Vancouver Island is covered with trees (at least those parts that have not been logged out yet). One particularly notable grove is Cathedral Grove, part of MacMillan Provincial Park. In Cathedral Grove enormous Douglas fir and Western hemlock trees are found, not yet taken by the logging industry and recently (in historical terms) set aside for appreciation now. They are located close to a highway that crosses Vancouver Island so the grove typically sees many visitors each day. I went very early one day and did not see another single person for the hour that I was there. I made this panorama, composed of seven individual images, with a tripod, ballhead with panning clamp and cable release. It’s a self portrait!
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Ancient Douglas fir trees in Cathedral Grove. Cathedral Grove is home to huge, ancient, old-growth Douglas fir trees. About 300 years ago a fire killed most of the trees in this grove, but a small number of trees survived and were the originators of what is now Cathedral Grove. Western redcedar trees grow in adundance in the understory below the taller Douglas fir trees. Cathedral Grove, MacMillan Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 22456
Location: Cathedral Grove, MacMillan Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Pano dimensions: 9702 x 3043
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If you like this you can see more panoramic photos.
We saw many totem poles in British Columbia. There are First People (Native American) communities throughout British Columbia, and the totem is one of their most visible and well-known cultural and artistic products. I should have taken a few more photos of them while we were there!
The Capilano Suspension Bridge is just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia. It’s a fun outing, especially for kids. Be advised, however, that you should arrive early if you wish to walk the bridges and through the forested sides of Capilano Gorge in peace. For once the tour buses arrive — and arrive they will — the place becomes inundated with people and its appeal lessens considerably. We got there shortly after it opened and enjoyed it greatly for about an hour before we noticed the tour bus crowds arriving.
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Capilano Suspension Bridge, 140 m (450 ft) long and hanging 70 m (230 ft) above the Capilano River. The two pre-stressed steel cables supporting the bridge are each capable of supporting 45,000 kgs and together can hold about 1300 people. Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21143
Location: Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
 View this Image in Google Earth!
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Capilano Suspension Bridge, 140 m (450 ft) long and hanging 70 m (230 ft) above the Capilano River. The two pre-stressed steel cables supporting the bridge are each capable of supporting 45,000 kgs and together can hold about 1300 people. Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21144
Location: Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
View this Image in Google Earth!
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Capilano Suspension Bridge, 140 m (450 ft) long and hanging 70 m (230 ft) above the Capilano River. The two pre-stressed steel cables supporting the bridge are each capable of supporting 45,000 kgs and together can hold about 1300 people. Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21145
Location: Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
View this Image in Google Earth!
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Capilano Suspension Bridge, 140 m (450 ft) long and hanging 70 m (230 ft) above the Capilano River. The two pre-stressed steel cables supporting the bridge are each capable of supporting 45,000 kgs and together can hold about 1300 people. Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21147
Location: Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
View this Image in Google Earth!
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While in Whistler, we saw a few unusual stone structures. One was at the top of the gondola station, near the patio overlooking Whistler Village. The other was larger and situated on a clearing on the summit of Whistler Mountain. After asking around, we learned that these were statues of Ilanaaq, the symbol of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, much of which will take place at Whistler.
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Ilanaaq, the logo of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, is formed of stone in the Inukshuk-style of traditional Inuit sculpture. Located near the Whistler mountain gondola station, overlooking Whistler Village and Green Lake in the distance. Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21007
Location: Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
View this Image in Google Earth!
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While in Vancouver we spent a few days on Granville Island. The collection of shops, marinas, parks and pubs there makes walking around the small island really enjoyable, and the views across to downtown Vancouver are great. We particularly liked the Granville Island Public Market, a conglomeration of grocers, fruit sellers, chocolatiers, artists, butchers, bakers and candlestick makers housed in a large airy warehouse-like marketplace fronting the harbor. We bought bags of Rainier cherries and chowed down on them while strolling through the aisles and looking over the gastronomic delights.
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Fresh salmon on ice at the Public Market, Granville Island, Vancouver. Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21200
Location: Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Public Market, Granville Island, Vancouver. Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21198
Location: Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Sausages and bratwurst variety, Public Market, Granville Island, Vancouver. Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21201
Location: Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
View this Image in Google Earth!
