“Shouldn’t I be checking this place out?” That fateful question had often crossed my mind when driving over the Loss Creek Bridge, on Vancouver Island’s Highway 14. The towering Sitka spruce there, rising high into the mist, had long captured my imagination, but invariably I had been concerned with other destinations. Whether it was wandering the tide pools of Botanical Beach, camping at China Beach, or hiking on the Juan de Fuca Trail, I’d always carried on, leaving my curiosity unsatisfied.
The mysteries of the Nahmint River Valley, with its legendary trees and abundant wildlife, had long ago captured my imagination. Nestled in the heart of Vancouver Island, near Port Alberni, the river supports one of the most diverse gene pools of salmon on the planet, as well as a thriving steelhead run.
Continue reading The Wonders of Nahmint: Fallen Giants and Future Hopes
It was the strangest of apparitions on a cool, rainy morning in the Nahmint River Valley. A gnarled, towering, broken topped Douglas fir, rising abruptly into the mist, beckoning us to make its acquaintance. We had to investigate! Though the tree was a relatively short distance away, precarious ground made for a painstakingly slow approach, and the nearer we got, the more peculiar it became!
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