From our pet sit in North Vancouver, it was just 20-25 minutes to the ferry we were taking to Nanaimo on the island. The ride was about 1.75 hours and had great views of the mainland mountains. We found there was much less wind on the stern but that meant dealing with the diesel fumes. The upside was we found ourselves talking with a couple from Ontario, though he is from Algeria and they met in France. They were quite interested in our nomadic life style and pet sitting.
Once we arrived in Nanaimo, we drove just over an hour north where we spent the night in a comfortable AirBnB. The next morning we continued north to Campbell River where we stocked up on groceries to last a few days and then drove west to the remote village of Tahsis. The last 67 km are a logging road and only 40 percent is paved. Most of the gravel road is the first half. The condition wasn’t as bad as it could have been though there was washboarding making for a slow drive. We made a few stops along the way. One was near a lake and we walk down the trail to stretch our legs. On the rocky beach I first spied a dog leash curled up on a rock and several yards away was a bag full of the foldable tent frame someone is going to be sorely missing. Interesting tree/driftwood remains decorated the shoreline and two dancing bald eagles soared overhead and headed away.
We arrived in Tahsis a bit early to check in so we relaxed a bit along the top of the estuary. I peeked into the grocery store and quickly understood why we had been advised to stock up back in Campbell River. Most of the coolers were empty and there were plenty of spaces on the shelves for more stock. Items such as popcorn, nuts, and meats seemed to have been purchased in a bigger package and then repacked in small baggies. When we got to the house we rented for three nights, I was immediately met with a musty smell when I opened the door. There weren’t any signs of mildew or mold and everything seemed clean. A few windows were open but we left the door open until we went to bed. The place is certainly outdated, but we knew that from the photos.
With rain predicted for the next day, we took a short walk back on the other side of the estuary. We walked through the mossy woods and came to an open area with a deck overlooking the river. No wildlife there. We continued on through the trees and detoured out on an open area near the estuary. As we made our way along, I spied a bald eagle sitting on a large rock in the distance. I took a few photos and then it took off. Back in the trees, we made our way along and to the car.
Our first full day was, indeed, rainy. Fortunately, it was a light rain. With full protection on, though I had more than Bill with rain pants and an umbrella, we drove the short distance to Bull in the Woods Trail which goes along the coast through the temperate rain forest. At times we could actually get to the coast and finally, though Maps.Me said the trail ended, it continued and we could get down to the shore and walk along there. At one point there was a bald eagle perched atop a tall post but it flew off as I tried to getting closer for a better photo. It then stayed atop a towering tree looking for a tasty fish, I imagine. When we couldn’t go any further, we turned back and made our way back up to the road and on to the car. That was much faster than returning via the trail.
In the afternoon we returned to the estuary trail as Bill wanted to photograph a long log with plants growing on it while there were clouds and light rain. It was near where we had seen the bald eagle the day before. In some tall trees in the open area I spied two bald eagles way up high. They stayed there while Bill was busy and when we were done, we saw at least nine bald eagles, both adults and juveniles, in the treetops and flying in and chatting, as though there was important news to share. That was quite a treat! When I looked at my photos and videos later, I could see there was a mix of adults and juveniles.
By then it was mid-afternoon so we returned home for showers and then go to dinner at the marina. The food was good, but we had to wait a long time for it as the manager/waiter had forgotten to key it in. As an apology, we were given a bowl of fresh homemade chicken soup in a broth to share. When the entrees finally came, my halibut was minus the panko and lemon zest; it just had a wedge of lemon on the side. We were both supposed to get potato and salad but they didn’t have potato or rice so gave us more salad, with no warning. We did get the staff discount for the issues, but that was very little, perhaps 7 percent.
The second day was a mix of clouds and sun but none of the possible rain. We stopped by the Coffee and Chocolate mini store by the post office and talked with the friendly young woman about her products and hikes to try. We decided to try the logging road she recommended for its views but didn’t go as far as we would have as Bill wasn’t feeling great. Back home while he rested, I walked downhill to buy some of the rolls and chocolate. I asked her about a trail I had seen on the way down and she said it was short and followed the creek coming down the hill. It would take me back to our road so I decided to follow it. Gosh, there were a LOT of steps going up that steep incline! A babbling brook with some small falls could be spied below between the trees. I worked up some body heat in the humid air and surely got my heart rate up!
