Waterfalls on the Brown's River near Courtenay - Part 1

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

We recently decided to check out a waterfall and trails leading to the Brown's River which is normally fairly inaccessible. This hike is very short - less than 1 km 1 way and starts at the Komoks Treaty Lands and Tribal Park and Wildwood Interpretative Forest Park parking area. This is on Piercy Road and on a hot day you can see lots of cars parked along the road for some distance since the informal parking area is very small. We initially thought all these people were walking in the Wildwood trails but then found out that in fact they were heading to the Brown' s River with its eroded pools and small waterfalls which are nice for cooling off in the summer. 

                                                            A falls on the Brown's River 

 So instead of heading into the woods into the Wildwood trails, walk down the powerline on the southside of the road and shortly you will come to a side trail heading to the right. Follow it into the forest and soon will be looking over the Brown's River their are many short trails which descend to the river and now with snowmelt the river is bubbling along. Some of these trails are steep and have ropes to aid in your descent or ascent. The descents will not be suited to all people so if you have young children or have mobility issues you might have to be content to walk along the trail at the top which still gives good views of the river. This is a fun trail to explore and we want to come back in the summer to check it out for swimming when the river is flowing more slowly. This trail looks like it could be quite muddy and very slippery if it is raining out so it best to go in the late spring , summer and early fall.
See you on the trail.  

                                                 Walking under the powerline toward the river 

 

Check out Mulligans if you want a Fun and Challenging Round of Golf

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

 Golf is popular in the Comox Valley with many courses to test your skills but if you want to try a fine little course that allows you to play 9 holes for less than $20 then check out Mulligans Golf Course.Where else can you play 9 holes for golf for just $16 (before 8:30 am and after 3:00 pm) and this goes up to $18.00 (between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm). And these low rates have stayed the same for the past few years. 

                       Keith teeing off on hole 2 with the Beaufort Range Mountains in the background 

 

 They offer an executive course which means there are mostly par 3’s with some par 4’s and the longest hole is 337 yards. Total length from the blue tees is 1763 yards which is about a mile so it is also easy to walk for many people from younger children to older adults. But just because it is short doesn’t mean it is easy. There is water on 7 of the 9 holes and many strategically placed sand traps so depending on where the pin is placed,  making par can be a real challenge. The course also gives scenic views of the Beaufort Range of Mountains and has been landscaped to create undulations and mounds which add to the layout of the course. When we played the course on June 10 it was nice and green as you can see in the photos.

 

Keith chipping on hole 6- thank goodness I cleared the water on my second shot

In addition to a small clubhouse with an outdoor patio , there is a driving range, a putting green and a sand trap practice area where I need to spend more time. The driving range is another bargain since a bucket of balls is just $3.75 ! The manager Jesse Polito told us that the busiest times are usually between 9 am and 2 pm and they have a special deal for groups of 4. One of the group will get a free round! Also if you buy a bucket of balls between May 18 to May 25 you a second bucket free. Remember this for next year. Jesse also told us they prepare much of the food on site and have beer for $4.00 on tap. It is hard to say no to all those deals. Mulligans is located right outside of Courtenay and it took us about 90 minutes to play 9 holes. For more information see: http://mulligansgolfcourse.com/  or phone 250-338-2440. This course is ideal for families or friends wanting to meet for a couple of hours of enjoyable golf. See you on the course. 

                                     Heather putting on hole 8- the greens were in great shape 

Cheakamus Lake is a great family hike near Whistler , BC

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

  Cheakamus Lake is a scenic lake that is accessed by a fairly flat trail so is accessible by a wide variety of people. On our recent hike there we saw families with young children all the way to seniors enjoying this hike. Cheakamus Lake is on the doorstep of Whistler so it can be crowded -- in fact many times of the year you need a pass to park at the trailhead so check the BC parks website for details. The parking passes are free but book up quickly. The trailhead is roughly 7 km up a gravel road and when we did the hike on June 6 with our daughter Kristie and her partner Eric the road had been freshly graded. Evidently when Kristie and Eric have done the hike other times the road has been rougher with potholes but you don't need a 4 wheel drive to get there. 

     The first 4 km wind through tall trees which made our hike cool and you get glimpses of Cheakamus Creek in the valley below. The trail then extends another 4 km along the northern lake shore and fortunately much of this part of the trail is shaded as well.  There are several campsites along the lake and these can be reserved through BC Parks. The trail is easy to follow with only a few rocky and rooty sections and we saw several trail runners and mountain bikers making good time on the trail. There were also some muddy sections but they will likely dry out through the summer. It is best to wear sturdy footwear although we saw people hiking in sandals .  Cheakamus Lake itself is very scenic with a variety of snow capped mountains ringing the far end of the lake. We had our lunch at the first camping area (there are washrooms) before doing the 4 km hike along the lake shore to Singing Creek where the trail ends. Use an app like AllTrails or Trailforks for specific driving directions to the trailhead. This hike is well worth the effort and gets a 4.7 out of 5 on AllTrails . Say no more. 

                                                     Keith , Heather, Kristie and Eric at the trail end

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