Before the Cabin
Before the Cabins appeared on Valdes it was a Pristine Wilderness, quiet, remote, isolated.
At the north end of Galiano Island there was a bay on the Indian Reserve that had a fishing float, general store and gas dock. This is where the small aluminum boat and 10 hp motor was kept that we used later. This was just at the tail end of the days of big fishing in the gulf. By 1980 this place was gone because the fishing fleets all disappeared.
We used the aluminum boat several times out of this bay and we bought supplies at the store on the dock, although it was not very well stocked. In those days there was also a general store at the Spanish Hills dock a few kilometers to the South. Dad and I went over several times by chartered plane as well. This was before GHLU.
Our first few trips to the island were simply exploring. The salal was so much thicker that you had trouble walking anywhere off the shore. Along the water was the only way we had to move any distance and it was not easy. Dad cut the first trail into Oyster Bay but that ran half way along the shore and then cut into the bush and ran roughly parallel to the shore several yards in. Then it came out of the bush for about 30 yards before plunging back into the bush. It was still difficult.
He cut the interior trail later when he was building the cabin. That was the trail that went from behind the cabin and came out in the meadow at the head of Oyster Bay. That trail we use to this day.