Take a Campbell River Museum Boat Tour for an Amazing Day on the Water

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

    Campbell River is fortunate to have a varied collection of scenic islands in its vicinity as well as a rich marine ecosystem with many types of whales, seals, sea lions and various sea birds. In the past we have taken whale watching tours in this area but on June 1 we opted for a different experience and joined the Campbell River Museum for a tour of some of Desolation Sound with a stop at historic Refuge Cove on
West Redonda Island. This tour is a partnership with the museum and Campbell River Whale Watching and Adventure Tours (CRWW) which is an award winning boat tour company based in Campbell River
(https://campbellriverwhalewatching.com/). The Campbell River Museum runs several tours through the summer with a historic interpretation with CRWW and you can check out their web site for details
 for other trips into various parts of the Discovery Islands (https://crmuseum.ca/)These trips book up quickly so check out their offerings and plan ahead so you don't miss out.

                                                                         Boarding the Tenacious III

        We had nice sunny weather for our 4 hour afternoon trip but we also had strong outflow NW winds which were forecast to gust to 25 knots . Our Captain told us that anyone sitting in the upper deck might get wet especially for the first part of the trip. Fortunately there was room for everyone in the enclosed cabin of the Tenacious III .That is where our museum guide Sandra Mulligan provided much of the
information about what we were seeing from a historical perspective. Most of the 20 passengers were from the local area including Nanoose Bay, Royston, Comox and Courtenay but we did have one person from Texas who was here to escape the heat of the southern US.  Sandra gave us reading lists about the areas we would visit as well as a map which she kept updating while the afternoon unfolded.

                         Our Museum Host - Sandra - provided lots of information about the history of this area

 After leaving Campbell River our tour passed by the southern end of Quadra Island and Sandra pointed out Cape Mudge and told us to be sure to visit the First Nations Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre there. Our first stop was at Twin Islands which is just off of Cortes Island and we got a chance to see a historic house/lodge with a fascinating history . According to Sandra it was initially built by Americans Dick and Ethel Andrews in 1936. Apparently they had made lots of money in Japan but could see hostilities on the horizon so wanted an out of the way place with arable land, fishing, fresh water and a good moorage. Twin Islands is certainly out of the way since it is an island with no road access!! Sandra thought at one time it was the most expensive house in all of BC!! The lodge has since changed hands a couple of
times and the current owner is Mark Torrance who is an entrepreneur from Seattle.

                                                  Visiting historic Refuge Cove-was a real highlight  
       Our next stop was Refuge Cove on West Redonda Island which has been a focal point in this area since 1890 when a store was first opened. We were especially keen to see Refuge Cove since we had visited here in the late 1970's when friends from Vancouver moved to help run the historic store. At that  time Bonnie and Colin Robertson had just given birth to Lucy and we visited them for several days in the
spring of 1979. And who should we meet in the store on this trip but Lucy who now runs the store since her parents have retired! Refuge Cove is a hidden gem and the only way to get here is by boat.    

                                                    Heather and Lucy at the store in Refuge Cove

After an enjoyable reunion with Lucy and a story from Sandra about a long time Refuge Cove resident with a cougar in his house we then headed across Desolation Sound to Portage Cove and then to Galley Bay. Both have a long history of settlement and at one time held a much larger population than they do now. But with the boom and bust of logging and fishing along this coast the area now mainly is used by summer cottagers. Desolation Sound got its name from Capt George Vancouver in 1792 since he thought it looked "gloomy and forlorn" but now it is a very popular destination for boaters in the summer.  Sandra told us about the parties people used to hold in the houses in Galley Bay that would attract people from Cortes Island and Refuge Cove. "They would row over, have a grand party and then row back the next day. A distance of 10-15 km one way!" But now it was time to head back to Campbell River so we backtracked leaving behind scenic Desolation Sound with its snow capped mountains . We reflected on the varied human history that has lived along these rocky islands and wooded hillsides that are mostly only accessible by boat. A big thanks to Sandra and the crew for giving us a glimpse of the fascinating history found along these shores. Although we had travelled over 100 km on our trip we realized we had just scratched the surface of seeing the many islands and waterways that are found in the Discovery
Islands. We can't wait to check out another Campbell River Museum Boat Tour next year. Here is a short video of our trip. Check it out 

