thethePete
Explorer
In light of this contest, I would like to revisit one of the better trips I've ever had, and one that changed my life forever:
Being ones that aren't big on parties, or doing normal stuff, we decided to load the family up and spend New Years on an adventure exploring the lower Vancouver Island, viewing some surfing areas, huge trees, hanging out in Tofino, and enjoying the beautiful roads and sights. Also I had a surprise in store for NYE.
Tuesday 29
Woke up around 6am to start prepping the truck for the trip, I had to salt the night before up on the Westwood Plateau in Coquitlam, and it would be midnight before I got home to my bed in Surrey. Short night sleep, but I typically run on 5-7h a night anyway.
In the bustle of the season, I neglected to drop off my rent cheque the day previous, and I wouldn't be back until after the 1st, so I needed to do that before I could leave. However, the office doesn't open until 8:30, and I had a ferry to catch in Tswassen, 38 minutes away in no traffic and I had to check in by 10:00. At least I have time to pack the truck while I'm waiting for the office to open.
Everything flows smoothly and we've got the truck loaded and ready to go; office opens, I drop the rent cheque and we're on the road. It's 9:15. On a Tuesday, in one of the most traffic congested regions of Canada.
Fortunately fate was on our side, there was just enough traffic to allow some comfortable stretching of my little black Ranger's legs, and not enough to congest and slow us down. We roll through the toll gate and into our lane. It's 9:43.
We got there with just enough time to get out and stretch our legs and snap a picture before the announcement for boarding came. Timing so far: impeccable.
Crossing to Duke Point was uneventful, nice views from the deck and mild enough temperatures to stand out there and enjoy them for a few minutes.
After we arrived in Duke Point, a coffee was overdue and Annie, our 5 year old daughter, was getting a little hungry, so a quick stop for some lunch and a coffee for the pilot and it was off towards Victoria down the Malahat highway. We stopped in Goldstream Park to check out Niagra Falls (I've seen the other ones, and these ones win on beauty, those ones win on power)...
Very big country. You can see my fiance in the bottom corner on the trail.
The falls are right off the road, quite popular, but not crowded. Easy to get to.
After that we continued on to Canadian Tire in Langford for a few last minutes things, before continuing on to Jordan River via Sooke.
The road was simply incredible, but by this point it was getting dark, so no pictures. Truly epic driving, and the scenery was fantastic, even in the dusk light.
We came into the Jordan River campsite with a beautiful, but quickly fading sunset happening before our eyes, sun dropping behind the Olympic Peninsula, casting a glow across the nearly pristine sky.
Setting up our site was a fairly practiced event, and before long we had the stove on and supper well on its way. I need to step outside the story for a brief moment to mention this stove. It, and the space heater we used to keep the chill off inside the tent, were purchased by my grandfather sometime in his 20s. They sat in my gramma's garage until a few years ago they were passed to me. Both are naptha, and both work as well as they ever had. The stove is in need of some new seals for the generator, though I will likely opt to just replace the whole tank as it has some rust inside. I will keep this one for posterity.
Anyway, we had the tent set up and bedding laid down before long. I will have a debrief of my take-aways from this trip after the report. With the early morning, and a day of being stuffed 3 wide in a Ranger, it was bed after a few short hours of watching the stars, and a half-assed attempt to start a fire with the wet wood available to us. We had some pretty cool neighbours that were in a van he had fitted out inside himself. They were a surfer couple, and she came over after they saw us working on our fire, to offer some dry kindling.
To be continued...
Being ones that aren't big on parties, or doing normal stuff, we decided to load the family up and spend New Years on an adventure exploring the lower Vancouver Island, viewing some surfing areas, huge trees, hanging out in Tofino, and enjoying the beautiful roads and sights. Also I had a surprise in store for NYE.
Tuesday 29
Woke up around 6am to start prepping the truck for the trip, I had to salt the night before up on the Westwood Plateau in Coquitlam, and it would be midnight before I got home to my bed in Surrey. Short night sleep, but I typically run on 5-7h a night anyway.
In the bustle of the season, I neglected to drop off my rent cheque the day previous, and I wouldn't be back until after the 1st, so I needed to do that before I could leave. However, the office doesn't open until 8:30, and I had a ferry to catch in Tswassen, 38 minutes away in no traffic and I had to check in by 10:00. At least I have time to pack the truck while I'm waiting for the office to open.
Everything flows smoothly and we've got the truck loaded and ready to go; office opens, I drop the rent cheque and we're on the road. It's 9:15. On a Tuesday, in one of the most traffic congested regions of Canada.
Fortunately fate was on our side, there was just enough traffic to allow some comfortable stretching of my little black Ranger's legs, and not enough to congest and slow us down. We roll through the toll gate and into our lane. It's 9:43.
We got there with just enough time to get out and stretch our legs and snap a picture before the announcement for boarding came. Timing so far: impeccable.
Crossing to Duke Point was uneventful, nice views from the deck and mild enough temperatures to stand out there and enjoy them for a few minutes.
After we arrived in Duke Point, a coffee was overdue and Annie, our 5 year old daughter, was getting a little hungry, so a quick stop for some lunch and a coffee for the pilot and it was off towards Victoria down the Malahat highway. We stopped in Goldstream Park to check out Niagra Falls (I've seen the other ones, and these ones win on beauty, those ones win on power)...
Very big country. You can see my fiance in the bottom corner on the trail.
The falls are right off the road, quite popular, but not crowded. Easy to get to.
After that we continued on to Canadian Tire in Langford for a few last minutes things, before continuing on to Jordan River via Sooke.
The road was simply incredible, but by this point it was getting dark, so no pictures. Truly epic driving, and the scenery was fantastic, even in the dusk light.
We came into the Jordan River campsite with a beautiful, but quickly fading sunset happening before our eyes, sun dropping behind the Olympic Peninsula, casting a glow across the nearly pristine sky.
Setting up our site was a fairly practiced event, and before long we had the stove on and supper well on its way. I need to step outside the story for a brief moment to mention this stove. It, and the space heater we used to keep the chill off inside the tent, were purchased by my grandfather sometime in his 20s. They sat in my gramma's garage until a few years ago they were passed to me. Both are naptha, and both work as well as they ever had. The stove is in need of some new seals for the generator, though I will likely opt to just replace the whole tank as it has some rust inside. I will keep this one for posterity.
Anyway, we had the tent set up and bedding laid down before long. I will have a debrief of my take-aways from this trip after the report. With the early morning, and a day of being stuffed 3 wide in a Ranger, it was bed after a few short hours of watching the stars, and a half-assed attempt to start a fire with the wet wood available to us. We had some pretty cool neighbours that were in a van he had fitted out inside himself. They were a surfer couple, and she came over after they saw us working on our fire, to offer some dry kindling.
To be continued...