Day 279 – West Coast Morning

13

October 5, 2016 – As a Dragon Boat slips out of the mists and into Buttle Narrows it strikes me that it really doesn’t get much more West Coast than this scene. I didn’t even notice the Dragon Boat until I’d taken a few shots.

Pure serenity.

Today was mostly a travel day, I had to get from Conuma River back down to Parksville with stops at Quinsam River, Puntledge River, and finally Rosewall Creek.

It’s a long drive, the first stretch of it back out on a logging road, so it gets tiring. It’s a good excuse to make a few stops along the way to get out, stretch, and take a few photos.

I stopped at a pretty little lake at the side of the highway out of Gold River, Drum Lake, and the morning mists were trying to decide if they were going to fall lower or peel away to expose the sky.

A little farther on, I pulled in at a stop along the Elk River and took a little walk along a deserted forest trail to a spot above the river. A lovely thing about these spots at this time of year is that all of the tourists are long gone and one can explore in silence, with the peace of the forest almost overwhelming.

The West Coast of Vancouver Island is a damp place, but that also makes it magical. The moisture provides the perfect environment for mosses, lichens, and many interesting mushrooms.

And the carpet of moss everywhere serves to further dampen intruding noise and envelope everything in a peaceful serenity that I love to just stand and drink in.

After all my stops, I eventually ended up in a room in Parksville for the night, but since there was a beach nearby and the day had been long, a final stroll on Rathtrevor Beach was a perfect way to end the day.

One more day and I am home.