During 2021, we were prevented from traveling to the United States (and anywhere else for that matter) so we decided to do some traveling near Victoria.
DESOLATION SOUND
Normally, many American boaters cross the border and spend time in our beautiful anchorages. During the pandemic however, those boats could only travel through BC waters on their way to Alaska. So, we decided to take Bottom Scratcher (BS) to Desolation Sound, north of Vancouver and spend 3 weeks in this usually crowded paradise with the Mendrias.
The folks who have kindly been tending our boat while we have been traveling internationally, took Bottom Scratcher up to Desolation Sound (see map above) in early August. Three weeks later, we met them with their car in Campbell River so we could take over the boat and they could return to Victoria. This arrangement saved both of us much travel time and fuel.
Desolation Sound is an amazing locale for boaters. It offers many protected anchorages with lots of trails nearby to explore. We felt very fortunate to be able to travel safely during the summer of 2021. (Hover over the photos for labels, click to enlarge them)
TOFINO
In November, we were invited to spend mid-week with one of Jim’s co-workers, from the Royal BC Museum, at their condo near Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island (see map above). For anyone who has traveled to this neck of the woods, you know how beautiful and serene this area is. We had a mixed bag of weather but did some hiking and beach walking.
We are always amazed at the road construction that we see as we travel about the province. The road to Tofino has been a nightmare, even after it was paved in 1971, so BC Highways is trying to improve one section near Kennedy Lake. The photos below, show that this undertaking is not easy and has dragged on for several years. Due to the blasting that’s needed, the road is closed for up to 4 hours, twice a day so you need to plan accordingly, if you don’t want to spend hours waiting in your car for the road to reopen. We read that they are removing 160,000 cubic metres of rock from the face of the cliff above the lake.
EXTREME WEATHER
Some of you may have heard about the “atmospheric river” that hit British Columbia mid-November 2021 – we weren’t traveling then, that’s for sure. After 277.5 millimetres (11 inches) of rain in 2 days, we began to see news broadcasts of washed out roads and railways, land slides, collapsed bridges and massive flooding, particularly at Merritt and the Fraser Valley. At one point, all Canadian highways in and out of Vancouver were closed due to the above events (see map below). Photos courtesy of major news outlets.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
When the United States’ border opened to Canadians in November 2021, we opted to drive down to California to see our daughter Jill and family (husband Ian and granddaughter, who now prefers to be known by her middle name, Sage). Entering the US was a piece of 'chocolate cake’ as they looked at our passports, asked us where we were going, asked if we were vaccinated and then wished us well – I think it helps to have grey/white hair when crossing the border LOL.
Since we hadn’t seen the Oregon coast since the early 1980s, we decided to veer off Interstate 5 to take Highway 101 down the Pacific coast of Oregon. Most of the trip was foggy or drizzle but we explored a few new spots like Astoria, which is working to restore some of their historic buildings.
We also stopped at a little park called Darlingtonia State Park (https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=81 )
that we had stopped at many years ago. This 18-acre park showcases carnivorous plants growing abundantly in the bog. The boardwalk allowed us to wander right into the field of these interesting plants, without disturbing them.
When we finally arrived in California, we stopped for a quick birding tour of the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge along Highway I-5. During the winter months, thousands of geese gather in the fields along this corridor area. Click on the black arrows - mid photo - to see all 6 photos or click on the photo to see full frame.
Of course, we stopped in Auburn in northern California for a quick family visit. The west coast of Canada doesn't have the corner on dreich weather (a Scottish expression meaning dreary/miserable). Auburn, which is in the Sierra Madres foothills, does gets some fog and rain during the winter.
We spent several wonderful days with our "out-laws" in Grass Valley. They hosted a lovely party for us as a celebration of our 50 years together - thanks Susie and Sev.
We then spent 2 weeks at our favourite spot near Palm Springs to enjoy the waterball and sunshine in the desert. While in Desert Hot Springs, we participated in the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) as we try to do every year, regardless of where we find ourselves. This year, we were fortunate to be in warmer climes - Victoria birders endured steady rain and wind for their count. Along with the other birds, we found a Burrowing Owl and a Double-crested Cormorant (only the second one ever seen in that area for the CBC).
We returned to Auburn for Christmas with the Byerrums. Although it wasn't very cold, we went ice skating on an outdoor rink. Crazy that we traveled all the way to California to enjoy outdoor skating. We also enjoyed playing with some beautiful kittens that Jill was caring for over the holiday period.
It's always hard to say goodbye to the family but it was time to return to Victoria via Port Angeles and the COHO ferry. This month-long trip, down and back, was easy to navigate as we have done the same route many times, either with the Rig or by car.
However, the hoops necessary to navigate getting back across the border into Canada was something else. Before we left Jill’s, near Sacramento, we needed to make an appointment to get our PCR test for COVID. Before making the appointment, we figured out how long it was going to take us to get to the Canadian border from the testing site, since we needed to cross the border under 72 hours of having the test. We also needed to ensure that the clinic would be able to send us the results by email and within 72 hours of the test. After looking at a number of pharmacies and clinics along our route, we decided to book an appointment with a clinic in Redding, California before we hit the mountain passes between northern California and southern Oregon. “Clinic” would be a misnomer as the place was an old, converted auto repair place – see photo below as we entered the clinic to be swabbed.
Of course, as we headed north, a winter storm hit that area so we were worried about snow in the mountain passes. We were fortunate that the roads were clear but we saw snow on the roadsides all the way from Shasta in northern California, until we got home to our Canadian snow. Along with the snow on the roadsides, we also saw 4 semi-trucks in the ditches in Oregon. We heard that Donner Pass, near Lake Tahoe, on highway I-80 from San Fransisco to Reno had 17 feet of snow which closed that Interstate for several days.
Once we received our negative COVID test results by email, we then had to complete our registration with ArriveCAN on Jeannie’s phone. Thankfully, we had purchased a roaming package for the phone so were able to complete the required questions as we madly drove to the COHO ferry in Port Angeles. Since we didn’t know when we would get our results, we hadn’t booked a reservation on the ferry. We were the second to last car to board - phew.
As we waited in the loading area, Jeannie figured out how to take screenshots of the necessary documents for the border agents in Victoria. Thanks to Black Ball Ferry personnel who suggested using screenshots so our entry back into Canada was quick. But heaven help those travelers who don’t have cell phones or computer savvy (our savvy is not top notch but enough to muddle along).
Stay safe out there as things seem to be opening up. Personally, we will continue to wear masks while indoors until goodness knows when.
J&J
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