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

 

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 was built there just over a decade ago.  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 like to check out it out in the autumn with the fall colours. Also according to the posted information BC Hydro is releasing more water up until Nov 12 from Tuesday through  Thursdays so now might be a good chance to see the falls with extra water if you can go on those days. The pictures below were taken on Tuesday, Nov 3,  2026.                                                                               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.  On Nov 3there were a steady stream of visitors to the Suspension Bridge  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/

Pacific Rim National Park trails and beaches make for great walking

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

On a recent trip to Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park we spent most of our time exploring trails and beaches. Of course most people have heard of Long Beach and it is certainly well worth a visit- we in fact walked on 2 different sections and since it is 16 km long there is lots to explore. We really enjoyed the section off of parking lot 2 since it has nice views of the off shore island called Lovekin Rock. As well we liked walking the very southern tip of Long Beach near the Parks Canada Visitor Centre (Kwisitis) which has fabulous views and is also has displays of the natural and human history of the park. In this area we also did a hike to South Beach which is a fun little hike to a more isolated beach. It is just 1.5 km return and has stairs in places to help descend to the beach so is accessible by a wide range of people. 

                                                                    Surfer off of Cox Beach

We also found that Cox Bay had the most surfers and is a smaller beach than some of the beaches. Also nearby is scenic Chesterman Beach which has various entry points and we first walked from the public access off of Chesterman Road and were rewarded with nice lighting with flocks of birds to add to the experience. The next day we walked from the Lynn Rd access where there is another large parking lot. From there we walked toward the famous Wickaninnish Inn which occupies a prominent headland. The rewarding thing about walking these beaches is that they always seem to be changing with the rise and fall of the tide,  changing waves, the passing of clouds and changing sun angles. You could walk the same beach day after day and often have a different visual experience. Check out these and other beaches on your next trip to this area. You will not be disappointed. See you on the trail. We should note that parking access to many of these beaches involves either getting a national park pass for beaches like Long Beach or pay by the hour parking for beaches like Chesterman and Cox Bay. 

Gulls on Chesterman Beach 

                                      Walking at Long Beach with Kinlove Rock off shore 

                                                      Enjoying the changing weather on Cox Beach

 

The Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet is well worth checking out

by Keith and Heather Nicol

On a recent trip to Pacific Rim National Park we decided to do a few sections of the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet. This trail is broken up into a variety of sections with several places to start and finish which makes it an ideal trail for those people who might not be able to or have time to do the entire 8 km one way trail.We started on the Lighthouse Loop which we have done before but love since it features a Lighthouse (hence the name) and traverses a very scenic section of shoreline. This loop is 2.6 km long and would be able to be done by a variety of ages and stages since the gravel trail is free of rocks and roots and is very easy to follow. 

                                        Heather on the Wild Pacific Trail- Lighthouse Loop

Next we hiked the Ancient Cedars loop and also the Rocky Bluff the trail. The former is just 1 km long and would be hike able by many ages since it is so short. The main attraction as you might guess from the name are the old cedars which tower above the trail. The Rocky Bluff trail is and in and out trail and has more elevation gain as the trail climbs and drops several times along its 1.5 km route. But the hiker is rewarded with many scenic sections of coast line as well as an open rocky outcrop at the trail's end. Next time we go to this area we want to fill in some of the other sections of this trail. Another bonus is that parking is free at the trail heads although we could imagine that it fills up quickly in the summer. See you on the trail.  

                                             Keith at the end of the Rocky Bluff Trail

                                                               Waves crashing at Rocky Bluff 

Paddling the Courtenay River in the fall

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

We love to paddle the Courtenay River (actually the lower part of the Puntledge River) in the fall since the leaves are changing and it often has calm water when it might be windy on the ocean. We use a couple of put ins depending on what kind of paddling we are doing. The first one that is great for kayaks or canoes is the Air Park boat launch. We like to go at high tide so that we can paddle well up the Courtenay River past Lewis Park and within site of the Condensory Bridge. Also at this time of year there is lots of seal and salmon interactions so that is exciting to watch.  If we want to paddleboard on the river we tend to put in at Lewis Park and paddle upstream. This makes for a shorter paddle and usually we encounter less current in this area. No matter which area you choose aim for a high tide of at least 4 meters to be able to navigate more of the river. See you on the water. 

