604 Pulse

On the first week of May, I went on a road trip to the Sunshine Coast with five others. These four days were filled with rainforest hikes, boat rides, double rainbows, craft beer, friendship, and much laughter. My experience reminds me why the Sunshine Coast is quickly becoming my new favourite go-to place for a getaway close to home. This is part one of my three-part blog post.

Story and photos by Robyn Hanson

Tuesday, May 1^st, 2012

The Sunshine Coast lives up to its name yet again. No matter how miserable and rainy it is in Vancouver, the skies open up along the ferry ride to Langdale from Horseshoe Bay.

This 40 minute BC Ferries journey across Howe Sound never gets tired, no matter how many times I’ve crossed – it’s a relaxing and scenic way to travel. The Sunshine Coast is actually closer than it takes to get to most other popular Vancouver day trip or weekend getaway destinations, but apparently the word hasn’t spread to the Lower Mainland… yet.

Lunch at Copper Sky 

First stop – lunch at Madeira Park. This tiny village is located in the community of Pender Harbour – a cluster of tiny bays and inlets along the Malaspina Strait, about an hour from Langdale. Although boating is what brings most travelers here, the locals know that the hub of the community can be found at the Copper Sky Gallery & Café.

One room of Copper Sky features jewelry, sculptures, and paintings while the other tempts with fresh-baked goods, sandwiches and salads. My lunch consisted of a delicious egg salad sandwich with all the fixings and a local blackberry oatmeal muffin. Sitting outside in the sunshine, we chatted with locals before hitting the road again for our first hike.

Skookumchuk Narrows

Perhaps the most famous nature walk on the Lower Sunshine Coast, Skookumchuk Narrows Provincial Park offers an easy-moderate hike through lush, enchanting temperate rainforest. If Emily Carr explored these parts, she’d be painting these forests, no doubt. With trees covered in thick carpets of moss, you could put some googly eyes on their trunks and arguably call them Muppets.

But the rainforest isn’t why we’re here. It’s the natural phenomena on the water that we’re seeking – specifically, the incredibly turbulent tidal rapids which give the park its name. Skookumchuk is the Chinook term for strong, powerful water. If you time it just right, the 3 metre tide creates powerful eddies, white water waves, and turbulence resulting in the 200 billion gallons of water flowing between this narrowing of land that connects Sechelt Inlet to Jervis Inlet.

Apparently the size of the rapids do vary depending on a variety of conditions. While the water’s movement wasn’t as big as some had anticipated, the flow was impressively swift, moving with haste not unlike a tsunami. No kayakers were braving the rapids, but our rocky outcropping attracted 20 or so individuals – adults, children, and dogs – who came to witness the water whirl by.

I admit, looking at a photograph doesn’t really quite give you a sense of the water’s speed, so I shot a few seconds of video, just so you get the feeling of being there. Remember, this isn’t a river – this is saltwater moving by the tidal forces. When you think about it that way, it’s rather magnificent thing to see.

When it became evident that we had seen the most of nature’s spectacle, the skies opened up, reminding us that despite the region’s name, we are still very much in a coastal rainforest. I was pleased to be wearing the waterproof jacket that I bought at the BC Ferries’ Passages gift shop – an impulsive purchase I made three weeks before, but one I had made for this exact reason. It made my hour trek back through the forest in the rain perfectly comfortable.

West Coast Wilderness Lodge

“How could I not have known about the West Coast Wilderness Lodge all this time?” That was my first thought as I stepped inside our accommodation for the night. Egmont may have an unfortunate name, but its beauty certainly exceeds expectations. Out of all places I’ve ever visited on the Lower Sunshine Coast, this view certainly takes the cake.

But it’s not just the scenery… it’s the whole space. For one, despite being a luxury accommodation, it felt like a genuine lodge. You know, rustic and woodsy in style with an authentic west coast vibe. But there was more to it than that. Maybe it was the gigantic deck or the hummingbirds flitting to a fro. The space was cozy yet contemporary and there was that instant familiarity, like revisiting a favourite memory. Or maybe it was the warmth of the owner and staff.

But that view, man… that view.

The view’s of Hotham Sound, by the way. If you love layers of mountains and islands interspersed with fjords, this is your place. It’s also your place if you’re interested in the outdoors; it’s a wilderness lodge, after all. People come here from all over the world to pursue activities like ocean kayaking, canoe padding, heli-hiking, mountain biking, fishing, float plane tours, rock climbing, and nature hikes. Groups come to learn about the local ecosystems. Locals come here to get married.

I was here, however, to hunker down for the night, something I was quite eager to do.

My room was a 500 sqf ocean view suite where even the ensuite had an ocean view. The suite was spacious and had quirky blend of contemporary design (the quilt/bathroom), rustic overtones (the wood ceiling/baseboards) and a few carefully-curated pieces (an art deco lamp). It was homey in all the right ways.

But just when I thought I had seen it all, nature had something else up its sleeve…

Dinner at Inlets

The West Coast Wilderness Lodge’s main hall is actually home to Inlets Restaurant, a restaurant that’s also open to the visiting public. Again, you can’t help but feel awed by their floor-to-ceiling panoramic view of the sound, but dinner, I admit, came close.

Inlets’ menu features the cuisine of executive chef Warren Cobb and showcases what they call a “classical European style combined with regional Canadian food influences”. I decided to order the Hemp Heart Encrusted Halibut as my starter. It was halibut season after all, and this didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed its Japanese-inspired execution and could have easily eaten twice as much.

But I decided to stray from seafood for my main course, merely out of the sake of variety. Instead, I ordered the Stuffed Pork Tenderloin which was served with a shiitake chausseur sausace and a side of sage oregano pearl barley. Being a fan of the savoury, almost steak-like flavour of shiitake mushrooms, combined with the earthiness of the stuffing, this dish truly hit the spot. Autumn in spring, so to speak.

I enjoyed dinner with wine and good company, and many laughs were to be had. As the sun slid behind the mountains and the view faded into darkness, it seemed right to order dessert: coffee and a piece of chocolate cake. Turns out, this was one of the best pieces of chocolate cake I’ve had in a long time.

Often restaurants overdo the chocolate cake and make it fancier than it needs to be, when all you want is a simple piece of chocolate cake. And in this case, they nailed it; an expertly-executed chocolate cake, perfectly moist with the most satisfying chocolate frosting (yes, frosting!) and garnished with the delicate petals of a pansy, no less.

With the taste of wine and chocolate on my tongue, I contemplated the hot tub, but it was not meant to be. The night was late and we had an early morning for we had a ferry to make. But it didn’t matter; I slept like a baby that night.