old growth

Part 2 of my Vancouver Island holiday was to drive out to the west coast and sample the delights of the Pacific Rim National Park about which I had heard nothing but good things. The park itself is in three parts and I was heading for the Long Beach section between Tofino and Uclulet.

Long Beach is well named. It’s an area of long sandy beaches backed by ancient temperate rainforest and mountains in the distance. It’s really spectacular.

I was incredibly lucky with the weather too. It’s not called a rainforest for nothing but there wasn’t a drop until the final morning when I was packing up my tent. In the first couple of days I was treated to wonderful blue skies and sensational sunsets

Tofino, just north of the park boundary, has become a bit of a surfing hotspot but sadly I didn’t partake. Sea kayaking is also very popular but the main thing visitors come for is the whale watching. I took a trip that managed to combine some sightseeing, whale watching and a dip in the natural hot springs which was great fun. We took a boat about 45mins north of town to Hot Springs Cove and on the way we saw a grey whale. It was a bit like going on safari, you don’t need to try and spot the animals – just look for all the land rovers. Here we headed for a cluster of 3 boats and sure enough – thar she blows! Considering I’d seen my first ever hummingbird that morning, plus any number of bald eagles and a guillemots it was a great day for nature watching.

The dock at Hot Springs Cove is a 30 minute walk through the rainforest from the actual hot spring itself. There is something truly remarkable about old growth (the pristine forest that has never been logged) rain forest. Huge trees (some up to 800 years old), masses of moss and ferns, light and shade and an incredible sense of power and age. I’ve been reading a book recently that talked about Mythic Power (and how the city of Edmonton needed some!) and I never really knew what they meant until walking along the boardwalks in these old growth forests. You can see why people get so worked up about their preservation. When plans were announced to log Clayoquot Sound it prompted the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history. Despite all that hullaballoo the area is still threatened. If you felt the need to hug a tree that needs hugging you could help out the Friends of Clayoquot Sound.

Anyway… it’s a lovely walk and there at the end of it is this extraordinary sight. A stream bubbling up from the rock and steaming as it flows down to the sea.

At the top it’s really too hot to bear but the stream flows over a rock ledge forming a wonderfully hot outdoor shower. Considering my campsite had no showers at all this was very welcome. The water then collected in pools getting progressively cooler as it ran down to the sea. At the water’s edge you could sit in the ocean and have the cold waves wash over you while the warm water ran out over your back which was a really weird sensation.