Prince Rupert and the Budze Trail

September 20, 2022 Prince Rupert is a lovely little town that we suspect really bustles when the ships arrive. One of the busiest ports on the West Coast, it ships mostly lumber to China and Japan, as well as wheat, hay, and other staples to Asia. We managed to arrive on a day that saw little action, and we were the only ship in the harbor, so we had the city all to ourselves. We could not have asked for a nicer day. Sunny (one of only about 60 sunny days per year), light winds, and cool temperatures made our walk through the forest perfect. The Budze Trail, only about 5 minutes outside of Prince Rupert, reminded us of the redwood forest or the Ross Cedars in Idaho. The three major tree types - spruce, Western Cedar, and silver pine dominated the forest, though the cedars were by far the most spectacular. We learned how the cedar feeds the entire forest - something we knew but seeing it in action solidified the knowledge. Apparently many wolves roam the area, but we did not see them, nor bears, nor any other wildlife. I suspect proximity to the city combined with a noisy group of about 36 scared them away, if they were anywhere close.

We did spend some time looking at the plants in the area, and one plant we learned about is the sun dew - a carnivorous plant. It is very small and hard to find, and bugs are attracted to the sweet nectar on the plant. They get stuck in the nectar and the plant slowly consumes it. Nature, man . . . nothing like it.