Vancouver Island and BC Coast recommendations

[scott_frey]

Greetings,

 

I am going to Vancouver for two days of photography next week

(9/28-29), while my partner is at a conference (and a day of

mountain biking after ;-)

 

I would like to spend the two days doing scenic and landscape

photos.

 

My current (tentative) plan for Thursday is to catch the 6:30 ferry

from Horseshoe Bay (we are staying in Vancouver), to Nanaimo,

drive across to Pacific Rim NP (which unit is the best for

photography?), Botanical Beach, MacMillan (Cathedral Grove)

and return sometime that evening (sunset at PRNP?)

 

Friday I plan to drive north up the coast from Vancouver, possibly

up to Skookumchuck Narrows. along the sunshine coast hwy.

 

I am looking for advice (tips, and "don't bother" advice are all

welcome) for "must see" locations.

 

I have been out to Olympic NP and up the east coast of

Vancouver Island before. I especially enjoyed shooting the rain

forest, waterfalls, tidal pools and rocky coast lands.

 

I am not adverse to hiking (even rough terrain and scrambling)

with my gear, although I would like to maximize my photography

time vs. my hiking time (we do plenty of hiking vacations with no

photography ;-)

 

(I am also posting this to the pnwphoto@egroups, as has been

recommender in other posts)

[rob_s.]

I think that the Northernmost (Long Beach) part of PRNP will be the most rewarding since you will not get onto the West Coast Trail and Broken Group is only accessible by boat or kayak.<p>

The drive through the mountains from Nanaimo to Parksville and through Port Alberni and Sutton Pass takes you through spectacular mountain scenery and lush patches of old growth forest. I say patches because, of course, most of the island is logged.<p>

Stop along the highway and plunge into the woods to see trees larger than any you will see at MacMillan park.<p> Turn North off the highway at Sutton Pass and drive up Kennedy Mainline to Spires Lake. A massive landslide in the 40s blocked the river and created a lake full of snags, surrounded by mountains and virgin forest. The road is very rough and takes 1/2 hour to drive. This is the start of the Clayoquot Valley Witness trail which leads up over the pass to small subalpine lakes and down into the Clayoquot Valley. That would be quite a hike for one day but you may see Elk in the meadows at Norgar Lake, as well as some staggeringly large trees, waterfalls and lots and lots of moss. Mushrooms will be emerging by the gazillions now too. The boardwalks ar incredibly slippery and dangerous. This isn't a park, it's tenured forest company land, so there are no facilities whatsoever.<p>

 

If you watch carefully, there is a tiny dirt road off the the right on a long straight strech of road on the Tofino highway, maybe 20 minutes West of Sutton Pass, just before it splits into four lanes. (When you get to the four-lane section, turn back and look for it). Go down the road to the river and head up on a grown-in trail. At the end you will find one of the largest remaining cedars in the entire Kennedy Valley. It is well over a thousand years old, maybe 1300, and it is not well known.<p>

As for the beach, I recommend Combers Beach because of it expansive dune community and the fact that fewer visitors go there. Long Beach is way too crowded for my tastes. There is a creek at one end of the beach where waterfowl often rest.<p>

 

Botannical Beach is nice, but its near Port Renfrew which means about a 6-hour drive from Tofino. I'd stay in the Clayoquot Sound area and reduce driving time.

[michael_hancock]

Scott - My advice is based on a trip last year to the Vancouver/Vancouver Island area. We spent many days on the island, mostly in Tofino. Its beautiful, but to try to do it in one day would be very unproductive (photographically). You will spend all day driving.

 

A more practical alternative may be to spend your time north of Vancouver, driving up to the Whistler/Garibaldi Area. A much shorter drive, and plenty of opportunities. Getting out into Garabaldi Provencial Park (even on dirt roads) can be great, and we got some great images in an old-growth cedar forest just north of the ski area. Once you get north of Whistler, its wide open mountainous country - fantastic. The drive to Whistler along Hobe Sound is impressive too. Good luck.

[craig_andrew_yuill]

If scenery is something you want to photograph then you might want to take a trip up to the Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton area. There is much in the way of spectacular locations along that route. The Chief and Black Tusk are in the area. Around Pemberton there is Mount Currie. Played golf there last summer---it's beautiful. Just North of Pemberton is Lilloet Lake. Gorgeous in many spots---reminds one of the Alps. If you take the BC Forest Products road you should be vigilant---the road can wreak havoc on tires and underbodies, although it is quite good for a logging road.

[mzanzig]

I have been on a fantastic trip to British Columbia and Alberta this summer, and I created a web site with some valuable (I hope) information and lots of high-res photos. When planning the trip from Europe, we found it extremely difficult to get the route right, because you never know exactly in advance, where you will stop and what you will see.<P>

At the end, it turned out that our three-week tour was pretty well planned and could be used as a template for other trips. The photos will help you to determine which areas you want to emphasize on YOUR trip.<P>

Please point your browsers to <A HREF="http://www.zanzig.com/travel/3weeks/canada-index.html">http://www.zanzig.com/travel/3weeks/canada-index.html</A><P>

Hope this helps.