Blog: I Think It's This Way » Lake Cowichan Get-Away – Day 2

Lake Cowichan Get-Away – Day 2

Kris — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 06:49:26 +0000

Day 2 of our Lake Cowichan excursion… tasty blueberry pancakes in the morning followed by some more sailing. Gurbir and I were doing pretty well with just the two of us on the boat, but things weren’t quite so smooth with Michelle and Sheena on board; the wind was not cooperating. Overall this weekend represented brought a very satisfying improvement in our sailing abilities. The food and the rest of the cabin time with friends was great too.

GPS Data: Sailing – 21.8km – 2h51m – max speed about 21 km/h

Uncooperative wind = floppy sail.

Hobie cruising with the south shore of Lake Cowichan in the background.

Kris and Gurbir on the Hobie, Gurbir in control.

Heading toward the south shore of Lake Cowichan on the Hobie Cat.

Gurbir's foot and one of the Hobie rudders.

Hobie trampoline and sail winch line.

Kris and Gurbir on approach to the cabin.

Picking up speed on a decent day for beginner sailing.

Lake Cowichan Get-Away – Day 1

Kris — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 06:19:15 +0000

Michelle and I headed up to Lake Cowichan again this weekend with Sheena and Gurbir. Day 1 started out with a bike ride near the town of Lake Cowichan. Actually it was a loop that started and ended in Lake Cowichan and included a decent chunk of time on the Cowichan Valley Trail / Trans-Canada Trail. Saw some slugs, trashed cars, someone’s underwear hanging of a bridge, Cowichan River tubers, Skutz Falls… I guess that’s probably enough of a list, I’ll stop now.

After the ride, it was up to the cabin for some lunch, a swim, a sail on the Hobie Cat, and a tasty sausage fest dinner. Did I just say ‘sausage fest’? Oops, not that kind of sausage fest.

GPS Data: 21.4km – 1h50m – Garmin Website | GPX (right click to download)

Michelle heading towards Duncan on the Cowichan Valley Trail.

Sheena and Gurbir on the Cowichan Valley Trail.

Michelle, Gurbir, and Sheena on Mayo Road near Lake Cowichan.

The Cowichan River near Skutz Falls. Did a whitewater kayak lesson here a while back.

Cowichan River tubers.

Sheena and Gurbir on a bridge near Skutz Falls on the Cowichan River.

Michelle on a bridge near Skutz Falls.

Part of Skutz Falls I think.

Cowichan River shrapnel and a rather substantial looking fish ladder installation.

Bridge to the darkside on the Cowichan Valley Trail.

We're sailing after a somewhat shady start.

Token wave at the camera shot.

Weekend at Lake Cowichan

Kris — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 06:42:43 +0000

Had a good time up at Lake Cowichan this past weekend. Michelle and I headed out from Victoria at the less than early hour of about 11am on Saturday and arrived at the lake less than two hours later. We took bikes and I did some research into hiking, but in the end we did neither. Saturday afternoon I went for a swim (dog paddling around the dock) and discovered that I may have some interest in sailing. We had access to a Hobie catamaran, which for whatever reason had me thinking that it was/is unfortunate that I only have a vague idea about how to sail and no practical experience. Perhaps this weekend will mark the start of my sailing career. It was kind of fun thinking about how the equipment should work and then actually trying to sail with it. Admittedly, things went pretty timidly given that getting blown over or getting stuck in the middle of the lake were possible outcomes.

Aside from the sailing, there was good food (thanks Michelle), a sweet kayak outing with Michelle, Sheena, and Gurbir, and some pretty fun little photo sessions of various lake things, some of which follow.

Sail on the Hobie 17 at the lake.

Leaf floating on Lake Cowichan.

Rocky shoreline at Lake Cowichan.

Leaf on a dock at Lake Cowichan.

Dragonfly on a dock at Lake Cowichan.

Dragonfly and bokeh at Lake Cowichan.

