TOFINO: day 29

Woke up to the thickest layer of fog, it’s easy to forget how quickly island weather changes when you’ve been teased with 3 days of glorious sunshine. Feeling very, very hormonal today. Pathetic fallacy? Not sure. But it does feel as if the fog has trickled inside of me. Grrr. Went for a beach walk before breakfast, which was v atmospheric and moody. Found loads of sea dollars washed up on the shore, nature is cool.

Waited for the mist to clear, then went for a surf. Every time I go surfing, I forget how bad I am at it. All I want in life is to be a surfer babe, why are you not just born with this talent. It was pretty choppy, Isaac disappeared into the proper surf, I stayed in the shallows (mostly because I couldn’t seem to paddle out any further??) It’s definitely not as fun sucking at something when you’re by yourself. I can just about stand up, but that’s it. One day I will be somewhere for a long time and learn to surf properly. You get no where with a few days here and there.

Isaac made a thai noodle broth for lunch, was yummmm. Had a very lengthy shower, then accidentally had a nap. It’s exhausting constantly being swallowed by waves. 

Woke up from my nap feeling even more crazy hormonal than I did before, like crazy. Feel bad for Isaac but he is v patient. Weirdly feeling homesick? Think because the last time I was in Tofino was with my family this time last year. Miss them lots. 

Went for an evening bike ride down the beach, fog still too thick to see more than 50m in front of you. We climbed up some rocks at the end. Would’ve been a nice view, but, y’know, fog. The tide was out, I inspected the barnacles and the other bizarre crustaceans wrapped around the base of the cliffs, collected some sea glass and shell fragments, then cycled back to camp.

old pic from the year before of what the view actually looks like

Isaac made fake chicken tacos for dinner, then a cheese board to finish (?!) I have been absolutely foul all day and he is still this good to me. V lucky

TOFINO: day 28

Beaut day when we woke, realising with the daylight that we were camping in the most insane place. We were next to some water falls, with smooth rocks above them creating pools of crystal clear, icy water you could chill in (if you like that Wim Hof kinda thing). 

There were a fair few others camping, but it didn’t feel crowded. The sun was out, we made some new friends and contemplated sacking off a day in Tofino to stay here. But having already spent $$ booking a boujee campsite, we decided against it. Made a lux brekky of french toast with banana, went for a quick dip in the river then packed up to head to the beaches. I enjoyed the drive, lots of v good views. 

I love Tofino and am so excited to be back. But already the new world has made things a little weird. The long, socially distant queues into the tiny shops makes it feel like it is crawling with people.

Hired surfboards then headed to the campsite to check in. After so many weeks of wild camping/sub par campsites, we really have treated ourselves. Our campsite had a power plug AND a tap. I immediately showered to remember the feeling of warm water on my skin. LUXURY. As nice as nature baths are, I will never take a warm shower for granted ever again. 

Went for a walk along the beach, wowee stunning. Thought about surfing but also was getting tired and hungry and still needed to buy food. We have all week to surf.

Went back into town for a food shop, Isaac made an delish dinner with sweet potato mash and pan fried salmon. YUM. It feels oddly like home here.

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 27

Accidentally woke up late, rushed to eat and not accidentally waste the day. Feeling a bit hormonal, a few silent tears over absolutely nothing (not being able to find my shorts etc)

Thankfully not as hot as yesterday. First run was scary but fun, next run was an accidental double black, not so fun. It’s unbelievably frustrating falling off every 10 seconds. Made it to the bottom alive (a miracle) and did the pump track there a few times, felt cool, then did one last run which was v fun.

Tried to go for a beer at the brewery but the queue was out the door and round the corner. So found a pub instead and chatted to some locals, they were nice. I still like the Cumberland vibe a lot. 

Cleaned the bikes then planned a route to Tofino. Picked the inland route past Commox Lake, so we could explore the lakes dotted along the network of forest service roads in that area to find somewhere to stay for the night. The road was super sketchy but it turned out to be a very scenic route, Commox Lake is BEAUT and huge. 

