Checking out the view from Little Mountain near Parksville

By Keith and Heather Nicol
   Although this blog usually highlights what to see and do in the Comox Valley we also like to point out other places to check out nearby. A friend told us about this one and since we had to drop our son off at the Departure Bay Ferry in Nanaimo on Sunday, August 30 we decided this was a good time to investigate this lookout.

Heather looking toward Mt Arrowsmith

  Usually you need to hike to get nice vistas but in this case you can drive to the top of the mountain. Mind you this mountain is pretty small hence the name Little Mountain but it does provide very nice views and would be a great spot for getting sunset pictures. Although there is a hiking trail to the top we opted to drive up the steep road. Here are the driving directions: Take exit 51 off of Highway 19.  Go towards Coombs/Errington, and turn left on Bellevue and then take the 2nd road on the left which is Little Mountain Rd. The road is very steep in places and quite narrow – I wouldn’t suggest it when the pavement might be icy. There is parking for 6-8 cars at the top and there are several communications towers nearby.
   

The conglomerate bluffs provide some fine views

After you park you can hop over the concrete barrier or walk down to a trail that leads out through the open arbutus forest to the viewpoint. There is a long ridge with a steep drop so you can walk along the summit trails and to get photos from various vantage points. Just use extreme care along the edge of the escarpment. While we were there we saw a family that was going rock climbing and another couple that got their lawn chairs and lunch and were there to simply to enjoy the view. Check it when you are traveling through this area since it is just off Highway 19.

Heather near one of the many arbutus trees in the area

Hiking through the Comox Bluffs Ecological Reserve

by Keith and Heather Nicol

     On August 27 , we took our daughter Kristie and her boyfriend for a hike to the Comox Bluffs area near Courtenay, B.C. We had been to this area a couple of years ago so we were keen to re-check this place out.  The Comox Bluffs are along the north side of Comox Lake and we have paddled our sea kayaks along this shore so we had seen this area from the water’s edge.  We knew that it was a south facing area with open moss covered rocks and lots of plants that like dry, rocky conditions. Trees like arbutus are common along this area where as they are pretty rare in the rain forest environment of the Comox Valley. We parked at the edge of the road at 49 38.544 N 125 05.882 W after crossing the bridge where the Puntledge River drains out of Comox Lake. 

Kristie and Eric overlooking Comox Lake

  We decided to walk the gravel road to a turn off that we had identified by GPS on our earlier visit in June 2018.  The road is not the most aesthetic route but is the fastest and since there was no logging trucks using the road (actually no one using the road since it was gated off) it seemed to be a good choice. Follow the main road for about 2.5 km until you reach a side trail on your left at 49 38.449 N 125 06.223 W. You will also see an 8 km sign near the start of the side trail (called the Tomato Creek Trail). 

Kristie taking a photo of an arbutus tree

 The Tomato Creek Trail has numerous spectacular views of Comox Lake and the surrounding forested slopes. We also entered the Comox Bluffs Ecological Reserve along this trail and we came across a sign showing some of the unusual plants associated with this scenic area and a short path leading to an impressive viewpoint.  The Tomato Creek trail also has numerous forks but we figured most went back to the parking area and after 2 hours we had covered about 5.5 km which included time for lots of pictures and side trips to lookouts.  The Comox Bluffs are well worth checking out but it helps to go with someone who has been in there before so you don’t get twisted around on all the trails. If you head out on your own a GPS with a tracking function wouldn’t go astray. We also identified a shorter route to the main viewpoint and it starts at a small parking lot at 49 38.477 N 125 06.256 W. Follow the Tomato Creek trail back up to the lookout and it can be reached in just over 1 km (20 minute walk).  It would suit people families with smaller children or others that want a shorter hike.  Just be aware that the trail is hard to find in some places and it does have forks which makes route finding abit challenging. The full route can be found on AllTrails and is under the name “Tony’s and Tomato Creek Loop”. If you use this app route finding should be easier. For more info see: https://www.alltrails.com/

Kristie at the viewpoint with an interpretative plaque discussing the unusal plants of the area

 

Hiking the Lake Helen Mackenzie- Battleship Lake loop in Strathcona Park

By Keith and Heather Nicol

Walking along the Paradise Meadows trail

     Our daughter Kristie and her boyfriend Eric came to visit from Vancouver  on August 24 so on the 25 ^th we decided to do a hike they had never done before in Strathcona Provincial Park which lies on Courtenay’s  doorstep. This park is a real addition for people living here and we planned to see Lake Helen Mackenzie and Battleship Lake which fortunately form a looped trail. Looped trails are a bonus when doing any sort of outdoor trip since you get to see new terrain the entire way around. Most of the hikes they do in the Vancouver area are "in and out" type of hikes so this would be a nice change. The hike starts off at the Raven Lodge parking lot at Mt Washington and the trail is initially part of the boardwalked Paradise Meadows loop. Then it branches off and begin to climb. We opted to do the hike in a ccounterclockwise direction and the trail is mostly in the woods after leaving the more open meadows. It passes by a small pond and then you reach scenic Lake Helen Mackenzie. The trail is easy to follow and in good shape but we did have muddy sections due to the heavy rains a few days ago. 

