Two sunny days during a three day weekend are just enough to follow an urge for exploring the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island - or at least a few bits of it.
Koksila River Provincial Park. The river has carved deep pools amongst steep rocks. Firs, Pines and Arbutus cast their shadows over the crystal clear still water. Deep blue sky lends a cool hue to the emerald coloured swimming holes, where fish and pebbles seem to be magnified under a motionless cover of water so clear, it seems almost non existent.
A bridge over Koksila River in the deserted Provincial Park proves, that it is not always deserted and quiet. The gate barring this abandoned railway bridge is covered with slogans and paintings, probably created by nocturnal graffiti artists.
The river valley is well known for its stand of old forest, albeit these tall trees had not yet reached centenarian status.
Amongst them remained, as silent witnesses to historic logging practices, gigantic stumps with their tell tale notches at chest height, where loggers had climbed to reach the most vulnerable part of the tree trunk with their immense saws. And with mathematic precision and no little danger to the loggers, these giants of the forest fell one by one, exactly where and when they were made to do, with nothing but their mossy, rotten stumps left to tell the tale.
Street Sign in the forest. Rough, sharp edged gravel all the way from Koksila River Park to the West Coast. Tire puncture heaven.
Conservationist at work. Trophy telephone pole at the edge of the forest.
The venerable Kinsol trestle, now being diligently restored to preserve a monument to a feat of engineering dating back to pioneer times.
