Day 1: The Old-Growth Temperate Rainforest

 Long Beach Lodge Resort

After landing at Tofino Airport we took a cab to Long Beach Lodge Resort, where my family and I had decided to stay for the first day of our lengthy expedition. We had booked a cozy room with two queen size beds, one for my parents and one for my sister and me to share. Our room looked out to a gorgeous forest, with tall trees and many shades of green. In the morning, as we all woke up we were greeted by the blissful sunlight streaming through the windows with the sound of nature accompanying it.

We were all famished so we went to the Great Room for a scrumptious breakfast. We all ordered the Long Beach Breakfast, which consisted of two omelets, roasted tomatoes, country-style home fries, toast, and smoked bacon. We were so stuffed at the end that we could barely get up off our seats!

Our Room at Long
 Beach Lodge Resort

After an hour of getting ready and packing a few supplies we set off on our first adventure: we were going to be exploring the temperate rainforest. After an 11 minutes taxi ride we arrived at our destination, which was the Long Beach Nature Tours point. My dad had signed us up to be a part of an educational and truly breath-taking tour, the West Coast Temperate Rainforest tour, which was really a hiking trip. Our guide’s name was Bill McIntyre; he was one jolly man, very lively and easy to talk to.

The West Coast Temperate forest

As we entered the forest trail the sights that we saw were truly extraordinary. I walked through an open forest of trees so twisted and stunted they look like broccoli, they were reaching up from a mass of thick, wet moss, and the moss was drenched in rain that was collecting in pools. It was a world of bright green moss, bending ferns, and a mass of plants so thick that it was impossible to see the soil beneath it. Since it was an old growth forest I noticed trees that ranged in age from being small saplings to very old and grand trees that seemed to have lived on for many years. I noticed many canopy layers with each tree having upper levels of vegetation. There were large standing snags, which are broken trees that are usually dead. Large logs were scattered across the forest floor and in the streams. I saw plenty of fungi growing on plants, they were epiphytes and parasites. I observed a dense understory of shrubbery and an abundance of green in more shades than I could count.

Black-Tailed Deer

Harlequin Duck

As we continued to walk through the forest Bill explained to us the different mammals, birds, and vegetation that we saw on the way and what they are known as. We didn’t get to see that many mammals, due to the noise of our footsteps, but we did get to see glimpses of some animals, living in their natural habitat. We saw a black-tailed deer which was truly fascinating to observe. Bill pointed out some of the vegetation as we walked by them. They were the Spruce Fringe, the Cedar-Hemlock Tree, and (as I mentioned previously) the moss and the bog. As we stood around admiring the trees, something flew over us, all of us were kept guessing until Bill spoke up and told us that it was a Bald Eagle. Some other bird species that we got to see that day were the Common Ravens, Sandhill Cranes, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Marbled Murrelet, Trumpeter Swans, Harlequin Ducks, and some shorebirds like ducks and geese. Lastly on the tour Bill mentioned some of the fish species, the reptile species, and amphibian species in the rainforest. The common fish species was the Coho Salmon and the common amphibian species was the Clouded Salamander, the Pacific Chorus Frog, Red-legged Frog and the Pacific Tailed Frog. Due to the requirement of more heat from sunlight and drier conditions, reptiles were uncommon in the rainforest.

As the tour came to an end and we were all getting ready to leave, I stayed back, since I wanted a little more information on the wildlife, vegetation, and soil. Bill was more than happy to give me the information that I needed to extinguish my curiosity. He explained in much detail about the wildlife, vegetation, and soil not just in the temperate rainforest, but in all three parts of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

VEGETATION:

Early Morning Fog Floating
Above the Bog

Spitka Spruce

Pacific Rim has a wide range of vegetation but the most noticeable species are the massive coastal spruces and firs that flourish magnificently in the ample moisture and long growing season. The main coastal species are the Sitka spruce, while cedar-hemlock, and western red cedar grow further inland. On the shoreline you will certainly find areas of bog and muskeg along with flora such as Labrador tea and bog Laurel. On the ground of old growth forests thick growths of salmonberry, huckleberry, and salal are found at the length of 2-3 meters, while in the forest floor mosses, ferns, and bunchberries are to be seen. Along flooded stream banks and cleared roadsides willows, cascara, thimbleberry, Saskatoonberry, and Nootka are found between the rocky shoreline and the forest. Where the subtidal zone is located you are sure to find kelp which grows up to be 30 metres in height.

WILDLIFE:

Red-legged Frog

Pileated Woodpecker

In the park reserve there is an abundance of land mammals in a large variety. Red squirrels, mink, martens, and raccoons are seen occasionally, while Black-tailed deers are frequently seen along the shore. Large predators like black bears, cougars, and wolves are seen during the off-season months, like in the wintertime. The birdlife in the park reserve is truly extraordinary, it includes the forest species like pileated woodpeckers and red crossbills, and shoreline species like sandpipers, gulls, diving ducks, loons, cormorants, murres, grebes, and bald eagles. Garter snakes are a common sight to see there along with leatherback turtles that are considered endangered, Pacific tree frogs, Clouded Salamander, the Pacific Chorus Frog, Red-legged Frog also inhabit the forests.

SOIL:
The soil there is rich in minerals and contains much humus. This is due to the high rainfall that filters the minerals and nutrients deep into the soil.

The Great Room

After a long and tiring yet captivating trail, my family and I hailed a cab, and soon left the rainforest behind. After another journey of 11 minutes we came back to our resort, and we were starving, it was a good thing we had had a heavy breakfast or we wouldn’t have survived the long and fruitful trail. As we returned back to the resort it was about 4:00 and it was too late for lunch. So we all decided to have an early dinner, so it was back to the Great Room for an appetizing meal. For dinner we each ordered the Island Chicken which consisted of comox valley farmhouse chicken, white bean cassoulet, balsamic glaze, and sautéed winter greens. It was absolutely magnificent.

After dinner we all retired to our bedroom, since me and my sister still had a bit of energy left within us, we decided to go to the hot tub at the resort. While in the hot tub I had thought about how nicely the day had gone by and promised myself that is I were to go on a hiking trail like that again I would wear proper shoes and socks instead of sandals so that my feet are not sore and dirty at the end of the day. Finally at about 8:00 we all got into bed and fell into a deep and peaceful sleep, why we had to recharge ourselves for Day 2 of our expedition.