The next morning, we packed our bags, took our eggs and some muffins and cookies along, and put our luggage and lunch containers in the car. The first order of the day was our big breakfast at the Wickaninnish Inn as planned. We saw the same friendly server, and he once more gave us a nice table by the window. All three of us ordered Eggs Benedict again, but we switched it around. I tried the shaved ham and cheddar this time.
The next stop was our other B&B where we were to stay for the third and fourth nights. It was a charming cottage shaped like a giant canoe with huge glass windows on its façade. We were smitten. It was a smaller place though, so we had to share one bedroom. My housemate and her friend took the queen bed, while I took the double bed in the corner. Nevertheless, it had a nice, rustic kitchen and an ample-sized bathroom. As with the first house, we had the place all to ourselves. And to our surprise, there was even a bonus. At the back of the property was a Swedish-style sauna house which the owner indicated we could use. Super!
We got settled and headed to Ucluelet, a fishing town not far from Tofino, and just as beautiful. The name means "safe harbour" in the language of the Aboriginal Nuu-chah-nulth people. It is known for its active harbour, outdoor recreation, wildlife viewing, and unpolished West Coast authenticity. But its main attraction is the Wild Pacific Trail.
My housemate said that one never leaves Ucluelet without doing the Wild Pacific Trail, said to be one of the top trails in all of British Columbia! Not only does it provide the most majestic scenery of the coastline from various viewpoint decks, but it also gives hikers a glimpse of the temperate rain forest in all its magnificent glory. More so, the twists and turns of the trail were said to have been calculated to protect the beautiful and wind-blown ancient trees, and green trail-building practices were observed while ensuring an accessible nature experience for all. Who can say “no” to that?
There were a number of interesting paths along the Wild Pacific Trail and we intended to do all of them for that day. First, we tackled the easy and picturesque Lighthouse Loop, a 2.6-kilometre path that brings you very close to the ocean and provides several viewpoints where you can watch the huge waves crashing against the rugged coastal rocks. This trail is the most popular for storm watchers. On those stormy days, one can witness the sheer force of high winds and rain as they cause the Pacific Ocean to create towering waves that pound on the rocky beach. My housemate has been hoping for a storm, but at the time of our visit, the weather was calm. However, the pretty lighthouse more than made up for the absence of a storm.
The next trail, called the Artists’ Loop, required us to drive to Wick Road to go to the starting point. This trail followed the coastline for nearly the entire walk from Brown's Beach, giving us a continuous view of the Pacific Ocean. We started on a paved path along the coastline that gave way to a beautiful boardwalk as we dipped deeper into the forest. We were glad we had some practice on the first trail, for this one proved to be more challenging due to some steep inclines.
The trail ended in South Beach, where we sat down and watched the wild, crashing waves and cooled off from the glistening sea sprays. We also admired the beautifully patterned sand dunes that constantly changed with the wind. Maybe this was the reason they called this Artists’ Loop – the wind is the artist and it seemingly brushes patterns on the sand. Or perhaps, it’s because of the wooden painters’ perches and viewing nooks dotting the trail where one can enjoy the view of the ocean. We were told that sometimes you can spot seals and sea lions. I can imagine artists parking here and creating their masterpieces.
We saw the sign pointing to Ancient Cedars, so we continued on. This path led us to an ancient grove of giant Western Cedars, said to be the oldest trees on the Ucluelet Peninsula. We felt like dwarves as we walked along the trail surrounded by these natural behemoths.
Next, we did the Willowbrae Trail, which started from Willowbrae Road with a long walk in the woods on an even, but hilly gravel path that led to a boardwalk. Although the Willowbrae Trail begins south of the Tofino-Ucluelet junction, the trail is still within Pacific Rim National Park.
At the beginning of the boardwalk path, there were signs for two options – go to Florencia Bay by going straight, or make a left to go to Halfmoon Bay. We decided to take the first option which involved descending on wooden stairs. The view going down was magical – small waterfalls, giant evergreens, and lichen moss sprinkling the scene. The beauty of it all made us forget all the stairs until we reached the very bottom where a pleasant surprise was awaiting us – a pristine beach! We welcomed the refreshing sea air as we tried to catch our breath. As this was a loop, we had to go back by way of climbing all those stairs until we got back to where we started. That was indeed some workout for us!
All that walking and climbing surely tired us out. We headed back to our B&B and put our feet up. We decided to use the sauna before showering and eating an early dinner. That night, we slept soundly.
The following morning, it was back to our usual breakfast place at the Wickaninnish Inn. Our friendly server was there again and he had already guessed that we were going to have the Eggs Benedict plates but with the orders switched around. This time, I had the goat cheese and spinach.
