explore and enjoy a champagne brunch.

Let’s just say this was a more luxe experience than I normally go for. I was until then a backpacker, a camper, a youth hosteler, not someone who stays at a nice hotel and drinks fancy drinks by a pool lined with palm trees! And I most certainly was a frugal traveler, not one who would do such extravagant things as take a half-day helicopter ride from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. Nope!

I’m not sure what came over me during my planning of my southwest road trip. I’ll plead mental exhaustion, what with the stress of having lost my dad earlier that year. I needed to be pampered and catered-to, to do things just for fun to reawaken my zest for life. I didn’t know if I’d ever come back to that part of the US and I was so close to the Grand Canyon. The helicopter jaunt sounded like the perfect way to see the Canyon with the time I had available to me. It just about broke my budget, but it is now one of my most cherished memories.

Rather than taking photos during this jaunt, I made full use of the video setting on my camera, so the following images are stills from my movies, explaining the poor quality. Unfortunately, the second half of my Grand Canyon recordings have been lost due to reshuffling between several computers. I have managed to save a picture of me at the bottom of the canyon, proof enough that I was there even if someone did tell me that the image seems to be photoshopped. 😀

a glimpse of the Strip

Lake Mead

Mojave desert

Colorado River and the Grand Canyon

a non-photoshopped picture of me at the bottom of the Grand Canyon

Sometimes you end up in a place where you get the chance to experience an incredible adventure. Do it and @%@$ the budget. I applied this lesson when I decided to hike the Chilkoot Pass at a time when I financially had no business doing so.

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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

Parks/Gardens

Rain Forest Wonderland

Canyon View Trail, Campbell River

The Museum at Campbell River

Seawalk-ing, Redux

Travels Without Miranda, #3: Flying from Las Vegas, Nevada, to the Grand Canyon, Arizona