October Full Moon rise from Air Force Beach , Comox, BC

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

One of the disadvantages of living in the Comox Valley is that you don’t get a chance to see the sun dropping off into the horizon in the evening. Sunsets in this area can be nice as the setting sun undercuts any clouds that are in the area but a classic sunset (with the sun disappearing below the horizon) can’t be seen due to the Beaufort Mountains. But we do have moon rises which come up over the Salish Sea and so we have taken to seeing the full moon rise whenever the weather cooperates. Our favourite place to see the full moon rise is the Air Force Beach Parking area and this gives us a good view of the various Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and the mountains of the BC mainland that lie behind.  Below is a shot of the Hunter’s Moon rising on October 27, the day before the actual full moon. 

                                        Hunter Moon rise over Texada Island and Mountains of BC Mainland

 Of course like the sun, the full moon doesn’t always rise in the same place each month so the back drop to your views and pictures will always be different. As well the clouds are often different so this adds another variation to each month’s offering.  To find out the date of the full moon and where it will be in the sky check out this web site: https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/canada/comox. See you for the next full moon and bring a tripod and telephoto lens for the best pictures. Check it out!

                                                               Hunter Moon just coming up

 

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  attracts lots of people during the summer but we wanted to check out the fall colours. 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. Also according to the posted information Hydro is releasing more from Oct 24-27 so now might be a good chance to see the falls in full force.                                            Be sure to check out the side trail to get this lookout of the falls 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 which we recommend.                          The Suspension Bridge had a few visitors when we were there on Oct 20  There are also other hiking trails in the area but we liked 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 Falls from the another view point

Hiking to Hollyburn Peak near Vancouver using AllTrails

By Keith and Heather Nicol

Hollyburn Peak is a great ½ day hike from the Cypress Bowl Nordic Centre near Vancouver. We were in Vancouver visiting our kids and grandchild recently and when a nice day beckoned we took full advantage to hike this roughly 8.2 km return hike.  Note that although the distance one way is around 4 km the trail does climb over 400 meters. It took us about 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach the top and about 70 minutes to return and we had a lunch at the peak with several other groups. 

                                                                   There are splashes of colour along the way

Note that there are several options for this hike according to AllTrails but we opted for the Power line option and it worked out well. The option from the alpine parking lot seemed to have warnings about wasp nests enroute and the winter route was reported to be overgrown.  For those people that do not know about AllTrails it is a great app for finding hiking trails and also since users often up date info about the trail you can often see what actual conditions are like for hiking and any tips that people might have. 

                                             The Lions are clearly visible from the summit of Hoillyburn

The Powerline trail starts out easily enough as it winds up one of the xc ski trails but at the warming hut the trail turns left and narrows considerably. From there it winds up through a broad cut over that featured splashes of colour and gradually gets steeper as you approach the summit. Many people brought bear spray since bears have been seen in the area so you are best to travel in a group and keep dogs on a leash. The trail itself has many sections that are quite rooty and rocky so hiking shoes of some sort are recommended.  From the top you can see the Lions very clearly and also views to the many distant mountains to the north. Although the trail is easy to follow you can download the route from AllTrails in case of poor weather or fog. The hike gets a rating of 4.3/5 out of 500 reviews on AllTrails and which is what we would give it as well. Check it out on your next visit to Vancouver.  Cypress Provincial Park has many fine hiking trails and we have reported on a few of them is this blog. Previous posts have dealt with hiking to Eagle Bluffs (https://keithnicol.blogspot.com/2015/03/hiking-to-eagle-bluffs-at-cypress.html)  and also to Mt Strachan (https://keithnicol.blogspot.com/2016/08/hiking-to-summit-of-mt-strachan-in.html) .  See you on the trails. 