A good chunk of the route’s forest service roads were so overgrown they had been reclaimed by the forest/had disintegrated to nothing/a surprise road block. So lot’s of backtracking and re-routing was done. Decided to just aim for an IOverlander spot by Great Central Lake as the day was slipping away from us, almost got there but then ANOTHER FRIKIN ROAD BLOCK GRR. New plan: give up on FSRs, head back to the highway and drive as close to Tofino we can get before driving is too much.  

It was dark, driving had become beyond tedious, so found another spot near Kennedy River. Not a very exciting day, hopes for tomorrow being better. 

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 26

Quick brekkie of cereal, dusted off the cobwebs from the bikes, then packed up from our vacay to head to Cumberland. Annoyingly it’s the first super, super hot day we’ve had. Not the ideal climate for a full day of biking. 

As soon as we pulled in I decided that I loooove Cumberland. The streets and buildings reminded me a bit of an old western film? But new not old. Not sure, describing architecture isn’t my forte, I just liked the vibe a lot.  

Scoped out some good looking runs on trail forks and headed off. The heat (and maybe lack of fitness) made the climb v hard. Ride down was fun, finally feel like I am getting the hang of mountain biking!!! Still scary, but not falling off on every corner makes things more 100x more enjoyable.

Got the best dairy free coconut ice cream I've ever EVER had from Love’s Ice Cream. It was like a Mr Whippy with frozen raspberries swirled into it!?**

Went to Comox Lake for a dip and it was absolutely heaving, easy to forget that we’re still in a global pandemic sometimes. Met an older, retired couple who had an insane sprinter van conversion and were on a road trip biking tour with their son. They were cool.

Decided to do some more biking tomorrow so just set up camp for the night in a pullout near the lake. Very tired, but the good kind of body tired where you feel like you’ve achieved something.

**posting this nearly 6 months after I had it and I still think about it on a regular basis. That good.

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 24/25

day 24

Drove into Campbell River to find a laundromat and did two weeks worth of washing which took up the majority of the day. Why are these things still done by coins? Booked a camp site for Tofino whilst we waited. 

Drove to another campsite to fill up our water tank then headed back to Upper Campbell Lake to see if any of the insane pullout spots were free, and they were!!!! Bagged the best one which had a lil private beach, lush. 

Made a thai green curry for dinner, it was yummmmeh. The sunset was insane, a sky full of pinks and purples. We chilled by the fire, drank vino and toasted marshys (this daily marshmallow habit is becoming uncontrollable, but I’m not mad about it) then went to bed, v tired.

Despited not much happening over the last few days, for some reason it has been exhausting? Decided if the weather was good tomorrow, we would stay here for another night. I can’t wait to have a days rest from this taxing holiday.

day 25

Hallelujah and praise the lord, the sun has blessed us with its presence. A WHOLE DAY of CHILL. We had a breakfast of kings and queens (avo and eggs on a bagel), ate it on our luxurious private beach. Got the rug out, Isaac set up the hammock, I painted my toenails, did some more of the macrame net (which probably wont be finished until we’ve sold the van), read for a bit, sunbathed, stared into the horizon etc etc. Isaac, obviously, filled the time being productive and fixing things in the van. Blew up the explorer, went for a float, then for a v quick (freezing) dip. 

Made fake chicken tacos for dinner, drank more wine and tucked up into bed. Feeling zen and rejuvenated. Decided to head to Cumberland tomorrow to do some mad biking. 

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 23

Not much happened today, other than driving. We drove down so many forest service roads, only to find road blocks right at the last turn. Every route we picked ended up with the same fate; road block after road block. Slight worries of running out of fuel again, but this time no phone signal and zero hope of anyone passing us for at least 3 days. Fortunately, the views were mostly 10/10, otherwise it would’ve been miserable on top of the frustration.

On our last dribble of fuel, we finally found a successful route and made it to Campbell River. We spent the majority of the evening doing even more driving to try find a camp for the night. Every single spot, sneaky or paid campsite, was full. It was practically night before we found one, squeezing between two overbearing RV set ups on the edge of a nice enough lake. 

In sum, lots and lots of aimless driving, one finished podcast series and two v grumpy people. Goodnight.

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 22

Sleeping on a couple of yoga mats didn’t quite compare to the luxury of a proper bed in a van. But waking up to the insane views from the tent made up for my dead hips and arms. Realised we didn’t bring any food for breakfast, idiots. Wished we’d packed enough supplies to stay for another night. 

