Snow Creek Recreation Site - September 19 to 22, 2026
Holly and I spent two weeks in Ontario where we visited Paul and Deb following Paul's recent back surgery. Holly needed to see her big brothers progress for herself and we are happy to report he is doing very well and is largely back to his normal self! We saw Holly's boys and as much family as we possibly could during a quick visit (a bit shorter than our normal trips).
Two days after we returned to the Island, we packed the bus and got Vincent ready for an amazing adventure with two of our most treasured friends and adventure partners in the world.
Sproat Lake is an incredible destination. It is quite large at 25km long and sports nearly 140km of shoreline. The water is very deep at 200 feet on average (650 max). It has a cross like shape with the longest leg being Taylor arm where we camped! The shores have accessable First Nations rock carvings and petroglyphs. It served as the base for the massive Martin Mars water bombers for decades and it has been voted BC's best lake in a public poll by CBC! Sproat Lake boasts two Provincial Parks and at least two Rec Sites as well and can be found about 30km west of Port Alberni on the way to Tofino.
Kathy and Carolyn had reserved a double site at Snow Creek Recreation Site and invited us to join them camping! What a great opportunity to spend time with our friends, doing what we love and sharing a campfire for three nights!
We arrived on Saturday and set up our camp site while CJ and Kathy (and Maddie) set up theirs. Holly prepared a meal of smokies on the BBQ which were devoured with veggies and ceasar salad! After the cleanup, Holly (Master of Fire) got a blaze going and we ended the day around the fire. This group of 4 will never run out of conversation topics and I'm truly thrilled that we have friends willing to discuss challenging and controversial topics with honest curiousity and mutual respect!
Holly and I enjoyed an episode of the "Handmaid's Tale" before crashing for the night. The weather was warm but fall-like. We didn't need auxiliary heat but the morning was chilly. Our campsite had it's own short trail to the water and I started each day by tossing lures into the waves with the hopes of catching a big rainbow. I was successful in landing one, but it was tiny and needed a bit more time in the lake before the frypan!
Back at the campsite, I perked a pot of coffee and the day officially began as the others joined in the morning rituals that get the day going.
Sunday was occupied with a short hike to see Snow Creek falls and to check out the rest of the campsite. It is a very clean, very private, extremely well managed recreation site which you can reserve in advance (most rec sites are first come first served). The site operator is Connie and her friendly personality flavours the rec site with happy vibes and a sense that the world is OK in her domain! She has loaner games and equipment (fishing rods!) and is genuinly concerned that your experience is fantastic. It is “Connie's rec site” and she does a fantastic job of managing it! We will be sending 5+ star reviews to BC Parks. Thank you Connie!
Holly and I took the canoe out and paddled about a 6 mile loop. I dragged a lure with no result and we explored a shallow region in the lake. The water is "gin clear" and you can see the bottom at 50 feet! It felt warm and a swim was planned! Unfortunately, our campsite was in the shade and when we got back, a swim just didn't seem that inviting!
It was evening again and we settled into dinner preparations (ribeye!) and a fire (thanks CJ!). That evening, Kathy brought out her mandolin and I found a harmonica under the seat of the bus! We jammed a bit and practiced Heart of Gold more than a few times. Kathy has a great singing voice. It was a lot of fun making music around the campfire. We had the entire rec site to ourselves that night so no issues with disturbing the neighbors!
Holly and I enjoyed another episode of the Hand Maid's Tale and the day ended with everyone well fed, happy and content! The clear sky and stars were a beautiful addition to the experience.
Monday arrived and it was a repeat of flailing the lake with no results, perking coffee and then enjoying a sausage and pancake breakfast that Holly expertly crafted on the camp stove! We don't suffer for amazing food on our trips!
Another day of hikes, reading, a canoe trip to see the Taylor river at the end of the lake and again, no swimming in spite of best intentions! Next time!
We were entertained by 3 or 4 steller jays that insisted we pay for our stay with peanuts and anything else they found interesting. We had small squirrels and a small woodpecker to keep us company as well.
That evening we enjoyed an amazing meal of chicken stew and dumplings that Holly cooked in a Dutch oven on the fire! It was SO good!
The evening fire and conversations were as lively as usual. This time, Connie joined us and we spent a very enjoyable time sharing stories with our host! Eventually, we retired to our campers and another amazing day out in the wild had ended.
Waking up on Tuesday was a little sad because it was time to pack up and get back to reality! Holly and I had bacon and egg wraps and eventually got around to packing up camp, ready for the drive home. We left about two hours after CJ and Kathy and slowly made our way home. It was an amazing weekend and we have already made plans for get together next month at Burgoyne Bay (we share lots in common, including a love for the water and the ownership of boats!). The trip home included a stop at Coombs for some specialty cheese and snacks!
Thanks Carolyn and Kathy! We look forward to doing it again next year!