                                                                             Starting out on our hike

 

Checking out the Fall Colours in Paradise Meadows – Strathcona Park

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

We love seeing fall colours unfold in different areas of the Comox Valley and have recently featured a blog post about some bike routes that include autumn colours along the way (http://keithnicol.blogspot.com/2023/10/fall-cycling-in-comox-valley-1-spot.html ). But recently we decided to check out the fall colours in Paradise Meadows in Strathcona Park. The Comox Valley is blessed with being able to get up into the mountains in just 30 minutes and the Paradise Meadows area can even be accessed by wheelchairs. We walked around the 4 km loop which is mostly boardwalk but recommend that people using a wheelchair or children’s stroller stick to the 2 km loop since the longer loop has some rooty wet areas. We parked in the Nordic Centre parking lot at Raven Lodge which is part of Mt Washington Alpine Resort but there is also a parking area at the smaller Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre. Check this out this fall to see bright reds and golden colours of fall. See you on the trail.  

 

48 hours on Salt Spring Island, BC

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

 It has been many years since we visited Salt Spring Island so when the weather forecast for early part of October was promising we decided to head down for a couple of nights. We especially  wanted to check out Ruckle Prov Park and we were not disappointed..it is an amazing park and must have one of the best tent camping sites in the Gulf Islands. We caught the 1125 am ferry at Crofton (it was about a 2 hour drive from Courtenay) on Thursday Oct 5 and were pleasantly surprised by the fact that the Visitor Centre in Ganges was open and had 2 knowledgeable staff working that day. We wanted to hike and they handed us several specific hiking maps and gave us some good suggestions. Then it was on to Ruckle Campground and we were relieved to see so few people there. We had heard this place is very hard to get water front sites at in the summer since it is so popular. We virtually had our pick of campsites and after setting up the tent we decided to explore some of the coastal trails in the area. The hike to Bear Point is a good warmup hike and leads past pocket beaches and headlands. The trail continues but in October the sun goes down at 7:00 and we lost the sun at our campsite by 5:30 so we opted to head back and cook dinner. That evening we walked to the far end of the campground and found that many of these sites were preferred since almost all of these were taken.  And we could see why...they were very picturesque. 

                                                     Heather in front of our amazing grassy beach front campsite

 Friday, Oct 6 dawned sunny and warm and after breakfast we headed to Burgoyne Bay to do a 1 km coastal hike suggested by the Visitor Centre Staff. It is an elevated walk with a trail that would suit all ages and stages and we saw some families on it when we were there. There are many other trails in this area but we wanted to check out some mountain hikes so headed first to Mt Erskine which one staff person told us is one of the most popular hikes on the island. And we could see why..although the trail climbs over 200 meters, the loop we did was about 3.65 km and it took about 70 minutes of steady walking. The views north to Vesuvius and Crofton (basically looking down on the ferry route) are great and there is a summit bench to have your lunch on. From there we also wanted to hike up 600 meter Mt Maxwell and so we headed off to Armand Way to start that trail. There is quite abit of parking in the cul do sac which makes it somewhat preferable than the Seymour Hts trailhead. Since you climb about 300 meters by car you have to hike about half of its 600 meter elevation. This trail is certainly more challenging than the Erskine hike but is still just about 2.5 km one way. However it climbs over 300 meters and the final 20 minutes are quite steep.  There is also a rough road that you can drive to the top if you aren’t up to the hike. The views here are amazing with vistas of Mt Baker in distant Washington State, many islands and views back to Vancouver Island. Allow about 2 hours return for this hike if you walk fairly steadily. By then we were ready to sit in the sun back at the campground and what a difference when we arrived. At least 20 or so new tenters had arrived since it was the start of the long Thanksgiving weekend . 

