Blind Channel Walk

Cordero Cove: A walk in the forest, and learning firsthand about the logging industry.

We’ve been anchored in Cordero Cove for the past four days, catching up on chores and doing a bit of design work. A short dinghy ride away is the Blind Channel "resort", complete with a small grocery store, bakery, and restaurant (yummy hamburgers and great fresh-baked bread).

Blind Channel Resort and Marina

This picturesque setting is a little busy for us, but we’ve been hearing about a wonderful walk through the forest to an 800-year-old cedar tree.

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Bushwhacking in this part of the world can be tough. But the trail, part of a PR campaign by the local logging company, is an easy hike.

Giant Cedar Trail, Blind Channel, British Columbia

We’re lucky to have a sunny day, so there is lots of light filtering down through the trees.

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The trail takes you through various sections of forest, none of it virgin.

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This is second growth timber. Can you imagine what the virgin forest must have looked like?

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No thinning has been done here. You would need an ax (or chainsaw) to make your way through this.

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Mold and fungus abounds.

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We’re told none of this is edible.

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You probably have heard you can tell north from the moss on the trees (it grows on the north side). That seems to be the case here, although we prefer a compass, or better yet, GPS.

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The colors and contrasts are lovely with the sun shining. But this is a rain forest, so the norm is a wetter and grayer.

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Goal reached. A hundred years ago there were thousands of these majestic trees. Now they’re gone.

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Logging is controversial. Some is necessary to keep the forests healthy, and to keep the economic system working. But how the logging is done, and the level of logging activity is the subject of much debate. We don’t know much about the subject, but it is hard to comprehend how this type of "harvesting" is in the best interest of current and future generations.


Posted by Steve Dashew  (August 8, 2007)



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