How often have you visited what you'd hope would be a truly "undiscovered" spot, only to find you were but a scant 30 years too late? But such a place indeed does exist -- today as it did 40, or even 4,000 years ago. It's along the splendid fjords of the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. And the magic carpet that takes you there is made up of equal parts of romance, tradition and history.
The gateway to this world of yesterdays is found at the end of the road which leads from Campbell River to Gold River, a distance of some 55 miles. At the water's edge waits the MV Uchuck III, a proud cargo vessel with passenger facilities, which is the life link to a very special part of that other world beyond the reach of wheeled vehicles -- Nootka Sound. Here's a brief snapshot of what we recently experienced on our trip aboard the Uchuck III.
It was a misty mid January morning as the 135 foot cargo vessel "Uchuck III" was being prepared for her morning run into the most remote outposts along the Nootka sound. When we arrived just before 9, most of her day's cargo was already aboard. Though she's licensed to carry up to 100 passengers as well, few venture into this little known region during the winter months. We would be the only passengers this day. It would be as if we had chartered, for our own personal use, this magnificently restored 135 foot vessel, complete with her crew of six .
This day's destination would be a round trip to a small village called Tahsis. En route, the vessel would make stops as needed to deliver supplies to a handful of logging camps, which can easily work through the mild winter months in Nootka Sound. We had been underway less than a half hour when we reached our first stop, called "Houston". We were already well beyond the reach of any roadways into this vast forested area. The mountains appeared to plummet almost vertically into the sound, and then reappeared time and again in the form of the small islands which formed a continuing part of the landscape. "Houston" seemed like an odd name for a few manufactured buildings which served as the headquarters for this hidden logging camp. The makeshift dock was only a fraction of the Uchuck's length, but Captain Dave snuggled enough of her bow up to tie off. The greeting party was a pickup truck, two cheerful and well-weathered loggers, and a barking brown lab. Soon the cargo was unloaded onto the dock, and we were once again underway to other equally quaint ports of call.
As it turns out, it only looks as if this region has been perpetually uninhabited. Recent archeological studies have indicated the native population along the west coast of Vancouver island was at one point at least 80,000. One of the last areas of native habitation is near the mouth of Nootka Sound, in a small sheltered bay called Friendly Cove. Here recent archeological findings have documented some 4200 years of continuous habitation by the same tribe. Friendly Cove still has a small Indian population, numbering now fewer than 100. It is the site where Captain James Cook first landed when discovering the West Coast of North America. He thought the Indians were referring to the spot where he landed as "Nootka", and he so named it. It turns out they were trying to tell him to "go around" (Indian phonetic "nootka") to find the mainland of Vancouver Island.
One might think with all the incredible sights of the vast unspoiled wilderness that things of man would have little attraction. Wrong. The Uchuck III can carry passengers, but her primary mission is to deliver cargo. To accomplish this, she is equipped with a large center mast and two large booms, serviced in turn by two power winches which pick up the loads from the dockside, move them horizontally over the vessel's large forward hold, and then lower them into place for storage below. These movements are not made by programmed state-of-the-art devices, but rather by real crew members, who operate the equipment so deftly it all appears to be an extension of their own bodies. The packages we saw ranged in size from a small box which could be handed about manually, to a full size pickup truck, which was placed neatly on the top of the foredeck. To pick up and discharge the various sizes and shapes of the packages and bundles, she carries virtually every type of chain, hook, and lifting device man has in his ingenuity ever created. The ease with which the cargo is moved to the waiting floats is a fascinating harmony of man-made motions.
One of the most enjoyable parts of the journey is the courteous and experienced crew. Captain Dave Young and his partner, Engineer Walt Winker, carry on a tradition that was started immediately after World War II, when Dave's father first began to ply the waters between Port Alberni and Uclulet. When the road connecting Port Alberni and Uclulet came, wheels soon replaced the need for waterborne service in that area -- so it was moved where it was then most needed: Nootka Sound. Another crew member, Angie O'Keeffe, manages the cozy galley. As we boarded in the morning, Angie was mixing some fresh blueberry batter. In minutes the scent of blueberry muffins permeated the entire galley area. At lunch a homemade soup, served in containers more on the scale of mixing bowls, was an excellent choice. In the afternoon, we found her mixing her own special recipe for granola --apparently the intended fare for the next morning.
The good ship Uchuck was built in Oregon in 1942 as a mine sweeper, but was eventually brought to the west coast of Vancouver Island where she's been since 1952. In recent years, under the careful attention of her current owners, she's undergone a complete refurbishing. Her interior is of polished woods and brass, and each countertop is graced with a covered section of one of the charts of the local waters through which the Uchuck passes. The wheel house has been restored using parts from older boats more reminiscent of the first half of the century. It has been cared for with obvious attention and pride. Her twin diesel engines wind her through her private magic kingdom at a comfortable 12 knots.
While the schedule is currently undergoing some timing changes, it features one way and round trip voyages between Gold River and Tahsis. Another run is a day long journey which touches a bit of the open ocean, overnights in the Kyuquot Sound area, and returns the following day. Both trips are laced with a variety of ad hoc stops at one or more of the remote outposts which exist in complete isolation beyond the reach of wheeled intruders. The occasional visit by the Uchuck III is their only regular outside link to the world, and the vessel's arrival is a true event. In the summer months, increasing numbers of sightseers have discovered this adventure into yesterday, though apparently few have taken advantage of the more private off-season voyages. Not surprisingly this ultimate paradise for kayakers has attracted a new breed of water enthusiasts who can simply be launched from Uchuck in a remote cove, and recovered by her days later for the return to the road's end.
When we returned to home port that evening around 6, we reluctantly bid the Captain and crew our fond farewell. The voyage had been a rare treat -- indeed, our own private adventure through the splendid and pristine reaches of Nootka Sound. In a single day we had journeyed from the present to the past, and back again. We left our vessel with a sense of genuine appreciation for a treasured day in places that seemed beyond the last frontier. But deep inside we knew it is a place to which someday we will again return.
Travel Notes:
1. Uchuck III is operated as a service of Nootka Sound Service, Ltd. It's home office is in Gold River, Vancouver Island, B.C. The phone number is 250/283-2325, or 250/283-2515. Gold River is itself an extremely attractive resort-like village of some 2,200 persons. Overnight accommodations are available. Our recommendation is the Ridgeview Motel, a brand new facility with a magnificent view of the towering mountains which surround Gold River. The very pleasant managers are Norman & Nelsie Brownlee. The Ridgeview is located at 295 Donner Court, Gold River, B.C., VOP 1G0 (tel: 250/283-2277). The next door "Neighborhood Pub" restaurant is an excellent choice for dinner.
2. As of the present time, round trip passenger rates for the round trip full day trip to Tahsis is Canadian $45. The overnight journey to Kyuquot is Canadian $96 per passenger; bed and breakfast accommodations are also available. This journey, because its route traverses a part of the open Pacific Ocean, would be more suited for the summer. The overnight trip is limited to 12 passengers.
3 Gold River is accessible via all weather paved road from Campbell River. The distance from Campbell River to Gold River is approximately 55 miles, and passes through Strathcona Park, one of the most scenic areas of British Columbia. Gold River is also accessible by air from Seattle, WA or Vancouver or Victoria, B.C., using the destination carrier Nootka Air to Gold River. Nootka Air also services Tahsis via float plane, which makes it possible to travel one way on Uchuck III, with a stopover in Tahsis. Accommodations are also available in Tahsis.
Note: This article reflects information as of 1996, but we believe this information is generally still accurate as of 2002.