Hiking to Croteau Lake in scenic Strathcona Provincial Park

 

By Keith and Heather Nicol

 This summer our main hiking has taken place in the lower elevations of the Comox Valley and at Whistler Blackcomb (see  http://keithnicol.blogspot.com/2024/07/checking-out-whistler-blackcomb.html). But on Sunday, July 28 we decided to check out the trail to Croteau Lake which is in Strathcona Provincial Park which is conveniently on our door step. We hadn’t done this trail for a couple of years so we thought it was time to explore it again. I was joined by my xc ski and biking buddy Steve and we started from an informal trail along the access road to Raven Lodge (park in the large pullout at 49.7372 N 125.3104 W and walk along the road for 100 steps or so to access this informal trail).  This reduced our distance to the Croteau Lake by about 1 km.  Via this route the distance was about 5.4 km 1 way and this took us about 1 hour and 30 minutes to get in which included stopping for pictures in several places.  

                                                                          Having lunch at Croteau Lake

 Along the way the trail passes by Battleship Lake other scenic lakes like Kooso and Lady Lake before climbing to Croteau lake. The trail is in good shape with some roots and rocks to contend with in places. Croteau Lake is home to a large group camp site and we ate lunch in the 2 yellow chairs that face the lake.  Surprisingly there were no campers at any of the tent platforms while we were there. The lake faces Mt Albert Edward but on this day the view was obscured by cloud.  The trail continues to Kwai Lake and beyond but with a forecast of mid afternoon rain we decided to return via the same route we hiked in on. On this day there were still some wildflowers out and we saw some alpine lupins and even some bog orchids along the trail.  We were amazed at the wide range of hikers doing this trail from families with children to small groups of seniors out for a hike on a nice summer day. For more information see:  http://bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/strath/ 

                                                     Steve walking along the trail next to Battleship Lake  

 

                              

Checking out the Whistler Blackcomb Sightseeing Season Pass

by Keith and Heather Nicol

We are always on the lookout for ways to hike in the alpine or sub alpine without the long hike from sea level to reach these higher elevations. At Mount Washington in the Comox Valley to love to hike in Strathcona Provincial Park since we can drive to the sub alpine and hike many of the trails that radiate out there from Raven Lodge. But we recently joined our daughter Kristie and her partner Eric at Whistler – Blackcomb to check out their lift served access to the alpine. And one of the big surprises was how reasonable their sightseeing season pass was. Depending on when it is purchased it is just a few tens of dollars more than a 1 day ticket which in our view makes the season pass a great deal. The ticket gives you access to both mountains plus many kilometers of marked hiking trails. As well you can use the amazing 4.4 kilometer Peak to Peak gondola which connects the 2 mountains and use the Cloudraker Sky Bridge and Raven Eye lookout platform.

                                                                  Riding the Peak the Peak Chair

On our intro visit with decided to hike some short easy trails,  see both mountains and visit the Sky Bridge and Raven’s Eye.  After driving up from Vancouver we arrived at the base of Blackcomb around 10 am to get our season passes and take the Blackcomb Gondola to the top. Our first hike was the short 1.4 km Alpine Loop – even though it is short it still gains over 70 meters of elevation and provides great views of the surrounding mountains. From there we walked over to the nearby Peak to Peak Gondola which took us to Whistler Mountain. We had lunch at one of the picnic tables looking out to the Peak Chair and Glacier Bowl.  Next up was a 600 meter downhill walk to the Peak Chair which took us to the top of Whistler with its iconic views of Black Tusk and other snow capped mountains.

                 View from the top of the Peak to Peak Chair toward Black Tusk and surrounding mountains

 From here we took the 800 meter Cloudraker loop which links the Sky Bridge and the Raven’s Eye Lookout Platform and then loops back to feature lookouts and vantage points to take pictures of the impressive scenery. Then it was time to download back down the Peak Chair and be warned that the download capacity is 50 % of upload so we had a 15 minute wait to head back down. Our final hike of the day was to walk the 1.2 km Spearhead loop. 

