Island Zigzagging

The last post had us half way across the island from Port Renfrew to Lake Cowichan.  The roadside spot was adequate, but lots of logging and industrial traffic in the early morning.The road is basically all paved, but there was a 6km detour on rough gravel logging road while a bridge was being repaired or replaced.  Soon we were out at Lake Cowichan, where a couple of provincial park locations were checked out.

The the community of Lake Cowichan I came across this kiosk that said it was the western terminus of the Trans Canada Trail!A couple of nights were spent camped on the driveway of a friend in Qualicum Beach, then he and I headed back across the island to the west coast at Pacific Rim National Park and Tofino, where another couple of our friends live and work.

In typical National Parks fashion, the only campground in the park was already closed for the season, in spite of warm sunny weather and a big surf competition happening nearby.

 

We found a nice private campground site with an ocean view that was not closed.

We spent some time on the beach watching the surfers and beach combers.    And we walked around on the waterfront area in Tofino. I stuck Hailey in my jacket and smuggled her by all the loose dogs on the beach, to a spot where she could enjoy her first west coast beach experience.After that she was tired and had to have a cat-nap on the way home.Next, it was back across the island and a bit north, where I tracked down an old friend from Jasper that I had not seen for about 25 years.       We spent part of a day hiking and exploring trails and rivers in the area of Courtenay and Comox.  This is the Puntledge River, if I have my geography straight. There are some neat fish ladders built right into the river bed to let the salmon have good access through the area. It’s been a challenge finding time and technology to update the blog. 

If my photo program is not responding, it’s the lack of time or power or wi-fi at the appropriate time, but most of it came together to get this online.

So sorry to hear that fellow RV bloggers Margie and Bruce ‘Bruce & Margie’s Full Time Journey’  from were tragically killed while walking on the street in Pismo Beach California.  I had not met them, but they will be missed by the blogging community as well as their families of course.