Kris and Gurbir prepping the kayaks for a possible Hobie rescue.

I'm cool, I connected the sail boom.

More probably unnecessary paddling.

Hoping for a bit more wind.

Hobie sail and Lake Cowichan shoreline near dawn.

Early morning boat action on Lake Cowichan.

Sleeping bee on the diving board at Lake Cowichan.

Dock and diving board at Lake Cowichan.

The Hobie Cat awaiting some wind.

Michelle, Gurbir, and Sheena on a late morning paddle at Lake Cowichan.

Sheena with the south shore of Lake Cowichan in the background.

Kris and Michelle.

Kris's ride in the absence of an additional kayak.

Paddlers on a calm morning.

Kris's ride.

Michelle waiting in a nice little bay.

Sheena working on her paddle stroke.

Paddling out to small non-descript islands.

Beautiful day on the lake.

Bike Ride – Thetis Island, BC

Kris — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 06:46:24 +0000

Sunday mini road trip to Thetis Island was fun. The day started out at the crack of dawn with a drive from Victoria out to Lake Cowichan to pick up Michelle… she was on an African lion safari or something (Zoodles jingle?). After that it was off to Chemainus to catch the ferry to Penelakut Island and then Thetis Island. I’m usually agreeable to ferry rides since I don’t do them that often; this one was particularly good with great views over calm water. After arrival at Thetis Island and some tinkering with bikes, it was off to Pilkey Point on the north end. The ride was excellent, with nice green tree cover the whole way. The ride was not particularly long, but there was a 15% climb that needed doing twice since the route was of the out and back variety.

It seemed like our time on the island was going to be all quiet and relaxing like, except for the death hill as Sheena described it, but as departure time approached a rather large number of dudes appeared, seemingly out of no where. Turns out there was a Christian mens’ conference going on… made for a cramped return trip on the ferry.

GPS Data: 15.7km – 2h04m – Garmin Website | GPX (right click to download)

Leaving the Chemainus ferry terminal; destination Thetis Island.

Gurbir, Sheena, Michelle, and some strangers at the front of the boat.

Ferry instructions for those who may be lacking common sense.

That looks a lot like Bruno Gerussi's ride a la Beachcombers.

First stop on the way to Thetis Island, Penelakut Island, previously referred to as Kuper Island.

Control room of the M.V. Kuper.

Fire suppression nozzle on the M.V. Kuper.

Assortment of boaters on a sunny Sunday morning near Thetis Island.

Ferry wake with some Gulf Islands in the background.

Beautiful morning on the water near Thetis Island.

Sailboats moored off of Thetis Island.

Capernwray Harbour at Thetis Island.

Gardens, boats, etc. at Capernwray Harbour on Thetis Island.

A view to the south from a high point on Pilkey Point Road on Thetis Island.

A moment of pause near a warning sign on the way to Pilkey Point, Thetis Island.

Arrival at the scenic Pilkey Point on Thetis Island.

The Frontier Queen near Pilkey Point, Thetis Island.

Sandstone and crab bits at Pilkey Point.

The hills to the west of Chemainus and Ladysmith viewed from Pilkey Point on Thetis Island.

A little island near Pilkey Point.

Thetis Island sandstone.

Pilkey Point tide pool vegetation and sea life.

Pilkey Point is a rather nice spot for a break to chill by the ocean.

A view between the sandstone formations at Pilkey Point on Thetis Island.

This sandstone hollow probably makes interesting noises during storms, or not.

Mint condition old school scooter on Thetis Island.

Telegraph Harbour on Thetis Island.

Telegraph Harbour flowers.

Thetis Island moo at Capernwray Harbour.

Dock at Capernwray Harbour on Thetis Island.

Seals are funny.

Telegraph Harbour at Thetis Island.

A seagull checking its blindspot near Thetis Island.

End of the trip back near the ferry terminal in Chemainus looking north.

