#144 Mar 2017 Circle Drive Through History

Many people suggested that we take the circle drive from Duncan. We were told the actual drive would be about four hours but we could easily use two days to explore everything. We decided on one long day.

From Duncan we headed to the small community of Lake Cowichan.

We arrived at the Kaatza Station Museum before it opened. Danny, one of the museum volunteers, has lived in Lake Cowichan all his life and gave us a back door tour. In the early 1950s Danny’s father purchased this canoe and used it for fishing until it was donated to the museum for restoration.

 

In the museum a photography cart is a dramatic contrast to the photography equipment used today.

Logging in the area began in the 1880s with many small operators and sawmills. A logging boom began in 1912 when the railway reached Cowichan Lake.

Today large logging corporations continue logging in an impersonal method with far fewer workers and local facilities required.

Now the community thrives as the gateway for tourists to access Lake Cowichan and beyond.

 

The road leaving Lake Cowichan is narrow, winding and hilly.

We met several logging trucks bringing their loads out of the bush.

 

Massive old growth forests once covered much of Vancouver Island. Today only a few extraordinary trees remain accessible to visitors.

Can you spot Ralph waving in the bottom right corner?

It’s difficult to grasp the size of the tree when you can’t see the top from any vantage point. 

Spring was starting as the creeks and waterfalls tumbled down the hills.

The forest is wet in the spring but forest fires have devastated many areas.

 

Over time nature restores the slopes.

Port Renfrew is an outdoor paradise with many world-renowned trails and vistas.

The Renfrew Pub serves great food in a friendly atmosphere.

We arrived in Sooke after the museum closed so only saw the outdoor exhibits. This Douglas fir from Weeks Lake had 1,227 growth rings. Now that is OLD!

This lighthouse is dedicated to the lighthouse keeper families and all the mariners who have played a role in BC coastal history.

The Pacific Coast Rainforest, known as the Amazon of the North, is home to a rare white bear known as the Kermode Bear. It is the ancestral land of several indigenous Canadian tribes.

There were many more stops we could have made on this drive. It was a fascinating trip.