Vancouver Island
-
Devil’s Bath
Devil’s Bath is thought to be the only, and therefore largest, cenote in Canada. The sinkhole has a 359 m diameter and a depth of about 44 m. The cenote is fed by an underground spring and the constant rain that the area receives helps. A cenote is a large water-filled sinkhole found in limestone. Acid and other minerals in the local water systems dissolve the limestone, leaving behind features such as caves. Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is famous for its cenotes. Many of which are open to the public. The Devil’s Bath cenote connects to the Benson River system, some 200 m away, via an underwater cave. You can visit…
-
Kathleen Lake
When you drive the Alice Lake Loop towards Port McNeill, you change elevations many times. One descent gives an amazing view of a calm lake below. This stunning view of Kathleen Lake is only visible between the trees in a few spots. If possible stop to take it in but be aware of active logging. Once you reach the bottom of the mountain, you take a few side roads and make your way to the south end of Kathleen Lake. The lake is located in a valley, surrounded by mountains. It provides you with beautiful views. Every time we go to the lake it is calm and smooth, even in…
-
Reappearing River
The Reappearing River is where the Benson River flows out from under the local karst landscape and reappears after having travelling underground for 2km. Reappearing River is one part of the Alice Lake Loop. Visitors can explore many different karst formations as well as lakes for camping, fishing, or kayaking. It is easy to miss the turn off for this site. The sign is very small and is mostly visible if you are travelling the loop from Port McNeill to Port Alice. To navigate the road a 4×4 vehicle is required. This is because the site is down a logging road that seems to be deactivated. There does not seem…
You May Also Like
Mount Vesuvius
-
Vanishing River
As a child, I heard stories about Vanishing Rivier. I heard that the Vanishing River earned its name because it defied the scientists who tried to find where it went. I heard that scientists put GPS trackers into the river so they would float along and the river could be mapped but the GPS trackers always vanished along the route and could never provide the data. Rumours circulated that divers tried to follow the river but would get stuck and need to turn back and be rescued. However, none of that is true. The vanishing river is Benson River and it is part of a karst system that has created…
You May Also Like
Mount Vesuvius
-
Dakota 576 Crash
Follow my blog with Bloglovin On a windy day in April 1944, a Dakota 576 overshot the Port Hardy runway. It circled around again to make a second attempt but ran out of fuel. The plane crashed, killing the pilot and navigator. The crew member in the back of the plane survived. You can read the full story on the 101 NI Squadron website. To reach this trail it is best to park your vehicle at the Bear Cove boat launch parking lot, just before the BC Ferries terminal. From there it is a short walk to the trailhead. Walk towards the ferry terminal and there is a paved road…
-
San Josef Bay
Follow my blog with Bloglovin San Josef Bay, more commonly called San Joe, it located in the Cape Scott Provincial Park. It is at the northern end of Vancouver Island on the west coast. To access the park, visitors must take the highway to Port Hardy and then navigate active logging roads for approximately 60 km. The roads are well marked but it never hurts to have a backroads maps just in case. At the start of the trail, there are washrooms, maps, and warnings about the local fauna. The park is remote and teeming with wildlife in the form of cougars, and wolves, and bears (oh my). The trail…