Checking out the Fall Colours in Paradise Meadows – Strathcona Prov.Park

 

By Keith and Heather Nicol

We love seeing fall colours unfold in different areas of the Comox Valley. But recently we decided to check out the fall colours in Paradise Meadows in Strathcona Provincial Park with our son and our 2 grand daughters.It was there first time walking in this area and they were impressed. Here the main colours  are created by the blueberry bushes turning a bright red in the open boggy areas. 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 Paradise Meadows 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 and steps on the boardwalk. 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. We were amazed at how full the parking lot was given that it was early October but we guess everyone had the same idea we had. Check this out this fall to see bright reds and golden colours of fall.  A note of caution though is to have a look at temperatures in the alpine on the Mountain Washington Ski Resort web site...if it is around 0 C there might well be frost on the boardwalk which can make it slippery. In our case warm overnight temperatures meant that there was no frost even for our morning walk. See you on the trail.

Kamloops rightly deserves to be on everyone's mountain bike "to ride" list

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

On a recent trip to the Interior of BC to visit friends and family we stopped in Kamloops overnight. When I checked out Trailforks for riding areas in and around the city I was not disappointed. There are enough trails here to keep you occupied for some time but we only had a chance to check out a couple of areas over the space of 3 hours. Our first stop was Peterson Creek which had just a handful of short trails which are mostly easy but provide a good view of the city of Kamloops and Thompson River (see photo below).These are also great walking trails and are worth having a look at if some of your group likes to hike and others like to bike.  

We also had a chance to check out some of the riding and hiking at the Kenna Cartwright trail system and I really liked the open vistas and the large number of easy trails that this location offered. I only did a small portion of the trails which included a fun climb to Lava Flow Lookout trail. There are lots of green and blue trails here and they are more of a cross country nature which I like. But there are many more mountain bike areas in and near Kamloops which we hope to check out on our next visit.  See you on the trail. 

View from Lava Lookout toward the Thompson River 

Sampling some scenic and easy mountain bike trails in the Columbia Valley

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

We just returned from a great trip to the Columbia Valley in BC where we visited friends and family for a weekend. Since the weather forecast was stellar we I decided to bring my mountain bike to check out the trails in the area. Mountain biking can mean many things to different people from the you tube videos of mountain bikers flying over trains or huge water gaps in Red Bull sponsored event to easy single track over gently rolling terrain. I lean toward the latter and we came across some very scenic trails near Radium and Fairmont Hot Springs that people might be interested in checking out if they lean to that sort of easier style of trail. Near Radium look for the Old Coach Trail which is just south of town. It has a wide easy to follow walking/biking trail but what I really liked was the side trails that went out to the valley edge which gave great vistas of the Columbia Valley wetlands. These trails were generally root and rock free with small elevation changes and they snaked along the terrace edge. And you would be fine with a front shock bike and I even saw people riding gravel bikes with no shock on these trails. 

                             Columbia Valley Wetlands in the background along the trails branching off the Old Coach Trail

Also near Fairmont is another set of trails which are very similar to these just mentioned but they start at Columbia Lake Prov Park and wind along over looking Columbia Lake. A friend from Golden who was visiting in Fairmont showed me these trails and they were also stunning . These trails had more abrupt up and down but again very few rocks and roots to contend with. Rocks and roots are of course standard for trails here in the Comox Valley. So if you are in the Columbia Valley check out these trails and I know we have just touched the surface of some of the fine biking in this area. See you on the trail. 