                                                        Keith from Mt Erskine Summit

Saturday Oct 7 again dawned sunny and warm so we packed up and headed into Ganges to check out the Saturday Farmers Market. There are great artisans on Salt Spring and you can pick up some fine pottery, woodwork, clothing and of course some fresh produce. Since the market continues until the end of October you still have time to catch it this Fall.  From there we caught the 1050 am sailing back to Crofton and were back in Courtenay by 2:00 pm. We will be back to Salt Spring on another visit since there are lots more hikes we plan to do and next time we might bring our sea kayaks. For more info see: https://www.saltspringtourism.com/

 

                                 From the Summit of Mt Maxwell looking toward the Burgoyne Valley and Fulford Harbour

Checking out the Mountain Bike Trails at Doumont near Nanaimo, BC

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

We usually mountain bike at the mega trail system at Cumberland but it is also good to see other places and see what their trails have to offer. On a recent trip to drop our granddaughter off at the ferry in Nanaimo we decided to check out the trails at Doumont for 90 minutes or so before heading back to Courtenay. Since we had not ridden these trails and trailforks reports that there are dozens of trails there we wanted to check out the “best” trails right away. So when we googled “Best Mountain Bike Trails at Doumont” up came Lower Fine China, Upper Fine China and Finer China – ranked 1, 2 and 3 as ranked by Trailforks. For those that aren’t familiar with this aspect of the trailforks app it is a handy way to see what the most best/most popular trails in a new area are. So using that info we headed for the parking area that would give us good access to Upper and Lower Fine China since they were ranked as blue trails and Finer China as a black trail. 

                              Keith at the top of Upper Fine China -- Liked this trail so much I did it 3 times 

And we were not disappointed ..Upper Fine China feeds naturally into Lower Fine China and I am not sure if I have been on a more flowy trail with nice berms that follows a twistly course down the mountain. Obviously much work has gone into this trail and we congratulate the trail builders. I wish we had a similar trail at Cumberland that was also just as accessible as this one. Cumberland does have some flowy trails but they seem to be high up in the trail system where as this one appealed to families and other newer riders since it was right next to the access road. In fact I saw several groups yo yoing this trail so I know it gets lots of use. I decided to try another trail that parallels Fine China called Styx and it was also rated as a blue trail. It is certainly more technical with many roots and rocks to deal with and short steep uphills in sections and I found that part way along when it came close to Fine China I left it to get back on Fine China.   So if you are visiting the Nanaimo area and want a bike on an easy flowy trail then Fine China at the Doumont trail system should be checked out. For more info on Trailforks see: https://www.trailforks.com/

Fall Cycling in the Comox Valley - The 1 Spot Trail

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

The other day the EverGreen Cycling group did a great fall bike loop that included some Wildwood  Forest and the 1 Spot Trail. We started at the Filberg Centre in Courtenay and then cycled out Condensory Road to Peircy Road to the start of the Wildwood Trails. From here we left the pavement and cars behind and cycled on gravel trails working our way along the Burns Connector to Burns Road. There the trail continues past the yellow gate and becomes the Bob Webb Trail where at Brazier Road it joins the 1 Spot Trail. This trail loops back toward Courtenay and the 1 Spot trail ends along Condensory Road enroute back to the Filberg Centre. Over all the route is about 20 km or so and our group had a mix of e and peddle bikes. Even though much of the route has gravel trails there are few roots so a regular road bike is fine as long as the tires are not too thin. 

                                                    Along the trail at an Info Map with the EverGreen Cycling Group

The best colours were found on the Bob Webb trail and 1 Spot where there are lots of hardwood trees which overhang the trail. In fact the ride was so nice we took Heather’s sister there a few days later when she was visiting.  In this case we put the bikes on car and started at Burns Road and just did that loop since it had the best fall colours on it. If you are unfamiliar with this area you can often pick up a map at the trail head and you should check it out this fall either on a bike or on foot.  If you would like more info on the EverGreen Cycling group then contact Ernie at: ejkimball62@gmail.com   See you on the trail.  If you know of other great Comox Valley Fall cycling options let me know- k2nicil@gmail.com

                                                                Along the 1 Spot Trail with Heather's sister

Checking out Hornby’s Great Mountain Bike Trails

by Keith and Heather Nicol

Hornby Island is one of our fav destinations since in its small 30 square kilometers ( that is an area just 5 km by 6 km ) it has several sand beaches for swimming and paddleboarding, it offers great off shore islands for exploring by kayak and it has a large network of trails for hiking and mountain biking. Of course not to mention an interesting convoluted coastline which is interesting to explore on foot or offshore by paddleboard or sea kayak and a 5 star attraction in Helliwell Park trail which features an amazing shoreline walk.  We recently spent 3 days with a friend from Kamloops on Hornby and one of my focuses this time was exploring their mountain biking trails.

