pantheraba
More biners!!!
I love the shades and hues of grays, blues, greens, sun...she is going to remember this place.
treebilly
Student of the Jedi. OH-7106A
Beautiful views and looks to be a great get away. I'd stay out of the water though. I'm sure it would be a bit to refreshing this time of year. Enjoy the break man.
RegC
TreeHouser
Different beach. Great colours late afternoon. Great day we had.
Bodean
Cali dreamer
Looks sweet, stormy seas.
FireFighterZero
Captain Zero!
That looks great Reg.
Wish I could do something like that some day. Must be cool to be on an adventure like that, just the two of you.
Wish I could do something like that some day. Must be cool to be on an adventure like that, just the two of you.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
Beautiful, Reg. Thanks for sharing.
Burnham
Woods walker
Very nice, Reg. M and I spent last week down at Bandon, OR, southern Oregon coast. Waves were huge there too...breaking OVER 75 foot tall sea stacks just off shore.
RegC
TreeHouser
Thanks all 
Today we drove about 30 k south to Ucluelet, another fishing village by tradition, but big on tourism these days, with whale, bear and wolf watching trips on offer through the busy season. Surfing is big too.
We did a couple rainforest hikes also, but mainly ocean treks as the waves and coastline are so spectacular. The weather is amazingly changeable....warm and sunny one minute, lashing rain the next. The air moist the whole time. I know for a fact the whole region is crazy busy through the spring and summer....and no doubt the mountain views are not hindered by mist like they are right now. This has been great timing for us though. Wild, noisy elements, that seems to have a real calming effect somehow.
Today we drove about 30 k south to Ucluelet, another fishing village by tradition, but big on tourism these days, with whale, bear and wolf watching trips on offer through the busy season. Surfing is big too.
We did a couple rainforest hikes also, but mainly ocean treks as the waves and coastline are so spectacular. The weather is amazingly changeable....warm and sunny one minute, lashing rain the next. The air moist the whole time. I know for a fact the whole region is crazy busy through the spring and summer....and no doubt the mountain views are not hindered by mist like they are right now. This has been great timing for us though. Wild, noisy elements, that seems to have a real calming effect somehow.
RegC
TreeHouser
It's about 4 and a half hours drive if you don't stop Cory.....on a good run that is.
mistahbenn
Treehouser
Long Beach Is COOL 
Ria's looking great mate!
Ria's looking great mate!
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Great pics, Reg, love seeing that past of the coastline. Turbulent sea....
flushcut
TreeHouser
Cool trip!
squisher
THE CALM ONE!!!!
Awesome. I've flown tofino air a ton of times. That pic is their loading dock right at the end of the transcanada eh? Or am I not seeing that right and it's docked in Ucluelet?
Your pics sure make me miss the coast. Winter is a great time to be around there. I worked with many guys from Ucee. Some fantastic stuff around there. You stop in Carmanah on the way out or are you hitting it up in the way back? Or big trees are just to much like work? Lol.
Your pics sure make me miss the coast. Winter is a great time to be around there. I worked with many guys from Ucee. Some fantastic stuff around there. You stop in Carmanah on the way out or are you hitting it up in the way back? Or big trees are just to much like work? Lol.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
The water looks kinda scary!
squisher
THE CALM ONE!!!!
Because it is! I learned to surf when I worked down there and full wetsuit was the only way for winter, and that's the best time for surfing on our coast. Still had some eye popping half drowned moments and I was a really strong swimmer(decade plus of lessons). The pics of that hectic looking water I'd never get into.
I've swam/surfed with sea lions, and grey whales around. Mind blowing, really.
I've swam/surfed with sea lions, and grey whales around. Mind blowing, really.
RegC
TreeHouser
Thats the harbor in Tofino. The mountain pass/drive from Port Alberni to the Ucuelet junction, while sketchy, is just spectacular.....at least, when the rain and fog clear for a minute. I had to concentrate hard to keep my eyes on the road in front and not gaze up and all around in awe. Hardly anyone on the road either this time of year. But, apparently Tofinos population grows from 2000 to 20,000 in busy season, so Im not sure that'd be my thing. Ive been fortunate enough to travel and visit some cool places in years gone by, but I felt truly privileged over the last few days.
