Jennie and Stuart on the Road: June 13 – Big Waves at South Beach

This RV park does have a few things going for it. It is REALLY quiet because no one comes here and it is about 15 minutes closer to all the places in the park that we want to go to, than if we were in the campground in Tofino.

Today didn’t go according to plan but in a very good way. The forecast called for cloudy and cool with rain in the afternoon. It turned out to be mostly sunny, very windy and no rain.

I had planned to do the trail to Florencia Bay, that we had skipped the other day when Jennie got soaked at South Beach. The trail to Florencia is an extension of the South Beach Trail.

We hadn’t noticed any wind at the RV park but when we got to the trailhead at Wicaninnish Beach, we could see that the waves were really rolling in.

We walked up onto the rocky headlands at the end of the beach to take a look.

Lots of big splashes.

We started out on the common trail. We had had some rain last night. I loved how the drops beaded up on these giant leaves.

We decided that we would pop into South Beach to take a look since it had a reputation as a good wave watching location. Well, lets just say that 4 hours later, we were still there and never did get to Florencia Bay.

Once again I did a lot of rock scrambling. The path to the beach is only about 0.8 km but the GPS said I walked 4.4 km.

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I wanted to go back on the same rocks as last time but with the waves crashing in we couldn’t get to the slot in the rocks.

At first I tried going around that big green hill but no way through there.

So I ended up climbing up and over it, pushing my way through some very prickly berry bushes. It was possible to climb down the other side and get out on to the rocks.

Jennie was checking out all the interesting rocks and things on the beach.

What looked and felt like a real sponge.

We were pretty sure that this sea star was dead. It was high up on the beach. Jennie put it back in the water anyway.

I first went to revisit the double bridge canyon.

Somewhat quiet.

Not so quiet.

I don’t think I will be standing on the bridge today.

On to the other slot. Again, somewhat quiet.

Less so.

I made sure that I stayed on the dry rocks to have less chance of getting wet.

Looking down on the route we had taken the other day. There is a slot in the rocks, almost dead center in the picture below.

I went down to take a look anyway. I knew I couldn’t get all the way around but I saw that if I timed it right on an outgoing wave I could make it part way through to a lower section that I could scramble over and be back on the beach.

I decided to check out the other end of the beach since I hadn’t the last time we were here.

First I went around behind to see what was in the next bay.

Then back around to climb the rocks on our side.

Since it was an easy climb I thought that this might be a good place to have lunch. I tried to wave to Jennie but she was way down at the far end of the beach engaged in her own investigations.

I even tried to call her cell phone. Mine barely had coverage but hers did not. So back down and across the beach to get her.

Up we go.

We haven’t had a photosphere in a while.

South Beach Lunch Photosphere

We watched two girls trying to get out onto the rocks on the far side, the wrong way.

It was a straight drop to the water beneath them. I was a bit worried.

But they eventually made it.

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We sat and watched lots of crashing waves for quite a while.

After our butts got too sore we decided to move on.

At this point we were still going to go on to Florencia Bay. Jennie had to check on her sea star first. Still dead.

Right at the exit from the beach we had a change of heart. The sun came full out and I convinced Jennie that she could make it up on the rocks to get close to all that spraying water.

After climbing over some of the rocks we waited for the waves, to make a dash up the slot in the rocks.