Wednesday, September 14, 2011

the sunshine coast ~ smuggler's cove

Smuggler's Cove Provincial Park is another jewel of the Sunshine Coast.  
We hiked the 2 kilometer trail until we reached the water..
an easy walk really.


Smuggler's Cove got its name from liquor trafficking and the smuggling of Chinese labourers at the beginning of the last century.


We found a nice perch at the mouth of the cove...
and sat for a spell.


The cove looked like the perfect place for kayaks.


We watched a few head out to sea...


...where they were soon riding with the big boats. 

On the return hike...
we took note of what lay next to the trail.


Arbutus trees...
that need little nourishment and grow only within 5 kilometers of the sea are abundant out there.  
They shed their bark in the summer...
and are mostly bare by this time of the year.


I looked up...
and saw a wasp nest.  
As I took the photo...
I felt something on my knee. 
I got the nest...
he got me!


The trail crosses through a large swampy area...
which we suspected was the result of some hard-working beavers. 


Turtles...


...and ducks all looked right at home in the beaver habitat.


And that is what a beaver dam looks like.


And since the trail was completely under water in that area...
they built us one that kept our feet dry.

If you are ever in the Sechelt area...
check out Smuggler's Cove.

15 comments:

  1. Looks like a great place to visit! Love the kayaks, but I would not "head out to sea",,,, the quiet cove is a perfect place for me! Have a wonderful day!

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  2. It looks like a beautiful area to spend some time in, Judy! Those are such good pics.
    Dairymary

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  3. Those kayaks look like a necklace. I can't believe that wasp stung you! The nerve. I mean you weren't that close to the nest, were you? Those are just the kind of nests that I love having in the house once the wasps have left, of course. Such beautiful country you enjoy...

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  4. What a beautiful refreshing post! This is the 70th day of triple digit here in Texas! I am going back to look at these 'cool' pictures again!! Just SO lovely!
    (Sorry about the bee sting but glad you got the pic!)

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  5. I think we sat on that same rock when we were there - it's a lovely place for a hike. You had perfect weather - sometimes the Sunshine Coast is more noted for its liquid sunshine!

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  6. I feel like packing up and heading there today......amazing photos that took me there for a minute. Growing up on the island I have a love for the Arbutus trees.

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  7. Oh my goodness. How lovely all these shots are. What a wonderful place to visit and breathe in and breathe out and enjoy...

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  8. Beautiful Judy.
    I had to smile about the arbutus trees. Have you ever known something and then couldn't remember and it drives you nuts? We used to go to Mayne Island quite a bit and they had Arbutus trees there. Years later I tried to remember what they were called and refused to look it up or ask. Finally ...I decided to try the alphabet method. .thinking through each letter. .and found it pretty quick, lodged in the recesses of my brain.

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  9. Oh wouldn't I LOVE to kayak in that cove! It's perfect.

    Hope your knee is not too sore xo

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  10. I love all the charming areas along the Sunshine Coastthat you've been showing us, Judy. Sorry the wasp bit you!

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  11. What a gorgeous spot for kayaking! And sunshine too! You sure had the most beautiful weather!

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  12. What a paradise. That Smuggler's Cove! I'd like to smuggle myself away and hide out there for a while! I had one of those wasps nests above my head as I sat under the tree in our backyard not long ago. So sorry you were stung!

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  13. The beaver den shot was pretty cool. So sorry the wasp got you! Beautiful place to visit, so full of interesting critters too.

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson