PNW trip report - Vancouver/Squamish, Tofino, Victoria, and Seattle
Jul 22nd, 2005, 06:54 AM
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PNW trip report - Vancouver/Squamish, Tofino, Victoria, and Seattle
I wrote this up for my flying friends, and still haven't gotten around to writing anything else nor putting up any OTHER photos. so, this is only a start. I promise to get back to it and write more about the rest of the trip, including places to stay and eat and so on. This was a fabulous trip, I really enjoyed it! Friendly people, great weather, stunning vistas. here goes!
******************
Hi everyone,
Since many of y’all fly, I figured you might be interested in hearing about my recent trip out west and seeing some of the photos. I linked them at the bottom of the email. A friend of mine just moved to Victoria and another one lives in Seattle so I thought, hey, maybe I should check it out. Never been. I've limited this to the flying bits (mostly) so I hope you like it!
Hundreds of little islands pepper the coastline out there and there are some major mountains too. I started out in Vancouver and one day took the Sea to Sky Highway to Squamish to go take a lesson in glacier flying with a CFI out there. This drive is as beautiful as it sounds but not as dramatic as the Pacific Coast Highway. (If anyone wants to fly out there I can give you Colette’s contact info, she owns a flight school in Squamish)
Once you are away from Vancouver it’s pretty much uncontrolled airspace but for the mountains (and there’s a stiff price to pay if you don’t heed them. “Hello friendly mountains” as my ground school instructor used to say). The airport elevation is just under 200 so the TPA was 1200 (easy to remember – same as JYO). But the mountains are RIGHT there so you gotta climb immediately once you depart the pattern and don’t stop til you’re at 6000-7000 or so. There are plenty of valleys so there is space for climbing.
There is regularly a lot of turbulence from the trees on final and the mountains too, so look sharp. You have to turn base early and keep it tight or you will get blown into the side of the mountain. This would not be a good thing. It was like a roller coaster on final! And the runway dips way down at the halfway point so when you are coming in for a landing it looks really short! Just a tiny little airstrip surrounded by mountains. We flew up over Whistler/Blackcomb and all the lakes around it. Yes, the lakes are really THAT blue - no retouching. They could name a crayola crayon after it - Glacier Lake Blue.
After 3 days in Vancouver I went to Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. A local told me the term treehugger came from there, no joke – folks chained themselves to trees to prevent them from cutting them down. The people are SUPER friendly, very laid back – I never heard the term “right on” used so much before. You know how on the East Coast a stranger might acknowledge you with a grunt? Well out there they smile and say RIGHT on. Right on! Hitchhiking? Right on! (Not a big deal, everyone does it). The area is slowly getting yuppified (million plus dollar vacation homes) but still realllly laid back. Sarah McLaughlin has a big beach house, I hear she comes out to go surfing and write her songs. My two days there were mostly rain. I did a hot springs cove tour which was an all day boat ride to/from these natural hot springs on one of the islands. Fine and dandy but it was a bit nippy and driving rain the entire day so you couldn’t even see the mountains you were passing very well. We saw some whales (oooooooh, ahhhhh) and were pretty much sopping wet all day. Hot springs was a good 1.5 mile walk back through the rainforest, very cool thing to do apart from the bit about stripping to your bathing suit to jump into the water and then having to put all your soaking wet clothes back on to walk another 1.5 miles back.
The day I left for Victoria the sun came out so I walked to the dock and took a float plane ride! Check out the photo of the bomber that went down in WWII. They just left it where it was. It crashed shortly after takeoff and everyone got out ok. Kinda reminds me of the one scene in the movie Heavy Metal though. (if you don't get this reference, you MUST rent this DVD - it's a classic!!) We also saw whales from the plane, too. THAT was cool.
After flying into Seattle from Victoria (another float plane!) I did some more mountain flying with another CFI I had looked up out there. Wow are the Cascades pretty. We flew from BFI which was my first time at a towered airport. On our way back into BFI, we were on a looooooong extended base and about 100 feet above us and in front of us, a Spitfire flew by. (EAA was having its pre-Oshkosh event that weekend in Arlington WA). That was really cool to see - I didn't get a picture because we were both gaping at it without saying a word.
Next up – a trip to Hobbitland (New Zealand). This is with the 99s so I should have some more interesting photos when I get back in September.
And now the pictures:
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/194816/
see ya later!
******************
Hi everyone,
Since many of y’all fly, I figured you might be interested in hearing about my recent trip out west and seeing some of the photos. I linked them at the bottom of the email. A friend of mine just moved to Victoria and another one lives in Seattle so I thought, hey, maybe I should check it out. Never been. I've limited this to the flying bits (mostly) so I hope you like it!
