Spent last weekend driving a south island loop. Drove up to Port Alberni after work on Friday and met up with a friend I'd met a few week prior (on a camping trip). We grabbed some beer, fuel and McDicks before hitting the Dirt and heading for camp. Spent the first night drinking beer, swimming and canoeing around Francis Lake.
Next Morning we made a plan to make it to Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park and find a place to camp for night 2. Took our sweet time, stopping at lakes and view points along the way. traded vehicles for a bit as well. the 2JZ powered 4runner had some get up and go compared to the cruiser...needless to say i blew past a turn off or two. eventually found our turnoff and headed down the overgrown trail. an hour later after a few washouts and tight spots we arrived at a bridge 100m from the main. barricades and dug out beyond words. Re-assessed the mapbook, picked a lake to camp and decided a possible river crossing would be a poor choice. Made a quick dinner and headed back the way we came. Arrived in Nitinat for a quick fuel for the thirsty 4runner and into Carmanah we went.
Did a bit of exploring around some mains, gained some altitude until we were in the clouds and headed for Hadkin Lake. Set the tent up in a beautiful Hemlock grove for the night. One highlight of the trip was hearing an Absolute GIANT of a tree quit life around midnight and come crashing down into the dense forest. Never have i heard anything like that before. Genuinely though the mountainside was coming down towards us. A once in a lifetime experience right there.
Next day we headed deeper in the Walbran, Found the Occupy Camp and hiked in to Tolkien Giant and Marble Canyon for a afternoon swim. Quick dinner and hit the road attempting to link up to Bugaboo Main to take us to Renfrew. An insanely tight road eventually hooked up to where we needed to be. Finally we checked out Big Lonely Doug before finishing the last beer and heading for home at 8pm Sunday Night.
Living the dream these days
Next Morning we made a plan to make it to Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park and find a place to camp for night 2. Took our sweet time, stopping at lakes and view points along the way. traded vehicles for a bit as well. the 2JZ powered 4runner had some get up and go compared to the cruiser...needless to say i blew past a turn off or two. eventually found our turnoff and headed down the overgrown trail. an hour later after a few washouts and tight spots we arrived at a bridge 100m from the main. barricades and dug out beyond words. Re-assessed the mapbook, picked a lake to camp and decided a possible river crossing would be a poor choice. Made a quick dinner and headed back the way we came. Arrived in Nitinat for a quick fuel for the thirsty 4runner and into Carmanah we went.
Did a bit of exploring around some mains, gained some altitude until we were in the clouds and headed for Hadkin Lake. Set the tent up in a beautiful Hemlock grove for the night. One highlight of the trip was hearing an Absolute GIANT of a tree quit life around midnight and come crashing down into the dense forest. Never have i heard anything like that before. Genuinely though the mountainside was coming down towards us. A once in a lifetime experience right there.
Next day we headed deeper in the Walbran, Found the Occupy Camp and hiked in to Tolkien Giant and Marble Canyon for a afternoon swim. Quick dinner and hit the road attempting to link up to Bugaboo Main to take us to Renfrew. An insanely tight road eventually hooked up to where we needed to be. Finally we checked out Big Lonely Doug before finishing the last beer and heading for home at 8pm Sunday Night.
Living the dream these days