Since no Pacific storm was apparent, we decided to take it easy that day. Our muscles were sore from all the hiking we did the previous day. My housemate suggested we just go back to Chesterman Beach. She wanted to take more pictures in the daylight. I toyed with the idea of getting a massage at the Wickaninnish Spa but the cheapo in me decided I didn’t want to spend the money for that because I was scheduled to have my reflexology massage the following week anyway at my regular Traditional Chinese Massage clinic where I bought a 12-session package.
I decided that chilling at the beach was a better idea. My housemate drove us back to the south section of the beach, for it is where the sea caves are found and she wanted some more photographs. Her friend and I took off our shoes and walked barefoot back and forth, sometimes climbing the rock formations, and sometimes stopping to gawk at anemones or watch the seagulls. It would have been nice to swim, but the water was too cold at that time of the year.
The afternoon, we were supposed to drive to a nearby store to quickly buy a few items but ended up spending a good part of the afternoon just cruising around the areas’ main arteries and getting a feel of that side of the island. We all remarked how different it is from the more commercial towns cities like Victoria and Nanaimo. We liked how Tofino and Ucluelet are able to preserve their serene, rural atmosphere, which makes it an ideal place for people who want to commune with nature and have some peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. We also wondered how it is like in the summer, when the weather is a lot warmer and the surfers are in town.
On one of our picture stops, my phone rang. It was one of my close friends and she was inviting me to her birthday party the following evening. It was a last-minute arrangement, she said, because another friend was in town for one night and she wanted to show him her new apartment (that she had recently bought, furnished, and decorated). It would be a combined birthday party and housewarming. I told her that I was still at Vancouver Island and wouldn’t be back till late at night.
Well, this friend, dramatic as she is, managed to convince me to go by guilt-tripping me, so I told my housemate that maybe I could take an earlier ferry back to Vancouver the following morning. We had no definite plans anyway (for she had kept the last day open, in case a Pacific storm would occur) and at that point, she said that she and her friend would probably just hang out at the Wickaninnish Inn after breakfast, take a hike on a short trail behind the property, and perhaps have lunch there, for they were tempted to try more than the Eggs Benedict dishes - maybe their famous clam chowder or their seared lingcod or their game meat dishes. I would have wanted to do that, too, but decided I would be a good friend instead.
Since we were still on the road, we drove back to the village core to inquire at the Tourist Centre if there was a bus that could take me to Departure Bay in Nanaimo. Luckily, there was a shuttle service that departs from the tourism centre daily at 10:15 am. I bought a ticket and my housemate offered to drop me off there in the morning before breakfast. We headed back to the B&B afterwards and I packed my bag.
The next morning’s shuttle ride was not too bad. It was only half-full, so there was plenty of space and less stops. I transferred to the ferry afterwards and arrived at Horseshoe Bay in the late afternoon where I got on the bus that took me to North Vancouver, then another bus to downtown Vancouver, and then the Skytrain to my apartment. After I unpacked, I took a power nap, showered, and got ready for my friend’s party.
When she called that afternoon to check if I was coming, I mimicked her drama and guilt-trip tactic and told her about my “long trek” from Tofino to my apartment, just for me to arrive in time for her last-minute party. She felt guilty indeed and promised to provide “limousine pick-up and drop-off service” at my door, courtesy of her dear brother. I told her I was only joking, but she insisted I did enough commuting already and acknowledged that she was the culprit. Besides, she said that her brother owed her BIG TIME and that he was her “slave for the week” (told you, this friend has a penchant for theatrics).
I came home late that night in her brother’s “limousine” (I must admit that he had been a good sport to his “avenging” sister, for she sent him on multiple errands before, during, and after the party) and was just in time before my housemate was getting ready for bed. I asked how their day and drive back went and she said that the server at the Wickaninnish Restaurant was looking for me that morning. They joked with him that since there had been no Pacific storm to watch and photograph, they decided to throw me into the ocean as a “sacrifice to the Pacific storm goddess,” in the hopes that she would grant them a Pacific storm showcase for the next trip. She also told me they splurged on lunch and desserts at the same restaurant and that the next few days would be days of more exercising and dieting for her.
We were glad to be back home, but we could certainly do another trip like this to continue chasing the elusive Pacific storm.
Photo Credits:
My friend and former housemate - Jenny, wildpacifictrail.com, tofinohiking.com, alltrails.com (Tamara Kourchenko, West Coast Angel, Kevin Amada, and Bryce Goodwin)
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