Ride Mt. Washington's Summer Chairlift for Spectacular Views

by Keith and Heather Nicol

The Heather was in full bloom along the trails

      On Saturday, June 13 we decided to check out the summer chairlift rides at Mt. Washington near Courtenay, B.C. They had just opened for the season the previous weekend and they will operate the summer chairlift on weekends only until June 27^th when they will be open daily through the summer. Mt. Washington operates the Eagle Express chair lift and in less than 15 minutes it takes you right to the summit.  Be sure to walk the easy 1 km Top of the World trail which provides amazing vistas in all directions. You can look back to the Courtenay – Comox area (you can even see Goose Spit and Tree Island), north to Campbell River and Quadra Island but the most impressive views are those of the mountains that lay to the south west of Mt. Washington. Here you can see Mt  Albert Edward and the Comox Glacier as well as many other rugged peaks. Be sure to bring your camera since the views are spectacular. 

Keith on the Top of the World Trail

  Just be aware that temperatures are quite a bit cooler up at the summit at close to 1600 meters than down at sea level in Courtenay. We were glad we brought our fleeces and long pants for the trip up the chairlift. There are lots of other trails that wind around various parts of the mountain and we plan to hike these in the coming weeks. For more information on Mt. Washington and what it offers the summer visitor check out the following web page: https://www.mountwashington.ca/

Heather with Courtenay and Comox in the distance

The ride down is very scenic with mountains and lakes in view