Date:         Wed, 5 Sep 2012 22:58:48 -0400
Reply-To:     Gabriel Hourtouat <ghourtouat@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Gabriel Hourtouat <ghourtouat@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Camping Vancouver Island
In-Reply-To:  <959B4D7FF8E34B77AAA15E6CBFC60646@MainComputer>
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Trevor,
Ditto - my info is old; but my $0.02:
-Tofino is an obvious destination that is good to visit; but
-Ucluelet is much friendlier, more welcoming, cheaper, more inclusive
of different people, has better coffee and has better whale watching.
(You don't have to be the right kind of hippy to be welcomed at
Ucluelet.)

Therefore, I would look around in the Ucluelet area first.

(Don't mean to diss Tofino if it happens to be anyone's favourite
hang-out.  As I say, my reference point is old and probably tinted by
some kind of latent, deep-rooted anger that perverts all things
good-?)

Let us know where you get to.  Bamfield, Keeha Beach and the Carmanah
(upper valley, recommended!).  Cowichan Lake has (used to have) a
really nice coffee shop, the kind that makes you dream big.

Again, my data set is old; but you used to be able to walk onto the
West Coast Trail without a reservation, even during it's operating
season.  During the operating season, the authorities would allow the
first 6 people on the waiting list to get on the trail each day, each
end (IE - 12 people per day).  Usually, the waiting list was not long
and you could get on within a day or two.

When the trail was officially closed for the season, there was no
control of who went on the trail.  (IE. it was free, no reservations
required.)  Of course, that's also rainy season; but if you have the
time and patience you can wait for sunny weather -- it always comes,
even in the winter.  Or, you could always just suck it up -- what's a
little rain anyways?  Just dress for the occasion: raincoat, poly
T-shirt, nylon shorts, no underwear, wool socks and Teva's.
Gaitors/nylon pants are nice if you are walking through brush. Just
keep in mind that you don't want to cross the narrows.  If you do, you
may not be able to get back very easily.  So, just hike to the narrows
and then hike back again.  Some other day, you can do the same from
the other side.  And you don't HAVE to take the ferry at the SE end --
you can walk around that too.  Carry a length of rope and keep your
wits about you when hiking off-season.  (Broken cable cars, broken
ladders, missing rungs, neglected tide charts -- mostly that all
applies to the SE section.  NW section is like a graded path in
comparison.)

g


On Wed, Sep 5, 2012 at 4:09 PM, Courtney Hook <courtneyhook@shaw.ca> wrote:
> Trevor, this is where my daughter always takes our Westy when she heads to
> the Wet Coast. :-)
> http://www.bellapacifica.com/rates/rates.htm
>
> Don't know if it's the best, but it's where she heads to.
> Regards,
> Courtney
> Nanaimo, BC
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Trevor Reynolds" <gneiss9@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2012 12:44 PM
> Subject: Camping Vancouver Island
>
>
> To the Vancouver Island Contingent on the list,  who has camped in and
> around Tofino and what is your favourite site?  We are going this weekend
> for four days and am looking for the cleanest and roomiest sites for a
> Westfalia and Kayaks…
>
> Thanks,
>
> Trevor Reynolds
>
> '91 Westy, "SEN"
> http://westfalia-91restore.blogspot.ca=