The weather started to turn as we packed up. Perhaps our inefficient food packing was for the best. Despite the drizzle, the walk back to the trail was still BEAUT. San Jo Bay has definitely been a highlight so far.  

Got back to the van and ate every last thing that was left in the fridge (which quite nicely turned out to be a lil charcuterie board? I hate us), then headed towards a lake on the way to Port Hardy. Another v sketchy forest service road, this one was very much active, with the HUUUUGE logging trucks flying around the corner. Man they are so scary to pass. 

Pretty creepy lake when we got there, eerily still. But a very friendly retired man called Lennard who had been there for a couple of weeks (noticing a trend for jolly, retired Canadian men camping alone for weeks in v isolated spots). He gave us some wood to chock up the van and also 2 avocados. Thank you Lennard. We unpacked from camping and gave the van a spring clean. It had become very chaotic in there, now with sand added to every nook and cranny. Made pasta and grilled veg for dinner, had an early night. Pooped

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 21

I think my sun dance worked, the weather is lush. Old mate who ran the camp site emerged from a wooden shack that we can only assume he lived in (no electricity or water hook ups in sight) and shuffled over to us. He looked like Santa Claus’s long lost brother who had become one with nature. Whilst we gathered our beach camping stuff together, he got out some ancient satellite pics to show us the best route to hike in. Two mosquitos landed on his face which promptly smacked, leaving their smushed bodies plastered against his forehead, and then continued with his advice. 

The trailhead for the beach hike was a gravel path the whole way. In England, this would just be a nice walk through a forest, not a hike (not that I’m complaining). It’s a very cool walk, lots of big wiggly trees again. My favourite kind of trees.

Canadian beaches are insanely beautiful and wild. In search of the perfect camping spot, we walked all the way along and crossed over to the other half of the beach whilst the tide was low. Ate the sandwiches we’d made for lunch, set up camp, then went exploring. The low tide meant so many rock pools!!!! MY favourite, some v nice little islands and coves to explore too. 

The tide came in, we played frisbee for a while, drank all the wine too quickly, contemplated walking back to the van for a refill, decided that it was too far/getting dark. Made some dinner, played some cards, Isaac made a campfire and we watched the sun go down whilst listening to wolves howl in the distance (didn’t love that bit so much). Tucked up into sleeping bags and went to sleep. I rate San Josef Bay a 10/10.

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 20

I was rudely awakened at 4am by quite literally, one of my worst nightmares; hundreds teeny tiny flies crawling all over us and biting our faces/whole body. Thought maybe it was just a nightmare until I saw a swarm of them covering the inside of the windows. Turns out the holes in our fly nets are mosquito size only. Minuscule bastards. 

We packed up then went to check out and Eternal Fountain nearby. It was a waterfall that appeared out of nowhere, in a forest full of squishy moss. It popped out from the side of a mound and disappear again back into the ground. Nature is cool. 

Next stop is camping on the beaches of Cape Scott Provincial Park, the northern tip of the island. Tomorrow night is the only day that isn’t going to be pouring with rain for a while, so the pressure is on. Isaac is still on a mission to test the off-roading capacity of the van and picked a route that is forest service roads only (FSRs). Will we make the 100km of off-roading in a van that’s older than me in time for the beach camping weather? Unsure, but maybe should have more faith. 

45 mins of driving in, we reach a huge sinkhole in the road. Find different route through a network deactivated FSRs (apparently this will be quicker/more direct than the highway). Clearly no one had driven down these road in a very long time. Animal carcasses were strewn across the road, the bushes and trees were so overgrown we were getting whipped in the face if the van windows were open, and I lost count of the amount of bears we startled from the road. Perhaps we we should have taken the ‘4x4 recommended’ sign more seriously, but we were too far to turn around so onwards and upwards. 

Anxiety levels were through the roof, but the GPS map said we were so close to the end of the road. We turned almost the final bend and the road disappeared into ANOTHER sink hole. lol. Back we go (literally, had to reverse for a while as no space to turn and bushes so thick you can't see in the wing mirror).

Despite all the delays and backtracking, we made it to the heritage campsite on the edge of the beaches before it was completely dark, passing a beautiful shoe memorial on the way. This has been a stressful day, but hopefully the rush will be worth it. Did a sun dance to cement tomorrow’s supposed glorious camping weather, made dinner, then went to bed. 