Rusty barge in the Chemainus Harbour.

20 Minute Tour of Comox

Kris — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 05:01:41 +0000

Michelle and I were up in the Courtenay Comox area this weekend and decided to make a quick drive into Comox this morning before we left. Why? Just because. Our 20 minute tour revealed that Comox looks like a nice little town, as much as a 20 minute tour can reveal. Suffering from a bit of photo burnout I didn’t take many while in Comox, but did attempt to get a few bird shots on the way out of town. Would have been cool if there were some eagles within camera range, but there weren’t today, so geese and seagull is what you get.

Geese approaching the mothership.

A seagull snacking on some salmon handouts.

Hike and Bike – Cumberland, BC

Kris — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 06:10:35 +0000

Michelle and I closed out the weekend with another great day in Cumberland. We started off the day with a fun, longish hike in the hills between Cumberland and Comox Lake. Lots of uphill and downhill on a variety of surfaces, with the occasional nice view of the surrounding hills and valleys. Bryan, Kari, and Liz were good company and collectively we were probably a decent bear repellent. In the end we did see one bear heading into the forest in the opposite direction.

Bryan, Liz, and I ended up doing an afternoon mountain bike ride after lunch at the Wandering Moose. The ride was excellent, hitting up some of the best trails (cross-country) in Cumberland: Thirsty Beaver, Tea Pot, Blue Collar, and Crafty Butcher. Bryan had some issues, but I rode better than yesterday and it felt good.

Hike: about 15km
Mountain Bike Ride: about 14km

Bryan, Michelle, Kari, and Liz heading out on the hike.

A view of the east end of Comox Lake from a nearby viewpoint.

Mossy trail through the forest near Comox Lake.

Greenery amongst the moss.

Bryan and Kari in one of Cumberland's logged areas.

Bryan's new shoes.

The closest we might get to Mt. Albert Edward this year.

Deer antler found alongside the trail in Cumberland.

Trees, mountains, and snow near Comox Lake.

One of many huckleberries along the way.

The hike takes a deciduous detour in the second half.

Succulents amongst the moss near Cumberland?

Heading back down the hill toward Cumberland with Comox visible off in the distance.

Haven't seen a grouse in a while... since moving to BC.

Downhilly looking trail across the valley from one of our rest stops.

Kris (me), Michelle, Kari, Liz, and Bryan near the end of our 15km hike in the Cumberland hills.

XC Ride – Cumberland, BC

Kris — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 23:52:10 +0000

Left Victoria at about 7:30pm yesterday to head up to Cumberland for a weekend of mountain bike riding and other stuff. Thankful to have not had to do any evasive maneuvers to avoid deer on the highway. Somewhat sad to report that there was evidence that some deer had not been successfully maneuvered around by earlier travellers. This morning after a quick and tasty breakfast at the Old House Restaurant, it was off to Cumberland for some cross-country mountain biking.

It’s somewhat surprising how much the trail situation can change in an area where there is active logging. Ok, maybe the trail situation hasn’t changed much, but the feel of the trails like Blue Collar, which was previously a very nice densely treed, gradual downhill trail, has become a wide open dusty cut block. I know logging is an important industry, but I also know that I prefer green, treed trails. All things considered, the riding today was pretty good and we (Michelle, Liz, Kari, Bryan, and I) managed to ride some new / reclaimed old trail sort of southeast of the town (50:1 trail, Double Pumper, and some others).

GPS Data: 19.6km – 3h16m – Garmin Website | GPX (right click to download)

Heading to breakfast at the Old House Restaurant.

Flowers in the garden at the Old House Resort and Spa.

Bryan prepping the electrical tape GPS bike mount.

Liz and Bryan heading towards some Cumberland trails and excruciating uphill.

Tis thistle season in Cumberland.

A rare smooth section of trail in Cumberland... too short though.

The trance controls en route to some Cumberland trails.

