Cascade Houses; Fungus Among Us; Deadfall; A Tricky Bridge; Stopped by Snow

While Suzanne gave a very successful reading on Thursday, I drove around our temporary neighborhood casually looking at houses/land. We really like Washington State, but having living here once for two years, we know that we couldn’t stay in the Cascades from October through May when the days are uniformly grey and rainy. We had toyed with the idea of buying one acre of undeveloped land and putting in a concrete pad, electric, water, and sewer for summer forays of The Coach to cooler weather than Florida offers. Colorado, Idaho and Washington State are on the short list, but nothing has popped up on the radar screen yet.

There are some interesting houses here, some more rustic than others. It’s definitely NOT The Villages! The wood stove chimney on the left side of this house reminds me that I’d have to learn how to chop wood; serious wood, like cord upon cord... electric heat would be prohibitively expensive here.

This house backs up to pristine national forest land; you can hunt elk from your back porch! 

The Birdsview Grange Hall probably used to be the center of social activity for farmers and loggers in Concrete, WA, but has seen better days. (Hey, what an opportunity for a fixer-upper handyman!) 

Finally, this 1920’s house sits near a state park. For an asking price of $119,000, you can get a house to tear down and a nice acre of land to start over with... 

I had planned to go on a solo backpacking trip up to a trail in the Cascades on Thursday night, but while on a bike ride, Biker Babe’s mountain bike developed a flat tire, so I gave up my overnight sleeping on rocky ground next to a glacier to fix her faithful steed. That required driving to a nearby town for a new tire and an hour’s labor. In gratitude, My Lovely Bride surprised me by laying out this meal... gourmet chicken enchiladas (which I had made!) and a Corona for Her Majesty and the cold processed beef and potatoes dinner, peanut butter crackers and water that I had planned on eating at my mountain campsite, served with plain water, a spoon and roll of toilet paper. She is SUCH a comedian.

On Friday morning, we had to take Suzanne to a chiropractor to try to fix an upper back problem. Since we are out in the woods, it was a half hour drive to the nearby town of Sedro-Woolley. It was only partially successful, and she is still a bit of a hurting unit, so it was good that I hadn’t gone on an overnight backpacking trip, because she would have been without the car. We got her settled back in The Coach, where she was to do a radio interview by telephone, so I headed out to a nearby hiking trail for some communing with nature.

The ranger had told us that we could encounter snow on this trail. All was going well for the first mile or so, with beautiful virgin forest and unusual sights like this (I think it’s a fungus, rather than a mushroom, but I’m not sure.) 

This bridge has seen better days, but I’m glad they didn’t remove it; now it is simply rotting gracefully back into the forest floor from which it came, and the colors are dramatic. 

I am glad that I wasn’t on the trail recently when this tree fell; man, that would have ruined my whole day! (Normally, trail volunteers or the Forest Service would have cut a section of the tree away to clear the trail, but that hasn’t happened yet this year. It’s still very early in the season.) 

Then I started running into snow; this section covered the trail, and there were no footprints to follow - evidently I was the first hiker to come this way since the last snowfall, whenever that was. It made the trail hard to follow, particularly where there were multiple possibilities.

This photo shows the trail near where I turned around. The dark splotchy curving line is actually the line of a little snowmelt creek covered by the snow. I was looking for the continuation of the trail on the other side, but there were five (or more?) possible choices, and after finding nothing suitable on the second try, I figured it was just going to get worse the higher in elevation I proceeded. Also, I wasn’t happy about the possibility of falling through the snow into a creek and twisting an ankle or breaking a leg, since I was hiking alone. In the Navy, we call that N.G.: Not Good. So Prudence prevailed, and I returned to camp safely and had a glass of wine with my sweetheart. So, it wasn’t a total bust. 

Totems and Shields; Mushrooms; Fishy Shrubs; A Red Lotus? Snow and Ice; Mt. Baker

As I mentioned in a previous post, the First Nation tribe in the Vancouver area are the Squamish people. They were also called the Coast Salish people. We just happenned to be staying in a campground run by their government on tribal lands in West Vancouver. We were admiring several of their totem poles, which we saw while biking in Stanley Park. They were all carved out of cedar trees, and are truly works of art. 

I was also impressed by these Squamish war shields on display. I am sure they were effective against similarly equipped warriors, but the advent of firearms made them somewhat obsolete, at least militarily.