Later, Bill was feeling a bit better so we drove back to the far side of the water where people dump fish guts for the birds. There wasn’t much going on but we did spy two seals out by the first pylon. They might have been sea otters but from their movements we suspect seals. The estuary trail provided only a bald eagle on the same rock. We took the Leirner River Trail which looped around to the road. It was quiet and at the end were unusual large cement blocks. The first one had an impression of, perhaps, a double cross. The other two had double raised double crosses. What they were, we couldn’t decide.
The next morning we opted for brunch at Sally’s Grill and I was sure glad we did. I had eggs Benedict with salmon rather than Canadian Bacon. They were quite yummy. It came with a large side of thin pan fried potato chunks, with marvelous crispy bits. Perfect! We stopped by Coffee and Chocolate before going home. I purchased more sourdough buns and Bill chose a nutritious breakfast bar. We also bought a few homemade truffles made with cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic, Belize, and Guatemala. Gosh, they were the best I have ever had. Worth every dollar!! Then it was home to pack and get back on the road to our next destination.
The drive to Port Hardy was supposed to take four hours but the route turned out to be more gravel road after already enduring 67 km of it. After a few miles we opted to turn around as we had 30 km to go before there was likelihood of pavement. We had to go all the way back to Campbell River before heading north, but the total length of trip wasn’t very much longer than the original plan. We suspect that if we had stayed the course, we would still be driving that damn road.
We finally arrived at our BnB where we had a small suite, yet enough room even for the four days we were to spend there. The owners recently moved in and have two very young kids who were heard fussing and running around madly at times. We weren’t thrilled with that but at least we slept well.
The ocean is just a few minutes walk from the house. We checked it out the first night when it was low tide and misty. The shoreline beach is quite expansive there with plenty of space for people. At that time, there were few around. We found the beginning of a trail but research found it to be long, muddy in places, and a bit of a challenge so we opted out. When I went back to Storey Beach a few nights later, the air was clear and I could see the majestic mountains way off in the distance.
The first day we basically got the lay of the land as it was another drippy day not conducive to much exploring on foot. We went to Port Hardy for groceries and walked around a bit, nothing exciting. In the afternoon we decided to drive a bit south of Port McNeil where we could take a ferry to a couple of nearby islands. We realized it wasn’t much cheaper to pay for parking than it was to take the car so we chose the latter. Then we drove down to Telegraph Cove. Once we hit another dirt road I spied a large black mound up ahead on the side of the road. A bear! It didn’t hang around and scampered up the embankment before I could get a photo. Telegraph Cove is nothing special. It does have one small cove we could visit. Sometimes orcas can be seen there but not today. Kayakers in the distance might have seen some or those who took the all day boat ride to see grizzly bears. The ride can be rough in some conditions and those with back and neck issues shouldn’t go, so we didn’t. We decided just to reflect on the kayak tour we took in Alaska to see grizzly bears in the wild back in 2000 with Jane and Cynthia.
The weather finally broke the next day. The first excursion we took was a ferry to Alert Bay on Cormorant Island. We decided to take the car as we could then see more of the small island and not have to worry about carrying anything or any chance of rain. The ride was less than the given 40 minutes and foggy. By the time we arrived, the clouds were lifting. We parked a bit down the street and walked along the road paralleling the water. The visitors’ center was helpful with maps and area information. Just down from that is an original cemetery with century old totem poles. To show respect, people are asked to view them from the road. After a bit we returned to the car and drove around to the ecological park in the center of the island. It is a marsh with a boardwalk going through the middle and hundreds of dead barren trees standing forlornly. If it had still been foggy, there would have been a truly eerie atmosphere. Cedars, hemlocks, and pine trees are draped with “witches hair”. All around the park is dense forest with many trails. The park started when the fish saltery was changed to a fish cannery in 1881 next to where the current ferry terminal is. A dam was built part way up the hill to store water for the cannery. Five years later the top of the hill flooded and the trees died. Although the business is no longer existent, the dam remains and the top continues to bubble up from underground water faster than it runs down the hill.
