Fall is a good time to visit the Elk Falls suspension bridge

 by Keith and Heather Nicol  

With the good fall weather holding decided to check out Elk Falls near Campbell River and the suspension bridge that has been built there in 2015.  The suspension bridge spans Campbell River in Elk Falls Provincial Park and offers stellar views of the river as it plunges 25 meters over a picturesque waterfall.  The suspension bridge opened in mid May, 2015 and normally would attract lots of people during the summer. But with Covid 19 and the spacing requirements on the bridge and associated trails we didn’t visit during the summer. But with cooler fall weather and fewer visitors we basically had the place to ourselves which was great.  The suspension bridge spans Campbell River in Elk Falls Provincial Park and offers stellar views of the river as it plunges 25 meters over a picturesque waterfall.   Note the empty suspension bridge in the photo above. And for a bonus BC Hydro was releasing more water on Thursday, Oct 29 when we visited so the falls were especially scenic. According to the information we saw BC Hydro will releasing more water on Nov 4 and 5 and 11 and 12 so these days might be good times to see the falls in full force.                                        Heather looks down at the 25 meter falls from one of the viewpoints  To get to Elks Falls Provincial Park drive through Campbell River and take the road toward Gold River. Simply follow the signs to the turnoff to the Elk Falls trails and suspension bridge. The bridge is roughly 1 km trail from the parking lot and the wide gravel trail is suited to just about all walkers. We also walked an 800 meter side trail to get down to the river and another lookout. We saw some neat mushrooms and the vanilla leaf understory was changing colour which really added to our walk.                                                   A side view of the falls and canyon from a another viewpoint There are also other hiking trails in the area but we recommend the 800 meter Old Growth Loop which passes by some huge trees that have never been logged. These trees also managed to avoid a devastating fire in 1938 which burned much of the timber in the surrounding area. Evidently 1938 was the driest summer in 64 years and the forest was tinder dry. The fire was evidently set off by a logger who accidently dropped a pick on a rock and a spark set off the dry grass near his feet.  For more information on the park see: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/elk_falls/                                                                 The vanilla leaf understory was changing to yellow which added to the beauty of our walk

  

Checking out the Beaver Lodge Trails in Campbell River

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

     After playing disc golf at the Cooper’s Hawk course in Campbell River we decided to explore the Beaver Lodge Forest Lands Trails which are located nearby along South Dogwood Street. This large area of 416 hectares is criss crossed with trails that are suited to walking or biking. Although hybrid bikes are suited to the main access roads you might want a front suspension bike for the somewhat rougher side trails. We even saw some people on full suspension bikes but you certainly don’t need that kind of a bike to enjoy these trails. There are a few different access points to the trails but we opted for the South McPhedran Rd entrance. There is a small parking area there and a trail map showing the trails. 

 

                                                    The fall colours make this a good time to explore these trails    

 Since there are many trails we didn’t have time to explore them all but sampled some on either side of the access road. Also there are so many trails it makes sense to use an app like Trailforks to be able to figure out where you are. The single track that we explored was generally in good shape although some trails were muddy from recent rains. But if you find the side trails not to your liking you can always use the better drained main roads which allow side by side walking or cycling. We liked the fact that all the trails were multiuse but thought that signage could be improved. Many side trails seem not to be sign posted..another reason to use Trailforks when you are riding or walking for that matter.  For more information and maps on the Beaver Lodge Forest Lands trails see: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/managing-our-forest-resources/beaver-lodge

 

Cycling along one of the single track trails 

 

 

The Cooper's Hawk Disc Golf Course in Campbell River is a treat

 By Keith and Heather Nicol
     With the fall weather cooperating on Tuesday, October 20 we decided to head to Campbell River to try out their disc golf course at Willow Point Park. This location is a hot bed for different sports and next to the parking lot we saw people taking on the jumps on the new bike park and skateboarders trying their tricks in the adjacent skate park.  There are also outdoor volleyball courts, an indoor sportsplex, tennis courts and playing fields. As well as an 18 plus hole disc golf course!

 

                                                Heather have a look at the map to check the course layout   

This course is nicely laid out and we really liked the combination of open and forested holes. We don`t have many open holes on the courses we have played in the Comox Valley so this is a pleasant change.   It also has 3 possible concrete tee off pads for many holes so better players can really be challenged. . The longest hole off the red tees is 303 feet and the shortest hole is 154 feet but these get a whole lot longer off the gold tees. There is some elevation change which is nice and there is a good map to start so that you can see the general layout And with the fall colours the course is very scenic right now.  Be sure to check it out. For more information see: https://campbellriver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/facilities/outdoor-facilities   

                                                We liked the contrast between the forested and open holes 

 

  Heather dropping a disc into the basket

Mushroom Exploring in the Cumberland Community Forest

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

      On Friday, October 16 we joined several other nature enthusiasts at the Japanese walking trail near Cumberland to do some mushroom hunting.  In this Covid 19 era we are looking at all kinds of new and different ways to explore outside and so when cross country ski buddy Bruce Moffat suggested a mushroom photography session in the Cumberland Community Forest we were certainly interested in it. “And it might add to a current inaturalist project that is going on related to mushrooms and lichens. It is called the Cumberland Forest 2020 Fungus Fest Blitz and it is running from Oct 1 -31, 2020. “ he told us in an email.