 

     
   

     

A day trip to Hornby Island makes for a perfect spring escape

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

 We love heading to Hornby Island and so when our daughter was visiting recently from Vancouver for Mother's day we decided an impromptu trip was in order, especially since our daughter had never been there. We caught the 900 am ferry from Buckley Bay and that got us on to Hornby by 1000 am given that we had to drive across Denman Island and then catch the 10 minute ferry crossing to Hornby Island. Since our daughter likes to hike we first did the hike at Helliwell Park and it was perfect with the blue water below the cliffs and spring temperatures that were ideal for walking (see picture below). After completing that 4 km hike we headed to Tribune Bay where we had lunch on beach front log and since the tide was low it gave a huge area of beach to explore. 

 After lunch we headed to the shoreline at Sandpiper Bay which is totally different from sandy Tribune Bay with its tilted sedimentary rocks and stray boulders dotting the inter-tidal zone. Then it was on to Ford's Cover and the wave sculpted and pitted sandstone of the shore line in that location. We ended the day with another hike at the Middle Bench trail and this is another stellar hike with fabulous views. It is under 2 km in length so doable by many people...but be aware it is along a cliff edge so watch your footing and keep small children close by. We caught the 400 pm ferry off of Hornby which put us back in Courtenay by 5:15 pm just in time for dinner. And a bonus of a trip in the spring is that there are few people around - unlike the crowds in the summer time. Check it out.

                                          Tribune Bay has as huge sandy beach --especially at low tide

                                                            The views from Middle Bench trail are fabulous

Check out the new Glacier Grove Disc Golf in Comox , B.C.

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

The Glacier Grove Disc Golf course has just opened this spring and is a great addition to the Comox Valley Disc Golf scene. It is located at the back of the Glacier Gardens Arena at 1399 Military Row. The tee boxes are great and although there is no map of each hole or a general map of the course it is pretty intuitive to follow. Be aware that it parallels a walking trail in parts so be aware of where errant discs may fly and either wait until the foot traffic has passed or yell Fore. 

                                                                 Heather getting ready to putt

The course is 9 holes and has regular disc golf baskets. The course is quite wooded but with openings to allow the accurate disc golfer a challenge. The course more or less heads into the woods and so when it ends you need to walk back to the starting point. Perhaps the idea is that with another 9 holes it will bring the golfer back to the parking lot? We liked the fact that the holes were relatively short which makes it a good beginner course but we think all disc golfers will find it a challenging course due to the close tree spacing on many holes. This is a great addition to the local disc golf scene. Thanks to those who created it.

The Tee Boxes are well made

The “Pub to Pub” trail is a scenic ocean view walk

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

We always love doing the so called “Pub to Pub” trail which is roughly half way between Campbell River and Courtenay since is a scenic trail with both river and ocean/beach views. We hadn’t done the trail for a few months since last fall and so we decided to walk on Friday May 2 with some xc ski buddies from Mt Washington who had not done the trail before.  The trail gets its name from the fact that 2 pubs were located close to the start and end point of the trail but now these “pubs” are no longer there. Since the trail is just 3.5 km (1 way) it is suited to a variety of options. If you have young children or walkers that would find 7 km too long a hike, you could park a car at each end and just make the 1 way trip. You can see from the photo below that the trail surface is well maintained and is generally flat so is walkable for just about all ages. 

