Over the last few years I have lived vicariously through many of your posted trips and adventures. Thank you. From Florida to beautiful Australia, to the Netherlands and elswhere. I thought I'd give you a taste of what our part of the world is like.
In May of 2008 my Very Good husband, land-lover and occasional recreational kayaker gifted me for my birhtday an AI. What a great gift! Right after that I had gone to REI and picked up a book on kayaking around the Broken Group Islands off of Vancouver Is in Canada. It sparked an interest in me. The next year I picked up a map of the area and studied it often. In January, I decided no more dreaming, this was the year to take the trip. I asked my Very good husband, left-over chef extraordinaire', if he would like to join me. His answer was not very pomising.
We decided to take a trip the end of March, up to Port Alberni, and take the ferry down the Alberni Inlet to Seachart, where kayakers are dropped off to start their paddle around the Broken Group Islands.
I called the Lady Rose Marine Services in Port Alberni to reserve our place on the ferry. I found out, in the Winter months the ferry only goes as far as Bamfield.
On March 24th we left our home in Seattle, Wa and took the Edmonds/Kingston ferry to Kingston. Then drove from Kingston to Port Angeles. We got in line for the Black Ball ferry an hour early.
It was lunch time so we stopped at a small cafe just up the street and had some very good fish and chips.
Leaving Port Angeles, we had some sunshine and were able to view the Olympic Mountains.
An hour an a half later we arrive in Victoria, Canada and drove from there up to Port Alberni which took about 3 hours. We stayed overnight at the Best Western and woke up to a rainy, wet morning. The ferry left at 8am and we were asked to be there by 7. Because of the time of year, it was low tourist season and besides Jerry and I, there were only 3 other passengers.
We started down the Alberni Inlet with low clouds and rain. You can see the smoke from the paper mill in Port Alberi.
Everywhere we looked there were conifers. Each small island we went by, you saw different colored greens. The combination of the low clouds nesting in the confirs was quite beautiful.
Jerry and Wanda.
The Frances Barkley is a working ferry. They deliver goods and supplies to many small communities along the Alberni Inlet. Around this corner is the first place we stopped.
It is called Kildonan and it's in the Uchucklesaht Inlet, where there are a few business' and homes. Mail was dilvered there along with some supplies.
We also came across a fellow who makes a living delivering gas from the bottom of his boat!! and picking up garbage.
A nice home near the post office.
Our next stop was at the salmon farm, where fish food was off loaded.
Just a short distance from the salmon farm was this tight grouping of sea lions. There were four of them and they made a raft of themselves. It looked as though they were holding each other up.
About half an hour from Bamfield the sun almost broke out of the clouds. Bamfield is a small town right on the Inlet. The homes are bright colored and you can tell they live in a very wet world with moss growing on the roofs. Very pretty.
The F.B. dropped the passengers off in Bamfield and the Captain gently encouraged us to visit the local store. There is a trail about a mile long which goes from the town to the other side of the small pennisula NW of town. Jerry and I hiked across and this is what we saw.
Looking out to the Pacific Ocean.
This is looking out to the Deer Islands and if you look in the distance you can see some land which is the Broken Group Islands.
Looking out at this water put a smile on my face. I knew I could do the Broken Island Trip. The question was, would Jerry want to come with. (Oh please, please, pretty please),
These were subliminal messages I was sending him as I watched him look out at the water.
We hiked back and still had time to look around. We stopped in at he local store and purchased some very good homemade salal/huckleberry jam. Then we took a walk on the board walk along town. Here is what we found. The local Cat Houses of Bamfield
It was time to leave so we boarded the ferry and took off back to Port Alberni
The sky turned cloudy again and created some very nice scenery.
Hummmmm.....will he decide to come with???
On the way back we came across this amazing sight. It was a tug boat pulling a very large barge of logs. These logs were over 50' in length and there are two rows of them. When they unload this barge, they tip it over and it supposedly creates a small tidal wave
After we arrived in Port Alberni, we went out for dinner at a very nice place called Pescadores Bistro right along side of the Somass River. It was very good food. I then asked my Very Good husband, hiker and climber of many mountains, if he thought he would like to come with. He said "Yes". YAAAHH WHOOOO
How great that was!! On the way home we decided to take our trip the beginning of September when there were very few tourists.
I realize this post is very long and over-due, I apologize. I hope I haven't put anyone to sleep. I'll post our Broken Group Is trip next