Columbia Lake in the background 

 

 

Fall is a great time to visit Hornby Island

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

We recently returned from 3 days on Hornby Island visiting a friend from university days. Reunions are great especially when you have a location like Hornby where there is lots to do. Hornby has great hiking, mountain biking and we even got in some fun paddle boarding at Whaling Station Beach and Tribune Beach. Hornby has some beaches facing south (like Tribune Bay) which is nice if there is a north wind and also Whaling Station beach faces north which works well if the wind is from the south. We always love hiking the super scenic Helliwell Trail and the mountain biking on Hornby is by far the best Gulf Island for this activity. Be sure to pick up a trail map of the bike trails (which also double as hiking trails) at the Coop or bike shop on Hornby Island.  Of course you can also simply relax and visit the many craft people that make Hornby Island home. Below are some of the pictures from our recent trip. Check it out while the weather is still good. 

  

Lots of Seal and Salmon action in the Puntledge River these days

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

 Yesterday we put our paddle boards in at Lewis Park in Courtenay and paddled upstream to investigate the seal and salmon interactions which occur this time of year. We certainly were not disappointed ..we saw 3 seals chasing another one with a salmon in its mouth. The water depth varies in the river in this area but often it is just 6 to 8 feet deep so you can see all the action below the surface due to the clear water. We put in at the swimming steps in Lewis Park and you want to go at a tide of 4 meters or more ideally. Check it out over the next few days while the weather is still very pleasant for this sort of outing. See you on the water. 

 

Plenty to see at the 24th Artisan's Festival at the Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens- Sept 5-7, 2026

 

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 Saturday,  Sept 5 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 at Artists Glade and on the Main Stage in Sunset Gardens.                                                               Many booths are in open fields  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 5 to Monday, September 7 so you have a couple more days to catch this Labour Day Long weekend event.  For more information see:  http://woodlandgardens.ca/                                  Other booths are along some of the many paths that criss cross the gardens

Paddle boarding at Comox Lake

By Keith and Heather Nicol

Comox Lake has many options of launching a paddle board but one location that we like is near Comox Dam . We like this area since once you paddle around the corner and head down the lake you have great views of the Comox Glacier in the distance. On our most recent trip we paddle boarded down to the Comox Bluffs which feature a very dry ecosystem with arbutus trees and manzanita shrubs. It is part of the Comox Bluffs Ecological Reserve.  Be aware that the lake can get windy in a hurry so judge your trip accordingly. You can stop just about anywhere along this northern shore of the lake (except where the bluffs are) and we saw many groups enjoying the sun and seclusion of this area. The shore line is mostly gravel or cobbles so water shoes will come in handy if you decide to stop along the way. Just watch the weather if you plan to do an extended trip down the lake.  

                                                                      Heather paddling toward Comox Glacier 

If you go- The carry to the lake is about 100 meters or so from the road over mostly level ground before you encounter a slight hill down to the water.  We parked just across the bridge and the trail heading down to the lake is very obvious. If you are not familiar with this area you can put in Comox Dam Recreation Area in google maps and it will bring you bridge. If readers have other locations which are fav's for paddle boarding let us know.See you on the water. 

                                                    Heather paddling below the base of the Comox Bluffs 

Point Holmes is well worth checking out at low tide

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

     We like to head down to the Point Holmes shoreline of Comox when there is a very  low tide since it is one of the few places we know of locally that has small tide pools and exposed bedrock which can hide sea stars and other organisms. It is also easy to access from the parking area at Point Holmes which is on Lazo Road on the Comox Peninsula. On Monday August 10 low tide was just 0.6 meters  at 10  am so it was ideally timed. We like to get down to this area about 30 minutes before the low tide so that we can do some exploring knowing that the tide won’t start rising for awhile.

 

   We were rewarded with sitings of various sea stars including the purple sea star which can be easily found in this area clinging to clefts in the rock and in the tide pools. We also saw a sea cucumber which was very interesting as it slowly made its way across a tide pool. We don’t usually see these creatures so this was a bonus. We also saw several leather sea star which is another species we don’t many of in this area. If you sit and watch the goings on in a tide pool you can often see hermit crabs that use discarded shells as hiding places.  You know that the shell is being occupied by a hermit crab since all of a sudden the shell starts to move.