 

To get there from Courtenay drive north on Highway 19A and keep an eye out for the Oyster River bridge since you want to turn right on the next road (Glenmore Road).  Then travel one roughly 1 block and then turn left on Regent and look for a parking lot with a sign Oyster River Nature Park. The parking lot coordinates are 49. 52.232 N and 125 07.616 W.  There is parking for several cars but this area is popular so we try to go mid week to be able to get a spot. There are a few forks in the trail but bear to the left and you should be fine.  After about 1 km you reach the ocean and from there you follow the Jack Hames Trail to Salmon Point. You can walk the trail in either direction although we tend to walk it south to north most of the time. On this day we were treated to some dramatic skies and we had lunch on driftwood logs part along where we had a fabulous view of ocean and mountains of the BC in the distance. Check this trail out of you haven't done it before. See you on the trail.

A mid April hike to the Comox Bluffs Ecological Reserve

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

 The Comox Bluffs are along the north side of Comox Lake and there is an ecological reserve there to protect the unusual plant life that exists in this dry rocky sun drenched area. Trees like Arbutus and shrubs like hairy Manzanita are common along this area where as they are pretty rare in the rain forest environment of the Comox Valley. We hadn’t been to this lookout for a couple of years and we hoped to see some wildflowers which bloom here early in the spring.

                                The viewpoint overlooking Comox Lake is just a 25 minute walk from the parking lot

                 This trail starts at a small parking lot at 49 38.477 N 125 06.256 W on the left hand side of the road a few hundred meters past the bridge the crosses the Puntledge River where it empties out of Comox Lake.  This route is called the Tomato Creek trail and it leads to a lookout which gives fine views of Comox Lake and is surrounded by the rare plants of the Ecological Reserve. It can be reached in just over 1.2 km (25 minute walk one way ).  Some of the many flowers that bloom here were out although if you come at various times in the spring you will likely see a  variety of different flowers in bloom. We saw lots of sea blush out on this visit. 

                                                                      Sea Blush was out in bloom in mid April on our most recent trip to Comox Bluffs

 A longer trail continues from the lookout and it traverses the entire Ecological Reserve and ends up at the main logging road which you can then follow back to your car. Be aware that logging trucks may be using this road and it can be dusty so you also can return back via the same trail rather that do a loop.  This longer route is about 5.5 km and takes about 2 hours. But the shorter hike to the lookout would suit people families that want a shorter hike.  Just be aware that the trail is hard to find in some places and it does have forks which makes route finding abit challenging. In fact we ran into a couple that was off route trying to reach the Bluffs and they followed us to the Lookout. The full route can be found on AllTrails and is under the name “Tony’s and Tomato Creek Loop”. If you use this app route finding should be easier. For more info see: https://www.alltrails.com/ 

Cherry Trees are in bloom in many places in the Comox Valley

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

Vancouver and Victoria are well known for their cherry trees in bloom in the spring and although the Comox Valley does not have the number of trees of these bigger centres they do have some trees worth checking out. One of our favourite streets to view every spring is Anna Place in Courtenay which not only has many well established trees in bloom lining the street but it also has a superb view of the Comox Glacier as you can see in the picture below. Another tree that is very impressive is at the intersection of 14^th and Cumberland in Courtenay.  If readers have other favourite cherry trees in the Comox Valley let us know where they are.   

                                                    Cherry Tree at Cumberland and 14th in Courtenay

 

 

Thanks for a great cross country ski season at Mount Washington Ski Resort

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

   It was a sad day when we cleaned out our ski locker at Raven Lodge on Sunday, April 13 to end the 2025 cross country ski season. Raven Lodge is the base of operations of cross country skiing and snow shoeing at Mount Washington near Courtenay, B.C on Vancouver Island.  Given all the early snow that the resort had the cross country ski trails were almost fully open by Christmas. That was lucky since January and February turned out to be drier than normal but we already had a good base. March arrived with lots more snow and so the season will end with close to 2 meters of snow on the ground. Overall grooming was great this year and the resort did a great job keeping the popular Park trails open even as snow was disappearing at key stream crossings through the last couple of weeks.

