The Mystical Shore of Ucluelet

The coast at Ucluelet is storm battered. Many ships have been wrecked along these shores, some as recently as the mid 20th century. In 1905 the English windjammer Pass of Melfort foundered here, with the loss of all 29 people on board. The next year the Amphitrite Lighthouse was built. High waves washed it away in 1914, and this current structure was built in 1915; it's now automated.

The weather is frequently cloudy and foggy here, but to me, that adds to the serenity of the place. From this spot on the Wild Pacific Trail I could here a foghorn moaning, a buoy clanging, and the soft rush of the gentle summer surf. It must be quite a spectacle during a winter storm! I need to come back and check it out...a lot of people do, making Ucluclet a year round destination.

Relentless onshore winds sculpt the vegetation into surreal forms. Add fog, and a sense of mysticism prevails. Indigenous First Nations people have lived here for over four thousand years...it's a spiritual place.

Rows of trees disappear into the gloaming. I love scenes like this...it's thoroughly enjoyable to just soak up the beauty and tranquility, and be at peace.

These trees have been pruned as well as sculpted by the wind. What's behind them, land, water? I've forgotten...all was lost in the fog.