Of forests and farms

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

PARKSVILLE, VANCOUVER ISLAND — It was pretty cool overnight, but we were warm enough in our little camper, and woke up to a beautiful, clear and sunny morning. We decided to have a look at the Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park — where the famed Douglas firs stand hundreds of feet tall with massive, wide trunks.
We turned away from the eastern coastline at Qualicum Beach and headed west toward the grove. Before long we were in the cool green forest with giant evergreens on either side of the highway. To the locals, this was simply the route through to Port Alberni, but to us it was a magical sight. Soon we saw the signs for the grove, and prepared to turn off the highway for a hike.
To our surprise, the parking area was merely a widening of the highway on either side where only 10 or 15 cars could park! And, even more frustrating, every spot was taken on both sides! We had no choice but to drive on past. About a kilometer further, there was a lay-by where we pulled off. We decided to eat our lunch, since it was about that time anyway, and then go back to the grove for a second try.
Luckily this time there was a good spot for the camper truck, which we claimed happily. In no time we were walking through this magnificent stand of trees, some of which are 800 years old! The forest floor was carpeted with needles and knarled roots and sprinkled with pine cones. Fronds of fern grew between the trees, and the giant trunks soared up into the sky, some of them velveted with moss and even studded with small plants that had taken hold. The moisture of the rainforest laced many of the shorter trees with drippy swags of moss that gave them an almost spooky appearance.
Huge logs of felled trees had been sliced through to allow the footpath to continue through the grove, and from the mossy bark, smaller plants had begun to take hold and grow. We came across a small stream at one point, and the water was so clear you could see every pebble on the bottom! It was like walking through the pages of a calendar!
On our way back toward Qualicum Beach, we stopped at a cheeseworks that was advertised in the tourist brochure. It was a cute, family-oriented place with chickens, pigs, sheep, goats and cows. Humorous signs labeled each area and explained a bit about the animals. There was also a windowed building where you could watch the cheese preparation process — but the signs admitted it was as exciting as watching paint dry! In the little gift shop, they had tubs of cheese cut into small cubes, with toothpicks so you could sample the various kinds. We couldn’t resist buying a bag of squeaky curds to nibble on.
Our next destination was the beach, which we had seen in our travels today but wanted to get out and experience. A wide expanse of shore line overlooked the strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland, and in the distance we could see blue mountains topped with snow, and crowned with white puffy clouds. The beach itself was not sandy, but made of small rocks rounded by the constant surf. A few shells could be seen, and some seaweed. Val waded into the water but found the footing to be a bit unstable without water shoes. He said the water was nice.
We christened our new gas barbeque that we bought yesterday at Canadian Tire by cooking up some tasty pork chops for supper. Rounded out with fresh salad, cherries for dessert and a nice cup of tea, it brought a lovely day to a very pleasant close.