                                                       A sea cucumber is a small tide pool 

 

 

 We also saw families in this area exploring the tide pools and it is a great spot to for just about all ages. Be aware that the rocks in this area can be very slippery with sea weed so walk very carefully. I also use a kneeling pad to get down to take pictures of the sea stars and other organisms in the tide pools. The tides will be fairly low over the next few days so check the tide tables and check out Point Holmes. 

  

Lots to see while sea kayaking at Point Holmes

 

by Keith and Heather Nicol

    Sea kayaks are great vessels for observing wildlife from seals to whales and they are also ideal for observing shorebirds, ducks and other birds. One of our favourite places to paddle is at Point Holmes since it offers ready access to scenic paddling and a variety of shorelines from sandy beaches to rocky headlands. With the sunny, warm weather of late we have been sea kayaking on a few occasions and our most recent outing to Pt Holmes was on August 7 and we weren’t disappointed. We almost always head around Cape Lazo toward Kye Bay since this is where you tend to get the best bird and marine mammal sitings.

                                                                                 Heading toward Cape Lazo

 We saw lots of Bonaparte's gulls which we love seeing since they are one of the smaller gulls and often let us paddle quite close to them. There were also a large number of harlequin ducks in the rocky area around Cape Lazo and of course loads of gulls. 

                                              Harlequin Ducks on a rock near Cape Lazo

We went a tide of around 4 meters which means there are fewer rocks exposed for seals to haul out on but we did see several seals and 2 swam underneath our kayaks!! nother bonus of paddling at Point Holmes is the fact that the boat launch has a web cam that lets you see what the tide and wave conditions are along the shore. It can be viewed at: http://www.pointholmesrecreation.ca/rampcam/. It is always interesting to see the variety of birds and other wildlife in this area and we look forward to our next kayak trip to Point Holmes. Be sure to put your money in the box at the boat launch to help maintain this great facility.

Nautical days in Comox is a don't miss event

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

Nautical days has been and gone but we have had visitors so this post is a few days late.  So the main purpose of this blog is to congratulate the organizers for putting on such a family friendly event. Although we have been in the Comox Valley for a few years we have not often attended for one reason or another-- usually we have been away visiting in Vancouver or Victoria for the long weekend. But this year we had visitors here so we took it in on Monday , August 3. We loved the setting along the water and we got to get our Irish Music fix on the Sail Stage with Mary Murphy's band. Also fun was the build, bail and sail event ...some of the boats made in a short time were very creative. And I mentioned earlier it is a family friendly event with bouncy castles, the water park and play ground right on site. Check it out next year if you missed it this year. And the best part is it is all FREE!!

Comox Dam trails now reopened

by Keith and Heather Nicol

BC Hydro has just reopened some trails that they have been working on which is great news for people that like to hike and bike the trails from Nymph Falls to Comox Dam Recreation Area and back to the Comox Valley Water Treatment Plant (CVWTP) on the north side of the Puntledge River. They have been mainly replacing the bridges and boardwalk areas with heavy duty cedar and it looks great. Those bridges should last for decades! We just did a bike loop around this area on July 30 which included starting at the Water Treatment Plant and biking the trails to Comox Dam bridge and then biking the trails to Nymph Falls parking area and back along mostly the same route . The trails are very scenic since they follow the river for the most part. The trails are well marked but there are some forks that you will encounter. But at most trail junctions there are finger boards telling you the name of the trail so you should not get lost . You can always use apps like Alltrails if in doubt. To get to the CVWTP simply put the full name in google maps and it will direct you there. 

