Hiking Mount Arrowsmith
Today I wake up before the sun, which is good as it will make up for all the time I’m about to waste. Finding the road to Mount Arrowsmith isn’t an easy task and I’ll drive past it a couple of times, going back and forth between Coombs and Port Alberni. All the directions I’ll be able to get are that it’s right after the top of the mountain (when coming from Coombs) and there’s a wooden sign, but it doesn’t say “Mount Arrowsmith”. That’s it.
But I’ll finally find it:
Then it will be lots of small dirt roads. I’m not sure how I did but I ended up taking all the right turns amongst the maze of smalls logging roads. The road is getting steeper and I have to stop near a car parked on the side. I ask them if it’s the way to Mount Arrowsmith, which they confirm. They also let me know that they just tried to continue on the road but the hill is too steep and they started going sideways. I ask if they have four-wheel drive, thinking that they don’t and that I’ll be able to continue since I do. They smile and say they do, but without chains there is no way I’ll be able to go up. I slowly go down, half sliding half in control, park the car in a spot where it shouldn’t be in anyone’s way, get changed and start hiking up.
The fresh snow is deep and I regret not having snowshoes. But the view is great and I’m getting once more fantastic sunshine so I keep walking to finally arrive to a point where the snow is so deep that I cannot continue. So I look for a nice spot to have a break and get my thermos out for some welcomed hot tea. And what a great view.
I’ll spend a little while, resting and sun tanning, and just as I decide to walk down, clouds will appear.
Next stop is Courtenay to pick Adrian with whom I’m going to do the second part of the trip. Direction Nanaimo where we’ll spend the night before taking the early ferry to Vancouver Monday morning.
PS: Michelle, thank you so much for receiving us, thanks for the soup and thanks for the lovely breakfast!