                                 Raven's Eye lookout platform extends out for views to the valley below

This was another hike rated as easy and we even saw people with baby carriages doing this trail since the elevation change is much less than Alpine Loop we did earlier. By now it was getting to be late afternoon and we decided to head down via the Whistler Gondola. We had just sampled some of the many hiking trails accessed by the lifts at Whistler Blackcomb so on our next visit we want to try some of the longer hikes. If you are interested in getting summer lift access to the alpine and plan to visit the Whistler Blackcomb area a few times in the summer then take a close look at their Summer Season Passes which cuts the cost dramatically. See  https://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/  for details. 

                                      Kristie and Eric walking the Spearhead Loop trail

 

Sea kayaking to the Royston Wrecks

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

After attending MusicFest my brother and his wife wanted to check out the Royston Wrecks by sea kayak.   There is an informal boat launch just to the north of Royston Rd at the Royston Seaside Park. By informal we mean that there is a packed gravel beach that you can use to get your kayak to the water. It helps to use a set of wheels to make the carry from the car to the water abit easier.   It is best to do this paddle on a relatively high tide since this will reduce the distance needed to wheel your kayak to the shore. We launched on a 3.7 meter tide on Monday July 15th and as a bonus we had an eagle as a greeting party.  

                                                        An eagle greeted us at the launch site

                                                         Paddling past one of the many wrecks in the area  

The Royston wrecks are just about 500 meters away and make for a very different paddling experience since you can paddle right up to the remains of several ships that were intentionally sunk as a breakwater in the late 1930’s. At that time logging was important in this area and trees cut here would be towed to saw mills in New Westminster on the other side of Georgia Strait. But in the fall and winter strong south east winds would create problems for establishing log booms in the harbour at Courtenay and a breakwater was needed. Over time 14 “wrecks” were sunk in this area and included old whaling boats, schooners, freighters and tugs. They even included the "Melanope", a 79-metre 3-masted sailing ship built in the mid 1870’s. Not much is left of these “wrecks” now but they are ideally suited to viewing from the seat of a kayak. Another bonus was seeing about 20 blue herons on western part of the breakwater rocks. We are not sure what attracted so many herons but for whatever reason they seem to like this area. See you on the water. 

                                            3 of about 20 blue herons that were at the western end of the breakwater 

                                                   Using wheels to get our kayaks to and from the parking area

Vancouver Island MusicFest wraps up in fine style

by Keith Nicol and Heather Nicol

Sunday July 14 was another sunny hot day for the final day of MusicFest so again the name of the game was keeping cool. We are started our day at one of our favourite stages- The Grierson Stage where the music we heard coming into the festival site drew us in. JimJam (an Irish group) was playing with 2 other bands and since we are Celtic music fans we had to check them out. The session was called “Improv Wears Many Coats” and it was great to see how the 3 groups collaborated moving from Irish music to NY Jazz and Gypsy Jazz. We hadn’t been to the Crossroads Stage yet for this festival so we next headed for this nice shady site to learn some Latin dance moves and hear music from Chola y Gilano from Chile. The Crossroads Stage is more of a workshop stage so if you want to learn more about a style of music or a particular instrument this is the stage to check out. 

                                               Flavia Nascimento is a powerhouse on stage 

We next headed back to the Main Concert Stage to check out Tio Chorinho with Flavia Nascimento who are Canadian but play” New Orleans Jazz of Brazil”. Wow, is Flavia Nascimento ever a power house and dynamic presence on stage.  By this time it was mid afternoon and temperatures were now in the high 20C’s so we decided to cool down with a swim in the nearby Puntledge River just as we did the previous day. That cool down set us up for the final sessions on the main Concert Bowl that we  were especially looking forward to. 

                            Learning some Latin dance moves at the shady Crossroads venue

 As we mentioned earlier we are fans of Celtic music and Kathryn Tickell and the Darkening from Northern England started us off with music featuring the Northumbrian Pipes, an instrument from that part of England. She is also a great fiddler player and they played a mix of lively Celtic music. They were followed by one of our favourite groups of the festival- JigJam. We had seen them earlier at the Grierson Stage and they played a lively blend of Irish – Bluegrass music which was certainly a big hit with us and the crowd since they had lots of people up dancing. 

