After the hands on learning experience that was ‘The Bugs’ I was feeling rather satisfied by the mountains (only temporarily that is), and decided it was due time for another trip to Vancouver Islands southwest coast. One of my favourite places to relax on the beach, explore the shoreline, and scramble around is by far Sombrio beach along the Juan de Fuca trail. With an easy approach (<1km) and plenty of room to spread out it’s easy to camp in relative privacy with all the amenities one would bring car camping. I prefer to camp on the west end of the beach where it’s easy to visit with passing trail hikers, and the wooden platforms keep us up off the sand. In the right season it’s also a great place to watch surfers, and a low tide there are plenty of tidepools to explore. Our particular campsite was ‘equipped’ with a great fire pit sheltered by a large piece of driftwood, a solid rope swing, and plenty of options for hanging a tarp. Although we didn’t have perfect weather we were perfectly lazy spending our time cruising the beach, sitting in camp, and eating gourmet meals. After the stress of the alpine environment the sea level boulders were a welcome chance to enjoy climbing around in a more playful manner, and at low tide we scanned the shoreline flipping stones searching for interesting sea life. Much to my surprise and excitement we found not one, but two baby eels under seperate rocks. This was a first for me, and a welcome reminder that even in the most familiar of places there is always something new to discover. I often get caught up in adventures that push my physical and mental limits while taking me to extreme environments and risking my safety (nature is unpredictable and safety cannot always be controlled). But adventure doesn’t come from the challenges, hard work and risk alone; adventure comes from a spirit within that drives one to explore and be curious. It’s a force that turns the flip of a stone into the a journey to a strange world, and a mountainside into a playground. True adventure comes from within, it’s an attitude, a way of living and perceiving the world. It can never be taken away, and has the power to turn the everday into a journey through the unknown. Be curious, be joyous, and never stop exploring the hidden worlds in front of your eyes.
