Island Life

Ahoy ..
Mother earth can really create some amazing places and things, Ukee seem to be one of these... I have never ever been to a place like this in my entire life!
The ocean meets the rain forrest creating a sweet sub-habitat for all living things, the deadwood washed up on the beaches create mazes, even platforms floating on rivers that sink with every step.. Home to some of the largest spruces trees in the world, towering high up into the canopy above, their roots sprawling up from the earth creating cabins underneath the ground for animal and human alike, coved in mass amount of the greenest moss..

Then we have this small little town called Ucluelet tucked away on the most southerly point of the tourist road to famous Tofino, Nestled in between ocean on one side and inlet on the other then mountains behind them, is this place really real?
The town itself is very similar to rossland some 2500 people live here and it is very much a seasonal town for the summer surfing community, a mix of young people and old fisherman that really makes this place quite quirky in a way. Ukee has alot of little hidden treasures all over the place, secret local spots that you would never find as more often than not its alittle passage through some overgrown trees, that darts through the forests for kilometers.

One spot like this is called hitchhike mikes treehouse, after a hike you come to an amazing maze of bridges and ladders through the forrest leading to a little treehouse around 60ft from the forrest floor, built off a huge spruce. A net about 25ft x 25ft suspended at the same level from several different trees, not for a safety net but one to spread your wings and fly from the treehouse jumping away from the trees into this net hoping that it will catch you even though you can see right through it to the floor of the forrest.. truly an exhilarating experience! On one of the other surrounding tree were in the root system mike old place of residence he build a small cabin with wood stove, rocking chair and all. Where he lived for several years until what ive herd he moved into town, leaving this great place for the imaginations of the generations to come!

This is just one of many places that i have been so far on my island discovery, there will be many more + pictures..

My plan for the summer is to find a small remote spot off the logging roads in the area for my van, live a simple self sustained summer in the rain forrest, build a deck around my van out of fallen wood in the area, string my hammock.. commute to town by bike with rhino for supplies and work. Catch rain water and hopefully fish, this is a test and experiment for myself to see if i can kick all the extra necessity we have evolved to rely on nowerdays.

Ukee..

On a ship, Independent waters

I come to you this blog aboard a boat heading across from Port Anglers Olympic Peninsula WA to Victoria BC.. I have had no sleep since yesterday morning, I am worn out, drained, pale and surrounds by Americans! (talking about if they bought their pole so they can fly there flag in BC ). I spent the night driving from Spokane to Seattle, catching a small ferry , 50 mile more drive then catching this ferry to the island.. I have pushed myself to the physical and mental limit, been awake for over 25 hours with no sight in end.
Spent the last few days visiting Kara down in Sandpoint, we chilled out at her aunts property right on the lake, with a private dock.. Rhino loved it out there, he finally clumbliy feel in the water after being hesitant without seeing the bottom .
My next adventure is to drive to Ukee this afternoon (aprox 6 hours) meeting up with a bunch of Rosslanders and spending the summer out there..

Arrived in Ukee and the great town on the western point of the island, After finding everyone around town its defiantly feels like a rossland wiggles, crandall and carmen, laura and paul are here!! we chilled down by the to dock, rhino has having a ball running around. After an amazing dinner with some people town at pauls place carm made an amazing vegan food.. good sleep!

Unpredicted Events

Good morning Rossland!
the sun beaming threw the windows on the first sunny day the kootenay has seen in weeks i feel that coming home this is defiantly a sign. We covered over 600 kms over the past few days driving from Nordegg AB to Rossland, with a somewhat memorable night in between at Invermer.. Involving a high centered van and a cottage on the lake, good time had by all and great to catch up with Sam.
My life seems to be a roller coaster of events, that all stream together to make one hell of a time! At 12.23 yesterday afternoon i decided after a deep conversation and weighing up the pros and cons of this trans-canada journey left me with the result of being that i will not be driving to onterio this summer. One major deciding facters was the V8 van and the gas consumption putting me at well over 1K one way for a job that won't even cover the gas money.
Soo i have put together a brief plan of action for the next few months, looks like Island life is the way for me!

