on the“Walkon theWildside” tour, an
introduction tocoastalBritishColumbia’s
culturalandnaturalhistoryviaa jaunty
Zodiacride through theUNESCOBiosphere
ReserveAreaofClayoquotSound.
The“walk”begins in thePacificOcean
whereprettyquicklywecruisebya large
colonyofStellersea lionsandcut the
engine towatchhumpbackandorcawhales
breachingaround theboat.Whenwestart
upagain, theboatslipsbetweenexposed
rocks toward theshorewhereAmerican
baldeaglesscreech from theirSitka
sprucewatchtowersonFloresIsland.
Wedockat the island tobeginahike
along thefive-mile“WildSide” trail,which
hasbeen inuse,originallyby theAhousaht
FirstNations, formore than twocenturies.
This trail linkseightsandybeacheswith
oldandsecond-growth forestscontaining
remnantsofcedarcanoesandculturally
modified trees: cedarsstrippedofbark for
baskets,netsandotheraboriginaluses.
Backat theresort,dinner isbeef tender-
loinandDungenesscrabserved inchefRyan
Orr’scookhouseandeaten inanatmosphere
ofquiet;beingoutdoorsallday inducesa
refreshing fatigue.Noteveryone turns in
early,however:A fatherandsonplaybilliards
oversipsof 12-year-oldScotch; ahoney-
mooncouplesettles into theart tent toread;
andI take tea in theoutdoor livingroom
beside thefire,whereadog laysherhead
acrossmy lapand theredriftsoff tosleep.
Next-daydawnbreakssoftlywitha light
fogshrouding theemptyestuary.This
morningI’mall in foropen-watercasting for
Coho (silver)andChinook (king)salmon.
Myselfandanotherhopefulfisherman
step intoourraingearanddepart thedock,
pausing inClayoquotSound toangle for
Coho. Icatcha16-pounder, thrilled todo
sowithafly, thenhead todeeperocean
waters insearchofChinookwhichcan,
I’m told,weighupwardsof40pounds,
andgianthalibut thathavebeenknown
to tip the local scalesat300pounds.
Thefive-hourexcursionproducesmy
Cohoplus twokings formypartnerbut,
alas,nohalibut.On thewaybackwe idle to
watchablackbear turnover largerocks in
searchofaneasymeal.BackatClayoquot, a
a
90-minutemassageat the
on-site spa soothesmy
achy castingarm.
Aerial viewof the
Clayoquot Sound
region; abridge
through the forestedarea
on theWildSidehike.
Opposite: Adining tent is
available for privatemeals
outside the cookhouse
at the resort.
LEFTTOPANDBOTTOM:CRAIS.BOWER;RIGHT:CLAYOQUOTWILDERNESSRESORT
CELEBRATED LIVING • SPRING 2015
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