                                                   A pull out at " Palm Beach " on the Puntledge River 

                                                           Steve riding over one the new sturdy bridges 

                                               The sign post at the trail head at the Water Treatment Plant 

Tips for tubing the Puntledge River in Courtenay, BC

 

By Keith and Heather Nicol

Summer has been off and on so far in July in the Comox Valley with some hot weather thrown in with some cool windy weather. But there is more heat forecast for early August 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 August just about here 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 24) so here are some tips that we can share if you are new to tubing. Note this year that water levels are lower than normal due to water restrictions so be prepared to hit "bottom" more often than usual. 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 July24 , 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.

                                                   Tubing is still a ton of fun even with lower water levels 

                       

Hiking the Lake Helen Mackenzie and Battleship Lake loop using Alltrails

 

by Keith and Heather Nicol

Alltrails is a great app for hikers to know about even if they know the trail they want to hike and have been on it several times. Alltrails has a free and paid version of its app and although the free version has lots of utility the pro version allows you to download maps and use them off line as well as off route notifications etc. But if you already know the trail and have hiked it a few times why would you go to Alltrails to get route info etc? The main reason is to find out what conditions are like at the present time. Since users provide regular updates you can find out if a trail is muddy or full of mosquitoes at the present time if people have posted updates on conditions recently. Note that not every trail you want to hike will be on Alltrails or would have had recent posts about trail conditions but it is always our first "go to" .

                         View of the ski runs at Mount Washington with Battleship Lake in the foreground 

For instance, we hiked the Helen Mackenzie and Battleship Lake trail on Saturday, July 25 with our daughter Kristie and her boyfriend Eric and used the app to find out what conditions were like.  We have done the hike previously so didn’t need the route info and trail description that Alltrails supplies. It turned out that any people had done the hike in the past week and posted info to Alltrails.  Although one perosn suggested bringing bug repellent, several people said bugs were not a problem so we opted not to bring it and we weren't bothered at all by bugs. This might also have also been due to windy cool conditions!  With temperatures in the mid teens it turned out to be perfect weather for hiking even though the clouds restricted out views. Overall the hike took us about 2 and 1/2 hours which included about 15 minutes for lunch at Lake Helen Mackenzie. Our total distance was measured at 9.4 km which is higher than the Alltrails distance of 8.2 km. But we recorded our distance from the Raven Lodge Parking lot and we did an extra small loop around a small peninsula sticking out into Lake Helen Mackenzie which might account for some of this difference.   The elevation gain is about 165 meters and be prepared for some rooty and rocky trail sections although much of it is smooth gravel or board walk making it a relatively easy hike. 

Of course the main application of Alltrails is to get trail info about hikes that you have never done and it is a great tool for this. In this case, the paid version might well be worth it. For information on Alltrails https://www.alltrails.com/   

Paddle boarding at Comox Dam

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

Paddling boarding is a popular summer activity in the Comox Valley and for good reason- there are many places to put your board in the water from the Ocean to Comox Lake to the Puntledge River. We have just started to get into this activity since we usually go sea kayaking but a paddle board is so much easier to launch that sometimes it is the preferred option. One place where we went recently is perfect for paddle boarding and that is launching from the Comox Dam Recreation site. You can type Comox Dam Recreation Area into to google maps and it will get you there. It took us about 20 minutes to get there from our location in Courtenay. There is a reasonable sized parking area with picnic tables and a small swimming area . To launch you need to get your board down some rock steps. Launching with a kayak or canoe would be much more difficult due to the steep entry to the launch point. 

We were mainly there to test out a new board and to see the area so only paddled down the river about 1.5 km. We found there was little current in the river as far as we went and this area was nicely protected from the wind on July 24 when we went there. The water is very clear and we saw people using there boards to swimming from in some of the deeper areas. It appears from the maps that you could paddle down about 3 km or so before you hit the next dam. Next time we will definitely explore further. Check this area out for paddle boarding if you haven't already. Of course wear your lift jacket and bring along appropriate safety gear like a whistle and tow line . Also note water flow can vary so use common sense when exploring this area. Let us know your favourite places to  paddle board in the Comox Valley. See you on the water.