Plan Your Trip Pacific Northwest Outdoors - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 81

Coast Trail; bald eagle,
black bear, cougar

remote wilderness,
solitude, highest Canadi-
an waterfall; wolf, black-
tailed deer, elk

British
Columbia

backcountry hiking &
adventure

Jul-
Sep

Strathcona

British Columbia
This whole region is full of roads begging to be cycled. Vancouver Island's Saanich Pen-
insula is definitely a highlight, as are the rolling hills and pastoral scenery of the
Cowichan Valley wine country. For short island rides with picturesque seascapes, take a
couple of days and hop around the Gulf Islands. Right in Vancouver, both tourists and
local cyclists frequent the beautiful 1000-acre Stanley Park - especially its 5.5-mile
Seawall Trail.
Mountain biking is everywhere in British Columbia, both free riding and cross coun-
try. Rossland has some of the best technical rides in the region. Whistler, Squamish and
Nelson are famous for their diverse, world-class mountain trails, while North Vancouver,
Sun Peaks and the Sunshine Coast have extensive trail systems.

Whale-Watching
The Pacific Northwest is one of the world's premier spots for whale-watching. Since the
shoreline is so long, if you want to see whales at their peak, pick a particular coastal spot
- then find out when most whales will be passing through.

WHALE-WATCHING IN OREGON

The high capes and headlands of the Oregon coast are excellent vantage points to
watch for gray whales. Gray and humpback whales have the longest migrations of
any mammal in the world: more than 5000 miles from the Arctic to Mexico, and
back again. There are both spring and fall migrations; the springtime journey,
which peaks in late March, brings the whales closer to shore, while the winter peak
is in late December. Favorite whale-watching spots include Cape Arago, Cape
Blanco, Cape Perpetua, Cape Meares, Cape Lookout, Ecola State Park, Shore
Acres State Park and Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area.
Depoe Bay and Newport are especially dedicated to the activity, though, and
here you'll find several tour-boat companies willing to take you out. An organization