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