"Never buy a red canoe."
This is the sage advice I overheard on the beach at Buttle Lake today. The comment was prompted by the boat pictured on this page. It’s pink. Now, at least. The seasons and the elements have long since faded its original cherry-red.
The lesson? “You don’t always get what you think you’re going to get.” I’m reminded of that lesson as I sit tapping on my MacBook at my Buttle Lake campsite in Strathcona Park.
I’ve enjoyed a good afternoon of warm weather. A bald eagle flew overhead as I swam in the lake. The Crest Mountain Trail and the Wild Ginger Trail are literally steps away.
BUT... I’m not a happy camper/hiker. Why not? Because I've visited the nearby (and tiny) Park Headquarters. (see pic in Photo Gallery) And I learned that these lakeside trailheads are low elevation, ‘valley floor’ starting points that meander through forests and only occasionally climb to an exposed view points. These are NOT the Stathcona alpine/sub-alpine hikes that I’ve so much been hoping to enjoy here.
I was told that the park’s most glorious alpine/sub-alpine hiking is in fact very near, just a few miles from here… BUT that’s as the eagle flies. In a region called Forbidden Plateau. And steep, steep mountains separate Buttle Lake and the Plateau. Unsurprisingly, none of the Buttle Lake trails span this daunting divide. The only way I can get to my high country trailheads is to drive around the mountains, and approach them from the other (east) side.
Bummer.
But wait. There’s more. Remarkably, there are no campgrounds anywhere near Forbidden Plateau, i.e., no base camp where I can stay a few days to explore the high country trails.
Bummer #2.
So. What to do? Well, I’m resolved that I will NOT stick to my original plan of spending 4 nights here at Buttle Lake. Instead, I’ll break camp early tomorrow, drive back through Campbell River where I’ll visit the wi-fi enabled Starbucks to send this post and to cancel the remainder of my Buttle Lake campsite reservation. Then I’ll drive up to the Mount Washington alpine ski area. I’ll easily be at the Paradise Meadows trailhead by 10:00am for a guided hike there, led by Strathcona volunteers. I'm promised a splendid day hiking along the high country trails with nice people. And the weather continues to be warm -- locals say 'hot' -- and skies are clear, clear blue.
At day’s end tomorrow, I’ll head back down the mountain and take a ferry over to Quadra Island where I’m told I’ll be able to choose from several very nice coastal campgrounds. At least one of the campgrounds has wi-fi access. So you may see a Post #7 within 24 hours that will let you know if my back-up plan proves anymore successful than my original plan!