From there we drove to the far side of the island, just a couple of minutes away. We finally found the trail head and as I was changing shoes for the hike, I kept hearing a large blowing sound from across the water. Once I was set I looked out and in the distance finally saw a whale! That was quite exciting! We stayed there and watched as it progressed down the coast. Then we started down the trail but it was cool and dark in the forest so opted to get back to shore for a view and perhaps see another whale. The shore was very rocky which made it difficult to walk so after a few minutes turned around and made our way back to the car. Wanting to see more whales, we went back out to our spot and waited a bit. Yes! More blowing! We were there quite a while and saw spouts and flukes but being so far away we didn’t get good photos. A small boat stopped out by the whales and those people must have enjoyed quite a viewing!
Moving on, we found a more current cemetery with decorated wooden crosses, browsed the shop of the cultural center, walked along another beach with beautiful mountains in the distance, and then ate ice cream while we waited for the return ferry. It was an interesting day though I was disappointed the trails weren’t in the warm sun.
The next day we took a tour with Cove Adventures to let them do the driving on another long logging road to get to San Josef Bay, recently rated 36 out of 50 top beaches of the world. There was another older couple, he a retired cardiac surgeon who owns a few small planes, and a family of five from Tanzania and Dubai. He is Tanzanian and she is Canadian. They met while she was teaching in Africa at an international school many years ago. At some point he got a job in Dubai where they have been for a few years but have spent the last two in Canada while his job was being sorted. He does logistics for transporting copper around the world. There were two guides who provided commentary and lunches. After about two hours, including a pit stop, we arrived at the park where we were glad to be away from the rough road which jostled our bones.
The 2.2 km walk through the forest, with some very old large cedar and spruce trees, was cool and easy. One tree was said to be a thousand years old! A few times we saw nurse trees providing a place for seedlings to have grown into towering trees, sometimes a hemlock and cedar using the same nursery. One downed tree had been lifted off the ground by a couple of other trees growing their roots around it. Amazing!
The beach is quite expansive and even at high tide there was a lot of sand. We walked to the right a good distance to where the coast turns and sea stacks and caves are found. Due to high tide we didn’t get to see tide pools with sea stars but the guide did show us a rock pool with lime green sea anemones visible once the waves swept back. Apparently, there has been a few feet of sand dumped in the area from the ocean making the sea stacks shorter and less impressive and others not visible. I guess we have seen so many stunning beaches and sea stacks in our travels that this was beautiful, but not striking to us. To get out of the sun some of us ate lunch in a cave with an ocean view. The large tasty sandwiches refilled our bellies and cherries helped rehydrate us for the walk back. On the return route we stopped to see a very old very impressive Sitka Spruce. We were told it is 250 feet tall, about 40 feet in circumference and almost 5 meters wide and possibly two thousand years old. Not sure about that but it’s size was certainly impressive.
The last day we decided to take the tour guide’s suggestion of going bear hunting not far from our BnB. We drove around the coast towards the airport where we parked. There is supposed to be a path along the fence line of the airport but it was thick with cushion berry plants so we opted to walk the rocky shore. We didn’t realize how far we needed to walk to get to the river where bears are seen but it was about two miles! At one point shortly before we arrived, we checked the trail again and it was clear. However, bear scat was everywhere due to all the ripe berries. Afraid we might be attacked by a startled bear, we returned to the shore and headed towards the river. As we finally got close to it I spied another pile of bear scat. As we were cautiously trying to peer around the corner to see up river, I noticed to my left on the rocks seen at lower tide, was a black bear walking about!! Oh, my! I quickly retraced my steps to alert Bill who was a bit back. Oh! We both took photos/video as the bear seemed nonplussed about our presence, having looked at us a few times and not reacting. It slowly ambled away and finally into the woods. Phew! That was fun!
We were going to spend the afternoon taking another hike in hopes of seeing bears but decided our four mile hike on a rocky beach and having seen one bear was enough for the day. Instead, we stayed put and worked on packing for an early morning start.
It took about 6.5 hours to drive down to the southern tip and then up a peninsula to arrive at the ferry terminal. We had reservations for the 4:00 ferry and couldn’t check in until 3. Just before 3 we tried checking in and to our great pleasure, we were offered to board the 3:00 ferry, which we did. That meant we didn’t have to then twiddle our thumbs for an hour and could get to our BnB and have dinner more leisurely. The crossing went amongst islands and gave us a great view of Mt. Baker in the States. We had hoped to see orcas, but none were around.
Retired and Living the Life Nomadic 
Your travels continue to be amazing!