Kari and Bryan doin the walk on the excruciating climb.

Cleared land and some regrowth in the hills above Cumberland.

Break time at the start of Bear Buns.

Quiet day on this mini-lake above Cumberland.

Michelle doin it old skool near Sykes Bridge.

Michelle, Bryan, and Liz at Sykes Bridge on the trails near Cumberland.

Bryan in a holding pattern on Sykes Bridge in Cumberland.

Michelle and Kari on the way to Blue Collar Trail in Cumberland.

Bryan on what used to be part of Blue Collar in Cumberland.

Michelle on the former Blue Collar trail.

Crafty Butcher trail sign.

Bryan on a bridge / teeter-totter near the Double Pumper trail.

The latest in summer fashion by the Patch Big Store in Cumberland.

Road Ride – Hurricane Ridge – Port Angeles, WA

Kris — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 04:19:51 +0000

Took a midweek vacation day and headed over to do the Hurricane Ridge ride with Michelle and Alison. I was expecting some pain, since it’s a 30km long climb with over 5,000ft of elevation gain, but also because I don’t have a whole lot of mileage this year. The pain arrived fairly quickly into my 2 hour ascent and didn’t let up much except for stretch around the ranger station at about 8km. Michelle, Alison, and I ended up going at our own respective paces which is generally how these sorts of extended uphill rides go. I’m happy to report that everyone made it to the top. Aside from discomfort, it was a great day and ride.

This was my third Hurricane Ridge ride, and was the first time I’ve done it under partly cloudy / foggy conditions. This was a bit of a blessing for the first third of the climb, but made me worry a bit about a frigid descent later on. After we passed through the tunnels we had gained enough elevation to get above the clouds and the rest of the way was sunny and pretty much awesome. The coolness on the way down was there, but ended up being tolerable.

GPS Data: 31.9km – 2h09m bottom to top
(about 64km – 2h50m both ways; forgot to restart GPS on the way down so these are approximate)
Garmin Website | GPX (right click to download)

Downtown Victoria early on a Tuesday morning.

Coho getting ready to head to Port Angeles in the early am.

We were the only three cyclists on the Coho this morning.

Coho bell with the former Victoria Wax Museum in the background.

Victoria skyline at dawn.

Early morning Ogden Point fishing as viewed from the Coho.

Looking toward Washington State from the deck of the Coho.

Ogden Point at about 6am on an August morning.

2011-08-09-road-ride-hurricane-ridge-10

Looking east toward Trial Island from the Coho ferry.

Coho ferry life ring.

Fog on the lower reaches of the Hurricane Ridge climb.

Heading through the tunnels on the climb up to Hurricane Ridge.

Finally above the clouds on the Hurricane Ridge climb.

One of many excellent views on the way up to Hurricane Ridge.

Grass and flowers with the Olympic Mountains in the background (taken from the Hurricane Ridge lodge).

Olympic Mountains viewed from the Hurricane Ridge lodge.

Mountain meadow and the Olympic Mountains.

Purple flowers near the Hurricane Ridge lodge.

Hurricane Ridge vegetation with mountains in the background.

Resident Hurricane Ridge deer.

Ranger lecture at Hurricane Ridge.

Hurricane Ridge meadow and nearby mountains.

A wasp on some Hurricane Ridge vegetation.

Hurricane Ridge meadow with some slow moving valley cloud in the background.

Back in Victoria plus Coast Guard helicopter.

Victoria Inner Harbour from the deck of the Coho at the end of the journey.

Search for Big Trees – Pacific Circle Route – Vancouver Island

Kris — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 06:27:07 +0000

Sometimes going for a drive seems like a good idea. I guess maybe it’s like a mini vacation. A particular drive I had not done prior to this weekend was the Pacific Circle Route. Basically, Victoria, Jordan River, Port Renfrew, Lake Cowichan, Duncan, and back to Victoria. Generally, I’m not much of a fan of driving for the sake of driving, so Michelle and I decided that we would stop at Avatar Grove, home of supposed big trees, near Port Renfrew as well as the San Juan Spruce on the way to Lake Cowichan. For info on how to get to these and other places check out the Ancient Forest Alliance.