                       We had some great times on the trails with visitors from across the country

So next year if you have thought about trying cross country skiing or snowshoeing then check out Raven Lodge at Mount Washington. They have over 50 km of trail groomed for skating and classic skiing as well as many snowshoe trails. Raven Lodge has great mountain views and inside you can have a bite to eat, book rentals and lessons, buy day tickets and even have a sauna.  Lets hope next winter brings more snow and continued great skiing to Mount Washington.  I even got in a xc ski on the last weekend to Lake Helen Mackenzie and it was perfect for skating on (see below) . For more information see: https://www.mountwashington.ca/          

                          

Spring Wildflowers in their prime along the Tsolum River in Courtenay

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

   On Friday, April 11 we decided to take a break from skiing at Mount Washington to check the fawn lilies and other wildflowers along the Tsolum River in Courtenay. The last couple of weeks have seen some mixed weather with rain and cool temperatures some days but more seasonable temperatures on other days so we weren't sure quite what to expect.

Fawn Lilies are delicate spring wildflowers

  There were carpets of fawn lilies and trilliums in bloom along the trails which really brightened up our walk. These trails are located behind the Exhibition Grounds off of Headquarters Road in Courtenay and there is lots of parking. Take the main access trail (really a road) toward the river and we found many clusters of fawn lilies on the trails to the right near the river. You don’t need to walk very far before you see the flowers in bloom along the trail and under the trees.

A Trillium surrounded by Fawn Lilies

  We are not sure how long they will last but if like early spring flowers check out this area and don’t forget to bring your camera. If you are into pictures you might want to bring a tripod and something to kneel on since the carpets of flowers are best photographed low to the ground and the ground can be wet. Another bonus of our walk was seeing a couple of great horned owls. They were quite a distance from the trail and we only saw them since there were several photographers with long telephoto lenses taking photos of them as we passed by. There are other song birds in the area and in the past we have seen Pileated woodpeckers at this time of year. Binoculars might not go astray...see you on the trail.

 

Here is your chance to try skiing at Mount Washington before it closes!

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

  Mount Washington Ski Resort started early and is ending late - April 13 , 2025 is its closing date. But next week people who have never skied before can try the sport for FREE. That is right FREE!!

By signing up for a Discover Skiing Lesson you can get gear, lesson and lift or trail ticket for free. So if you have never tried xc or alpine skiing here is your chance. Mt Washington runs a similar programme in the early winter but often the weather is stormy and cold at that time of year.  Now you can enjoy spring sun and warm temperatures (hopefully) while you learn to ski. For more info see: https://www.mountwashington.ca/play/groups-events/events.html  and scroll down to  Discovery Days - Beginners FREE Lesson, Rental and Ticket This programme runs from March 31 to April 4. Be sure to check it out. 

Of course there is also lots of other events going on at Mt Washington and you can see for full line up of happenings at:  https://www.mountwashington.ca/play/groups-events/events.html   See you on the trail or slopes.

                                          Learn how to Classic Ski at the Discovery Days

Temperature Inversions at Mount Washington Ski Resort are a nice surprise

 

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

    The Comox Valley has seen fog come and go over the past several days but when it is cloudy and grey down in the valley it might be bright and sunny at Mount Washington. That is how it was when we have been cross country skiing a couple of times this week and I expect we will see more of  this weather over the next week or so.  So it pays to check out the web cams at Mount Washington Ski Resort since while it is cold and foggy in town it might be bright and sunny at Mount Washington.  This is caused by ridges of high pressure which trap cloud and fog close to the surface but as you go up in elevation you break through the cloud giving great conditions on the mountain. So if the fog and chilly temperatures are getting you down, head for the hills and you might find it is alot sunnier and maybe even warmer than in town.  And the views are spectacular with layers of cloud and fog below and snowy mountains rising above them (see photos below). To check out the web cams at Mount Washington have a look at: https://www.mountwashington.ca/