Saltery Bay Weekend

With the ROMP (Retrieval of Miss Perception) Tour completed a new chapter begins.  Miss Perception has a place to park tucked in next to my apartment and I've got quick and easy access to hooking her up and taking off with her at a moment's notice.  Perfect.

This past weekend there was an opportunity to head out to Saltery Bay for a camping weekend with my friend Shane and a bunch of his friends.  Emily was having a birthday and so there would be a big BBQ on the Sunday along with a weekend of camping.  As soon as Shane said "camping" my answer was "yes".  This is exactly why I wanted a little travel trailer, to be able to pick up and head out and enjoy nature in comfort and style with little preparation. 

I checked the campground website before I left and it seemed that the campground was open but there were no services in the off season (water and security. As a side note the sani-dump was open).  Miss Perception is a bit of a fortress so I feel very safe inside whether I'm on a city street, at a rest stop or deep in the forest at Saltery Bay.   Unfortunately I haven't got everything figured out and stocked in the Airstream yet so I quickly filled a 4 gallon water bladder to take with me - I have yet to find a spigot within easy reach so I will do a hunt around this building and then maybe buy a long hose.  So with water and security concerns aside, off we went.

Miss Perception and I arrived mid-afternoon on Saturday in an ongoing downpour of rain that preserves our forests and creates the amazing effect of dewy moss that seems to drip from the trees and cover the ground.  The biodiversity from one campsite to another is also quite evident, some have moss growing on the ground as though untouched for millennium and others have a sandy, swept up feel.    Some have big large openings and some are tucked between trees.  All the campsites are spacious and flat so getting setup is a breeze.  I drove around twice and picked out my favourite spot, it happened to be tucked up a hill, between the trees, including 2 trees that made maneuvering the trailer (in reverse) a bit of a challenge but I'm getting better at it. 

After Miss Perception was setup I went for a little walk down to the beach, enjoying the arbutus trees, the incredible seashore, the views of the surrounding islands and the sun that was trying so hard to peek out behind the clouds.  I walked back up along Mermaid Trail through puddles that required gumboots (and I was prepared), over bridges with streams flowing to the ocean and reaching the top of the trail, I walked back through the campground.  The weather kept improving all evening and by the time I was heading back into town for a concert, the rain had stopped and the soil had soaked up the puddles making it seem like an almost plausible idea to camp.

While I was away Emily, Shane, Andrew, Jordan and Natalia came down and setup camp as well.  Campers and a campfire Saturday night under the clear star-lit sky amidst trees that towered over us and seemed to reach the heavens. 

Sunday morning met us with sunshine.  I loved waking up, being surrounded by these enormous moss-covered trees and a forest bed of huckleberry bushes and ferns all dappled in sunlight.  Magnificent.   Emily's birthday party BBQ was a hit, about 35 people came to celebrate her and spend the day at Saltery Bay.  My friends Karin and Paul came to visit and check out Miss Perception as well - thanks for dropping by even though it was totally out of your way!!  I drew out my Sunday until about 8pm, enjoying a few more treasured hours of campfire with Emily and Jordan where we invented a new smore.  The Saltery Smore.  One chewy chocolate chip cookie, one chewy double chocolate cookie with a roasted marshmallow inside.  Chewy, warm goodness followed immediately by a diabetic coma.  Yum. 

Perfect first weekend of camping in Powell River.  I'm one campsite down and probably 30+ more to go!!