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 19

Woke up to the sound of rain hammering onto the roof. We quickly whipped the tarp back up to make breakfast without getting completely soaked (so much rain overnight it had crumpled in half). The hikes to the whale view point are still closed because of cougars. I really, wanted to see some whales, v sad.

Had another, very lengthy shower, rinsed the $2 an hour wifi to FaceTime my family, then we packed up and headed towards Alice Lake. Driving straight back into the depths of the forests and Sasquatch territory. Checked out a lot of potential camp spots on the way, but we have been spoilt with so many 10/10 views, which makes it hard to settle. Grass is always greener y’know.

Drove down a crazy 4x4 road (Isaac insists on testing the off roading capacity of this 94’ Chevy to find its limit, not sure how I feel about this plan) to suss out a small lake spot. We somehow made it to the bottom of the hill to find two, very very creepy, semi-abandoned caravans. One had an eviction notice across the door that had been ripped open. These faint signs of life, but no people in sight really set me on edge. I did not like it at all. 

Somehow made it back up the road (apparently the off roading limit has not yet been reached), and for some reason I am feeling increasingly more anxious. Stopped at something called Devil’s Bath. A very deep cenote (pool of water connected to underground rivers) and it really did look like something the Devil would bathe in.

None of the potential camping spots appeal to me, I know I am being too picky, but anxiety is saying no. Eventually found a place by a lake and set up for the night, but feeling sad that my anxiety is stopping us from doing cool things. 

Isaac pumped up the explorer and paddled out to a fishing platform. He actually caught a fish!! Red wine and lake fish for dinner. 

VANCOUVER ISALND: day 18

After an extremely uneventful night with absolutely zero Sasquatch activity, we packed up, said our goodbyes to our new found friends and headed to some caves they recommended nearby (Houston Caves). 

The caves were crazy huuuuge! Blows my mind that these things just form in nature on their own. So smooth, so echo-ey. The water was crystal clear. I felt very small and insignificant (or maybe that’s just an insight into how I feel right now). 

Head to Telegraph Cove next, have heard it’s a good place to see some whales. It’s a tiny town, hovering on stilts over the sea front. The local shop was dedicated to their teeny little guard dog who chased bears off the beach. But then one day, it got eaten by one of the bears it was chasing. That was sad, looked just like my lil dog :( 

Walked all the way around the town’s boardwalk to the waters edge, sadly no whales. It started to absolutely POUR with rain, so decided to pay for the campsite there and not faff about finding somewhere else. It was a particularly creepy campsite in the woods (the miserable weather didn’t help the creepiness) with signs everywhere saying ‘cougar/bear in area’. Also meant that the hikes to the whale watching point were closed (cougar on the trail, eek). Just what this nervous girl needs.

Trudged through the mud and rain to the showers at the opposite end of the campsite. We had such long showers that it was middle of the night kinda dark when we got out. This lead to a petrifying walk/sprint back to the van through the cougar/bear filled forest, with not even a phone light to show the way. The rain was also so bad not even the tarp could save us, we cooked dinner inside the van, watched modern family, then went to sleep.

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 17

On the edge of being pretty chilly still, but we both committed to a proper camping shower/hair wash. The kind where you pour buckets of freezing cold water over your head, Wim Hof style. Not sure how he does it, but it certainly does freshen you up. 

Packed up to head towards Nimpkish Lake, need to get some KMs under our belt. The more north/inland you go, the further from civilisation it feels. The tree-lines either side of the forest service roads are unbelievably thick, makes stopping for a roadside wee quite unnerving.  

Despite the eery-ness, every spot around Nimpkish Lake was occupied. Not with your usual retired couple with their ridiculously swish RV and tiny yapping dog, but with bizarre semi-permanent camping set ups (fenced gardens/pot plants, wooden extensions nailed haphazardly onto caravans? hmm). 

