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“Got Cake & Ate it Too!!!” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Jun 26/22) – N&J were no strangers to Howard Lake, been there, done that, many times. Something that keeps them coming back, the great fishing, beautiful lake, fresh mountain air, the peace, the quiet… whatever the reason this is a good spot to relax & enjoy the scene. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Weather in the mountains is always changing, don’t like it? …wait 20 minutes. Some of the most dramatic climatic conditions were experienced this trip. While fishing down at the dock N&J witnessed major dark cloud formations & a ‘boiler’ storm being created before their eyes (Boiler clouds?…
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“Foraging a Path” by N&J
Howard Lake, BC (Jun 21/22) – After a couple of exciting fishing days spent at Dugan Lake the travelling Westfalia’s & their entourage headed north on Hwy 97 towards Quesnel. Initially a stop in Williams Lake at Surplus Herby’s to purchase some more fishing supplies (a bigger net for sure)… always a ‘must stop’ when travelling through this town. Traffic being reasonably light it was a nice day for a drive with warm & dry conditions. Upon reaching Quesnel, stopped for a refueling (yikes!!! …oh the gas prices) & headed east towards Barkerville (site of the world famous gold mining town of the 1850’s). Passing through the historic site of…
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“False Start” by N&J
Dugan Lake, BC (Jun 18/22) – As things would happen, after carefully prepping Hobbes for the next journey, meticulously checking every aspect of the impending trip… something was amiss. While climbing the daunting, winding road (8-10 kms & 18% grade) up to the summit of the Duffey Lake Road (between Pemberton & Lillooet), Hobbes was suddenly experiencing an over-heating problem. It would appear the radiator fan switch was malfunctioning thus preventing the radiator fan to operate causing the engine temperature to rise only when working hard (ie. big hill). So a quick turn-around & back home to remedy, luckily N&J were only less than an hour into the trip… click…
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“Bright Light in the Sky” by N&J
Whistler, BC (May 28/22) – Leaving the Wild West Coast behind, this trio yearning for further off-road exploration traveled inland through mountain passes along rivers and lakes found themselves back in the Port Alberni region. Upon arriving at Sproat Lake, N&J took the first right turn off the main highway (Hwy 4) onto Taylor Main Forest Service Road (FSR) that leads to the south side of the lake. After 4kms they came upon a ‘freestyle’ camp area along the Taylor River, about 6kms from the mouth of Sproat Lake… click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Nothing formal in these ‘pop-up’ campsites, no tables,…
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“Wild Wet Coast” by N&J
Qualicum Beach, BC (May 22/22) – Time slows down and the calmness of ‘just being’ takes over pretty quickly while on the road in Hobbes. Modern comforts and connection with the World are within a finger tip of reach but are as far removed from the mind when one is ‘within, and present’. After a most restful sleep at Miracle Beach Provincial Park, this trio (NJ & Jesse) headed south on Vancouver Island enroute to the West Coast. Finally a bit of a respite from the continuous rainfall made for a nice drive. Excited to visit a former Whistler resident & ceramic artisan Penny Eder of White Dog Studios in…
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“Pitter Patter….. let’s get at ‘er” by N&J
Oyster River, BC (May 15/22) – Anxious to try out the newly converted ‘Syncro’ Hobbes (4 wheel drive), N&J packed up the van for a roadtrip to the Sunshine Coast & Vancouver Island hoping to escape to better weather… hmmmm… fat chance of that happening! One would think by the constant rainfall that the ‘Sunshine Coast’ moniker is wishful thinking, but weather records show an average 241 days of sunshine annually (slightly less than southern Vancouver Island’s +300 days; but less rainfall than Victoria)… click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery The drive to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal along the ‘Sea to Sky’…
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“SYNCRO-nicity” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Apr 17/22) – N&J have always had a yearning to go off-road… really, really OFF-ROAD. Wherever HOBBES happens to be along any highway, the opportunity to explore further, deeper into the landscape always beckons whenever a dirt trail, a gravel surface wandering off into the trees presents itself. Where does that go? Wonder what is at the end? a lake? a freestyle campsite? Heaven on Earth? But the other question they ask themselves, is what challenges can be expected …is the terrain too steep? too many potholes & creek beds traversing the pathway? Will HOBBES get stuck, unable to extract the ‘exploratory team’ to solid ground? All those…
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“One Down, Eight to Go” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Apr 10/22) – Some say cats have nine lives. Well it would appear that Jesse (N&J’s seasoned Westfalia traveler) may have used up one of those lives over the weekend. Late Friday (Apr 1st) night N&J noticed that Jesse was acting a bit out of sorts, meowing incessantly, in/out of his litter box, wondering aimlessly around the house. At one point he approached J who was sitting on the couch, meowed softly, tapped him with a paw… then laid down on the floor looking rather lethargic. N quickly checked Jesse out, feeling his abdomen for firmness, this Jesse did not like, it would seem he was having a…
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WELCOME …to the ‘NEW’ Westfalia Journal !!!
Mar 13/22 – After almost 9 years living on the old WJ platform (westfaliajournal.wordpress.com), this blog has gotten ‘too big for it’s britches’… so an update was in order to increase the performance & speed, plus more space for post, pics & videos. There are many new features added… larger pics, links to places of interest, better functionality with all devices (laptops, tablets, phones, etc…). It has taken two months to transfer all the data from the old website & incorporate into the new website, it has been tested, tested & tested some more. But something may have been missed, if you notice an error or problem please send N&J…
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“Happy Christmas 2021” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Dec 25/2021) – Well almost another year has passed, another year of abbreviated ‘pandemic’ travel and gatherings. Tough times bring tough choices, but considering the plight of many others who are less fortunate than those of us who live here (whether that be in the Village of Whistler, in the Province of British Columbia, in our Canada) …we are all truly blessed. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Christmas time is always a special place in Whistler, surrounded by mountains coated in snow, frozen lakes. clear star-filled skies & a village loaded with the seasonal spirit. N&J have decided to forgo…