Mushroom aficionados, lookie here! This photo was taken last night while on a walk with the puppies. I can't identify them, but they made an interesting picture... they reminded me of a village somewhere in Africa... 

While on the subject of vegetation, we passed this green and red banded salmon on the way out of Vancouver.  He looked a bit out of place here alongside the street...

Speaking of inappropriate colors, this tiny red Lotus (Esprit?) was driving down the road in BC.  As any sports car aficionado knows, a Lotus should be British Racing Green, not Ferrari Red! I suspect that Sterling Moss, Jim Clark and Graham Hill, all top Formula One racing drivers for Lotus, would be appalled. (Suzanne also commented that the Lotus was so small that he might even be able to drive right beneath us!)

On Monday we re-entered the USA after a mere 90 minute wait at the Blaine, WA, border crossing. We stayed the night at Bay Side State Park near Mt. Vernon, Washington. We were in a charming campground with a water view of Padilla Bay through the trees. One of the advantages was that there was plenty of fresh water for washing off the kayaks, which had accumulated a lot of salt from the ocean and bays up in British Columbia.

We arrived in the vicinity of North Cascades National Park on Tuesday at a campground outside of a small forest town with the unglamorous name of Concrete. We are surrounded by spruce, hemlock and pines and the weather is perfect: 70s during the day and 55 at night. We got out for a hike this morning in the hills south of 10,781 foot high Mount Baker, a glaciated dormant volcano. This area set the world record for snowfall in a single season, 1,140 inches... that is 95 feet of snow. No wonder the ranger told us we’d be seeing snow on the hiking trail we had chosen! Also no wonder that we saw trail marker signs high up in the trees and not head-height like in most forests.

My Lovely Bride was not a bit hesitant about crossing this log across a roaring stream of cold snowmelt from the still snowcapped mountain. Two trekking poles helped, but it would have been a very cold bath for her had she missed her footing.  (She tells me it's a good thing I couldn't hear what was going on in her head).

The trail fizzled out at one point and we had to “bushwhack” down a hillside. The steep slopes were rocky and heavily forested, but we made decent progress until... 

...we had to traverse this rock garden/riverbed with medium to large rocks and boulders. It made for a tough hike, and hard on the ankles, knees and hips.

Your Faithful Correspondent was almost despondent when he couldn't find the Silverbells (AKA Hershey’s Kisses in Pennsylvania) in his backpack. Fortunately, they had simply found their way to the very bottom, and were rescued from oblivion and consumed on the spot! 

Suzanne found a nice spot by this stream for a few contemplative moments.  Waterfalls are her favorite part of nature. 

Finally, we were rewarded with a beautiful view of Mt. Baker's snow and glaciers. This is an inspirational place, and makes you feel very insignificant as a human being... The hiking guidebook says, "These are veritable holy sites - less crowded than those of most religions but no less moving if your place of worship is the mountains." (We only saw five other people on the trail!) 

Mandarin Greetings; Kayaking; Hard Aground; A Master Boatbuilder; A Message of Love

I am in trouble. It’s a long story. My Lovely Bride decided we should go kayaking at Vancouver’s Deep Cove, a lovely, very popular kayaking spot only 30 mins from downtown, but in a secluded, wooded cove. There were lots of kayaks preparing to launch as we pulled up, but many were heading out into the nearby islands and coves for overnight trips...

I dropped Suzanne off with the kayaks at the launch point and walked for about ten minutes back from a parking area. On the way back, a new Mercedes with a foxy looking Chinese woman pulled up alongside me. She rolled down the window, and in Mandarin, said, “Hey, Baby, you’re pretty hot. What are you doing later?” Being a perfect gentleman, I knew that I shouldn’t either encourage or insult her, so I pretended that I didn't understand Mandarin, and replied in English, “Yes, there’s more parking just down the road.” I related this interaction to Suzanne, who hadn’t realized I spoke fluent Mandarin. She wasn't amused. Smack! (Sometimes you just can’t win...) It's not the first time someone thought I was of Oriental ancestry... but no, a typical American mixture of French, German, Irish and Italian by way of Joplin, Missouri and New Orleans.

The kayaking went much smoother than my parking experience. For those not familiar with these tippy Eskimo-style boats, getting in and out can be either (a) graceful, (b) graceless, or (c) a combination of the above. This entry by Your Faithful Correspondent was  in Category (c). I've done better, and worse, but I got aboard without capsizing, soaking my butt, or embarrassing myself. It was a beautiful, sunny morning, and off we paddled.... 