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Crowds enjoy the food and offerings at the Public Market, Granville Island, Vancouver. Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21210
Location: Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
View this Image in Google Earth!
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Facing Victoria’s famous and scenic Inner Harbour are the British Columbia Parliament Buildings. Built in 1893, the buildings are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
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The British Columbia Parliament Buildings are located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and serve as the seat of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The main block of the Parliament Buildings combines Baroque details with Romanesque Revival rustication. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21048
Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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We had a few hours in Tofino one afternoon. Our choice was to go kayaking or take a boat ride over to Meares Island to walk the Big Trees Trail. We choose the latter. Arriving on the narrow shoreline after a 10-minute skiff ride, our boat driver told us he’d be back to pick us up in an hour and a half and unceremoniously left. OK. We walked past the small sign for the Big Trees Trail and into a wall of trees. Although short and not at all challenging, the trail is fun. It is set deep among the old growth trees, heavily shaded, verdant and green. There are a few really big trees on this part of Meares Island, and we stopped next to one to make a panoramic photo. The image below is akin to what you would see if you were facing the big tree and then tipped your head way back, scanning all the way up the tree, then through the forest canopy to the sky, and then further back until you scanned down the tree behind you, eventually falling and hitting your skull on the ground. I believe that the two large trees are red cedar but don’t hold me to it. Click on it to see a larger version.
One wet foggy morning while in Tofino (come to think of it, most mornings seem to be wet and foggy in Tofino) we rolled a short way down the road into Pacific Rim National Park and took a nice hike, more of a walk really, on the Rainforest Trail. The trail is really pleasant, with an elevated wood boardwalk to keep visitors from having to trudge through the soggier parts. We were soon walking beneath towering hemlock, cedar and fir trees on which lichen and moss hung way down. Everything was wet wet wet, although it was not raining. Banana slugs zoomed around decked out in a rainbow of colors (ok, most are black). Ferns were growing everywhere, including up in the trees themselves. It was great, I can’t wait to go back.
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Hikers admire the temperate rainforest along the Rainforest Trail in Pacific Rim NP, one of the best places along the Pacific Coast to experience an old-growth rain forest, complete with western hemlock, red cedar and amabilis fir trees. Moss gardens hang from tree crevices, forming a base for many ferns and conifer seedlings. Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21056
Location: Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada
View this Image in Google Earth!
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Hiker admires the temperate rainforest along the Rainforest Trail in Pacific Rim NP, one of the best places along the Pacific Coast to experience an old-growth rain forest, complete with western hemlock, red cedar and amabilis fir trees. Moss gardens hang from tree crevices, forming a base for many ferns and conifer seedlings. Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21053
Location: Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada
View this Image in Google Earth!
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This is downtown Vancouver at night — the Yaletown district — viewed from Granville Island. After dinner my younger daughter and I took a stroll along the boardwalk in front of our hotel. The walk was now empty of tourists (all of whom had retired to the Granville Island brewery) and we had this view to ourselves.
More photos of Vancouver at night.
We returned from our British Columbia trip last weekend. We spent time in Whistler, Tofino, Victoria and Vancouver and managed to do a lot of biking, ziplining, hiking, flying, eating and beachcombing. During the past week I’ve reviewed all the photos we shot and edited down to a selection of about 200. You can view all of them on Google Earth, including the tracks recorded by our pocket GPS, if you have Google Earth installed on our computer) by clicking on the following link:
British Columbia, July 2008 Photos and Tracks
You will need to zoom in (say, to the Tofino region) before the individual images and tracks spread out enough to become distinct. I wrote some custom software to convert the GPS track files (*.gpx) into Google Earth code (*.kml), contact me if you would like a copy of the program (Windows only). If you just want to see the tracks, this link is better as it is not cluttered with the photos:
British Columbia, July 2008 Tracks Only
Tofino flight and whale watch tracks (no photos)
For the photos only, try this:
British Columbia, July 2008 Photos Only
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Hikers admire the temperate rainforest along the Rainforest Trail in Pacific Rim NP, one of the best places along the Pacific Coast to experience an old-growth rain forest, complete with western hemlock, red cedar and amabilis fir trees. Moss gardens hang from tree crevices, forming a base for many ferns and conifer seedlings. Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21056
Location: Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada
View this Image in Google Earth!
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