Vancouver Island part four - Hidden Cove

Nearly two years since our visit and I am finally writing up the final blog about our amazing trip to British Columbia. Looking back through the photos has reminded me, if I needed it, just what a wonderful experience it was. A magical time. A magical place.

We made the long drive north from Ucluelet to Hidden Cove, a sleep little backwater not far from Telegraph Cove, passing miles and miles of amazing woodland en route - very occasionally getting a tantalising little glimpse of spectacular views. A friend had recommnended our lodge and it was everything we'd hoped - a quiet and unassuming place to enjoy nature. We had a cabin with a sea view, looking north towards the islands just to the west of Johstone Strait.

The weather had become much wetter and I can still recall the sound of rain falling on our fist evening. Come the morning, however, it had partially cleared and I rose early to enjoy some fabulously atmospheric conditions. A photographer's paradise! Albeit the terrain was somewhat lethal and I had to tread carefully as I worked my way across the rocky shoreline to find some suitable vantage points. I was happy to be able to reacquaint myself with some beautiful strands of bull kelp.

The sea fog came and went and it was the sort of morning where you could convince yourself that the view was that little bit better every time you looked! It was breathtakingly beautiful and, nearly two years on, I can still feel myself there.

After half an hour or so, the sun began to break through a little, illuminating land and sea at will; at times so strongly that it was quite hard to capture.

Looking west towards Telegraph Cove, a dense bank of cloud began to form, shifting and changing constantly, and backed by a steely blue/grey sky.

As it brightened further, I turned my attention back to the fabulous bull kelp just off the shoreline, with the 'better' light helping me to freeze the action and capture its amazing colour and form.

The broken cloud, reflecting on the surface of the sea, was the perfect foil, giving that lovely contrast of cool versus warm tones.

A stunning first morning and what turned out to be the only really photogenic conditions for our stay here. No complaints - we had already been so lucky. The rest of the day was spent exploring the area a little, including a visit to the harbour at Telegraph Cove - home to many super old timber buildings, many of which have since been destroyed in a fire - so sad!

The following afternoon, we took a half day boat trip - hoping for one last chance to see some Orcas and also just to get a better feel for the amazing coastal scenery on the north of the island. We knew nothing could quite compare to our peerless week in the Great Bear Rainforest and we didn't get to see any orcas, but we did see in the region of 30 different humpback whales, including one trap feeding. The area is rich with wildlife and I loved this very pretty harbour seal watching us go past.

It was a fairly dank day weather wise, but visibility was pretty good and all the little islets and wooded hills were stunning to see. You can also just about spot a few bald eagles in the photo above. Towards the end of our trip we saw a black bear and two cubs, far away on the shore and also a large group of sea otters having a little snooze amongst the bull kelp. They were at some distance and the light was very poor but you can just about make them out below. Quite hard to spot what's an otter and what's bull kelp!

Our final morning came all too quickly. We went for a pre breakfast walk, hoping to spot another black bear - we'd seen a couple as we'd driven to and from the lodge the previous days. My expectations were low but I knew we'd see something fun and, first off it was a cute ground squirrel (below) and soon afterwards a little black-tailed deer that we'd spotted on a few occasions.

There was also plenty of lichen draped trees to enjoy, as in so many areas of the island. Many of the trees had been damaged in recent storms, so it was quite a chaotic landscape.

And then, finally, Rob spotted a black bear - the tiniest little cub, a few feet up in a tree and at some distance - I could have done with an 800mm lens and there were a fair few trees obsuring our view! But, how amazing to see this on our last morning - we were able to watch for a whle through the binoculars, before he scrambled down the trunk and into the undergowth. I assume his mother was nearby, but we were far enough away not to feel too anxious!

After breakfast we had to make another long-ish drive to catch the ferry back to Vancouver, with a quick detour to the impressive Englishman River Falls. It felt sad leaving the island but we had one last evening with my cousins, Gill and David, to look forward to. A last evening in Vancouver, an early morning walk around Lighthouse Park and then time to leave British Columbia. It seems such a long time ago now, but I can remember it all so well and I so hope we can return in the not too distant future.