We tried the sistering lagoon, Anutz Lake, where there was a plethora of spots to chose from (why the heck was the other one so popular/what’s wrong with this place?!). As we drove in, the occupants of another make-shift shack/tent set up (grandparents and grandkids) leapt from their camping chairs, with frantic arm waving and whooping as they enthusiastically greeted us. The Grandad squished his nose right up against my half open window and yelled “Y’ALL ON SASQUATCH* WATCH TONIGHT?!?!?” with a slightly crazed look in his eyes, blowing his stale beer breath all over me. “Haha!!!!!!”  (me nervously laughing in response) and we drove to a different section where we could block ourselves in with the van.

Turned out to be a 10/10 spot, private beach access. Half way through setting up, we heard a rustling in the bushes and out popped the Grannie from earlier. She had a beer in one hand, a cig in the other and a grandkid wrapped around her legs. She was chatty and oozed with friendly warmth. A good 20 mins later, she climbed back through the bushes whilst inviting us to their fire pit for a drink later. We made some dinner, picked out a beer and headed over. 

The kids were sweet, the grandparents were smashed. It seemed to be a complex family dynamic, but there was clearly a whole lotta love. After a few mins of getting our ears chewed, we asked about the Granddad about his strange Sasquatch comment. This lead to a very, very in depth tale of the night before (I will try my best to summarise). 

In the early evening (let’s call it dusk), after spending the day canoeing around the lake to find nothing but more trees, not another soul in sight, they heard a weird yelling from the other side of the lake. This was met with more yelling, from a different point, on another side of the lake. It continued for about 20 minutes, back and forth, growing to multiple different points. As if something was having a long distance conversation. They thought ‘weird, huh’, but went to bed anyway (how they fell asleep is beyond me). 

In the middle of the night, they were abruptly woken the sound of a huge fir tree splitting, as if it had been struck by lightening. The splitting sound happened in the same format of the yells, repeatedly from different points across the lake. To their horror, an almighty split sounded from the forest directly behind their campsite (eek!!!). Kids and Grannie clutched each other, terrified, whilst the Granddad whipped his chainsaw from the ute (a very normal piece equipment for a Canadian to keep at close hand, who knows what they might need to chop) and tried to be louder than the cracks that were too close for comfort. When the morning finally arrived, he ventured into the forest, chainsaw in hand, to find fresh debris from tree trunks that had exploded into a million pieces.

I am not 100% sure how much I believe this story. But, I can’t deny the fact they had goosebumps whilst they were recalling it and seemed visibly shaken up. Apparently this area is known by the First Nation groups and loggers to be ‘The Sasquatch Valley’, with Sasquatches supposedly communicating with each other through tree knocking……  

With the darkness suddenly becoming way more scary and that lovely bedtime story ringing in our ears, we said adieu and practically sprinted back to the van. I locked myself in, Isaac waited by the fire in anticipation of more exploding tree action. 

*Sasquatch AKA Bigfoot: a large, hairy, ape-like creature resembling a yeti, supposedly found in north-western America.

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 1

from the top?

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 16

We were rudely awakened by a fishing boat fog horn, starting at 7am and repeating LITERALLY every minute after. It was so loud it sounded like it was inside my brain. The fog was too thick to see the offending culprit, which I guess explains the frequency of the horn.

This weather sucks. I am counting my blessing we aren’t doing this in a tent. Isaac has a level 7 vomming hangover too. Looks like we are finally getting the two nights in the same place we desperately wanted, just thick fog and not the glorious sun I had pictured.

Isaac slept, I read, macramed the net (which is now becoming beyond tedious), I walked up and down the beach a few times. By the afternoon, Isaac had regained some strength and threw a few lines out into the bay, immediately snapping his line and losing his lure. 

I made a sandwich for lunch, then the heavens opened. We retreated to the van, that was still full of damp underwear, and watched stuff on the iPad. 

Isaac made a stir fry for an early dinner, we chilled with the cool chefs for a while by their fire, then had an early night. It’s been a spectacularly uninteresting day, but I guess not everyday has to be an adventure.

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 15

Woke up to find that a tiny monster has eaten my feet and ankles alive. It also looked like it was going to be a pretty drizzly day. Annoyingly, not the weather you want when you just want to chill and enjoy a lush spot. Would be nice to find a sweet place and simultaneously have a few days of glorious weather. Really want to stay put for more than one night. It’s getting a bit exhausting having to find a new spot everyday.