                                      Some trails hug the cliff edge giving amazing views

I have biked on Hornby several times in the past but there were still several places on their Mt Geoffrey Trails that I hadn’t explored. I usually mountain bike at Cumberland and it is known for its legendary trail system but Hornby has a great trail system as well that is certainly worth checking out. It might not be marked quite as well as Cumberland’s trails (hence be sure to load up trailforks on your phone before you leave : https://www.trailforks.com/) but I really liked their more open forest which means that the Hornby trails are not as rooty as the those in Cumberland. Unlike Cumberland which has many trails in the open cutovers virtually the trails on Hornby are in the forest which is great when it is hot out. Another bonus is are the amazing vistas overlooking the ocean to Denman Island and the adjacent mainland of Vancouver Island. 

 The Middle Bench Trail is a easy cross country trail for those intimdated by the downhill trails

While I was there I did a route I have done before and love for its amazing views as you climb. The Outer Ridge trail ascends along a cliff face and is mostly rideable but I had to get off and push my bike some steep sections. I was dropped at the bottom of Outer Ridge by car -- at the end of Euston Rd. From the top I picked a route that would bring me down to Slade Road- Devil’s Kitchen, Purgatory, Tadpole, Northwind, Washing Machine, Coltsfoot and Slade Connector. These are a mix of black, blue and green trails but I loved their flow. I had to check Trailforks a couple of times to make sure I was on the right route but it is generally easy to navigate these trails. The next day I checked out a great easy trail for those people that want more of a cross country trail- The Middle Bench Trail is scenic and mostly flat and we accessed it by Mount Road. The last day I started at the top of Strachan Road and cycled up Washing Machine to Northwind and up to Cold Deck and Hot Rims where you get an fine view looking north. My down route included Mt Toads Wild Ride, Tadpole, Chris and Brads to No Horses – one of the signature rides on Hornby. No Horses  swoops in and out of a ravine all the way to Strachan Road. This route involves all blue trails which I usually seek out given my skill level.  I also recommend getting a Hornby Trail map for just $5 ..it supports the trails and is a great tool for planning your next day’s riding. Also worth noting is the advice I got from some riders from Comox that I ran into on the Hornby Trails—they said they usually ride at Cumberland but when it gets wet in the fall and winter they shift to Hornby since it is usually drier and the trail surface is better on Hornby Island—ie fewer slippery roots, puddles or slippery log bridges. See you on the trail. 

                                                         The view north from Hot Rims

 

Tree Island is a perfect half day trip for sea kayakers in the Comox, B.C. area

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

 Tree Island (or Sandy Island as it is sometimes known) is located off the northern tip of Denman Island and makes a perfect half day paddle (or longer if you plan to explore the island or want to linger). We do the trip on an annual basis and we usually launch at the Union Bay Boat launch.  This makes it easy to launch your kayak since you can drive right to the water’s edge and there is a large car park for your vehicle.  Be sure to drop your launch fee money in the box. From here you can’t quite see Tree Island but as soon as you take a few paddle strokes out of the harbour it looms 4.4 km in the distance.

 But on this occasion we decided to try out the Argyle Road public access (49 36' 50" N 124 54' 10" W) which makes the drive down from Courtenay abit shorter but more importantly it is the closest launch point we have been able to find to Tree Island. Instead of the 4.4 km crossing from Union Bay our GPS showed a distance of about 3.5 km one way from Argyle Road which meant we could do the paddle in about 45 minutes. The big down side of the Argyle Road access is that parking is limited and it is more of a homemade boat launch over rounded cobbles etc so a high clearance vehicle is handy. However no matter which launch point you use it is an open water crossing so you want to factor in the weather and wave conditions and be competent at doing a self rescue if you run into trouble. 

