Hornby Island makes a great 1 day get away

 

By Keith and Heather Nicol

We just returned from a great day trip to one of our favourite islands -Hornby Island .  On Wednesday , June 17 we caught the 900 am ferry from Buckley Bay which put us on Denman Island 10 minutes later. We then headed directly across the Island to catch the Hornby Island ferry which left at 9:40. Ten minutes later we were on Hornby Island heading toward one of our favourite hikes on Vancouver Island- the Helliwell Park trail.

                                                                 The Helliell Trail was popular on this day 

This is a must do trail since it is right along the ocean for the most part on a dramatic cliff face that gradually gets lower as you head east. It took us about 80 minutes to do the 4 km hike, with frequent stops for pictures, and by now we were thinking about a spot for lunch.

Heather coming up from the white sand beach of Tribune Bay

        

We had  packed sandwiches so decided to be by the water at Tribune Bay Beach which has one of the nicest beaches on the east side of Vancouver Island. Heather wanted to check out the new Tribune Bay campground so while she did that I headed to the excellent mountain bike trails on Mt Geoffrey. These trails are different than those of Cumberland and I like them since they wind through a more open forest so there are less roots and rocks.  Then it was back to do a short hike along the Middle Bench trail which has the most amazing views of Denman Island and the Beaufort Mountains of Vancouver  Island behind.  We caught the 400 pm ferry off of Hornby which put us back in Courtenay by 5:15 or so. Even though we had been gone only 6 or so hours it seemed much longer since we had seen so many different landscapes. But for us a 1 day get away was just the ticket. Check it out before the summer tourism season begins in earnest. 

        Mountain biking is great on Hornby Island with some trails giving amazing views          

Hiking the Ripple Rock Trail

By Keith and Heather Nicol

        The Ripple Rock trail has been on our “to do” list for quite some time since it was almost 7 years ago when we last did the trek. So on June 16th with a couple of xc ski buddies we decided another trip was in order. The Ripple Rock trail gives hikers a great view of Seymour Narrows which was the site of one of the largest non nuclear peacetime explosions . The blast occurred in 1958 to remove the infamous Ripple Rock which was a hazard to shipping.  Due to the strong currents in this area, navigating around Ripple Rock had long been a seafaring hazard and had caused numerous shipwrecks and cost over 100 people their lives! 

                                                   Viewpoint for lunch overlooking Seymour Narrows

   The trail starts roughly 12 km north of Campbell River on Highway 19 and the trailhead is well signposted.  The parking lot is on the right (if you are  driving north) and has parking for 16-20 cars. The coordinates are 50.08.256 N 125 24.174 W. The trail starts off easy and after about 1.34 km there is a viewpoint of Menzies Bay which is worth checking out. Then you cross a metal bridge and the trail passes by a couple of huge Sitka spruce. Next the real climbing starts and the trail becomes noticeably rougher. There are a few viewpoints enroute at about 1.9 km and at 2.5 km (with a picnic table) and these are offer a chance to get an elevated view of Menzies Bay.  The trail winds along paralleling the coastline and you get frequent ocean glimpses as you trek along which is a real bonus. 

     The trail drops down to the ocean at Nymphe Cove (3.7 km) and then it is a steep climb for roughly 700 meters to the bluffs overlooking Ripple Rock.  With the addition of walking to the various viewpoints my GPS showed a total of 4.4 km and the return trip (without viewpoints) showed a distance of 4.1 km (allow 3-4 hours to do the return hike).  We had lunch overlooking Ripple Rock and the north wind was welcome to cool us off.   We recommend this hike since it is not that long but has many scenic coastal views.  Also the whirlpools and upwellings in Seymour Narrows are impressive particularly when the tides are right. Be aware that the trail can be muddy after a rain so it is a hike that is best done in dry conditions. Our group had a variety of footwear from sandels to running shoes to full on hiking boots and since the trail is rooty and rocky that hiking shoes of some sort are probably the best choice. Also since there is a fairly bit of up and down hiking poles won't go astray.  See you on the trails!

Saratoga Beach Golf Course is well worth a visit for Golfers in the Comox Valley

by Keith and Heather Nicol
 

On Friday, June 12 we decided to check out Saratoga Beach Golf Course which is located near Saratoga Beach midway between Campbell River and Courtenay, B.C.  We had arranged a tee time for 10 am and we had perfect golf weather.   Saratoga Beach Golf Course is a 9 hole course that is very walkable since the distance is around 2200 yards and the course is quite flat. But don’t let the short distance fool you, there is still alot of challenge to be had for all levels of golfers. The course consists of 4 par 3’s, 4 par 4’s and 1 pair 5 but the course is generally narrow with water hazards that come into play on just about all holes.   You need to be able to get the ball in the air and carry some distance or else you will lose a few balls to the small ponds and creeks that flows through the course like we did on this day.                                                         Heather getting ready to tee off on number 1  Last year we played this course and awarded it the most improved course in the Comox Valley and this year they are working on many more improvements. We had a great chat with manager Jordan Irwin and he seems to be very keen to create a course that will appeal to a wide range of golfers. First off he told us that they are gradually creating forward tees so that beginners or kids won't be challenged by water or trees that currently make the course quite demanding. As well they are doing a wide apron cut on the greens so that you can putt from the fringe which makes the greens abit larger. He said this may allow them to create some larger greens in the future. And they have rebuilt several tee boxes which has been a big improvement as well.   As you can see the picture above - the greens are in great shape             Jordan told us that they get most of their business from the local community but also from the Comox Valley and Campbell River. They have a Men's League which plays on Tuesday night and Sunday morning and a Ladies League that goes |Tuesday morning and Wednesday night so if you want to meet some new golfers you can contact the clubhouse for more information. The Tuesday morning Ladies league is very well subscribed with over 100 golfers on their list. Also if you want a steal of a deal book a round on Mondays when 9 holes will cost you only $22.00 plus tax. They also have several  dinner and golf specials available when booking on line, especially on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon!And on Fridays,  2 people can play a round of golf and have dinner for just $89 ! Pretty hard to beat that.   Saratoga Beach Golf Course has a small putting green and a driving range as well as a small club house, food truck and pro shop. And you can get a lesson from Jordan which is something we should do the next time we are out. If you want to try a challenging course that will reward the straight ball hitter then see:  http://www.saratogabeachgolfclub.ca/   for more information.              We loved how green the fairways were