Everything’s a bit annoying today in the van, i.e, the fridge turned off overnight. We haven’t been driving enough to fully charge the battery and the lack of sun means the solar panel is redundant. As I scoop out the dirty fridge juice with loo roll, I wonder to myself if this van life is worth all the fuss.

Did an undies wash in my new found bathtub, packed up and kept moving. Hopefully we’ll find another spot to stay for more than one night (and some sun).

The drizzle turned into buckets on the drive to Elk Bay. A shame because this is another, absolutely excellent spot. Right next to the ocean with misty mountains floating along the horizon. The rain is so outrageous we had to set up the tarp for the first time. Another couple have bagged the spot under the cover of the trees; jealous.

Hung out the undies I washed this morning wherever I could find a suitable hanging space in the van (steering wheel, gear stick, curtain wire etc.) creating a moist jungle of knickers. Went for a walk down to the beach, came back very wet. Changed into dry clothes and huddled under the tarp to cook dinner. 

The couple invited us to chill by their fire, under the luxury of a Douglas Fir canopy. They were on a trip heading towards the east coast of Canada, before flying to Estonia. They were super interesting, both chefs, but talked about food like they were scientists. They loved fermentation and foraging; their 24 hour marinaded pork shoulder for dinner really put our pesto pasta to shame. 

Called it a night, wrestled through the forest of undies in the van, said a prayer to the universe for some sun tomorrow, then slept. 

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 14

Despite a few rude awakenings caused by my recent biking underwear trauma, I actually had a good nights sleep. Did the morning camping admin (last nights washing up, Isaac’s daily rearrange of the roof box, etc etc.), thought about staying another night as it was pretty nice, but decided not to settle, surely we can find one even nicer. 

No phone signal here, but spied some waterfalls on the offline map at the end of Buttle Lake (the one next to the lake we were on) so headed there. Quite exciting only having a star on a map to go from, like the good old days before technology made roadtrips way too easy.

Myra falls were absolutely insane, worth at least 3 stars on the offline maps. Floods of aqua blue falls, crashing down into pools and then straight into the most stunning lake I’ve seen on this trip so far. We followed the falls down to the waters edge, pretty steep and slippery, a few sketchy moments, but worth it. 

Annoyingly, the roads to continue on past the lake were definitely out of the van’s league (this time it was probably sensible to take note of the 4WD recommended signs) so had to double back towards Campbell Lake. Found a lush spot at the bottom of Buttle Lake to make lunch, then headed off to suss out some potential sleeping spots we had pinned on the map.

Turned off the highway, drove down some small roads that got smaller and smaller, before opening out into a peninsula in the middle of the lake. THE SPOT WAS CRAZY GOOD Y’ALL. 360 degree lake view. Drove around to find the best of the best spots, discovered a makeshift outhouse and found a guest book, signed by adults clearly having a mint time. Turns out we’ve stumbled upon another rave spot. Already imagining all our friends in Whistler doing an island trip and having a weekend sesh here. 

Settled in for the night, I heated up some water on the stove and had a little nature bath in the washing up tub. Why has it taken me so long to discover this? Warmth, glass of wine in hand, topped off with an excellent view, could be worse.

Made an extravagant dinner of veggie frittas, grilled corn and a luxe salad. Sat around the fire till it was dark, then climbed into bed a watched Game of Thrones.

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 13

At 6am I was shot out of bed in agony. To spare the details, turns out wearing a thong biking does more damage than you might at first think. I powered through the misery till a reasonable hour, ditched all plans of hiking the scenic meadows and drove back to the nearest town Courtney, to ask a pharmacist what the hec I can do to relieve this anguish.

I spent a long time walking up and down the aisles of Shoppers, digging deep for the courage to explain the situation to the pharmacist. The courage never came, so Isaac asked on my behalf. So incredibly grateful he did, but unfortunately subtlety is not first nature of a booming, Australian accent. Needless to say I hid far away, down the toothbrush aisle. Got some things, fingers crossed this crack is healed ASAP.

Debated whether we should go back for the hikes or just cut our losses and head onto Campbell Lake. Concluded that hiking might not be the best idea for my current condition (surprisingly debilitated), so chose the latter and drove north.

