Wesley Colin Stuchbery

We are very excited to introduce our newest family member: Wesley!

Born: October 4, 2008 (10 days over due!)

Weight: 11 and 1/2 pounds

We are all home and happy and healthy.

Thank you to everyone for their thoughtfulness throughout the season.

Andrea, Shayne, Jack and May

Chickpea Soup

Here is a recipe my Aunt passed along to me. This soup is so quick and so delicious I have made it several times now and each time one of our guests has asked me for the recipe so here it is...

2 tins of Chickpeas (19 ounces each), drained

1 tin of light coconut milk (13.5 ounce)

1 tin of whole tomatoes (14 ounces), drained and chopped

1/4 cup of natural apple juice

1/4 cup of cilantro leaves

1/2 tsp of garam masala

1/2 tsp of ground ginger

1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

In a blender combine: chickpeas, coconut milk, tomatoes, apple juice, cilantro, garam masala, and ginger. Puree until smooth.

Transfer to a medium saucepan. Stir in stock and simmer over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. 

Serve with plain yogurt and fresh scallions on top. 

Serves 6

Calories: 288, Fat: 6gm, Fiber: 8.7 gm

Coastal Trek - Week #10 - August 1st - August 7th

Weather - Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine. High 31C 0r 88F.

Hikes - Day 1 - Paradise Meadows, Strathcona Provincial Park
Length - 8 kilometers or 4.8 miles
Elevation change - 250 meters or 825 feet
Sub-alpine meadows, lakes, flowers, whisky jacks.

Day 2 - Mt. Becher, Strathcona Provincial Park
Length - 13 kilometers or 7.8 miles
Elevation change - 815 meters 0r 2690 feet
Hike from lodge to our backyard mountain peak (elevation 1385 meters or 4570 feet). Wood Mountain Ski Park. Rolling track through old growth and sub-alpine. Short scramble. Lunch on the summit with splendid views of Strathcona Park mountains, glaciers, waterfalls. Descent back to lodge includes an amazing panorama of ocean, islands and the Coast Mountain Range on mainland.

Day 3 - Tree Island Kayaking
Length - 10 kilometers or 6 miles
Day trip from Union Bay launch dock to Tree Island, officially known as Sandy Island Provincial Park, fantastic, serene, Navy Ship, beautiful sand beaches, tropical paradise.

Day 4 - Elk River Trail, Strathcona Provincial Park
Length - 22 kilometers 0r 13.2 miles
Elevation change - 798 meters or 2634 feet
Fast and light, rolling single track through Vancouver Islands deepest valley surrounded by its highest peaks, lush old growth forest, sparkling rivers, Elkhorn, witness effects of 1946 7.3 earthquake, Landslide Lake, Mt. Colonel Foster, Icefall!

Day 5 - Kwa'as Park, Cortes Island
Length - 10 kilometers or 6 miles
Elevation change - 300 meters or 990 feet
Boat shuttle with Captain Dan of the S.S. Morningstar, Desolation Sound, Cortes Bay, country roads, forested walk, lake vies, cliffs, ladders, lunch and swim at "hot lake" porpoises, mega-yachts.

Day 6 - Kwai Lake Loop, Strathcona Park
Length - 16 kilometers or 9.6 miles
Elevation change - 490 meters or 1617 feet
Mountain, lake and glacier views, old growth, sub-alpine flowers, mama grouse and babies, crazy squirrel, 3-D orienteering, magnificent Kwai Campground picnic, lots of laughs!

Week Totals: 79 kilometers or 47.4 miles, 2653 meters or 8755 feet

Check back soon, photos to come!

A Gift from Aotearoa

As part of our sponsorship of the Vancouver Island Musicfest we were privileged to host the Pacific Curls of Aotearoa. For those of you who don't know, New Zealand is Shayne's other beloved home, so we felt especially blessed to have Ora, Sara and Kim as our guests (as Shayne said,  it was as if a little bit of home had settled in the lodge).

On the night before their departure they graciously performed for some of our guests and staff. It was an intimate gathering with an audience of 6.

With the field stone fireplace for a backdrop and with the timbers overhead the women bestowed us and the lodge with a special gift. To try to describe their music is to try to describe the beautiful and diverse New Zealand itself: a mixture of Pacific and European culture that melds together to create something new and unique.

In between songs we were invited to inquire about the various instruments that the Pacific Curls so skillfully play. From the guitar to the nose flute, the fiddle to the poi, the ukulele to the tambourine, all are played with skill and joy.

Thank you to Ora for her beautiful vocals and storytelling that left a lasting impression with all...

Thank you to Sara for her Celtic energy and spirit that flowed from her and her fiddle and upbeat banter....

Thank you to Kim for her masterful guitar and ukulele playing, vocals and the unique instruments she shared...

We look forward to your return.

