| August 7, 2002 We're here in Hot Springs Cove, with all the tourists. We were here last year, and there was no space on the dock, and six or seven boats anchored out. This year we are the only boat at the dock (except for the caretaker) and there are only three boats anchored out. It seems like there are a lot less tourists as well. Perhaps the recession and the 9/11 travel scares have done their job. Of course we are tourists, too, but somehow we feel different since we got here on our own boat, rather than coming over in one of the water taxis from Tofino. We can also stay longer, since there's no boat coming for us at a specified hour. Last year when were here, it rained most of the time. This year it's 70 degrees, bright sunshine and light breezes -- what a difference! The attraction, of course, is still the hot springs. We arrived here yesterday afternoon with Jesse Dosher and Allie Keppel, our guests for a few days. Allie and I decided to walk down to the hot springs immediately, just to have a look. We'd go as a group later (after dark, equipped with flashlights for the walk and candles for the soak, after the "tourists" were gone). It's about a mile and a half, 100% on a boardwalk through thick second growth. There is an occasional old cedar snag with a diameter of 12 feet or more, which gives you some idea of what the forest was like before the white man came. Indeed, when Allie and I got there, there were hordes of tourists IN the hot springs, and sitting around on the rocks looking AT the hot springs. There must have been sixty or seventy people there, and we know there is only space for about twenty sitting in the hot springs. The springs flow into successive pools, each cooler than the last, and the lowest mixing with seawater, depending upon the tide. There were some teenaged boys in the hottest pool, loudly exhibiting their daring by dipping their toes in the really hot stuff ("Oh, that's not hot at all.") On the walk back, we passed lots more prospective bathers. One tall young man with bare feet and dreadlocks, passed us grinning and left behind a cloud of pot smoke. Craig had caught a 10 lb salmon just before we arrived at Hot Springs Cove, we had a wonderful barbecued dinner. Jesse and Allie had brought us some great Fremont sourdough bread, and with a caesar salad, we were once again dining like kings. We did our radio contact with Ian at 8pm (success!) and then headed out for the hot springs, flashlights in hand. The boardwalk is pretty impressive -- it has 100% coverage for the entire length. Many boaters have carved their boat name into a board -- we recognized several boats that circumnavigated with us last year -- Marushka, Baron Rouge, Tub Toy and Harmony. Some boards are real works of art, and we suspect people did their boards at home and then pried up an existing board and replaced it with their own. Some boats carve the year of their visit, and they have come nearly every year, adding some new digits. The hot springs itself was a wonderful experience at night. Several bathers already had candles installed in rock ledges. There were kayakers from Seattle, and a Swiss family from Zurich. As high tide approached, we began to feel surges of water from the direction of the ocean. We left before absolute high tide, but I did hear a few shrieks as we were leaving -- perhaps some truly cold water came in. The walk back to the boat was more difficult. We were somewhat drained by sitting in the hot water, and Craig counted 770 steps (up and down -- presumably equal numbers of up and down, since we began and ended at sea level.) Well I've gone on at great length about the hot springs, and said nothing about Tofino or some other great experiences we've had. I will say that it has rained -- but mostly only at night. What luck! (Knock on wood...) |
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