                                                         Tree Island is well named

 On Thursday, Sept 7 the wind forecast was for light NE winds which made for a very pleasant trip to Tree Island since the breeze was in our face keeping us cool.  We had a lunch break for about an hour and half before paddling back to the Argyle Shore access. We explored some of the trails along the north side of the Island and the nice sandy beach also makes for easy walking.  Allow about 45 minutes each way for paddling depending on wind and wave conditions from Argyle Road – add 15 minutes each way if you use the Union Bay launch location. Just one more note if you do use the Argyle Road access- be sure to note where to paddle back to from Tree Island. Once on Tree Island opposite shore line looks very much the same and so record your track or a waypoint at the launch point so you know where to head to your return trip. We used our Trailforks app to record our route and this helped us get back on track when we were heading back and got slightly off course. We usually use the Trailforks app for locating mountain bike trails but it can be used for other activities as well. For more info see: https://www.trailforks.com/     See you on the water.

 

                                                      Heather walking the sandy shoreline of Tree Island

                                                                        

Plenty to see at the 21th Artisans’ Festival at the Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

We have attended the Artisan’s Festival at the Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens in the past and were very impressed by the range of artisans which presented their wares in this relaxed woodland setting. We attended on Sunday, Sept 3 and there were close to 70 exhibitors featuring jewellery, pottery, paintings, wood work and everything in between so there is alot to choose from. The event is pet friendly and there is an ATM and food trucks on site.  The 24 acre Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens offers a tranquil setting to enjoy nature and this weekend there is an added bonus of the artisans’ festival.

                                Pottery is just one of the many handicrafts that you can see at the Artisan's Festival

 From the map we picked up at the entry gate we could see that there are many trails that wind through the forest and so we will have to return for another visit to fully explore the gardens. We did take one side trail to the labyrinth which is a special spot worth investigating.  We also appreciated the musicians who were playing music along the way. On Sunday we enjoyed the Celtic songs of David Somers at Artists Glade and on the main stage Luke Blue Guthrie and Anela Kahiamoe performed before an appreciative audience in Sunset Garden.  

 

                                                Heather checking out the decorated hats at The Hat Emporium

We are looking forward on coming back to see the gardens when the rhododendrons are in full bloom since they have one of the largest collections of rhodos on the Island.  The gardens are located about 15 minutes north of Courtenay off the North Island Highway. This year the festival runs from Saturday, September 2 to Monday, September 4 so you have one more day to catch this Labour Day Long weekend event.  For more information see:  http://woodlandgardens.ca/  

                     David Somers entertained with Celtic themed music at the Artists Glade on Sunday

 

Swimming with salmon in the Puntledge River

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

On Thursday August 17 we headed to Puntledge Park in Courtenay to check out the salmon in the river. We had seen salmon jumping the day before when we tubed the river so we thought we would see quite a few when we returned on the 17^th with snorkels and a water proof camera.  The day was sunny and warm with temperatures hitting 27-28 C so it was perfect day to see what lay below the surface.  We headed for the pool just off the gravel beach and we quickly saw many salmon. We usually see pink salmon at this time in the river and they seem to have a 2 year cycle with every odd year showing a big return. So 2023 should be a good year and we weren`t disappointed.

Salmon are now in the Puntledge River

 The current is strong in places and the rocks are slippery so you need to pay attention. We wear water shoes to protect our feet from the rocks and wade out several meters from shore before diving in and swimming over the salmon. The current will take you down near Morrison Creek and then  you need to swim hard to get to shore. You can also swim to the other side of the river where the current is slower and you can more easily stay in one place. With some warm weather forecast for the next several days this is a great chance to swim with salmon. Puntledge Park in located just off of 1^st Street in Courtenay. Check it out if you want to see an amazing show of nature in our backyard.Click this video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YWL060GokU    to see the huge numbers of salmon that are currently in the river (as of late August 2023) .