Arohanui,

Andrea and Shayne

Coastal Trek - Week #9 - July 25th - 31st

Weather - A little cloudier, a little windier, a little rainier, and a little cooler than usual. Highs in the low 20's or 70's, Lows in the teens or 50's.
Hikes - Day 1 - Seal Bay Nature Park and Nymph Falls
Length - 8 kilometers or 4.8 miles
Elevation change - 80 meters or 264 feet
Farmers Market, fern valley, spectacular falls, Bob the Stonehunter studio tour.
Day 2 - Sawchuk's Forest, Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park, Cathedral Grove
Length - 9 kilometers or 5.4 miles
Elevation change - 95 meters or 314 feet
George Sawchuks sculptures studio tour, moss laden canyons, crystal clear water falls, Cameron Lake, big-big trees.
Day 3 - Strathcona Provincial Park - Paradise Meadows to Lady Lake
Length - 13 kilometers or 7.8 miles
Elevation change - 261 meters or 861 feet
Sub-alpine hike, amazing bloom, white-bog orchids, heathers, arctic lupines, white rhododendrons, dwarf dogwood, mountain buttercup, asphodel, globeflower, queens cup, arnica, Lake Helen-Mackenzie, Battleship Lake, Kooso Lake, creeks, brown and rainbow trout.
Day 5 - Hornby Island - Helliwell and Big Tribune Bay Provincial Parks, Mt. Geoffrey
Length - 11 kilometers or 6.6 miles
Elevation change - 234 meters or 772 feet
Boat rides, purple star and pink sunflower fish, Helliwell bluffs, golden grasses, white sand beaches, ridge trail with incredible vistas of the ocean, islands and mountains.
Day 6 - Strathcona Park - Buttle Lake Parkway Tour
Length - a few short hikes totaling 6 kilometers or 3.6 miles
Elevation change - minimal
Rainy day sightseeing, Elk Falls Provincial Park, Deer Falls, Moose Falls, emerald lagoon, Lupine Falls, candy stick, lunch on the lake, Karst Creek reversing and disappearing waterfall.
Week Totals: 47 kilometers or 28 miles, 670 meters or 2211 feet.

Comox Valley Farmers Market

At Coastal Trek we aspire to inspire our guests to lead balanced, healthy lifestyles. For us, one element of this lifestyle includes supporting our local farmers and producers. Our bi-weekly farmers market (Saturday and Wednesdays) gives us access to unbelievably fresh food. We feel privileged to be able to choose from an abundance of items ranging from farm fresh eggs to wasabi greens, buffalo mozzarella to smoked tuna, fresh baked bread to bison burgers and so on...

Our Saturday morning hike ("warm up day") often includes a stop at the market where guests can see first hand the bounty our beautiful valley has to offer. While strolling through the market our guests witness first hand the great sense of community pride producers and consumers alike feel while supporting one another. It is not uncommon to bump into Chef Kathy and/or Shayne (tamales in hand) and I (chai latte in hand) and the kids (gingerfolk in hand) as we buy our weekly fare for the both the lodge and home. Once you've made the switch nothing can compare to local fresh food. I encourage you to go find your local market and find out for yourself...

Here is one of our favourite Farmer's Market snacks:

1 package of Smoked Tuna from Mandala Holdings.

1 jar of Lavender jelly from Bite Size Speciality foods.

1 multi grain baguette from Little Orca Bakery

your choice of soft cheese from Natural Pastures cheese company.

Thinly slice the baguette and toast in a hot oven until crispy. Top with cheese, thinly sliced smoked tuna and a bit of the lavender jelly. 

www.comoxvalleyfarmersmarket.com

Coastal Trek Week #3 - June 13th - 19th

Weather - Beautiful week, seasonal temperatures in the 20's or 70's, lots of sunshine, a little cloud, a 20 minute sprinkle.

Hikes - Day 1 - Seal Bay Nature Park
Length: 11 kilometers or 6.6 miles
Elevation change: +/- 110 meters or 363 feet
Farmers market, gentle stroll through very lush forest, a walk in the park to stretch the legs, lunch by the ocean with seals and herons.

Day 2 - Nymph Falls and Puntledge River Trails to Comox Lake Bluffs Ecological Reserve
Length: 16 kilometers or 10 miles
Elevation change: +/- 191 meters or 630 feet
Falls, river, swim holes, white bog-orchid, lake, bluffs, climbers on Devils Ladder, dazzling display of wildflowers, superb view of Comox Glacier.

Day 3 - Nugedzi Lakes and Mt. Seymour - Quadra Island
Length: 10 kilometers or 6 miles
Elevation change: +/- 600 meters or1980 feet
Ferry commute, challenging hike up old logging road to rolling single track through ancient forest, lunch at untouched lake, steady climb up ridge to highest point on Quadra, incredible panoramic views of surrounding islands and remote peaks and glaciers!

Day 5 - Qualicum Waterfall Tour
Length: several hikes totalling 12 kilometers or 7.2 miles
Elevation change: +/- 145 meters or 479 feet
Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park, impressive two-tiered falls into deep, mossy canyon. Lunch at Cameron Lake, stroll through 1000 year old trees of Cathedral Grove, Goats on the Roof! Englishman River Falls Provincial Park, fantastic bridal veil fall into slot canyon, picture perfect!

Day 6 - Denman and Hornby Islands
Length: several hikes totalling 10 kilometers or 6 miles
Elevation change: +/- 90 meters or 297 feet
Two ferries, Boyle Point Provincial Park, Chrome Island Lighthouse, momma and eaglets in nest! Lunch at Big Tribune Bay, warmest ocean beach in BC? Hike at Helliwell Provincial Park, 50 seals! Purple starfish, more eagles, arbutus groves and Gary oaks. Local wildlife at the Co-Op. Heron Rocks, hoodoo sandstone formations, art gallery.

Week Totals: 59 kilometers or 35 miles, 1136 meters or 3749 feet up and down.