Ill probably go to Carmanah on my own some day. I wouldnt go up there solo with a 6 year old....I dont know whos hanging around in that kinda remote area off season. Id likely axe someone just for saying good day. Im distrustful of people at even the best of times as is.
RegC
TreeHouser
Long Beach Is COOL
I got a quick 360 vid here Ben. Remember we're way back and 50ft up. Theres a guy dot) stoof on the boulder to the left which gives a sense of scale. Theres a big surfing community throughout the area but at sea level up close, the ocean looks just too chaotic. Maybe its different when you get in there.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aCh7fbHqPms" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
Beautiful. Looks like a great trip taking place
pantheraba
More biners!!!
Looks like the kind of place where Vikings should be beaching their boats as they start a raid...radical environment there.
squisher
THE CALM ONE!!!!
I surfed in some more remote locations north of Tofino and let me tell yah the getting in and getting out safely seemed like the most dangerous part, even compared to the beds of kelp and the riptides. Worst I got banged up surfing was getting out on a rocky shoreline.
I remember catching a decent wave off of Chestermans beach, sort of 'the spot' right in close to tofino and as I'm feebing my way just trying to stand. I look and just below the surface is a sea lion, riding the same wave. I shit you not, surfing it just below the surface. I was like wow! And immediately wiped out from the distraction.
The grey whales were cool and spooky at the same time. We were surfing a spot we could get to by road from our camp, so always north of tofino(fly in/boat in camp and then haul roads all over the place). Two dudes I worked with took me under their wing, a bit. They were hardcore, one was on the eternal winter to surf year round. Winter and work up here and then winter and surf in the Southern Hemisphere. Because winter is the best surfing. So these guys would monitor the marine radio channel, listening constantly to the updates of swell this and wind there. So they knew exactly when the rideable sets were hitting shoreline.
Anyways we head out after work to this break near camp and suit up and paddle out. Easy going, real easy going, because it's a freaking riptide on the outer edge of the west coast. I start to get a little nervous as we get out to where we want to wait for the waves. I start asking them WTF? How do we get back in? Their reply? You catch a wave or you're headed to Japan? Ok so interior boy is starting to feel out of his comfort zone. We are waiting for sets in a giant kelp bed where the plan is to hold onto the kelp to stop from being dragged further out to sea until you can catch a wave. As I'm clinging onto kelp and contemplating my death at sea, no more than 50-60ft (a booms length) away a pod of grey whales starts surfacing. One of my most exhilirating moments in life.
Those guys Aaron and Heron(hippy parents lol) were super cool for teaching me the ropes but it was no holds barred and trial by fire. Started on a long board and probably nearly drowned more than once.
I remember catching a decent wave off of Chestermans beach, sort of 'the spot' right in close to tofino and as I'm feebing my way just trying to stand. I look and just below the surface is a sea lion, riding the same wave. I shit you not, surfing it just below the surface. I was like wow! And immediately wiped out from the distraction.
The grey whales were cool and spooky at the same time. We were surfing a spot we could get to by road from our camp, so always north of tofino(fly in/boat in camp and then haul roads all over the place). Two dudes I worked with took me under their wing, a bit. They were hardcore, one was on the eternal winter to surf year round. Winter and work up here and then winter and surf in the Southern Hemisphere. Because winter is the best surfing. So these guys would monitor the marine radio channel, listening constantly to the updates of swell this and wind there. So they knew exactly when the rideable sets were hitting shoreline.
Anyways we head out after work to this break near camp and suit up and paddle out. Easy going, real easy going, because it's a freaking riptide on the outer edge of the west coast. I start to get a little nervous as we get out to where we want to wait for the waves. I start asking them WTF? How do we get back in? Their reply? You catch a wave or you're headed to Japan? Ok so interior boy is starting to feel out of his comfort zone. We are waiting for sets in a giant kelp bed where the plan is to hold onto the kelp to stop from being dragged further out to sea until you can catch a wave. As I'm clinging onto kelp and contemplating my death at sea, no more than 50-60ft (a booms length) away a pod of grey whales starts surfacing. One of my most exhilirating moments in life.
Those guys Aaron and Heron(hippy parents lol) were super cool for teaching me the ropes but it was no holds barred and trial by fire. Started on a long board and probably nearly drowned more than once.
