West Coast Adventure: Bog and Plane Crash

So... the instructions to find the Canso Crash Site near Tofino go something like this: Park in lower Radar Hill parking lot, and walk about 15 minutes south along the highway. Leave Tsunami Hazard Zone.      (Photo by Markus Roemer.)

Walk until you come to a no parking sign, behind which you will see a telephone pole with drawings of airplanes. Yes. Bring rainboots. We did not.      (Photo by Markus Roemer.)

Follow the trail into the woods...

...the enchanted woods...

Find and enter old abandoned building.

     (Photo by Taliesin.)

Go through the building, exit via the back door, and take the trail down the hill to the right.

After a hike down a hill, you will find yourself on a widened trail... widened by millions of footsteps turning a rich and gorgeous bog into barren mud.

 

Hop, balance, dangle, swing, and slog your way along, and try not to fall in.      (Photo by Taliesin.)

Because if you do, it is deep. And it is mud.      (Photo by Taliesin.)

But never mind! Retrieve your smile, sense of adventure, and carry on!      (Photo by Taliesin.)

     (Photo by Taliesin.)

     (Photo by Taliesin.)

Eventually you will come to a less devastated section of bog,

...in which you will discover a round bomb hole. This is where people cleaning out the wreckage detonated the bombs it carried. Or so we read somewhere.      (Photo by Taliesin.)

Carry on into the trees at the edge of the bog.      (Photo by Taliesin.)

Ta da! The Canso bomber was apparently on a training flight from up north, when one of the engines died, and this is where they crashed.      (Photo by Taliesin.)

     (Photo by Taliesin.)

Parks Canada doesn't really want you to come here. The only official signage we saw was at the plane crash site, itself. Thus it isn't until the end that they give any advice at all. You may see the search helicopters circling directly over the plane. This will be a reminder to you that many people become lost here every year.      (Photo by Markus Roemer.)

     (Photo by Markus Roemer.)

Explore.     (Photo by Markus Roemer.)

 

Go back to the bog. It's full of beauty. Cranberries, labrador tea, bog pine, etc. etc. etc.

This is a good place to consider whether it was a good idea to come down here. Not only have you contributed to the further destruction of the bog, but you also have to hike back out through it. Parks Canada? I think you should put in a board walk. It wouldn't be nearly as much fun, but maybe the bog could be preserved.

You will eventually hike your way out of the bog - much easier, now that you've found the balancing routes already, once.

And you will have mud to show for it. It might be one of the most awesome adventures you take.