I drove to Cathedral Grove Saturday morning in spite of the rain, to see what might be popping up in the way of mushrooms. I arrived just in time to watch the Port Alberni Toy Run Bikers start off. The Toy Run started 26 years ago and has grown from 25 riders collecting 40 toys to 1,400 riders and $50,000 worth of toys. People line the highway for miles to applaud and get photos of the riders.

Cathedral Grove, located in MacMillan Provincial Park, 301 hectares,is one of the most accessible stands of giant Douglas fir trees on Vancouver Island. Visitors can stroll through a network of trails under the shadow of towering ancient Douglas-fir trees, majestic pillars untouched by the modern world – some more than 800 years old. The park protects and preserves an internationally significant representative example of Douglas fir old-growth forest within the Coastal Western Hemlock Biogeoclimatic Zone.