I was listening to a really great presentation by Parks Canada as the Spirit of Vancouver Island headed toward Active Pass when the captain announced that there was a pod of orcas on the port side of the ferry.
Awesome…
And then they arrived.
First one, and then another.
And another.
And then the beautiful whales were surrounded by whale watching boats.
Yup…
Forbidden Plateau has always been a bit of a mystery to me so I took a little trip up to poke about, and then later poked about to find out what I could about the name.
Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, two feuding tribes went up to the plateau to work out their differences, peacefully everyone thought. Apparently one tribe “fell” off the side of the mountain and the tribe elders forbade anyone in the tribe to visit the plateau—hence the name.
Interesting, as is the red soil that coats much of the area I was hiking about in – it was a hot and dry day and there was a red coating on all of the vegetation and much of me.
Although there had been no rain for about a month when I hiked in the area, there were plenty of clouds to block the view to the east – I’ll return another day and try to get a clear shot, perhaps in the winter when snow coats the same vegetation.
Looking back toward the mainland as we cross Georgia Straight heading toward Active Pass.
The ferry ride from Departure Bay on Vancouver Island to Horseshoe Bay on the mainland offers some great views of the mountains as you head cross the Straight of Georgia and then head past Bowen Island and into Horseshoe Bay.
Mountains, the ocean and people that quietly appreciate nature – perfect…
Fanny Bay is one of those places that help me decide to take Highway 19A instead of the faster inland Highway 19 – it’s just so beautiful as I look into Baynes Sound and across to Denman Island.
The various ships that support the oyster and forestry industries, the log booms, and the shore are all part of the heritage and history of Vancouver Island.
In some cases, the ships played a role in Washington State…
MV Rhododendron – former Washington State ferry
Ships Point is a neat little point of land off of Highway 19A at the south east end of Fanny Bay – it’s a bit tricky to get to but it’s well worth it for the views of the boats in Fanny Bay, the mountains in the Beaufort Range, Denman Island and out into Baynes Sound.
Both of these images link to user controlled 180 panoramic versions.
Located on the Puntledge River, at the outlet of the Comox Lake Reservoir, the Comox Lake Dam Picnic Area is one of my favorite spots to grab a quick after work or after hike snack. The lake is full of mining and forestry history, and is also an important part of the water shed that supplies the Comox Valley.
The lake as we know it was formed in 1913, when Canadian Collieries Ltd. completed the construction of a hydroelectric facility on the Puntledge River to supply power to local coalmines. The facility consisted of an impoundment dam on Comox Lake, a low diversion dam, an intake structure 4 km downstream of Comox Dam, and a flume and penstock system conveying the water to a powerhouse a further 7 km downstream.
In 1953, the British Columbia Power Commission initiated a project to expand the facility, a project completed in 1956. The new facility included a 5.1 km long penstock from the diversion dam to a 24 MW powerhouse located on the right bank of the Puntledge River.
While this is a popular area for swimming, it is also a dangerous place to be and is clearly marked as such, especially upstream of the hydro dam. I stick to the area downstream of the dam and enjoy the river within my abilities and with a mind to the often unpredictable nature of the river.
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I don’t usually get to see much of Cameron Lake as Highway 4 (the Alberni Highway,) is twisty, narrow, and not a great place to pull off to explore. Actually, pulling off is easy when heading toward Port Alberni, but really a bad idea when heading towards Parksville, and either way, getting back on the highway is difficult.
The shores along the lake and the highway itself offer spectacular views of Mount Arrowsmith and Mount Cokely – the home of a long closed ski hill.
Across the lake you can see a spectacular wooden train trestle – the line is part of the 37 mile long Port Alberni Subdivision of the Southern Railway of Vancouver Island (SVI).
Previously know as the E&N (Esquimalt and Nanaimo) the railroad was owned by CP and later Rail America owned a portion of the right of ways. The Island Corridor Foundation has acquired both the CP Rail, and Rail America-owned portions of the line. As of July 1, 2006, Southern Railway of Vancouver Island, a holding company of SRY, was appointed as the new operator of the rail line.
Just a little reminder that many recreational areas on Vancouver Island are shared with some pretty huge vehicles – like logging trucks. If not for logging, many areas would be inaccessible except by canoe and foot…
Comox Lake Road, Puntledge River recreation area.