Mick!
TreeHouser
I like the Sea Lion story, would have been nice to ride the wave a bit longer with him.
squisher
THE CALM ONE!!!!
It was a complete shock to me to see one even doing that. I'd seen them around us out in the water and they seem a lot more formidable than when gazing at them from say shore or a boat.
Actually even in a boat they can be pretty freaky, if it's a small boat. I went to Bamfield in one of my sets of days off wish is a super cool little community on the coast. There's a marine research station there and the majority of the community is a boat access only and then you just walk little paths/boardwalks to get around. I went there just to check things out and ended up being invited into the community, welcomed into strangers homes for food, drink, and a place to lay my head. A real cool experience. Well this one family arranged for me to go out with a friend of theirs who was an artist and had permission to go to some off limits native sites on neighbouring islands(this is in the broken group of islands). So I met up with this guy(who's name eludes me, as I'm terrible with names) in the morning and get in his 12' aluminum runabout with him and we put off to a couple different islands which was a surreal experience in itself. Than nearing the end of the day he asks if I want to check out 'folgers island' which as it turns out is basically a rock barely jutting out of the sea and covered in sea lions. It's like their mating/stomping grounds. So as we approach this island which again is on the outer edges of land on the west coast the guy cuts the engine and we just drift in towards the island. We start to get in pretty close and you can start to see the higherarchy of 'king Lions' surrounded by their ladies. Each dude has his little piece of real estate marked out and the biggest/meanest has the most with the most women. This is super cool right, I'm taking this all in as the guy is explaining things to me and we're drifting in closer and closer. Well all of a sudden a big azz male starts barking and barking towards us and then launches into the water with most of his posse, heading straight towards us. Well buddy is like that's it we're out of here. The f-cking motor won't start! This is a little tiny boat with a outboard pull start motor. I mean so small some of the alpha sea lions I'm certain are bigger than it. Finally I was like outta my way man and I got on that pull cord and started giving it all I was worth. The boat sputtered to life as we were surrounded in the water by sea lions and we made our escape. To top it off we were right in the open water swell by this point and I remember watching the boat flex as we'd go up and down the swells.
Yah I've had a few good west coast adventures.
Actually even in a boat they can be pretty freaky, if it's a small boat. I went to Bamfield in one of my sets of days off wish is a super cool little community on the coast. There's a marine research station there and the majority of the community is a boat access only and then you just walk little paths/boardwalks to get around. I went there just to check things out and ended up being invited into the community, welcomed into strangers homes for food, drink, and a place to lay my head. A real cool experience. Well this one family arranged for me to go out with a friend of theirs who was an artist and had permission to go to some off limits native sites on neighbouring islands(this is in the broken group of islands). So I met up with this guy(who's name eludes me, as I'm terrible with names) in the morning and get in his 12' aluminum runabout with him and we put off to a couple different islands which was a surreal experience in itself. Than nearing the end of the day he asks if I want to check out 'folgers island' which as it turns out is basically a rock barely jutting out of the sea and covered in sea lions. It's like their mating/stomping grounds. So as we approach this island which again is on the outer edges of land on the west coast the guy cuts the engine and we just drift in towards the island. We start to get in pretty close and you can start to see the higherarchy of 'king Lions' surrounded by their ladies. Each dude has his little piece of real estate marked out and the biggest/meanest has the most with the most women. This is super cool right, I'm taking this all in as the guy is explaining things to me and we're drifting in closer and closer. Well all of a sudden a big azz male starts barking and barking towards us and then launches into the water with most of his posse, heading straight towards us. Well buddy is like that's it we're out of here. The f-cking motor won't start! This is a little tiny boat with a outboard pull start motor. I mean so small some of the alpha sea lions I'm certain are bigger than it. Finally I was like outta my way man and I got on that pull cord and started giving it all I was worth. The boat sputtered to life as we were surrounded in the water by sea lions and we made our escape. To top it off we were right in the open water swell by this point and I remember watching the boat flex as we'd go up and down the swells.
Yah I've had a few good west coast adventures.
RegC
TreeHouser
Riptides are horrible mate. Caught a few of them in the past. If you dont already believe in God, it suddenly becomes a very appealing convert at such times.
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