WTD #16 - Island Aventure - Part 3

From Gold River we took a logging road shortcut across the island and re-connected with the island highway at Woss, then drove north to Port McNeill, from whence we took a ferry across to Malcolm Island and the village of Sointula - about a half hour trip.

This is the village of Sointula seen from the ferry.  The larger building is the hotel.

This is the beach in front of the lovely cabin we stayed in - Sea4 Miles Cabins.  We spent two nights on Malcolm Island.

The afternoon we arrived, we took a drive along the one main road that runs the length of the island.  The road follows the southern shoreline (facing Vancouver Island)

 I couldn't resist another heron photo.

It is a picturesque place - reminded us a bit of the Kootenays - a lot of artists and alternative folk, a bit like the Slocan Valley with oceanfront.

The next morning I got up early and joined this spider in our front yard enjoying the view.

The droplets on the web are from the fog that was coming in nightly.  I'm thinking the spider must have remained absolutely motionless  all night or the droplets would have shaken off??

We drove to the north side of the island to hike on the Bere Point trail as the fog was beginning to lift.

The trail starts out in dense salal, and follows the edge of a steep cliff/slope down to the ocean.

A tunnel through the lush vegetation

The trail entered a lovely second-growth forest just as the sun was burning through the last of the fog.

There were lots of mushrooms and other fungi along the trail.

I guess I had a thing for spiderwebs that day.

At one point there is a steep gorge and the trail descends a series of stairs down to the beach.

A telephoto view of some of the mountains of the mid-coast area of the mainland.

A red huckleberry bush growing out of a stump.

Far offshore we saw a couple of Dall's Porpoises.  They look a bit like small versions of Orcas, with a black upper body and white belly.  We had hoped to see some Orcas because there is a spot along the shore here where they sometimes come very close to the beach to rub on the rounded stones, but alas we missed each other.  I did notice that the hotel bar is called the "Rub Pub".

We had made arrangements to be let into the Sointula Museum later that afternoon.  Sointula ("Harmony" in Finnish) was founded by a group of Finnish communalists/socialists at the turn of the century.  The actual communal organization fizzled out after a few years but the people and the socialist ideals remained.  About half of the current inhabitants are descendents of the original Finnish settlers.  This banner once graced the stage of the community hall.

 This photo from the museum shows the location of the banner in the old hall.

The Young Pioneers youth group in 1932.  The museum has a lot of really interesting photos and artefacts from the rich history of this unique BC community.

Next time - Sea Smoke!