                     Kathryn Tickell and the Darkening traveled from Northern England to be at MusicFest

 They were followed by Canadian music legend – Daniel Lanois who has worked with a variety of big name artists like U2 and Bob Dylan. He played a mix of music but liked his down home songs of growing up in Quebec and Ontario the most. The final acts of MusicFest 2024 were local bands from Vancouver- The High Bar Gang and Lucarno. But just because they are local doesn’t mean they aren’t great musicians in their own right. Lucarno closed out the festival in classic style and had everyone up dancing to their lively upbeat music. And so concludes another amazingly varied and fun Vancouver Island MusicFest....lets hope it can continue for another 30 years!! For more info see: www.islandmusicfest.com

                       Daniel Lanois has won many Grammy and Juno Awarda and was invested in the Order of Canada in 2018!

MusicFest really heats up on Saturday, July 13

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

   The name of the game at the Vancouver Island MusicFest  (VIMF)on Saturday, July 13 was to keep cool. Although there was a light northerly breeze, the warm temperatures (high 20C’s)  and bright sunshine made staying cool a priority. We opted to start our day in a shaded area in the main concert bowl to see a Song Circle composed of 5 Canadians who represented both coasts and the prairies. We liked the song writing of all 3 groups but could really relate to John McLachlan who hails from nearby Hornby Island and who sings songs of our local area. We especially liked his song titled the “Curve of Time” based on a book of the same name that we had both just read recently!! A nice coincidence.

                                               John McLachlan playing "Curve of Time"

We always like the Woodland Stage since as the name implies it is located in a shady area. Next we scored a nice cool spot in the bleachers and enjoyed the songs Michael McGovern from Glasgow, Scotland. As is usual with MusicFest you want to sample music from a variety of stages and we noted that Tom and Kalissa Landa were playing next on the Grassy Knoll. We are big fans of the Paperboys and Tom and Kalissa are mainstays of that group. Unfortunately the shade options for this venue were not great and with the mid day sun beating down we had to stand in the shade of a small nearby building to avoid overheating. They played a great set and we told ourselves that we need to bring umbrellas next time to be able to be more comfortable in these types of hot conditions at this venue. 

          We love the music of the Paperboys who played with part of their full group on the Grassy Knoll

 Given the heat we opted to take a break and go for a swim in the nearby Puntledge River which is just around the corner from MusicFest at Lewis Park. One of the great things about the Vancouver Island MusicFest is the easy access to the water and there are lots of areas close by to either go for a swim in fresh or salt water. When we returned we visited one of our favourite venues- the Grierson stage and we were wowed by the great Celtic music being played there by 3 groups under the heading- Sonic Cluster Jam. If like musicians joining in to produce great impromptu music then the Greirson stage is where that is likely to happen.

                                          The Grierson Stage is often where great impromtu jam sessions occur

Then it was back to the Main Concert Bowl to hear the final acts of the day. And what a line up- Leon Timbo got things going with their brand of spiritual country soul music from the American South. Then it was guitar virtuoso Leo Kottle followed by American rock and roll legend Lucinda Williams and finishing the evening were the BCUC – from South Africa.  What a day of music from all over the world at VIMF. And we still have lots more great music for Sunday. For more info see: www.island musicfest.com. See you there. 

                                Lucinda Williams played to a huge crowd in the main Concert Bowl on Saturday night

 

 

Vancouver Island MusicFest Celebrates 30 years!!!

 



By Keith and Heather Nicol

        Friday, July 12 offered a perfect night for enjoying a wide range of music at the opening of Vancouver Island MusicFest in Courtenay, BC.  Temperatures were ideal in the low 20 C’s and my brother and his wife from Victoria joined us again this year. By the time they arrived and we had a quick bite to eat we were just in time to see Second Moon – a fusion band from Korea that combines Irish , C and W music with that of their home country. Since we are a fan of Irish music we were impressed by their take on this style of music. 

                                                              We liked the fiddler from Second Moon

Next up were the Milk Carton Kids (MCK) who have been nominated several times for Grammy Awards and the crowd really appreciated their captivating harmonies and acoustic presentation. The MCK hail from Los Angeles and are just one of many groups playing at this year’s Vancouver Island Music Fest from the US. 