Kristie taking at photo at scenic Lake Helem Mackenzie

 Lake Helen Mackenzie has several places where bedrock juts out into the lake making for great picnic sites.  We saw a couple of people swimming in the lake which I am sure would be refreshing on a hotter day. The trail parallels in the lake for a distance and then winds back into the woods until it breaks out along the shore of Battleship Lake. Now you can see the Mt Washington Alpine Ski Area in the distance. We had lunch at the end of Battleship Lake where there are some benches and picnic tables. There are outhouses at both lakes and also a wilderness camping area on Lake Helen Mackenzie. Over all it took us about 3 hours to do the trip including lunch and we measured the loop at around 10 km.  We saw lots of families on the trail and it was very popular on this day with a wide range of hikers. You don’t really get any visitas of the higher peaks in the area but it is a very pleasant hike with the 2 lakes as the highlight. We certainly recommend it.    

Battleship Lake with the runs of Mt Washington in the distance

 

Try the new Mount Washington zipline for thrills and amazing vistas

By Keith and Heather Nicol

        We had heard some great things about the new monster zipline at Mount Washington and so on Monday August 17 we decided to try it out. The full zipline is new this year and opened for its first riders in late June.  Our group of nine started our 3:30 pm tour with an orientation video, getting fitted with harnesses and then heading outside to try the test zipline near the Mountain Washington base lodge.  We had 2 excellent guides, Rico and Cary who patiently told us how to use the control handle to slow down, speed up and stop while on the zipline cable.  Although we have been on many ziplines across Canada this was the first one we had been on that allowed us to control our speed which is a real bonus. 

Taking flight on "The Abyss" as you zip 275 feet above the ground !

      We then rode the Eagle chair lift to the top of the mountain where the view is fabulous and the zip tour starts.  Rico told us to keep our eyes out for marmots on the way up and sure enough about ½ up we spotted one perched on a rock. The Vancouver Island marmots are endangered and some estimates put their numbers at just a couple of hundred individuals. This was the first Vancouver Island marmot we have ever seen so we took that as a good omen for the tour ahead. 

Heather launching on "Cascade" with cliffs of Mt Washington behind

  We were blessed with a clear blue sky and at the top we could see north to Campbell River and east to the Salish Sea and the Comox Valley and then  both south and west to Strathcona Park and its rugged mountains.  A few steps from the chairlift summit took us to the first zip platform which is appropriately called “The Abyss" . It is 1800 feet long and has a grade of 17% which looks plenty steep! There are 2 parallel ziplines so you can race your partner if you like and in no time it was our turn to take flight. The guides would review how to control our speed and pointed out a distant marker on the ground that was our slow down point so that we would come to the arrival platform under control.  “3, 2, 1, Go” shouted Cary and we were off flying down the cable. Below us the ground speeded by and we took in the view as we flew along. We then eased into the platform and were lowered down to the deck before proceeding to the next stage. 

Enroute to the Hawk Chair with the lakes, forest and mountains of Stathcona Park behind

   The second zip, called “Cascade”, is 1653 feet long and has a grade of 14% and its arrival platform is near the Hawk Chairlift. As we zipped along we could see mountain bikers below us and the Comox Glacier loomed in the distance.  The third zipline (“Holy Hawk”) is the shortest but steepest (24%) and is evidently the fan favourite according to Rico. “Some clients have been clocked at close to 100 km/hr” he told us “so it is important that you hit the brakes at the orange marker”. The final zipline is the longest at 2372 feet and it has a respectable 18% grade so you can fly on this one as well. “If you are racing your buddy you can tuck yourself into a ball to go faster “, he told some of the teenagers in our group. This zipline brings you back to the starting point and is appropriately called the “Runway” since you fly over the Eagle Chairlift and the outdoor patio, landing on a part of the roof  of the main alpine lodge.  We finished up at 6:45 pm and the lowering sun made for great photography. 

Skimming over the ground on the final zipline with the Comox Glacier behind

 Mount Washington does a good job of respecting Covid 19 rules so be sure to bring a face mask . You don’t have to wear it all the time but it is needed when the guides are clipping you in and when you can’t social distance properly.  There is still time this summer to “take flight” and the long term weather forecast for the next 2 weeks is looking great. The zipline is open daily until September 7 and then Fridays – Sundays until October 11. The minimum age is 10 years and we were told that people in their 80’s have chosen this as a ‘bucket list’ experience . We fully recommend this new Mount Washington adventure but you need to book in advance since it has become very popular. Thanks to Rico and Cary for a great time. For more information see https://www.mountwashington.ca/

Arriving on "Runway" to the Mt Washington Lodge