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Vanderford's
Travels
Vancouver Island’s hidden outpost
As an experienced crop duster pilot back in the
1950s, even I silently questioned the young aviator’s apparent calm
as we lifted off the waters of the bay in Tofino, BC, Canada on the
Pacific Coast of Vancouver Island. The wind was howling at nearly 30
knots, it was drizzling rain, and many of the clouds in the patchy
overcast were no more than 100 feet above whitecaping waves. Despite
the horrible conditions, within 20 minutes, our youthful pilot
expertly set the floats of the Cessna 180 down on the choppy waters
and taxied up to a floating dock where we were greeted by several
staff members. Our luggage was loaded on a special horse-drawn
buggy, and we were driven to the beautiful Outpost overlooking the
Bedwell River.
 Clayoquot
Wilderness Resort began in 1997 and in slightly more than a decade,
this remote resort has grown from a very small fishing camp to
offering nearly 20 “soft adventure” opportunities today. Guided
activities include state-of-the-art equipment, seasoned guides, and
escorted passage through Vancouver Island’s wilderness outer limits.
This unique area teems with natural and Indian history, and all
guided activities include as much or as little narrative as guests
may need. Guided activities take in horseback riding, whale and bear
watching, salt and fresh water fishing, kayaking,
 canoeing,
mountain biking, skeet shooting, Flores Island day treks, Hot
Springs Cove day treks, and naturalist hikes. Armed with the proper
gear and expert instruction, un-escorted guests find adventure by
kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, and wildlife
viewing in and around the Outpost. Activities are also custom
designed to meet any guest’s particular wants or needs.
Located where the Bedwell River empties into a
nine-mile-long fjord, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort consists of 20
great white canvas guest tents, massage and treatment tents, dining
tents, lounge tents, and a massive timber cookhouse that offers some
of the best cuisine and service ever encountered. Chef Tim May’s
quiet, but wonderfully warm and personal rapport with each guest
makes everyone feel at home. His preparation of food, however, is
critically-acclaimed, natural, fresh, local, and mouthwatering!
Along with the great food, the wilderness atmosphere
is maintained throughout. Prospector-style quarters built below a
canopy of the rainforest and along the water’s edge on raised wooden
platforms are connected via cedar boardwalks. All 11 deluxe tents
offer a choice of one queen or two single Adirondack-style beds with
luxuriant down duvets. Remote-controlled propane wood-stoves,
antique dressers and tea tables, opulent rugs, oil lamps, heirloom
china and silver accessories, and an abundance of candles, complete
the offering.
 Off-site
generators send hot water to private showers and sinks, and provide
power for essential comforts like electric light, hairdryers, and
wireless internet to both guest and suite tents. Modern composting
toilets, set in charming cedar outbuildings, rest anonymously behind
each tent, recycling governs food and beverage service, organic
gardens reduce commercial dependency, and all marine and land
adventures are non-intrusive and conservancy-driven. In fact, as a
part of the Environmental Legacy Program, a $3 million, resort-wide,
five-year commitment has been made to research, conservation, and
enhancement, which invites guest participation at any level, and is
funded solely by resort revenues. These environmental programs
ensure that a visit to Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is more than just
a vacation of a lifetime … it underwrites an enduring legacy.
The importance of all this is because the resort is
located in the transition zone of the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere
Reserve Area, Which is one of the best intact examples of a
temperate rainforest left on earth. It was designated in 1999, by
Unesco as a habitat so important to the biodiversity of the planet
that it must be protected and sustained at all costs. Therefore, the
resort is committed to exist in Clayoquot Sound in an entirely
sensitive and environmentally sustainable manner.
The resort also attempts to employ local men and
women, and works hand-in-hand with the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Indians. Many
of the employees, however, come from other places in the world, but
usually as working couples because of the remoteness of the area.
 Despite
the comfort of four-star accommodations and world-class cuisine,
visitors generally come away from Clayoquot Wilderness Resort with a
wonderful feeling of having been a part of one of the last places on
Earth where much has been left as it was before the onslaught of
mankind. This natural outpost hidden in the misty fjords of
Vancouver Island’s Pacific Coast certainly rates being in the top 10
of anyone’s personal “Bucket List!”
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is in operation each year
from May through October, and reservations are a must. For more
information, call them toll-free at 1-888-333-5405 or 250-726-8235.
Their website is:
www.wildretreat.com.
Bill
Vanderford has won numerous awards for his writing and photography,
and has been inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of
Fame as a Legendary Guide. He can be reached at 770-289-1543,
JFish51@aol.com or visit:
www.fishinglanier.com.
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