 

                                  We found our first mushrooms just a few feet from where we parked our car      

    When we went on line to the project web site- https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/cumberland-forest-2020-fungus-fest-blitz  we were blown away with all the different mushrooms that had been spotted thus far.  Since we know nothing about mushrooms so we thought this would be a good way to learn.   We spent about 2 hours checking out the area between the Japanese walking trail and Jumbo’s Cabin and found a variety of mushrooms to photograph. If you decide to join the effort it makes sense to gear up appropriately. We brought rubber boots (since it had rained earlier in the day) and rain pants plus something to kneel on. This is important since to get some good pictures you want to get down to mushroom level which usually means on the ground. And who wants to kneel on wet vegetation so bring some sort of kneeling pads as well as rain pants. We also brought a tripod since the light levels in the forest on an overcast day are so low you need a very slow shutter speed to take acceptable pictures. 

 

                                              We were really taken with these mini mushrooms growing out of a fir cone   

    Perhaps our most interesting mushrooms were tiny mushrooms poking out of a fallen fir cone. I don’t think we had ever seen that before. There were also some colourful Amanita mushrooms along the trail and some colourful Pinewood Gingertail mushrooms as well. The nice thing about inaturalist is that once you upload your image the data base it gives you some good guesses as to what it is that you have photographed. Inaturalist is a free web site (https://inaturalist.ca/home) which is worthwhile knowing about if you want to learn more about our natural world. Also other “experts” may also have a look at your image and add their thoughts as well. So if you feel like getting out and having a walk this fall think about checking out the above web site and add to the Cumberland Fungus Fest Blitz data base. 

 

This "Amanita" mushroom was one of the most colourful that we found

 

The “Pub to Pub” trail is a must do in the fall

 By Keith and Heather Nicol 

   On October 6 we decided that it was time to do one of our favourite hikes - the so called “Pub to Pub” trail which starts along the Oyster River, roughly half way between Courtenay and Campbell River on Vancouver Island. For some reason we hadn’t done the walk this year and with the nice weather we thought this was a good day to do it. We love this trail since it is a scenic trail with both forest/river and ocean/beach views. Since the trail is just 3.5 km (1 way) it is suited to a variety of options. If you have young children or walkers that would find 7 km too long a hike, you could park a car at each end and just make the 1 way trip. 

                                      Heather walks through the leaf covered trail enroute to the shoreline

     To get there from Courtenay drive north on Highway 19A and keep an eye out for the Oyster River bridge since you want to turn right on the next road (Glenmore Road).  Then travel one roughly 1 block and then turn left on Regent and look for a parking lot with a sign Oyster River Nature Park. The parking lot coordinates are 49. 52.232 N and 125 07.616 W. Then follow the Ferguson Trail which is well signed and easy to walk on. After about 1 km you reach the ocean and from there you follow the Jack Hames Trail to Salmon Point.

                                                 Lunch spot overlooking the Salish Sea

      The trail winds along the upper part of the beach and through the trees giving fine views of Georgia Strait and mountains beyond. There are even some picnic tables along the way for anyone wanting a scenic place to have lunch. There is also tons of driftwood which offers good seating as well and we found a nice spot along the shore to have lunch. After about 1 hour (not including lunch) we came out to Salmon Point Resort RV Park and the trail’s end.  We fully recommend this trail since it offers scenic ocean views and can be walked by a wide variety of people. Check it out on your next trip to this area.

                             

                                                Walking along the coastal trail                                                  

“China Bowls” in Cumberland is worth a fall visit

By Keith and Heather Nicol
       We had heard about  the so called China Bowls located just outside Cumberland for awhile and on a recent bike trip to the Cumberland trails we decided to check them out. We were finishing our ride with our cross country ski buddy Steve and ended up on Davis Lake Main on Thursday Oct 1 when we decided to check out the potholes on Perseverance Creek (or China Bowls).  The China Bowls are basically creek erosion on sandstone and there are some interesting potholes and other features in a short section that is very accessible to anyone walking or biking. The China Bowls are accessed by the main entry point for the Cumberland Mountain Bike trails at the foot of Sutton Road and Comox Lake Road in Cumberland. Closest parking is along adjacent Comox Lake Road or you can park in the mountain bike parking lot at Dunsmuir and Sutton Road. Be aware that this is a very popular mountain bike area and so there will likely be a steady stream of bikes either heading up or down this road (Davis Lake Main).  

 

                                          Steve walking along the edge of Perseverance Creek 

       After parking your car head around the gate and to the large map showing the mountain bike trails in this area. From there it is basically up the logging road to the right for about 1.8 km (1 way).  Just keep bearing right at any forks and when you come to the bridge over Perseverance Creek cross the bridge and walk downstream. This side provides the easiest access to the potholes and other erosional features.  This impressive  erosional section is not that long except if you are really keen and want to explore the steeper areas downstream.  This trail takes just 20-30 minutes to walk up (1 way) and since it is a logging road it is suited to a wide range of walkers. It is not that impressive in the summer with low water levels but now with some fall rains and leaves falling on the rocks it is very picturesque. The route is also suited to basic mountain bikes/gravel bikes for those that might want to bike to the spot.   Check it out on your next trip to Cumberland. You can also get more info from alltrails : check this link:https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/china-bowls-via-davis-lake-main.  For a video on the China Bowls see the link below.

  

Some of the potholes formed in the sandstone 

                                                             Falling leaves add to the beauty of this spot
 

 

Video of the "China Bowls"