We crossed the shipping channel in a light chop and 12-15 kt winds, and passed this Canadian sailboat that had drastically misjudged his anchorage position. When the tide went out, he was hard aground. Next to sinking, this is the most embarrassing moment for a boater. The skipper had either gone below to keep out of sight until the tide came in or gone out for a beer. Or five. 

There are many expensive houses along the shore in Vancouver's extensive waterfront suburbs. These were far down a steep hillside, and actually had elevators on 45 degree rails running up to the road for moving people, food and supplies back and forth. They are great in the summer, but we're not sure what February would be like here with almost daily cold rain showers... 

We paddled, and paddled, and paddled some more, leaving the houses and roads in our wake. Wonder Woman was doing very well keeping up a fast pace. I guess she really enjoyed the scenery, which was spectacular, considering we weren't that far from civilization. There wasn't a Starbucks or Tim Horton's in sight! (For the uninitiated in Canadian cafe cuisine, Tim Horton's is their equivalent of Starbucks and Duncan Donuts. Tim was a very successful professional hockey player. That's a game they play on skates, I think...)  Note from Suzanne:  Ty rarely allows me to comment when I check for typos, stating, "It's MY blog."  Today he has acquiesced to share that at the point this photo was taken, Mr. Macho said, "Now let's go around that little island down there."  He was talking about the dark green blob you see in the distance.  He is right that there was no Tim Horton's in sight, and we had had no lunch.  With my blood sugar plummeting, I tried to be polite as I declined to accept this challenge, and we headed back.  My point is:  Do not believe everything this man writes about me being the one to instigate these physical feats!  I just try to keep up with him ...
Back to you, Ty ...

We rounded a point and saw this lovely, hand-built wooden boat at anchor. Rod, her builder/owner, was aboard enjoying the day, and graciously told us the boat's story. He built her over a two year period, taking about 2,000 man hours of labor. He admitted that much of it was thinking time, but he obviously thought and built very carefully and professionally, although he insisted he was "only an amateur". (In my humble opinion, he qualifies as a Master Boatbuilder!)

Today Suzanne gave the message at Unity of Vancouver's Sunday Services, followed by her Making the Connection talk to about 135  enthusiastic and very friendly attendees. We have received such a warm welcome here in British Columbia, both in Vancouver and Nanaimo, that we have decided to repeat this trip next year and stay even longer, probably spending 5 weeks in this lovely part of Canada. If you haven't visited here, please book a flight soon and enjoy July and August here. The weather, scenery and people are fabulous! (If you're thinking of a winter visit, don't forget that nearby Whistler was the site of the Winter Olympics a few years ago, so get your skis ready... I'm much better on skis than skates!)

Another Ferry; Vancouver; A Treetop Walk; Movie Night

On Thursday we took a BC Ferry from Nanaimo to Vancouver, British Columbia. The ferry was even larger than the one we rode to Victoria, as many folks from the big city (Vancouver) head to Vancouver Island for holidays and weekends. We loaded on a cool, sunny morning at Nanaimo’s Departure Bay and a couple of hours later drove off at Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, fortunately only 30 minutes from our campground near the Lion’s Gate Bridge.  I got in a 45 minute walk on deck; it wasn't only a good workout, but I enjoyed being back aboard ship on a sunny day...

We set up camp near the Capilano River in a campground run by the Squamish Nation, one of Canada’s First Nations, what we would call Indians in the US.; one negative is that this campground is the most packed tight we have ever stayed in. There is only about 18 inches between the sides of our coach and a fifth wheel on one side and a hedge on the other. It is also very expensive - almost the same price as a moderately priced hotel! Simple supply and demand is the reason, of course. Being the closest campground to Canada’s major city on the West Coast is a major benefit, and it was worth the steep price. This time of year, every spot was taken the night we arrived, during a long holiday week.

It didn’t take us long to break out our bikes and head across the very long and high Lion’s Gate Bridge to Stanley Park, an extremely popular place for Vancouverites to go to walk, roller blade and cycle, especially on one of the first warm, sunny days they’ve had this summer. The bike/skate path is separate from that allocated to walkers to prevent collisions, and bike have to ride in a counterclockwise direction around the park’s perimeter. Here is My Lovely Bride checking the map board with a few of Vancouver's many high rises in the background.

I was quite taken by this attractive young woman in a wetsuit sitting on a rock just off the shore. She must have been meditating, because I watched her for several minutes, and she never moved.....

This replica of a figurehead form the SS Empress of Japan was on display in Stanley Park as well. The ship sailed from Vancouver to Japan for decades in the period 1891-1922. 

Friday morning provided a unique experience - the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which allow you to cross the Capilano River with a 230 foot drop. My Lovely Bride doesn’t normally like bouncy suspension bridges, but since this visit was her idea, she was resigned to putting on a brave face and “sucking it up”. She did very well, even when the bridge bucked and swayed enough to make you grab the rails for support!

We then climbed into the 100 foot high tops of Douglas Firs and Western hemlocks for a bird’s eye view of a coastal temperate rain forest. The seven suspension walkways between the trees are attached to the trees with metal bands and no nails. It as a very ecologically-friendly way of allowing many visitors to see the rain forest. 

We also got to see a raptor handler with her young Harris Hawk on her arm. These hawks are used for “bird control”, a euphemistic phrase for “pigeon population reduction” in industrial and farming areas. The hawk looked well fed, so the program must be working...

The final treat was the Cliff Walk, a cantilevered walkway high above Capilano Canyon. 

No trees were cut or felled when this area was developed. It was an extraordinary morning. We were glad we had gotten up early, because when we left around noon, the flood of visitors at the ticket booth was mind-boggling. One interesting synchronicity occurred when we got into the car; as I started the engine and the XM radio came on, the new song that popped up was Paul Hardcastle’s Rain Forest! (It also happens to be one of our favorite smooth jazz selections!)

On Friday evening, we met Austin and Mary Hennessey, the ministers at Unity of Vancouver, where we presented the Messages of Hope documentary to 135 members of the Vancouver community. 

The documentary was very well received, and was followed by a Q&A session and book signing. It was a wonderful start to the spiritual side of our visit to Vancouver! 

Kayaking; Outboard Blues; Empty Cups; Making the Connection

Have you ever backpacked with babies? Then you will understand our taking our Dachshunds Rudy and Gretchen on a hike the other day. Suzanne said, here’s a beautiful hike to a mountain top. You’ll like it. (Wait, wait, wait! Didn’t we go through this the other day?) Yes, it was an almost vertical climb, 3,200 feet in three miles, rated Very Difficult... So the puppies go into packs that we carry in front, sort of like belly packs. They seemed to enjoy the hike, but it about killed me...

On Tuesday morning, while Suzanne gave two readings in The Coach, I got to spend a couple of hours alone kayaking on a local lake near Nanaimo. I was the only boat on the lake, enjoying a few geese and lots of solitude, when one other boat launched from the dock. This one had a large crew aboard, 20 kids and 2 camp counselors/instructors. It was like watching what we called in the Navy “a Chinese fire drill”, but the kids were having fun learning how to paddle, so it was all good. 

Tuesday afternoon found us heading down to a marina in Nanaimo, where we were to be guests aboard a sailboat owned by a Unity member, Cathy Holmes. Cathy greeted us at the marina gate with a sad look on her face, and explained that her outboard engine was being recalcitrant, and would not start. Because the marina is tightly packed and tides here can run 6-7 knots, a reliable engine is needed to get safely in and out of the marina. We worked on the 4-stroke outboard for a half hour, but alas, more expert technical support was needed. We know exactly how Cathy felt; engine problems will probably stop every boater, sail or power, at some point in her/his lifetime. (One funny moment came that day when I asked, “Cathy, where is the oil dipstick on this engine?” She replied, somewhat sheepishly, “Oil?” (Every day on a boat is a learning experience...)  

When our sailing was scrubbed, Suzanne asked if I’d like to go kayaking again (this after a long morning on the water...) I of course agreed, and we launched at a dock on the shore and started to circumnavigate Newcastle Island. We got about a third around, and realized that I had only put 2 hours worth of parking money in the meter... sad to say, we had to retrace our steps (er, paddle strokes) and call it an early day. (Just as well, I had been paddling for about three hours and was a bit bushed.) It was a beautiful paddle, however, with unusual tide-sculpted rocks behind My Lovely Bride that made for a nice photo op. 

Suzanne also got this unusual photo of a piling with donations of clothing from a local women’s dragon boat team. (What made her know that I would want this shot for the blog?) 

