Aylmer Express "MoHo" Extravaganza 2006

We managed to make it all the way to Tofino at long last. Although Tofino is a wonderful little town but I have to admit that this was definitely a case of the journey being even more entertaining than the destination. And I mean that in the nicest possible way. You see, on our way there we had to travel through the Pacific Rim National Park. So on our way we stopped off for a hike through what is called the Shoreline Bog. This is a rather unusual forest that has had its growth stunted due to the acidic properties of the soil in the bog. To make it more exciting we spoke with some hikers who had just finished this hike who told us they had seen a bear go through the parking lot and into the forest we were about to enter. Fortunately we did not see any bears but it certainly kept us all quite aware of what was going on around us. At noon we were scheduled to visit the park’s Interpretive Centre to get some background and history of the Tofino and Ucluelet area. So we decided to squeeze in another short hike before heading over. This second hike turned out to be simply fantastic. It was through the rain forest and it just blew us away. We ended up taking almost an hour to travel the one kilometre trail as we did our best to absorb the incredible beauty of this lush and verdant (there’s that word again, eh?) land. Some of the trees in this forest were up to 800 years old! The pictures show you why we would have liked to have stayed longer. However, the Interpretive Centre was beckoning. Once there we caught the narrated slideshow of what this area was like before all the tourists and how it grew to be what it is now. It was quite informative but we were chomping at the bit to head back out for another hike. We chose to take a guided tour through another rain forest area. This turned out to be yet another highlight of the day. Our Parks Canada Interpreter, Carl, did an awesome job of helping to make sense of what we were walking through, and what we were seeing … and sometimes not seeing. He brought to life in an entertaining and informative fashion how everything works together to end up the way that it is. We got real-life examples of everything from banana slugs to salmon spawning solutions. His passion for the environment could not help but rub off on everyone there. Our hike ended with a walk along the beach at Schooners Cove. We then decided to high-tail it up to Tofino to check out what this place I have heard so much about is really like. Unfortunately for us, the sun was not able to burn off the foggy conditions, even by late afternoon so I think we missed out on some rather idyllic views of the rugged shoreline and picturesque islands surrounding this very quaint little town. What we did see was lovely and if the sun does shine through tomorrow, I may be tempted to make a run back up that way to get a better feel for the place. We thought that it would be nice to grab dinner by the water before heading back to Green Point to take in another Parks Canada presentation. After speaking with some locals it was determined that Long Beach Lodge Restaurant would be the best place for a meal by the water that we might actually be able to afford. Of course, this place is not overlooking Long Beach … that would be too logical. However, it does have a million-dollar view of Cox Bay and we had a front row seat for the evening there. There is nothing quite like a lovely seafood dinner with a commanding view of the Pacific Ocean complimented by a cool drink in your hand to remind you of what life should be like all the time. We then finished the evening with Parks Canada discussing Bears, Wolves, and Cougars. We were pleased to find that our buddy Carl was the guest of honour once again. The one thing these three animals have in common is that they all view people as provender. That might explain why the talk was so popular. So what exactly did we learn about rain forests and carnivores today? Well, the main things to remember are … don’t try to cuddle bears, you can squeeze water out of a fallen log in a rain forest with your bare hand, and don’t eat slugs. There, I saved you a trip to Tofino!

Today’s word:

provender \PROV-uhn-duhr\, noun:
1. Dry food for domestic animals, such as hay, straw, corn, oats, or a mixture of ground grain; feed.
2. Food or provisions.