One of the first hikes we did when arriving on Vancouver Island is this one. One of my colleagues (who always gives me great advice about all the walks around here!) told me that we should do this one and was not disappointed with the views. Be aware; some bears can be spotted around here (and of course, we didn’t have any spray, never do that!!!)
Where is Ripple Rock Trail located?
The trail is North of Campbell River. It is located approximately located 16 km north of Campbell River on Highway 19. The parking lot is not so big, so plan ahead.
Why did they give this place a name like Ripple Rock?
The trail was named after two pinnacle stone masses in the middle of Seymour Narrows.
A little about the history around here:
Until 1958, Seymour Narrow contained one of the most notorious marine hazards in North America. Located in the narrow pass between Vancouver Island and Maud Island, Ripple Rock consisted of two menacing rock pinnacles whose summits lay only 1.8 meters (6 ft) and 2.7 meters (9ft) underwater at low tide. The pinnacles restricted the flow of water through the passage, which produced water velocities of 15 to 20 knots and caused giant whirlpools.
The first recorded loss of a vessel was the US Navy steamer “Saranac” in 1875. In the years following, Ripple Rock cause damaged to dozens of more ships and claimed 114 lives. The first petition to remove the hazard was drawn up in 1904, but it wasn’t until 1921 that the federal government initiated a formal investigation.
The government’s proposal to remove “Old Rip” met with a great deal of opposition. Residents of Vancouver Island had hope for a direct link to the mainland via a transcontinental railway, so the rock was protected to provide a pier-foot for the future bridge across the narrows. The railway was never built. With the outbreak of World War II, the government decided the rock had to be removed to allow free passage along the inside of waters.
In 1942, $500 000 was allotted for the project. The plan was to drill into the rock from a barge anchored in the narrows, load the drilled holes with explosives and blast the rock away bit by bit. The barge was anchored with huge concrete blocks and mooring lines but was tossed around in the rough waters. The project was abandoned in September of 1943, with only 11 holes drilled. Another $125 000 was committed to resuming operations in May of 1945. Two months later, an attempt was made to anchor a barge to steel spars erected on Maud and Vancouver Islands’ cliffs. But after four months of operations, only 139 holes had been drilled of a planned total of 15 000. The project was abandoned again.
Eight years later, the National Research Council conducted a study to assess the feasibility of tunneling beneath the seabed and up into Ripple Rock’s twin pinnacles and then blasting off the tops. The plan was finally approved, and the final assault began in February 1956. A construction camp was established on Quadra Island to extend a causeway from Quadra to Maud Island.
The $3 000 000 projects took 27 months to complete. Over a kilometer of fuse lais. 1 250 000 kg (2 750 00 lbs) of explosives were set under the pinnacles. The firing bunker was constructed on Quadra Island. Several viewing bunkers were built on Vancouver Island to shelter the anticipated horde of nearly 200 photographers and dignitaries.
At 9: 31 am, April 5, 1958, the blast was triggered, which created the most enormous human-made, non-nuclear explosion in history. The blast broke up an estimated 370 000 tonnes of rocks and moved 220 000 tonnes of water. Although repercussions from the blast were anticipated and precautions are taken, the explosion did not produce a single tidal wave or earth tremor. The clearance now at low tide is approximately 13 meters (43 ft) over the north summit and 14 meters (46 ft) over the south summit but is still considered a navigational hazard.
The most recent recorded damage to a vessel in Seymour Narrows involved the “MS Sundancer” in 1984. On its third trip to Alaska, the cruise ship struck Maud Island’s rock and tore a huge gash in the hull’s starboard side. The captain managed to pilot the vessel into Duncan Bay, where the ship partially sank. Declared a total constructive loss, the vessel was eventually refloated and towed to the Burrard shipyard and later sold to a Greek cruise line. The ” Sundancer” was then towed to Greece and rebuilt as the “MS Pegasus.”
In addition to being chartered for cruises on the east coast of South America, the ” Pegasus” spent five months back in the Vancouver area as a floating hotel during Expo 86.
What about the trail?
The Ripple Rock Trail was constructed in 1983 through a grand sponsored by the Campbell River Rotary Club. Numerous changes and improvements have been made over the years, mainly to the bridge crossing Menzies Creek.
Why did I like this trail?
This trail is not a hard one, but it has up and down up to the viewpoint. I’m the one preferring a straight hill to the top then going up and down. But you can make a few stops along the road, and the scenery is beautiful at the top. So, if you are around, do it!!!
