Tuesday there was rain in the forecast for Squamish. Finally, my (Erik's) chance to convince the boys of the perfect rain day activity: surfing in Tofino. Here's a few highlights from our trip.
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July 29th, 2016During a short visit to the Squamish Adventure Centre (in search of free wifi), I (Nick) noticed a sign reading "Squamish: the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada." It's true, there is a lot more to do here than just climb. In particular, I was interested in the world-famous local rivers.
My friend Seamus is living in Victoria this summer. Daniel and I paid him a visit already during our camper van search. Seamus and I began whitewater kayaking together 3 years ago in Newfoundland. With the grace of my fellow Choss Boys, I planned for him to live with us in the van for a weekend, creating an opportunity to get on the rapids. We figured out, thanks to the help of a local kayak guide named Don, that our best (and cheapest) option for kayaking was to rent equipment from MEC and seek knowledgeable locals to help pick rivers that suit our abilities. So, with plans laid, and reservations made, I set out for MEC in downtown Vancouver on the busy Friday evening of the August long weekend. Driving the van into the city to pick up the rentals from MEC was the beginning of my adventure. Limited blindspot visibility, tight parking spots, fast drivers, and a perplexing vehicle height limit on MEC's open roof parking area made the rental pick-up a white knuckle experience. The van pulled through unscathed, but, devastatingly, our french press was smashed in the process. I continued on to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal to find Seamus sitting on the sidewalk with his mountain bike. "Oh! you brought your mountain bike with you too?" I said hesitantly. "Yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you..." The van soon became a very crowded space. Nick, Seamus, and I (Daniel) were heading from Squamish to Tofino, dropping off Seamus in Nanaimo on the way. Thanks to a conversation with my cousin Anna along the way, we chose the name Wesley for the van. Upbeat, we were happily bouncing around in our newly named Chossmobile. Once we crossed on the ferry to Nanimo, Nick and I slowly said our goodbyes to Seamus. It was almost dark when we started the 3-hour drive to Tofino. Nick happily drove while I chatted to my girlfriend Sarah Jane in the back of the van. As we neared Tofino, we were getting tired but the winding turns in the road kept us on edge. Nerves were high. All of a sudden, Wesley's engine abruptly stopped and the Chossmobile puttered to a stop on the side of the highway. Nick informed me that "the accelerator just stopped working". We were 17 kilometers from Tofino. The time was 11:30PM. It was dark and no other vehicles were in sight. The Chossmobile was chugging down the highway when the accelerator just stopped working. The engine abruptly turned off and Wesley rolled to a stop on the side of the highway. We knew we would face this moment at some point on this trip, but we didn't expect it so soon. We weren't ready. Neither of us knew enough about carburetor engines, we didn't have any extra parts, and we didn't even have cell service!
July 28th, 2016
The trip is off to a great start - our first week in Squamish has been a blast. Here's what we've been up to.
On Monday evening, July 18th, Daniel and I (Nick), took a trip to Victoria on a whim. There were two vans in the area that we were really interested in, and if we waited any longer, they likely would have sold. Our good friend Seamus is living with his uncle John in Victoria for the summer, so we asked a huge favour: to stay the night at John's house, and borrow Seamus' car the next day to go look at vans. Despite the short notice, and the fact that boisterous guests had been staying at the house all weekend, Seamus and John agreed.
Thanks to their outstanding generosity, Daniel and I were able to go look at two vans in the area. The first we saw was encouraging, and could have been adapted to our needs. However, the second van wowed us. Within a couple of hours, a retired fisherman named Dave gracefully sold us his van. We Choss Boys are aching to sink our teeth into some spicy rock climbs in Squamish and the Bugaboos. However, the only things we are crunching with our incisors are van options and cherries.... Wait. Cherries? Well this morning I (Daniel) was indulging in fresh cherries from Jacqui's garden and chipped my tooth! A quick run to the dentist, $300, and 3 hours later, the Choss Boys are back in the business of van searching.
While Dan and Nick are busy looking for vans, I (Erik) decided to investigate the famous surf at the quaint Pacific Rim town of Tofino on Vancouver Island. I'm happy to report back that the surf lives up to expectations. And then some.
Nick and I (Daniel) are not very experienced with purchasing camper vans but we are trying our best. Yesterday we saw a 1984 Volkswagen Westfalia called Rosy.
A hectic night of packing, a restless bivy, and an alarm wakes us at 3:00 A.M. We carry our bags to the approach... To the airport! Yes, it was an 'alpine start' to our journey across the country. And we're glad to say we've touched down in BC.
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