Sunshine Coast, B.C.

[Occidental]

I have a few updates of recent trips we've made this spring on my website, but perhaps of greatest interest would be our recent spur of the moment road trip we took to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. I recently completed the photos and write up in two parts available here:
https://www.occidentalist.org/sunshine-coast-b-c-2019-part-1/
and here:
https://www.occidentalist.org/sunshine-coast-b-c-2019-part-2/
We had virtually no plan due to switching from a river trip to this road trip the morning of the day we left. It all worked out well and it was a great trip, although we could have used another few days.

 

[ski3pin]

Absolutely Marvelous! Prawns, vistas, gorgeous sunsets! Dinner Rock is a must visit!

 

[outdoornate65]

Great pics.

 

[Cayuse]

Great write-up. Bummer your river trip got cancelled . Skoomchuck has been a place in my mind since I first heard of it 30 or so years ago, someday maybe I'll paddle there.

Canadian customs is always so much friendlier and easier than US customs, seems like they don't want us returning to our own country!

 

[TGK]

The Wife and I visited the Sunshine Coast a few times back in the 90's. The first time we were on a planned trip to Vancouver Island in July and it was dumping rain which was getting old. We were perusing our BC guidebook and read about the Sunshine Coast across the Strait. We could see across and the sun was shining. We caught the ferry near Campbell River. Halfway across in route to Powell River, the sun came out. We spent the rest our trip over there in the sun and enjoyed it so much, we came back a few more times.
Once with a kayak.

On one trip we found a primitive public campground on a bluff between Lund & Powell River that had a few sites, picnic tables and an outhouse. Spent a relaxing afternoon sitting on camp chairs on the bluff about 50 feet above the beach, reading, sipping beer and looking out across the strait to Vancouver Island watching the sailboats and yachts cruise by. Occasionally, I'd pull up my binoculars to check a boat out or look at a bird flying by. At one point, I caught a glint of light from a small object which appeared to be moving slowly. Periodically I'd check the movement and it appeared to be heading strait toward the campground. Eventually, I could see that it was someone in an open canoe. After quite some time he got close enough than I could see he had an innertube for flotation and a mountain bike strapped over the gunnels. Eventually, he made it to shore and proceeded to beach it below me and carry the mountain bike up the bluff. He then went back down to get the canoe, hauled it up the bluff and stashed it in the trees. I spoke with him briefly and he hand paddle across from Vancouver Island. He then got on the bike and road away. While I don't know where he departed from, the distance between Powell River and the Comax Ferry Terminal is 17 nautical miles. I've done a fair bit of canoeing, but one couldn't pay me to paddle an open canoe across that strait. Granted, he picked a stunningly calm & beautiful day for his journey. However, I'd never take the chance that it would remain calm across that great a distance. That area is beautiful and well worth a visit.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Great trip.
BC is such a incredible place.
We have been visiting BC ,Vancouver to be exact since
1979. Bummer about the firewood.
We never carry any but do know that you can't take any into Canada either.
I am surprised you didn't get caught in a "Catch 22" with the wood.
Nice of Canada to let you return it.
Customs can be a pain some times.
If they have loads of time and are lonely they seem to ask a lot of questions.

Great photos. The shrimp were I think about $35 a pound you must have had a little over a 1/2 pound.
Looked yummy.
Don't let the officials keep you from traveling.
Frank

 

[CougarCouple]

Thanks Occidental
What calming photos, so relaxing just seeing them. I will put this one on my bucket list.

Russ

 

[Occidental]

Thanks everyone for giving the posts a read and leaving a kind comment, much appreciated. It is definitely a pretty corner of the world.

The Wife and I visited the Sunshine Coast a few times back in the 90's. The first time we were on a planned trip to Vancouver Island in July and it was dumping rain which was getting old. We were perusing our BC guidebook and read about the Sunshine Coast across the Strait. We could see across and the sun was shining. We caught the ferry near Campbell River. Halfway across in route to Powell River, the sun came out. We spent the rest our trip over there in the sun and enjoyed it so much, we came back a few more times.
Once with a kayak.

