Sunday: from bears to rainforests

Sunday dawned early -- we had to be there at 6:45am -- and it was hard to crawl out of bed into the misty, cool morning. But we rallied onwards to Ocean Outfitters where they outfitted us in stylish orange jumpsuits, before sending us down to the dock to board the Zodiac with our guide, Peter. We were with two German girls and a couple from Australia (one thing I'll say about our time in Tofino is that we met people from everywhere). It was a cold, misty morning and traveling at a brisk clip in the Zodiac did not warm things up--even Alan admitted to cold ears. We saw harbor seals and bald eagles, but no bears for awhile until we happened upon what Peter termed a "good bear," as he entertained us by methodically overturning rocks in search of small fish and eels. In this part of the world, bald eagles are as seemingly common as pigeons (well, maybe not that common) and it's not unusual to see three and four gliding through the sky -- very cool. We got to visit a nest that has been in use for 18 years (they can grow to 2,000 lbs) with chicks in place.


Back in Tofino, we brunched at the Spotted Bear before going over to the best bookstore yet, the Mermaid. It's only when you go into a bookshop that has been stocked by a person, rather than a corporation, that you appreciate how bland and vanilla the Barnes and Nobles of the world are. This shop, while small, had a wealth of really good books across a range of topics--truly a pleasure to peruse and Alan bought The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed.

Back at the Wick, we indulged in an afternoon nap (I carved out a spot on our deck and, covered with a Hudson Bay blanket, enjoyed a snooze in the sun) and then headed out for more adventures. We first went up Radar Hill for the views and then turned into Schooner Cove. The walk down to the beach, almost all on raised wooden platforms and stairs, took us over two ridges of mature rainforest. Giant cypress and Sitka spruce trees towered in the air or lay in various stages of rot on the ground, having opened up windows of sunlight at their fall that were eagerly exploited by sala and other shrubs and trees. Ferns covered the ravine walls and the air was moist and pure. To qualify as a rain forest, an area needs to receive five feet of rain a year -- this part of BC gets ten. We got lucky with our weather -- mostly sunny and no rain.


After Schooner Cove, it was getting on about 6pm but we decided to head down to check out Ucluelet to see what it looked like. Seemed less tourist-oriented than Tofino although the number of B&Bs and new construction may change that. In fact, should anyone doubt about the reach of the global construction boom, you need look no further than this remote strip of Vancouver Island -- there are resorts promised everywhere and new (empty) retail space, as well. It's a bit sad, actually, because the area's charm is its funky friendliness. Corporations need not apply.