Stopped at Elk Falls on the way (just passed Campbell River) and wobbled across the suspension bridge. Realised that I’d been here last year with the girls on our first ever roady in the van. Continued inland towards the lake and passed some absolutely insane camping spots, all with their own private beach!! Annoyingly they were already occupied, but made a mental note for the journey back.

Drove up and down the same stretch a few times, before settling on a more communal spot between some Canadian bros and a couple of oldies and their RV. Despite the crowds and being just off the highway, it was actually very peaceful and still. The lake is beautiful, only slightly ruined by previous campers who left a half deflated unicorn. That makes me sad and mad. Why are people so irresponsibly lazy.

Forced myself to have a freezing shower bag shower, made some dinner, watched Game of Thrones in bed, then said a few prayers to the universe to heal me quickly.

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 12

Pretty miserable day. Drove back to the beach spot to make breakfast, but it was so rainy we had to cook inside. Suddenly realised we only had 20 minutes until the the 11am ferry left. I very hastily tried to pack up/secure things whilst Isaac started driving. Not our best idea. Sadly, we lost both wine glasses to the first sharp corner, as well as covering the van with breakfast stuff. Annoyingly, there was a huge queue at the ferry terminal and we missed the 11am one anyway. A tragic and unnecessary loss of borrowed wine glasses.

Back on the mainland, we sat in the same coffee shop as before, trying to make a plan of where to go next. Decided to head towards Campbell Lake but to stop at Forbidden Plateau on the way, an alpine meadow area with apparently some of the most scenic hikes in the world!! oo la la. Set up camp in the parking lot of the abandoned ski area, not the scenic views we were promised, but it will do the job.

After we pulled up, for some reason I was overcome with tiredness resulting in the best nap of my life thus far. It’s really handy having a bed on tap for whenever you need it. Whilst we were cooking dinner, a bunch of cars started pulling up beside us and out hopped a group of overly excited adults in neon PVC. A few jokes later about my name being Molly, it was revealed they were setting up a doof!!?! (forest rave) An interesting development for this quiet night in a mountain parking lot.

Ate our dinner, cracked open the last of the mead (my first mead pre-drinking experience) then went to check out the doof. The way they’d set up meant that you could sneakily peak in from above, and thank god you could. The scene below was 6 people pinging about to some very, very heavy EDM. Not for us, so retreated back to the van for our own doof. Polished off the rest of the mead under the fattest moon I have ever seen, the faint beats of EDM pumping in the distance.

HORNBY ISLAND 2: day 11

Paid a loonie (Canadian for $1) for a 2 minute shower, leading to the fastest hair wash in history. Forgot my towel. Putting dry clothes onto a wet body is very annoying. 

Isaac picked us out a biking route; it’s time for my first blue trail, apparently. Having a trouser dilemma though. Too hot to wear my trackies and I don't have any long shorts. My only option is some leggings I can roll up, but the VPL is real. I know thongs are not advisable when biking, but a girl’s gotta do what she’s gotta do.

Biking is like a really hard, real life spin class, but you can't cheat on the uphill climb and turn the gears down when the instructor isn't looking. I also immediately regretted my choice of underwear. In retrospect, a VPL is better than being a sweaty mess who is slowly getting sliced in half from the butt cheeks up. 

We biked to the top of Hornby and ate a sandwich on the ridge; that was nice. I was pretty impressed at myself on the way down, but whenever the trail turned into a ridge, I felt like I was going to vomit. I wouldn’t say I'm afraid of heights, but I definitely would rather not be standing too close to any edge with a sheer drop, let alone ride a wobbly bike down it. I wish I’d looked at the trail map before blindly following Isaac down, but it was easy enough to get off and walk when it got too scary. Overall I would still rate the experience an 8.5/10.

On the way back to the town, we saw a sign that said ‘tasting this way’. We assumed it was for a winery, so naturally, we followed it. Turned out to be a meadery?!! Even better. It was the most serene setting. We sat on the balcony overlooking the garden of wild flowers, full of bee hives, then all the way down past the forest to the ocean. 

The guy brought us 8 different meads to taste and lots of info on the history of mead. It was idyllic. I never want to drink regular wine again. He was an excellent salesman and we left with over $100 of mead in our arms. A very expensive, unexpected turn of events, event but worth every penny. 