On one trip we found a primitive public campground on a bluff between Lund & Powell River that had a few sites, picnic tables and an outhouse. Spent a relaxing afternoon sitting on camp chairs on the bluff about 50 feet above the beach, reading, sipping beer and looking out across the strait to Vancouver Island watching the sailboats and yachts cruise by. Occasionally, I'd pull up my binoculars to check a boat out or look at a bird flying by. At one point, I caught a glint of light from a small object which appeared to be moving slowly. Periodically I'd check the movement and it appeared to be heading strait toward the campground. Eventually, I could see that it was someone in an open canoe. After quite some time he got close enough than I could see he had an innertube for flotation and a mountain bike strapped over the gunnels. Eventually, he made it to shore and proceeded to beach it below me and carry the mountain bike up the bluff. He then went back down to get the canoe, hauled it up the bluff and stashed it in the trees. I spoke with him briefly and he hand paddle across from Vancouver Island. He then got on the bike and road away. While I don't know where he departed from, the distance between Powell River and the Comax Ferry Terminal is 17 nautical miles. I've done a fair bit of canoeing, but one couldn't pay me to paddle an open canoe across that strait. Granted, he picked a stunningly calm & beautiful day for his journey. However, I'd never take the chance that it would remain calm across that great a distance. That area is beautiful and well worth a visit.

TGK, your description of the campground you watched the incoming canoe from sounded pretty much like the setting at Dinner Rock. We also saw a canoe come in one night and an inflatable kayak the other. It was calm and the water was clear and it made me wish I had my IK along as well. I would never, however, paddle the stretch between Vancouver Island and the mainland. That is quite a stretch of water!

Great trip.
BC is such a incredible place.
We have been visiting BC ,Vancouver to be exact since
1979. Bummer about the firewood.
We never carry any but do know that you can't take any into Canada either.
I am surprised you didn't get caught in a "Catch 22" with the wood.
Nice of Canada to let you return it.
Customs can be a pain some times.
If they have loads of time and are lonely they seem to ask a lot of questions.

Great photos. The shrimp were I think about $35 a pound you must have had a little over a 1/2 pound.
Looked yummy.
Don't let the officials keep you from traveling.
Frank

It was ironic that we actually carried much more firewood on the way in to Canada no questions asked, than the last two sticks we had going out. I expected to hand it over in either direction and I understand the reason why, but the tougher pill to swallow was that they wouldn't actually seize it from us, they just wouldn't let us come in at all. So my takeaway was to get my hands on one of the 'certified heat treated' bundles, save the label and bring along some shrink wrap to bundle up my wood so it could cross the border without the hassle. Kidding. Sort of.

Oh and thanks Frank for the conversion. We had our minds set on them so we didn't bother with the conversion (double conversion actually - you have to convert the weight and the current currency exchange!) It was weird that I'd see things side by side in the meat compartment and on one product they'd be charging per pound and the one right next to it would be per kilogram. Didn't quite get that one.

 

[longhorn1]

Great TR. Looks like a future bucket list trip. Your pictures were beautiful. Those sunsets are to die for. They always make the end of the day special. Thanks for sharing. jd

 

[Wildcat]

I enjoyed your TR and then I started browsing your other trips and am very impressed! Thanks for all the effort you put into those write-ups and beautiful pics.

When you did the Mojave trail did you have to exit once and while for gas? Not sure of the year of your Taco but I've got a 1st gen (last century) and when wandering the back roads I'm hard-pressed to get much over 200 miles to a tank. I need to get some gas cans but might end up upgrading the truck instead. I was in the Mojave Preserve around the same time you were on the trail, but was camped up on a high peak overlooking the scene below.

 

[Occidental]

Wildcat, thanks for looking around the website. As far as the Mojave trail, we did exit once for gas above Afton canyon. I think we would have made it, but it was late in the day and it was as much to avoid the sand dunes in that section. We did bring a small 2 gallon can of extra fuel. We can typically go about 300 miles. I wish we had a longer range, I tend to worry about the next tank too much with that short of a range.