A backpakers journal, West Coast Trail 1997, Vancouver Island Canada
West Coast Trail 1996 Vancouver Island Canada
Mike Stevens makes notes later in italic
Tom Stevens (Dad) author of original journal
Wednesday, July 30th, 1997
Carla dropped us off at the Louisville airport. After that our first day of travel got off to a rocky start. Our plane flight to Cincinnati was cancelled-some sort of electrical problem. We ended up getting routed through Atlanta and on to Seattle, but too late for our ferry reservation from Seattle to Victoria. Mike got on the phone and rescheduled our ferry and bus connections and cancelled our Victoria hotel while I wait in line for new airline connections.
On the plane to Seattle from Atlanta, we sat next to a Col. Carl Hicks, USA retired. He had hiked the West Coast Trail about 15 years back. He was a ranger at the time and headed up a group of about 100 troops. He is now a VP for a company that manufactures environmentally friendly solvents. He invited Mike and I to dinner on conclusion of our trip-as it turned out we did not have a chance to take him up on the offer when we returned. I got his card and would like to keep in touch.
We arrived in Seattle early in the evening. Originally we were to have taken the ferry to Victoria Weds evening, but Mike had rebooked us on the 8 am ferry Thursday Morning. Since we needed to be on the ferry to Victoria early the next day, we took a bus into Seattle and stayed at the Inn at Queen Anne, in a small efficiency. It was old but clean and within a 15 minute walk of pier 69 where our ferry would depart.
We ate dinner at Dukes, a restaurant a few blocks away from the Inn at Queen Ann’s We both had a large bowl of the best clam chowder I can remember eating. We had hot bread and split and entrée of grilled salmon with blueberry chutney.
Mike Stevens makes notes later in italic
Tom Stevens (Dad) author of original journal
Wednesday, July 30th, 1997
Carla dropped us off at the Louisville airport. After that our first day of travel got off to a rocky start. Our plane flight to Cincinnati was cancelled-some sort of electrical problem. We ended up getting routed through Atlanta and on to Seattle, but too late for our ferry reservation from Seattle to Victoria. Mike got on the phone and rescheduled our ferry and bus connections and cancelled our Victoria hotel while I wait in line for new airline connections.
On the plane to Seattle from Atlanta, we sat next to a Col. Carl Hicks, USA retired. He had hiked the West Coast Trail about 15 years back. He was a ranger at the time and headed up a group of about 100 troops. He is now a VP for a company that manufactures environmentally friendly solvents. He invited Mike and I to dinner on conclusion of our trip-as it turned out we did not have a chance to take him up on the offer when we returned. I got his card and would like to keep in touch.
We arrived in Seattle early in the evening. Originally we were to have taken the ferry to Victoria Weds evening, but Mike had rebooked us on the 8 am ferry Thursday Morning. Since we needed to be on the ferry to Victoria early the next day, we took a bus into Seattle and stayed at the Inn at Queen Anne, in a small efficiency. It was old but clean and within a 15 minute walk of pier 69 where our ferry would depart.
We ate dinner at Dukes, a restaurant a few blocks away from the Inn at Queen Ann’s We both had a large bowl of the best clam chowder I can remember eating. We had hot bread and split and entrée of grilled salmon with blueberry chutney.
Thursday, July 31
We were up early and walked to Seattle Clipper terminal at pier 69 arriving at about 7:25 am. The clipper left right on time at 8 am. The Clipper was passenger only, modern and fast. I spent quite a lot of time on deck enjoying the clear but cold weather and the view of Seattle and the Canadian islands. Mike wrote a letter and read and spent some time on the deck as well.
We arrived in Victoria after 11:00. Victoria is a very scenic and friendly. There are many interesting buildings and beautiful gardens. There were hanging baskets of flowers along the streets. Everything was well maintained and very clean.
Mike called mom to see if the letter had come from U of K. Mike had expected to hear whether he was accepted in the physical therapy program there. It is very competitive to get in-although Mike’s grades were good, he was obviously concerned. No word so we promised to call again tomorrow just before we started on the trail.
We were up early and walked to Seattle Clipper terminal at pier 69 arriving at about 7:25 am. The clipper left right on time at 8 am. The Clipper was passenger only, modern and fast. I spent quite a lot of time on deck enjoying the clear but cold weather and the view of Seattle and the Canadian islands. Mike wrote a letter and read and spent some time on the deck as well.
