Be Prepared for the Unexpected

A Close Call

In 1971 five people somehow escaped instant death when a falling tree flattened their pickup truck. They were on route to Holberg and were passing through an area where a crew was widening the road. Just as the truck passed by a worker felled a tree that dropped across the road. The cab was levelled, luckily no one was killed. Two adults were seriously injured and flown to Vancouver, the two kids in the truck escaped uninjured.

Time for a change

There are two different accounts of how the car and sign were created, with one being more fanciful than the other. However, it seems that the original car and sign were installed as a result of numerous close calls and accidents. In 1974, a community initiative was established to alert individuals about potential hazards through a highly visible sign that could not be overlooked.

A well-used 1965 Chev was donated by Al Clayton and a large tree was placed on top of the car. The display was installed along the busy road warning people of the many dangers up ahead. There used to be a sign on the front of the log, reminding individuals to turn on their headlights.

Over the decades and with the popularity of San Josef Bay and Cape Scott Provincial Park, hikers and visitors alike pass by the sign making it a popular landmark and one of the most memorable photos from Vancouver Island. The famous image even made its way onto the cover and was the title of a jazz album.

The car had been exposed to the elements for decades, causing it to become nothing more than a rusted pile concealed beneath the log. In 2020 another classic American car, this one red, was placed under the same log and a new bright yellow sign was added with the famous phrase written out for all travellers to see.

Present Times

The Radar base closed in January 1991 and the logging industry changed, the large elephant logging trucks haven’t been in use since the 80s and the large camps closed down. The area is still remote and wild but as cars get better and tourism grows, Cape Scott has been recognized worldwide as a destination.

Now, instead of cautionary tales, the sign has become a photo opportunity as visitors take the time to stand on the hood of the car with their arms up and proudly say I was here.

Was there another car?

There is another story that may be attributed to a car just down the road that had a tree placed on it around the same time. The unconfirmed story is about a logger named Charlie and on his way to work in 1974, his car broke down.

He pulled over, parked on a deserted setting and hitch-hiked to work, leaving his car for a week or so before he got back to retrieve it. In the meantime, a grapple operator had recognized the car and dropped a scrap tailblock log on it. Charlie’s reaction was, “Oh well, I only paid 50 bucks for it”.

You can find that story here.