An AquaQuest waterproof pack is an ideal Christmas gift for the outdoor adventurer on your list

By Keith and Heather Nicol

On the Salish Sea Whale Watching

       We have been using an AquaQuest Pack for the last couple of years and find it a great choice for those times when you want to keep whatever is in the pack dry. We have used for hiking in the rain, going to the beach and out on boats in the Salish Sea near Courtenay, BC.  Since we do alot of photography one big concern is getting camera gear wet and so any time there might be an issue we grab our Aqua Quest pack. It has been on skiing photo shots in the winter at Mount Washington and on whale watching trips out of Campbell River. We take it to beach while exploring at low tide and it a perfect choice for traveling to Vancouver in the fall and winter when rain is often in the forecast. 

At Point Holmes at Low Tide

Since we usually leave our car in Nanaimo and walk on the ferry we need to catch public transit into Vancouver and walk to our destination. We like to travel light and so if we are visiting for just a couple of days we can get a change of clothes in this pack with no problem. And if we run into rain walking to or from a bus then keeping clothing dry in our pack isn`t an issue. We also like the fact that it has a couple of water bottle holders on the outside. We wish though that these were abit deeper since larger bottles can come out.  We would also like to see another smaller pouch in side or along the top for stowing smaller items and we note that some of the newer AquaQuest packs do have this option.  For more info see:  https://aquaquestwaterproof.com/

The AquaQuest Pack is a great choice while boating

Backroad Map Books make a great Christmas gift

by Keith and Heather Nicol

Vanc Island Map Book

       We moved from Newfoundland a few years ago but somehow only recently came across the Backroad Mapbooks (BRMB).  If you have someone on your Christmas list that likes to explore off the beaten track then these books are a perfect gift. We recently obtained the BRMB for Vancouver Island and it comes in at 196 pages of information about all manner of outdoor activities on Vancouver Island. In addition to detailed topographic maps at 1:150,000 scale there are sections on fishing, hunting, paddling, hiking trails, parks and a whole lot more.

   We used the book this past summer to scout out new places to mountain bike, paddle and hike. One of our first discoveries was a hidden mountain bike gem called the Big Qualicum River Trail which starts at the Big Qualicum River Fish Hatchery near Horne Lake. We went there with our cycling group from Courtenay and we will be back to do that trail since it is so scenic as it follows the Big Qualicum River. We brought the book along again for a camping trip to Buttle Lake in Strathcona Park to give us

Kayaking on Mohen Lake

ideas for put ins for kayaking and also trail heads for hiking. 

Our next trip was to Mohen and Morton Lake just north of Campbell River where the book was invaluable since it showed the various back road options to access these scenic lakes which are part of the Sayward Canoe Route. We also used the book for September trips to Malcolm Island near Port McNeil and for a weeklong trip to Hornby Island.Since the map scale is 1:150,000 or 1 cm to 1.5 km the maps can’t show every trail or possible sea kayak launch point but from our experience it does show lots of detail that you might otherwise miss. It is a great planning tool for exploring places that you might want to visit on Vancouver Island. Other BRMBs cover other parts of BC and much of the rest of Canada.

Cycling along the Big Qualicum River

 We also liked the fact that the book is spiral bound and so far it has stood up to a fair bit of abuse being stowed in the back of the car. For more information on BRMB see: https://www.backroadmapbooks.com/

Kayaking off of Malcolm Island

Supercamps are an ideal way to start the cross country ski season.

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

The views from the trails are amazing

      We are in the middle of teaching in the early season Supercamps that are held every year at Silver Star and Sovereign Lake located near Vernon in B.C.’s Interior. This year the main Supercamps run from November 18 to December 8,  2019 and they include three 3 weekend camps and three 4.5 day mid week camps. This year this area has had early snow and conditions for the camps have been close to perfect. These camps have been running for many years but seem to be getting more popular and this year has been the largest with over 440 participants. Supercamp coordinator Bryana, told us that this is an increase of close to 70 participants over last year. In fact many camps sold out quickly so next year if you want to get in on one of these great ski experiences be sure to sign up early. According to Bryana the earlier camps have fewer participants which might appeal to some skiers.      

Here are my weekend skate camp participants

   Classes involve instruction by some of Canada’s top cross country ski instructors and coaches and a chance to ski on the 105 km trail network which includes trails at Silver Star and Sovereign Lake Nordic ski areas.  The camps offer video analysis of your skiing plus afternoon lectures on nutrition, waxing and much more. There are a variety of specialized programmes including biathlon, a pro camp for aspiring masters racers.  Spend your mornings and early afternoon on skis improving your technique, and then relax in the late afternoons with wine & yoga, a strength and conditioning session, and other exciting extras. Class size varies but is usually around 6 participants per instructor which makes for personalized instruction. 

Silver Star offers great ski and ski out accomodation

These camps are geared to everyone from first timers to advanced skiers wanting to improve their technique and get in cross country skiing on a huge variety of trails. Another bonus is that many ski teams come here to practice at this time so you get to see them in action on the same trails you are skiing on.  And if you want a mid season tune up on your skiing you can still take in 2 more weekend camps which are scheduled for January 10-12, 2020 and Jan 31- February 2, 2020. For more information see: http://www.xcsupercamp.com/ 

Another bonus is that you get see some of North America`s top xc skiers on the trails

  

Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre is open and looks to have a great winter in store

By Keith and Heather Nicol

    You can always count on Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre to be open early and they did so again this year on November 13. We love coming to Sovereign Lake to get in our first cross country ski outings of the season and this year is was no different.  It has been a warm and relatively dry November along the coast in BC and this has meant virtually no snow at Mount Washington which is our regular ski spot on Vancouver Island.  We arrived around 11:00 am on Tuesday, November 19 with some friends from Vernon and Kamloops and had a fabulous day in the sunshine skiing a variety of trails.

We had a great day skiing with friends

      We like to take it easy on our first day and we liked the fact that on this day Sovereign had a nicely groomed stadium area with over a dozen lanes of set tracks. So we spent the first 30-45 minutes skiing without poles to get our balance back and the flat lanes in the stadium were perfect for this.  Plus the stadium sits in the sun so that is a real bonus.  There is some snow in the forecast and that will help open more trails. 

The new groomer will be able to keep trails in good shape this winter

 Sovereign has a big winter coming up culminating in the Canadian Championships from March 24 to April 2. They also have a new groomer (a Piston Bully 400) which should be great for that event and to keep the trails in good shape all season long.  As well the office manager , Jennifer told us that they currently have over 1600 members and new for this year are special discounts for members including lessons, food and various merchandise.  She also said they done improvements to the biathalon range and plan to hold more events there this year. Sovereign Lake Nordic is a full service xc ski area and is well worth checking out this season. For more information see: https://www.sovereignlake.com/

The tracks in the stadium were perfect for a first day on snow