We arrived in Victoria after 11:00. Victoria is a very scenic and friendly. There are many interesting buildings and beautiful gardens. There were hanging baskets of flowers along the streets. Everything was well maintained and very clean.
Mike called mom to see if the letter had come from U of K. Mike had expected to hear whether he was accepted in the physical therapy program there. It is very competitive to get in-although Mike’s grades were good, he was obviously concerned. No word so we promised to call again tomorrow just before we started on the trail.
While dad made the call I stayed close by. I remember lying on very well maintained lawn. Dad had started the call that honestly I was not sure I wanted to make. It had been a full summer, I just returned from a trip traveling Europe. My mind was still somewhat enjoying North American culture again. I had spent the summer in anticipation... . I had spent my collage carrier thus far in preparation to apply to PT school. I was entering into my senior year in college, nowhere close to any bachelor degree. All my class work was spent fulfilling requirements to apply for physical therapy school. At that point I had no other real professional desires. I had been working for minimal wage during weekends throughout collage as a PT tech at Central Baptist Hospital. So much time, so much energy. The clock was ticking and I would have to face the answer, not today so it seemed. I had taken a gamble with therapy school, less than 1/6 get accepted.
For weeks I had the same reoccurring nightmare. I believe these were a reflection of the selection process in entering into PT school. At my place of employment as a PT tech, they were many other techs attempting to enter into the same program which did make the work environment competitive. The dreams would start either at work or some other random place. Then without warning a T-rex would crash through the roof and start to devour my coworkers. That dream began after seeing Jurassic park II. These occurred almost nightly for almost a month.
It took effort to concentrate, effort to appreciate my surroundings.
For weeks I had the same reoccurring nightmare. I believe these were a reflection of the selection process in entering into PT school. At my place of employment as a PT tech, they were many other techs attempting to enter into the same program which did make the work environment competitive. The dreams would start either at work or some other random place. Then without warning a T-rex would crash through the roof and start to devour my coworkers. That dream began after seeing Jurassic park II. These occurred almost nightly for almost a month.
It took effort to concentrate, effort to appreciate my surroundings.
Title.
Mike and I ate lunch near the information center. Mike had a crab melt sandwich and a super rich chocolate pie desert. We wandered around town for a little. I bought some post cards and sent one to Carla and to work. Mike laid down in the garden of the Empress hotel and read a book. I wandered downtown and took some pictures.
We caught a bus at the downtown terminal at 2 p.m. to Port Rendro (the bus was a little late). Actually the bus turned out to be a van. There were 4 others on the van, also going to hike the trail. There was a man and his son (about 17?) from Calgary and a German girl who had come to Canada just to hike the trail, and a middle aged woman from Vancouver who was meeting her sister from Vancouver. All four would be hike the trail at the same time as we would-but we spread out over the next several days. On the bus trail, the bus stopped for a short break. Mike was still hungry so we got ice cream cones. The van arrived at Port Renfro at about 4:30.
When we registered at the trail head, we thought that we would have to hike back in to the town of Port Renfro to get camp stove fuel (can’t bring that on an airplane). The trail head was several KMs from the town. Luckily, another hiker had left on bottle of fuel with ranger. And the man and his son from Calgary had some left over fuel after filling their containers. So we didn’t need to go into Port Renfro at all.
We caught a bus at the downtown terminal at 2 p.m. to Port Rendro (the bus was a little late). Actually the bus turned out to be a van. There were 4 others on the van, also going to hike the trail. There was a man and his son (about 17?) from Calgary and a German girl who had come to Canada just to hike the trail, and a middle aged woman from Vancouver who was meeting her sister from Vancouver. All four would be hike the trail at the same time as we would-but we spread out over the next several days. On the bus trail, the bus stopped for a short break. Mike was still hungry so we got ice cream cones. The van arrived at Port Renfro at about 4:30.
When we registered at the trail head, we thought that we would have to hike back in to the town of Port Renfro to get camp stove fuel (can’t bring that on an airplane). The trail head was several KMs from the town. Luckily, another hiker had left on bottle of fuel with ranger. And the man and his son from Calgary had some left over fuel after filling their containers. So we didn’t need to go into Port Renfro at all.