Day 11: Strathcona PP - Telegraph Cove - Alder Bay

23.7.24

So, eventually it had to happen...

Clouds!

Until now, we have had so much luck with the weather that we can hardly believe it. Naturally, I send off prayers every evening asking for the sun to shine tomorrow, but I am also realistic: 4 weeks of sunshine CANNOT exist in Canada...

We leave the Buttle Lake Campground after breakfast and drive back to Campbell River, passing by Elk Falls Provincial Park. Good thing we didn't postpone the Elk Falls visit to today. Two days ago had decidedly better weather.

My e-Sim resumes service behind the Elk Falls - I had absolutely no cell reception in Strathcona - only to quit the service shortly after just past Campbell River. Grumble.

Ok, no WhatsApp & Co.

With every kilometer, we drive into the dark clouds and finally into the rain. It rains varying from heavy to light, but it never stops.

Ok, while driving, it doesn't really bother us and we don't have much planned today, so we are completely relaxed.

We pass wildlife warning signs ('Elk', for example), but we see NOTHING in terms of wildlife. It’s crazy; up until now, we have only seen a few bald eagles and deer (most of them in downtown Victoria, often in front yards) and nothing else wildlife-related (not counting whale watching).

Let's see if that changes in the north.

We reach Telegraph Cove around 2 PM, where we want to have a look around. When we get out, it's barely raining. Everything is shrouded in clouds, but that somehow fits in here.

We walk along the dock, past the colorful houses, to the end, where the museum is located, and then we stop for lunch at 'The old saltery Pub,' where we enjoy veggie wraps with fries/sweet potato fries and fish soup.

After lunch - it has stopped raining - we walk back to the camper. It’s very touristy here; we're satisfied just to have been here.

Our campground for today is Alder Bay Campground, just a few kilometers further.

Again a private campground - it's nice to have a hookup for a change.

I knew beforehand what I had booked, so we're not horrified about how close we are to our campground neighbors. It’s actually a bit off-putting, but we have the incredible luck to be parked next to a very nice Canadian family.

Our campsite has its charm, as we are on a 'terrace' overlooking the sea.

As we arrive, a trailer is trying to park on Site 26. The Canadian woman is visibly struggling to guide her husband into the tight site. Oh dear... this could be interesting. We have to wait until they manage to maneuver the huge trailer into the site, then we can drive by and head to the campground reception.

As we drive past, I notice that hopefully, we don’t have Site 25 since this is supposedly the tightest site in the whole row...

Well, I leave the reception with the campground documents and wink at my husband,