At Tofino Strider Makes it Coast to Coast

Tofino

Easy drive to Port Alberni where I stopped for supplies.  I was going to stop at Stamp Falls to see if the salmon were running but it was raining too hard and the road is so slow and windy I decided to keep driving. The road is as twisty as it was 40 years ago the first time I brought the kids but now there are cement edges on the steep, tight turns and knowing what to expect made it a great drive. There was hardly any traffic until we got to one spot where we all piled up and crawled up a hill.  At the top were about 1-200 cyclists riding for a charity fundraiser.  It was pouring rain, there were sag wagons and several police managing the traffic.   As we crept by they were all waving and smiling in front of a sign that says 18% grade.  I’m thinking it is craziness to try to ride down in this weather. 

At any rate the rain kept up until I got to the Pacific Rim boundary and by the time I got to the campground and headed down to the beach there was a small patch of blue. The heavy winds were doing their best to push the rain clouds away and I was so happy to be there.  I bumped up against my age when I started scrambling up on the rocky out crops that I didn’t remember being so sharp and slippery.  It was hard to jump around on but I wanted to get pictures of the red chairs that have been put in all the National Parks across Canada. I'm so glad to have made it coast to coast. 

Our Red Chairs

Some Things Don't Change

Old logs and these plants

Long walks and mist along the beach

Big Sand Castles

Budding sculptors

Intrepid swimmers

It was cold and windy and not hard to go back for a late lunch.  The wind lightened up, the sun came out and it was a great time for photographs.  A guy was setting up his wind kite. I asked if I could take pictures and he was pleased.  He flew back and forth along the breakers and then at the far end of the beach came in to meet me and see if I had anything.  I really needed a 600 but he wanted my email so he could get some.  Then he was back in the water and flying back.  Looks like so much fun.  It is so easy to walk forever, they don’t call it Long Beach for nothing.

The campground is lovely, even has power but the internet is next to zero.  People are walking up and down the road looking like they are playing Pokemon but really just trying to get a signal.  Can get emails and Chris managed to get a call through but I couldn’t keep the connection.  I will go into Tofino and try to post tomorrow.