Elk River – AB

Well it has been alwile since my last post, this bush camp living is taking a toll on my blog but not for long. Tomorrow afternoon I depart on my next adventure across the country, after visting Rossland, Fruitland and Sandpoint. Treeplanting camp has been a very interesting and an amazing experience, I can see why people get hooked not only on the money but the lifestyle itself. You can express yours self in anyway and be accepted in this community born on reforestation.
Elk River camp is about an hour out of Drayton Valley, A smallish down that was founded as a gateway for the endless oil industry in northern Alberta. As the name directs its along a currently swollen elk river that winds its way to Brazeau Dam, With the current wet spring has made all the roads difficult to say the least, Alberta has a tradition to have the worst logging roads when it rains due to the clay base.
The past few weeks have flown by, now my excitement has changed for the road trip. Van preparations have been made with the contributions off more curtains leaving only the two rear windows un curtained. Started a picture collarage on the ceiling and raided the Drayton Valley dollar store for a bunch more useless stuff.
Jeremy my buddy from Rossland that was also working for Rhino, arrived from the other PG (Prince George) camp with another 50 planters joining our camp has pushed the number of planters to over 100! Has made meal times a nightmare, so many people that sometimes you feel you can move without treading on someone toes. But luckily this for me is only till tomorrow; some off our camp is heading back to horsefly for another contract at the end of the shit making it easier around here.
The moral of the planters have been down, from talking to quite a few the lack of organization is leaving planters without trees to plant and places to plant them in this fast planting mounts that have been machine prepared. With trees getting paid at their lowest for the season due to the ease of the land, making money depends on a well organized foreman and many have not been.
With things coming to an end here I feel a sense of satisfaction and relief I have made enough money to comfortably travel across the country for my next job, meet some amazing friends that I will stay in contact with for the years to come. This experiences has definitely opened my eyes and helped me grown seeing the how many make there only income for the year in a short four month window and spend the rest on EI. See you on the road!

Alberta and the Three Day Snowfall

With Alberta brought one of the most magnificent and breathtaking drives ive ever had and what seemed very fitting first mountain climb for vanny through the rocky mountains..
Along hwy 93 through Lake Louise ran into an interesting character AJ at the gas station, after bringing up Rossland we discovered that we both knew Nick M, one of the guys that originally put the idea of a campervan life in my head with his amazing van at old 2121.
Arriving in Rocky Mountain House past midnight a covert scow of the local Inn located some rhino vans and pulled up to find some of the planters still awake chilling in the van, after a beer and some laughs retreated to the van and slept in the Inn parking lot.
Snuck in the backdoor of the hotel and ran into Nathan in the hallway, poached a shower and hung out with Sam and Jess at the hotel before heading to camp for step. A Rhino convoy an hour later found us in camp after a few wrong turns, along quarry transportation roads with wildlife everywhere and RV’s parked in the most random places.
Camp setup went pretty smooth, just finished before the rain came luckily. Big fire and many of beers enjoyed by all, those did we know..
Woke up with an impressive 5cm fresh Albertan moist snow, plants died from being outside overnight but nothing could stop me with snowboard in hand heading up the closest hill for what would be the shortest run in history..
A big breakky by Ian and Justin to heading into town for a checkout of the local attractions, which wasn’t a lot.. It was Sam’s birthday so we did abit of a bar craw from the Saddlesaw to downtown Also included eating pizza in the local grocery store parking lot. Another fire with many of relaxed but anxious planters.
Temperatures stayed low over the next few days, received an additional 7cm before things started to melt, creating two seamlessly endless streams though camp which the planted widdled boats from wood for boat races. The winter playground had now turned to a muddy snowy what seemed to resembled a 1980’s AFL wet mud pit, that my dad would know all too well.
The storm finally broke the third night and looked like we would start work the following day, and we all did to the relief of both planters and contract bosses.
Welcome to Alberta!