The road to Zeballos has to be one of the outstanding scenic drives of Vancouver Island as well as giving us access to a number of wonderful attractions such as Anutz Lake, Hustan Caves, Atluk Lake, Artlish River and caves. The list goes on as we approach Zeballos.
We get a hint of the beauty of this drive when we head southward on the Island Highway along Nimpkish Lake. Pinder Peak and its accompanying range of mountains beckon to us, gaining in stature as we approach the Zeballos turnoff. A twenty minute drive down this unusually good gravel road (one of the Canfor mains) takes us to where the road splits, the right goes to Atluk Lake while the left, rising sharply and significantly, goes on to the old gold rush town of Zeballos. A few twists and turns gives us an incredible view of a valley filled with lakes, streams and cascading waterfalls. Here a viewpoint enables us to see a jewel glistening below us. This is Wolf Lake.
On my birthday this fall I gave myself a present. After loading our old red canoe on the pickup, I took my painting gear and headed for Wolf Lake, a spot that had been teasing me for years as I drove by. It wanted to be explored; its far shore hidden behinds a headland laden with trees, taunted me each time I sneaked a peek.
On this day I followed the winding highway past the viewpoint where a small road looked like it provided access to the lake. I planned to pull up to its shore, unload the canoe and be off to check out new places. One problem; the road doesn't lead to the lake! It meets up with a well traveled logging road that continues on around the far side and onward. I checked out the only possible access, a very small spur that led down to a creek that entered the lake. A four wheel drive could have allowed me to traverse the low waters of the creek up to the lake but all I had was a canoe. I parked the truck and continued down the creek in my floating studio.
After about seven portages I got to the lake. It was worth the effort! Happily, fate shone down on me in the form of a sun. A day to remember; the clearest, warmest and quietest of the entire autumn.
The painting shown here was the eventual result of one of the best birthdays of my life. The lake was about two kilometers in length and, although the slopes above had been logged, a generous buffer of huge spruce trees remained. The mysterious other end provided a view of a great waterfall while I had my lunch. During the entire time there, however, one nagging question interrupted my otherwise idyllic celebration. Were there any hidden eyes watching me? After all, this was Wolf Lake!