Drove around for a while to find a spot for this night. Some insane views but all accompanied by aggressive no camping/overnight parking signs. We pulled up at one beach spot and decided to chill there for the evening and cook dinner, then find somewhere sneaky after. We got the rug out, both did some crafting. I did some more macrame net (this thing is taking freakin’ ages) and Isaac chiseled a hair chopstick out of driftwood. Saw a dog play with some seals in the bay and watched the sunset. It was glorious.

Found a carpark for a trail head and slept there; quiet enough. Will just head out early in the morning.

HORNBY ISLAND 1: DAY 10

Felt pretty rough after my lack of sleep, but counting our blessings we didn’t get murdered in the night. It’s crazy how much the darkness changes the atmosphere of a place. Now that it’s daylight, it looks lovely and peaceful again. I had a pretty chilly shower bag shower, made breakfast then headed to Buckle Bay to catch the ferry to Hornby Island. 

Stopped at a Shell to give the bikes (and van while we’re at it) a quick hose down. Flora is looking fresh. Annoyingly JUST missed a ferry, so waited at the lil’ coffee shop/seafood shop. 

Didn’t quite realise that you had to get 2 different ferries!! One to Denman Island, drive across it, then another one to Hornby. Paid an extortionate amount for a campsite at Tribune Bay. Didn’t have the strength to try and find a sneaky spot today. Thought it might be hard on such a tiny island. 

Had a feeling I was going to like Hornby, and I was right. Lots of very quaint shops with crafty-art things and windy, narrow roads with excellent views. We went for a walk along Tribune Bay. The rocky coastline had been so smoothed out by the stormy winter sea erosion, it kind of looked like a skate park. We watched a kid slip off one rock, elbow first onto another. Made me feel a bit sick (he was ok). Sat at the end of the rocks and gazed into the horizon. Dreamy

Discovered there are loads of biking trails on Hornby too! So we went and did a few easy ones. I am feeling confident, finally. I can sense Isaac is starting to get frustrated at going so slowly all the time.

It’s also Canada Day meaning the campsite is full of screaming kids sprinting around, high on sugar, hair spray painted red and maple leaves printed on their cheeks. As the evening drew in, the kids were replaced with shrieking adults with hair spray painted red and maple leaves printed on their cheeks. 

Cooked a Thai red curry for dinner, it was completely delicious. Celebrated Canada Day with a glass of wine in bed, watched Modern Family and had a much needed early night. 

VANCOUVER ISLAND: day 9

Had another extensively long shower this morning, because who knows when the next hot one will be. Missed the campsite’s check out time, had a fight with the campsite man about it. But who’s fault was it really if previously, he’d kicked us out of the tumble dryer forcing us to use the crisp Canadian air to dry our sheets?

Headed further north towards Qualicum Beach, stopped for lunch near some easy bike trails. They were just what this nervous girl needs to practice on. The steep parts were smooth and the bumpy parts, relatively flat. All went v well until we heard a bear growling in the bush and subsequently made a hasty exit from the woods.

Got to Qualicum Beach, 10/10 views, but all the potential sleeping spots were already taken/on the highway. Found a spot on iOverlander slightly more inland. It was off a logging road and next to some ATV/dirt biking trails, but an open area with surprisingly pleasant views. Not the cleanest though, lots of dumped rubbish and shotgun cartridges were everywhere. But we were tired, so decided to overlook it.

(Not Qualicum Beach, but alas I took no photos of it. Instead, a similar looking beach on Savory Island, off the Sunshine Coast)

Hung out the washing and Isaac made dinner (tofu stirfry, was yum). The sunset was unexpectedly amazing. Rays of pinky light were strobing through the clouds down onto the mountains in the distance. Crazy nice, but slightly ruined by people zooming past on ATVs every 10 minutes.

As soon as it got dark however, it was suddenly a very creepy place to be. I had an abrupt sense of being right in the middle of a dense forest (queue anxiety about cougars and bears). But also had a weird freak out about other things. People were ripping the trails till pretty late and I catastrophised in my head that a dirt bike gang (who were obviously responsible for all the shotgun cartridges) had scoped us out and made a plan to come back in the middle of the night, break into the van and kill us both. Obviously, we lived to tell the tale, but it did lead to a horrendous nights sleep.