Hundreds of little islands pepper the coastline out there and there are some major mountains too. I started out in Vancouver and one day took the Sea to Sky Highway to Squamish to go take a lesson in glacier flying with a CFI out there. This drive is as beautiful as it sounds but not as dramatic as the Pacific Coast Highway. (If anyone wants to fly out there I can give you Colette’s contact info, she owns a flight school in Squamish)
Once you are away from Vancouver it’s pretty much uncontrolled airspace but for the mountains (and there’s a stiff price to pay if you don’t heed them. “Hello friendly mountains” as my ground school instructor used to say). The airport elevation is just under 200 so the TPA was 1200 (easy to remember – same as JYO). But the mountains are RIGHT there so you gotta climb immediately once you depart the pattern and don’t stop til you’re at 6000-7000 or so. There are plenty of valleys so there is space for climbing.
There is regularly a lot of turbulence from the trees on final and the mountains too, so look sharp. You have to turn base early and keep it tight or you will get blown into the side of the mountain. This would not be a good thing. It was like a roller coaster on final! And the runway dips way down at the halfway point so when you are coming in for a landing it looks really short! Just a tiny little airstrip surrounded by mountains. We flew up over Whistler/Blackcomb and all the lakes around it. Yes, the lakes are really THAT blue - no retouching. They could name a crayola crayon after it - Glacier Lake Blue.
After 3 days in Vancouver I went to Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. A local told me the term treehugger came from there, no joke – folks chained themselves to trees to prevent them from cutting them down. The people are SUPER friendly, very laid back – I never heard the term “right on” used so much before. You know how on the East Coast a stranger might acknowledge you with a grunt? Well out there they smile and say RIGHT on. Right on! Hitchhiking? Right on! (Not a big deal, everyone does it). The area is slowly getting yuppified (million plus dollar vacation homes) but still realllly laid back. Sarah McLaughlin has a big beach house, I hear she comes out to go surfing and write her songs. My two days there were mostly rain. I did a hot springs cove tour which was an all day boat ride to/from these natural hot springs on one of the islands. Fine and dandy but it was a bit nippy and driving rain the entire day so you couldn’t even see the mountains you were passing very well. We saw some whales (oooooooh, ahhhhh) and were pretty much sopping wet all day. Hot springs was a good 1.5 mile walk back through the rainforest, very cool thing to do apart from the bit about stripping to your bathing suit to jump into the water and then having to put all your soaking wet clothes back on to walk another 1.5 miles back.
The day I left for Victoria the sun came out so I walked to the dock and took a float plane ride! Check out the photo of the bomber that went down in WWII. They just left it where it was. It crashed shortly after takeoff and everyone got out ok. Kinda reminds me of the one scene in the movie Heavy Metal though. (if you don't get this reference, you MUST rent this DVD - it's a classic!!) We also saw whales from the plane, too. THAT was cool.
After flying into Seattle from Victoria (another float plane!) I did some more mountain flying with another CFI I had looked up out there. Wow are the Cascades pretty. We flew from BFI which was my first time at a towered airport. On our way back into BFI, we were on a looooooong extended base and about 100 feet above us and in front of us, a Spitfire flew by. (EAA was having its pre-Oshkosh event that weekend in Arlington WA). That was really cool to see - I didn't get a picture because we were both gaping at it without saying a word.
Next up – a trip to Hobbitland (New Zealand). This is with the 99s so I should have some more interesting photos when I get back in September.
And now the pictures:
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/194816/
see ya later!
Jul 30th, 2005, 05:21 AM
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April, go you! How are those circuits? any crosswinds yet? sunrise and sunset flying are the best - nice calm air!
I figured I better put a little more up. I'm so slow!
Here is my itinerary, briefly. I'll fill in some blanks later.
leave July 1 for Vancouver. America West airlines. THEY ARE AWFUL! (I was going to use a different term but figured they would pull my thread). I bought my tickets two months in advance (a record for me, who usually doesn't even know a month out where I am going) and they not only nearly didn't put me on the plane, they lost my luggage! I had a carryon, thank God, which had 3 days worth of stuff (only a few toiletries though) but my checked bag didn't meet up with me until day 5. I will avoid America West as much as I possibly can from now on unless it's simply unavoidable. However, they were at least polite about it.
I stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver, for 3 nights. Deluxe harbor view room!! It was really super to be able to sit at the window in the morning with room service and watch the float planes taking off and landing.
vancouver.panpacific.com
On Sunday I went glacier flying with an instructor. see story above.
www.glacierair.com
we flew over Cheakamus Lake and Garibaldi Lake and Whistler/Blackcomb... also the Chief! see photos.
http://www.garibaldipark.com/hiking/..._garibaldi.htm
July 4 I left Vancouver for Tofino on Craig Air.
www.craigair.com
I stayed two nights at Crabdock Cove. The hosts were marvelous. They have owned the B&B at least a decade or so, and they have very thoughtful touches - this area has a lot of outdoor activities and chances are they have useful things for you to borrow. I especially liked the hot tub. it was cool with a fair amount of rain during the two days but that's the best time to sit in a hot tub!
www.crabdock.com/Pages/HPfrm.htm
I went to Hot Springs Cove, see above. in retrospect, I wouldn't have done it on such a rainy/cool day, instead I would have taken a surfing lesson which Tofino is famous for.
www.seatrektours.bc.ca/hotsprings_cove.html
July 6 in the evening I left on Craig Air again for Victoria.