                                    The Milk Carton Kids received a well deserved standing ovation for their set

They were followed by Bela Fleck and his group – As We Speak. Speaking of Grammies – Bela Fleck has won 16 Grammy awards across an amazing 10 categories and in his set they played music for their most recent 2024 Grammy winning album titled As We Speak. Their music has a definite Indian influence and typifies the variety of world class music that Doug Cox puts together for MusicFest – so far in just 3 sets we have heard Korean, US Folk and Grammy award music flavoured from India. 

                                    Banjo player Bela Fleck has received an amazing 16 grammies for his music

And this was just the first night. There are 2 more days of music to come, so if you haven’t got your ticket come on down and listen to some of the best music the Comox Valley will feature this summer. With the weekend forecast to be hot and sunny you need to be prepared so bring plenty of sunscreen, water bottle (plastic), sun hat, low rise or high rise chair, tarp or blanket, flashlight, munchies, and sunglasses.   Again this year there will be a shuttle for those that don’t want to park near the Exhibition Grounds, the MusicFest site.  First Student shuttles will be travelling back and forth from the Driftwood Mall in Courtenay and the Comox Presbyterian Church in Comox. The shuttles will run until 1 am every evening and if that shuttle is full they will return for remaining riders. For more information see: www.islandmusicfest.com.  See you there.

                       As We Speak performed in the Concert Bowl in front a large appreciative crowd 

Tips for tubing the Puntledge River in Courtenay, BC

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

Summer has been slow to come in the Comox Valley but recently it has turned hot in a hurry and the forecast to looking good for the next couple of weeks. So if you like to swim and cool off then tubing is a great way to have fun at the same time. Tubing is an institution the Comox Valley and for good reason –the Puntledge River is ideal for this activity .With a forecast of 2 more weeks of warm weather ahead it is certainly a perfect opportunity to dig out that tube and head down the river if you haven’t already done so. So far this year we have been done the river a couple of times (most recently on July 10) so here are some tips that we can share if you are new to tubing. Tip 1 -Where to put in? Most people start at the fish hatchery on Powerhouse Road.  Park near the fish hatchery access road and walk around or past the gate. Part way down you will see a sign pointing to “Tubers Trail” and take that to the put in. This trail is steep and slippery in places so it won’t be for everyone-an easier put in with tamer water can be done by going to Puntledge Park and starting your tubing adventure from there. Either way our most common takeout is at Condensory Bridge on the right side but you can tube all the way to Lewis Park.   Tip 2-Good footwear really helps on getting down this steep trail and it will protect your feet once in the river.  We tend you use kayak booties or well fitted water shoes since they give reasonable grip and protection. Tip 3- We sometimes use a kayak paddle to help steer and manoeuvre but most people don’t use one. If you have one bring it along since tubes on their own are not very manoeuvrable. Tip 4- We also have found that putting a life jacket over the mesh on the bottom of the tube keeps your bum and lower back from hitting too many rocks. If you are using a truck inner tube keep your “bum up” when you go over rapids to avoid hitting “bottom” in the shallow sections. We hear people complain all the time about the rocks that they hit and how sore their back or bum is- a life jacket in the bottom really helps.

                            Tubing through some of the rapids in the upper section on July 10, 2024

Tip 5- Bring along a real water proof case for car keys or anything else you don’t want to get wet. A ziplock bag likely won’t cut it.  Tip 6-The section from Powerhouse Road to Puntledge Park is abit faster with more rapids than the lower section from Puntledge Park to either the Condensory Bridge or Lewis Park. First timers or those with younger children may want to do just the lower section starting from Puntledge Park and we suggest a pull out just below the Condensory Bridge since the last part to Lewis Park can be slow, especially if there is a high tide or the wind is against you. For newcomers to the Comox Valley,  Puntledge Park is at the intersection of 1^st and Urquhart Avenue and the Condensory Bridge is off of Anderton Avenue. Since the river is dam controlled water levels are often similar day after day which is a real bonus. Tip 7- But note that the river can change rapidly since it is dam controlled and hazards like fallen trees in the river can occur over night. Tubing shouldn’t be taken lightly and accidents do happen on the river. Look ahead and be prepared to get off of the river if you see hazards ahead. Tubing is an institution in the Comox Valley and it is the ideal way to spend a couple of hours on a warm day.

 

We love the cool clean water of the Puntledge River