On Wednesday, Suzanne gave her Making the Connection presentation to another full house at Unity of Nanaimo, British Columbia. It was very well received, and the community was so enthusiastic that we are planning to return to Nanaimo next summer, probably during the month of August, for at least two weeks and maybe longer. Thanks again to Reverend Polly and her assistant Cyndi who helped make our stay so enjoyable. 

Angels and Ferries; Unity of Nanaimo; A Bunny Fest (not a Feast); Victoria

I was working on marine transportation reservations for The Coach the other day while Suzanne was connecting with Sanaya. When she came out of the bedroom where she meditates, she asked what I had been doing. I told her that I had been making reservations for the leg across the Strait of Georgia from Nanaimo to Vancouver, British Columbia. She smiled and said, “Well that’s perfectly appropriate. While I was talking to angels and spirit guides, you were talking to ferries.”  

We celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary on Saturday, and had a very nice dinner at a (where else?) waterside restaurant in Nanaimo. Suzanne and I would like to thank everyone who commented on her Facebook page and by email with congratulations (and amazement) on her putting up with me for more than a year.  Like they say, "Everyone has a cross to bear... and I'm hers." 

Speaking of the lovely city of Nanaimo, BC, Suzanne was invited to give the Message at Unity of Nanaimo on Sunday, thanks to Bev Garlipp’s very active support. (Thank you again, Bev!) It was a long holiday weekend here, celebrating Canada Day, that country’s equivalent of the Fourth of July. We were a bit concerned that the entire congregation would be out of town or on the seashore, enjoying the first sunny weekend in a long time. But Rev. Polly Dozier had gotten the word out, and the Sanctuary was full for the service and for the Messages of Hope documentary viewing after lunch. It was a wonderfully friendly and supportive group, and Suzanne was able to sign many books and answer questions after the events. Rev. Polly also graciously took us to a fabulous Greek restaurant for dinner and enthralled us with stories of being the first American woman to visit the Russian city of Kirov after the collapse of Communism, and the first woman minister to visit Russia. (We were able to provide some vinous enlightenment for Polly; she had never tasted either of two Greek delights, retsina or ouzo. I'm not certain she was visibly impressed with either, but hey, it's part of the Greek dining experience, eh?)

Nanaimo is on the coast of Vancouver Island just across from the city of Vancouver on the mainland. It is a beautiful retirement and resort city of about 87,000 built on wooded hillsides with views of snow-capped peaks and forests in every direction. We are parked behind the church, and have enjoyed the deer and rabbits that wander through the yard. We took Rudy and Gretchen for a w-a-l-k on a nearby bike path where we knew there were lots of rabbits, especially black ones. 

When we parked the car, the dogs’ noses were twitching, and as soon as we set them down, they saw five or six cottontails within 50 feet. With joyous squeals, they launched themselves into attack mode, and only tightly-held leashes saved this band of bunnies from certain extinction. (No rabbits were caught, bitten, maimed, hurt or killed during this event, but our little hunters were happily worn out by its conclusion.) 

British Columbia, and Vancouver Island in particular, is known for its flowers. We had visited Butchart Gardens on our last visit, but just driving around gives you the distinct impression that Canadians here are flower-crazy. And that is a Good Thing! Not only do people take great care in dressing up their gardens, but many restaurants go the extra mile in making their outdoor seating areas flower-friendly. 

Vancouver Island, being an island, by definition is surrounded by water. That is patently obvious. But the water (sea and sound, rivers and streams) is also part of the culture here. There is a strong maritime tradition dating back to its founding, and deep fiord-like bays and inlets ringed by steep mountains make road passage problematic and ferries the more expedient mode of travel. We learned that many Canadians of retirement age are moving from places like Toronto and Winnipeg to the shore to enjoy milder winters and the many outdoor activities here.  

Our arrival on the ferry in Victoria, the largest city on “The Island”, was in the same vicinity we had visited on our sailboat 13 years ago. Now we saw lots of changes just in the port area, such as new condos and hotels where before there had been just scattered houses. 

Victoria is (what else?) a Victorian city, almost more English than England itself. It is also the location of The Empress Hotel, where you can enjoy Afternoon High Tea in a pleasant, Victorian atmosphere, for only $60/person. Eight varieties of tea are available (coffee is not even listed on the menu). Cucumber sandwiches, salmon pinwheels, scones with strawberry jam, and lemon curd tartlets... you can also find Champagne, Mimosas and Prosecco, with a bottle of Dom Perignon only setting you back $378 Canadian. (But no coffee? “Starbucks will never cast its shadow on The Empress...”)