I stayed at Dreemskerry. The hosts were also very personable and friendly. Mr. and Mrs. Stoodley. They will take good care of you.
www.dreemskerry.bc.ca
I did make it to Salt Spring Island and also Butchart Gardens. I didn't do Salt Spring justice as I fit both into one day. there are so many artists' workshops, if you like that kind of thing you will be quite busy. there is also a fabulous view off the top of a mountain which name escapes me right now. I'll post pictures later.
www.saltspringisland.org
Saturday morning the 9th I left Victoria for Seattle on Kenmore Air.
in Seattle I stayed at the Hotel Andra:
www.hotelandra.com
I visited the Boeing Field Museum of Flight but only had time for the Personal Courage wing.
www.museumofflight.org/Portal.asp?Flash
I was able to have dinner with Annette, a friend and fodorite, in Seattle, but barely missed Ger, another friend and fodorite, in Victoria. She left for London the night before I arrived.
more later....
I figured I better put a little more up. I'm so slow!
Here is my itinerary, briefly. I'll fill in some blanks later.
leave July 1 for Vancouver. America West airlines. THEY ARE AWFUL! (I was going to use a different term but figured they would pull my thread). I bought my tickets two months in advance (a record for me, who usually doesn't even know a month out where I am going) and they not only nearly didn't put me on the plane, they lost my luggage! I had a carryon, thank God, which had 3 days worth of stuff (only a few toiletries though) but my checked bag didn't meet up with me until day 5. I will avoid America West as much as I possibly can from now on unless it's simply unavoidable. However, they were at least polite about it.
I stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver, for 3 nights. Deluxe harbor view room!! It was really super to be able to sit at the window in the morning with room service and watch the float planes taking off and landing.
vancouver.panpacific.com
On Sunday I went glacier flying with an instructor. see story above.
www.glacierair.com
we flew over Cheakamus Lake and Garibaldi Lake and Whistler/Blackcomb... also the Chief! see photos.
http://www.garibaldipark.com/hiking/..._garibaldi.htm
July 4 I left Vancouver for Tofino on Craig Air.
www.craigair.com
I stayed two nights at Crabdock Cove. The hosts were marvelous. They have owned the B&B at least a decade or so, and they have very thoughtful touches - this area has a lot of outdoor activities and chances are they have useful things for you to borrow. I especially liked the hot tub. it was cool with a fair amount of rain during the two days but that's the best time to sit in a hot tub!
www.crabdock.com/Pages/HPfrm.htm
I went to Hot Springs Cove, see above. in retrospect, I wouldn't have done it on such a rainy/cool day, instead I would have taken a surfing lesson which Tofino is famous for.
www.seatrektours.bc.ca/hotsprings_cove.html
July 6 in the evening I left on Craig Air again for Victoria.
I stayed at Dreemskerry. The hosts were also very personable and friendly. Mr. and Mrs. Stoodley. They will take good care of you.
www.dreemskerry.bc.ca
I did make it to Salt Spring Island and also Butchart Gardens. I didn't do Salt Spring justice as I fit both into one day. there are so many artists' workshops, if you like that kind of thing you will be quite busy. there is also a fabulous view off the top of a mountain which name escapes me right now. I'll post pictures later.
www.saltspringisland.org
Saturday morning the 9th I left Victoria for Seattle on Kenmore Air.
in Seattle I stayed at the Hotel Andra:
www.hotelandra.com
I visited the Boeing Field Museum of Flight but only had time for the Personal Courage wing.
www.museumofflight.org/Portal.asp?Flash
I was able to have dinner with Annette, a friend and fodorite, in Seattle, but barely missed Ger, another friend and fodorite, in Victoria. She left for London the night before I arrived.
more later....
Jul 30th, 2005, 06:06 PM
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I've enjoyed the circuits...or did until this week when I came to the short field landings & take offs and seemed to lose my mind on a few counts! I guess there are days like that.
There have often been crosswinds. I'm looking forward to an evening flight soon. People tell me they're really nice.
Can you tell us more about Dreemskerry? How was the room? The breakfasts? Did you wish you stayed closer to town?
There have often been crosswinds. I'm looking forward to an evening flight soon. People tell me they're really nice.
Can you tell us more about Dreemskerry? How was the room? The breakfasts? Did you wish you stayed closer to town?
