Expedition Canada

Home The beginning of Highway 101 - Lund We finally arrived home in Gibsons on Tuesday 4th, after six days exploring the top of the Sunshine Coast around Powell River and Lund.  Lund is Km 0 of  Highway 101 which stretches 156 Kms from Lund to Langdale, where the ferries from Horseshoe Bay dock, and onwards for another 17km to Port Melon Mill.   Powell River is separated from the lower part of the Coast by the Jarvis Inlet and requires a ferry ride between Saltery Bay and Earl's Cove. The ferry ride between the two sections is variable but just under an hour, a 19km ferry ride.  Near enough for us to pop up there again and explore more of the fantastic lakes and mountain ranges. Getting to Powell River required a ferry from Comox on Vancouver island which takes about 1hr 40m.   The crossing to Westview is well known for whale sightings and we spotted three separate Orca pods and a Humpback, which put on an impressive breaching and fin flapping di...

Whales Galore Mon June 12th Biggs Killer Whales - Outside Gibsons Harbour As forest fires ravage large parts of Quebec and BC, spreading smoke and particulates as far afield as Europe, a couple of bits of good news have emerged.   Whale numbers are looking increasingly healthy for all but the resident  killer   S outhern  W hale .  A recent news article carried by CBC reports on the work of marine naturalist Tasli Shaw who this year has recorded nearly 800 individual humpbacks in the Salish Sea compared with 400 last year.  Link here .  Biggs Killer Whales, also referred as Transient whales, one of the two ecotypes or sub-species in the Salish Sea, have also seen a revival with 1221 identified in 2022, more than double that of five years ago. They feed on other marine mammals. The Southern or Resident Orca, whose main food source is Salmon, have been in decline mainly as a result of reduced salmon stocks.  We have seen both Humpbacks and...

Humpbacks Return Thu May 18th Orca cruising just past the start line I was sailing last Sunday after a break of two weeks and it felt as though summer had arrived.  We had good wind and a warm 30c, though a windproof jacket was still required.  In the previous race, we were in winter wet weather gear.  My brain-related knee injury, which had prevented my appearance for the last two weeks, is on the mend and it has reminded me that I should engage the grey matter before doing anything so stupid in future.  Bruised bones rather than anything more serious.  For those that missed the last blog, I'd jumped off the back of a stationary pick-up truck.  Doh! As well as good sailing weather we enjoyed watching a pod of Orca put in an appearance as we motored out to the start line.  They were heading out to the Salish Sea from West Howe Sound through the Shoal Channel which runs between Keats Island and The Bluff, a large outcrop that sits above Gibsons Marina....

Trees Down Mon Jan 23rd One of the Douglas Firs that had crashed down across the trails. The Holy Grail of wildlife sightings in BC is to see Humpback Whales breaching.  Black Bears are great, but not a rarity; Coyotes are quite common (Jack startled a youngster in Cliff Gilker during the week), Cougars fortunately not so common - and we have not yet seen one - no rush.   During the Summer we enjoyed numerous views of Grey and Humpback Whale tails, fins and  waterspouts, but the sight of a whale fully breaching has evaded us, till Sunday.   I didn't have my camera.  I kept the video running on my iPhone, and every time I stopped filming, they breached, but you get to to see their water spouts! On the final leg of our Sunday sailing race back to Gibsons Marina, a race that had been shortened due to very light, and at times non-existent, winds our skipper thought he heard a distant explosion; a crack and thunderous roar like a loud firework (his words)....

Plus a Bison Banquet Thu Nov 24th  After putting my pre-order deposit down in Nov 2021 for the all electric Rivian R1S (SUV), I finally heard last week that delivery will between October and December ........ 2023.  That's the good news and bad news in one!   I have finally been able to see one in the flesh at a customer event last Saturday in Vancouver.  Nick and I had a boys day in town checking out the vehicles, which continue to get amazing reviews.  Top Gear reviewed the R1T pickup .  They are impressive vehicles and the larger battery pack has a range of circa 320m (514k), though if I test the 0-60mph in 3 seconds regularly I suspect that may be a tad optimistic .    The event was busy, suggesting there are quite a few pre-order customers in BC, the launch province for Canada, the only country outside the USA where Rivian vehicles are being sold at the outset.  It's not surprising as BC has the highest proportion of EV sales in Nor...