Opening Week! - May 16th - 22nd

The season has begun!

Coastal Trek Week #1

Weather - Hot and sunny for the first few days, way above seasonal temperatures. High of 29 degrees (84 F)! A little moisture midweek (it is the rain forest after all!), some more sunshine.

Hikes - Day 1 - Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park/Wesley Ridge
Length: 15 kilometers Elevation change: +/- 600 meters
A new route up the ridge (steep!) to viewpoint with beautiful vistas of Mount Arrowsmith, Cameron Lake, Georgia Straight and the Coast Mountain Ranges.
Day 2 - Kw'as Park - Cortes Island
Length: 12 kilometers Elevation change: +/- 315 meters
Lots of oooows & ahhhhs, boat ride access, seals, porpoises, eagles, ocean, mountains, Oyster Festival. (Also see my previous post on this amazing spot!)
Day 3 - Puntledge River Trails to Comox Lake Bluffs Ecological Reserve
Length: 14 kilometers Elevation change: +/- 190 meters
Sunday stroll on easy, well groomed trails to spectacular beach on lake with unparalleled views of Comox Glacier. Some exploring through ecological reserve, eventually leading to top of bluffs surrounded by arbutus trees and manzinita bushes. Unexpected sightings of local wildlife around the lake!
Day 4 - Miracle Beach Provincial Park and Ripple Rock Trail
Combined length: 11 kilometers Elevation change: +/- 320 meters
Two hikes; an easy warm up walk on the beach, ospreys were spotted, up creek to a salmon counting fence, informative chat with fisheries officers enlightening us to why they count the 10's of thousands of coho smolts heading out to sea. Second hike on rough single track (and a very bouncy suspension bridge!), 300 year old giant Sitka spruce trees, high perch over the Seymour Narrows, observed tidal rapids and whirlpools at the site of famous Ripple Rock explosion.
Day 5 - Mt. Geoffrey/Heliwell&Big Tribune Parks - Hornby Island
Combined length: 19 kilometers Elevation change: +/- 375 meters Climbed to top of Hornby Island, viewed many eagles and vultures, spectacular scenery (Denman Island, Lambert Channel, the Vancouver Island Mountain Ranges and Comox Valley), very appropriately placed picnic lunch bench! Quick 15 minute shuttle across the island, pleasant stroll through extraordinarily diverse ecosystems, Canada Geese, a hundred seals sunbathing (no kidding!), barking sea lions, incredible sandstone and conglomerate cliffs. A visit to deserted white sand beach in Big Tribune Bay.
Day 6 - The Punisher to Medicine Bowls
Length: 11 kilometers Elevation change: +/- 532 meters
This one lived up to its name! Right from the lodge, descended narrow and winding single track over logs and roots to valley bottom, lunch atop gorge in Browns River while spring run off cascaded over water falls beside us. Up, up, up and back to lodge for a very well deserved steam room and hot tub soak!

Week totals: 82 kilometers and 2332 meters up and down!

An outstanding start to our summer program here at Coastal Trek, enjoyed by some very motivated and extremely enthusiastic hikers!

New Hike: Kw'as Park - Cortes Island

This is a spectacular new addition to my hiking trail repertoire, here at Coastal Trek.

Cortes Island is a beautiful gem, hidden amongst the many other aptly named Discovery Islands. It lays across the Georgia Strait, 50 kilometers northeast of our lodge (as the eagle flies) and is reached via regularly scheduled BC Ferries sailings (two boats - a 10 minute cruise from Campbell River to Quadra Island then onto a second ship for a 45 minute journey across to Cortes). Or, if you are lucky enough to know the right Captain with his own private vessel (like we do!) , a cruise from the Comox Valley direct to a government wharf on Cortes, then a mere 1.5km stroll along a country road would bring us to the trail head.

This trail network has it all! Kw'as Park (pronounced "koass"), a protected 173 acre forested area located in the middle of Cortes Island, hosts an incredible variety of ecosystems and varied terrain for the moderate hiker. From dense stands of massive old growth Douglas firs and large red cedars to rocky open bluffs full of shore pines, arbutus and manzanita bushes, the paths wind their way around two of Cortes' biggest lakes. Hague Lake (the First Nations Coast Salish name means "hot water" lake), becomes warm rapidly in the summer heat, due to a shallow depth and a flat bottom, making it perfect for swimming after a few hours on the trail (remember "warm" here in BC, is not "warm" like in the tropics! - the dip at Swim Rock will be refreshing). The other is Gunflint Lake (it used to be called Little Hague Lake) and they are both connected by a short narrow channel, which is crossed by an old bridge on route (very carefully!) These lakes are home to an ancient strain of coastal cutthroat trout, that were landlocked some 10,000 years ago (I'll tell you more about them when I see you!)

A camera on this trip is a must. Several viewpoints along the higher sections of trail, offer stunning panoramas toward the surrounding islands, including Vancouver Island to the west (you can even see our lodge with the right pair of binoculars!), as well as the rugged and glaciated peaks of the Coast Mountain Range on the BC mainland to the east (which seem like only a stones throw away!) And if that is not enough to suit your fancy for a day, then there is the wildlife; birds of prey including eagles and hawks, sea mammals like porpoises and whales, and of course the friendly locals (Cortes is a haven for artists, craftspeople, self sustaining farmers and those seeking an alternative lifestyle far from it all!)

Along with the historic logging operations of yester-century, geological evidence of rock being pushed from the tropics 100's of million years ago and all the ups and downs (literally, this is one good work out!), the remote and remarkably uninhabited (I did not run into any other parties during my reconnaissance hike, and it was a Sunday!), Kw'as Park and its network of lovely, meandering and sometimes challenging trails, is truly a special place to be.

I really could blog on and on about this favourite of mine, but then there would be less to share with you, when joining me on my next expedition to the magical and gorgeous Cortes Island.

New breakfast to fuel you through the day...

I recently found this recipe for a breakfast that will keep you going well until lunch. Developed by the creator of the "Blueprint cleanse", the combination of protein, fiber and healthy fat will have you started on your way to a healthy day of eating. Let me know what you think...

4 bananas peeled and sliced

1 avocado
4-5 pitted Medjool dates

Combine in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Yields 2 cups or 8 servings

To serve:

1 loaf manna bread
raw almond butter
blueberries and sliced strawberries

For each serving, cut 1/3”- thick slices of bread and spread with a thin layer of almond butter. Top with about two tablespoons of pudding and the strawberries and blueberries.

Pudding can be refrigerated for up to two days. Press plastic wrap on the surface to prevent discoloration.