Jul 30th, 2005, 07:49 PM
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the thing with short fields is once you get into it you wonder how you used up so much runway, before.
Dreemskerry was actually pretty close to town. I walked to dinner the first night - can't remember exactly, I think a 20 minute walk? Cafe Brio. yum yum. they may send you there actually!
the room was marvelous. I had the one with the sun room, I'd ask for it again. They had booked me for a different room but their son and his family were in town and they really like the room I had booked so I got the one with the sun-sitting room. it's technically a nicer room I guess.
for breakfast - ask for her scones - she makes them by hand as well as the banana bread and I imagine everything else. very good! I don't eat a lot at breakfast so I had the fruit and tea and various homemade breads. She made everyone else full breakfasts though.
I thought it was great but I had a car the whole time but for arrival night. Budget will pick you up right there and drive you to them to pick up your car so no need to get one at the airport.
I'd stay there again.
Dreemskerry was actually pretty close to town. I walked to dinner the first night - can't remember exactly, I think a 20 minute walk? Cafe Brio. yum yum. they may send you there actually!
the room was marvelous. I had the one with the sun room, I'd ask for it again. They had booked me for a different room but their son and his family were in town and they really like the room I had booked so I got the one with the sun-sitting room. it's technically a nicer room I guess.
for breakfast - ask for her scones - she makes them by hand as well as the banana bread and I imagine everything else. very good! I don't eat a lot at breakfast so I had the fruit and tea and various homemade breads. She made everyone else full breakfasts though.
I thought it was great but I had a car the whole time but for arrival night. Budget will pick you up right there and drive you to them to pick up your car so no need to get one at the airport.
I'd stay there again.
Jul 30th, 2005, 08:16 PM
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Thanks for the review. I've always wondered about the place because it looks nice on the outside.
Yes, you're so right about short fields! Anyway, I got 100% on my P-STAR so I'm feeling better now.
Yes, you're so right about short fields! Anyway, I got 100% on my P-STAR so I'm feeling better now.
Jul 31st, 2005, 04:29 PM
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April - no license yet! taking the scenic route. Still have to do a SODA ride (I am blind in one eye, which complicates everything - mainly the paperwork to prove to the FAA I can do all this). Once I do the SODA things should happen fairly quickly. the thing is, once you get going, you can do pretty much anything with an instructor. you just gotta pay extra for their time.
Carmanah - actually I thought the weather was about perfect. it's been miserable here on the east coast. just miserable. this past week we had the hottest day, in two years. I hate that - you don't even want to go outdoors.
Carmanah - actually I thought the weather was about perfect. it's been miserable here on the east coast. just miserable. this past week we had the hottest day, in two years. I hate that - you don't even want to go outdoors.
Aug 1st, 2005, 10:32 PM
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Blind in one eye! You are astounding, Flygirl. I've never heard of the SODA ride but imagine that could be rather stressful. I am taking the scenic route as well and I shudder to think what the whole thing will cost. My evening flight was ... well, wild! Instead of nice calm air, it was windy and gusty. But landing with the runway lights on was fun and after a while I started to think the cross wind landings were too.
Aug 10th, 2005, 09:56 AM
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Hi April! sorry so long.
SODA is kind of like a mini-checkride. supposedly it's not a big deal, I hope not.
my eye isn't a huge deal, it's not a small matter of course but it's amazing what you get used to. I don't notice it much really. it looks normal and all.
any new news? I did a night landing the other night - just before the rains came in. wow!
SODA is kind of like a mini-checkride. supposedly it's not a big deal, I hope not.
my eye isn't a huge deal, it's not a small matter of course but it's amazing what you get used to. I don't notice it much really. it looks normal and all.
any new news? I did a night landing the other night - just before the rains came in. wow!
Aug 10th, 2005, 01:32 PM
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Yes, I went solo. Woohoo, what a feeling! I still haven't come down. Also did the short field and soft field takeoffs and landings.
A friend (with private license) and I went on a flight along the coast on a beautiful afternoon and stopped at an airport we'd never been to. It was good for me to get a taste of navigation.
My evening flight might have been like a mini-check - with a different instructor because of my instructor's rating. The most stressful part was just being with someone new... but that wasn't as tense as my first solo. Ha ha.
I've enjoyed listening to people talk about their night flights. They sound rather enchanting.
Best of luck with your SODA flight!
A friend (with private license) and I went on a flight along the coast on a beautiful afternoon and stopped at an airport we'd never been to. It was good for me to get a taste of navigation.
My evening flight might have been like a mini-check - with a different instructor because of my instructor's rating. The most stressful part was just being with someone new... but that wasn't as tense as my first solo. Ha ha.
I've enjoyed listening to people talk about their night flights. They sound rather enchanting.
Best of luck with your SODA flight!
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