Virgin Falls, located north of Tofino on Vancouver Island has always eluded me mostly because of time and because anyone that knows of it’s existence has warned me about the logging roads to get to it. I’m certainly not one to be swayed by road conditions and this past weekend I decided to make time. The logging roads were shall we say far from optimal and it took me nearly two hours to get to the trail head that lead to the falls. I’m sure the axles and ball joints of my vehicle enjoyed the journey and so did the paint job but I made it just fine. Along the way a large Black Bear ran along the road in front of me and yes they can run faster than you! (I’ve never seen an animal run so fast from a stationary position.) There was bear scat all along the 51 km’s of road which reminded me without a doubt that I was in prime Black Bear and Cougar country. I was able to find a suitable location just south of the trail head and I set up camp, making sure my air horn, machete and Bear spray was always close by.

One thing that does need to be mentioned is the importance of keeping a clean camp, not only for environmental purposes but of course to keep any potential predators away. I’m certainly glad that I continue to stay true to this practice. Upon waking I noticed fresh Bear scat not far from my camp. The Bear likely did his or her business before continuing on and deciding my camp wasn’t anything of interest without any food sources.

Virgin Falls are not only challenging to get to but are difficult to compose when creating images. The setting is tight and you don’t have a lot of room to work with and due to the surrounding mountains the lighting creates a lot of shadows. I was pleasantly surprised by these 2 images. If not for the sake of photography, the setting itself and adventure in getting there certainly was thrilling and a true testament to the rugged and beautiful landscapes that Vancouver Island and Clayoquot Sound offer.  Do go, but be prepared to be completely self sufficient and have an extra tire to two as well.