Sounds like Avatar Grove has recently received some sort of protected status… seems like a good idea to me.

We ended up doing some walking around, hiking if you will, at Avatar Grove, but not a lot distance wise (3.4km). Including some hanging out on a short stretch of Gordon River we were on foot for about 2 hours. I’m sure there is other hiking in the area, not the least of which, the West Coast Trail and the Juan de Fuca Trail, but on this day we were satisfied with looking at the trees.

Some flowers on a logging road near Avatar Grove.

The first big tree after heading into upper Avatar Grove.

Part of the short trail in upper Avatar Grove.

The day's catch for some spider.

The so-called gnarliest tree in upper Avatar Grove, big but also looking like it might not be in the best health.

Michelle using a descending aid (rope) to head down the sort of steep entrance into lower Avatar Grove.

Nurse log with a substantial offshoot.

Leafy greens in lower Avatar Grove.

Another big tree in lower Avatar Grove.

Michelle doing the requisite tree hug in lower Avatar Grove.

Fungus and ferns in lower Avatar Grove.

Dry part of the Gordon River near Avatar Grove.

Nice looking leaf near the Gordon River near Avatar Grove.

What I'm guessing is someone's dingy anchor near the Gordon River.

Looking north along part of the Gordon River near Avatar Grove.

Uhhh, what are you doing?

Gordon River long exposure photo. Near Avatar Grove.

Gordon River bridge near Harris Main and a nice little pool.

Gordon River bridge near Harris Main.

Interesting tree near the San Juan Spruce.

Kris and Michelle in front of the San Juan Spruce.

Western Toad tadpoles in the San Juan River.

A leaf on the the bottom of a shallow spot on the San Juan River.

Bike Ride – Cowichan Valley Trail – Duncan, BC

Kris — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 01:39:00 +0000

I think I brought rubberized death from above to more than one or two slugs today. Alison, Michelle, and I did kind of an out and back ride on the Cowichan Valley Trail today the poor, slimy bastards are sometimes difficult to spot as they lounge on the trail. I do not take pleasure in running over slugs, so I did my best to avoid doing so, but it was difficult in spots.

Our ride ended up being about 50km (Michelle and I); Alison rode from downtown Duncan so I imagine she netted 70-80km. We started from the end of Vaux Road and headed out to Lake Cowichan on the south portion of the Cowichan Valley Trail, which gradually gains elevation pretty much the whole way. Heading back toward Duncan from Lake Cowichan, we started out on the north portion of the trail, but deked down Mayo Road back to the south portion to finish up. I did the ride on my cyclocross bike, which proved to be an efficient slug killing machine, albeit somewhat bumpy to ride. Michelle and Alison seemed somewhat more comfortable on their mountain bikes. I struggle a bit with what to call this sort of ride… not really a road ride, but not a mountain bike ride either. Whatever, it was good.

Rain threatened today, but didn’t actually happen, which made for one of those misty west coast days where everything in the forest seems extra green. It didn’t hurt that most of the trail is in some pretty awesome rainforest. I like days like these.

GPS Data: 46km – 2h46m – GPS route

46km Cowichan Valley Trail ride. Click on the map to see details on the Garmin website.

Michelle and Alison heading toward Cowichan Lake on the Cowichan Valley Trail.

The Cowichan River south of Skutz Falls.

Alison and Michelle on one of the trestles on the way to Lake Cowichan.

Shadow man on the Cowichan Valley Trail.

This would have been better if it was a sasquatch.

Misty hills near Lake Cowichan.

The Cowichan River not far from Lake Cowichan.

Trans Canada Trail sign on the Cowichan Valley Trail.

Old rail bridge in the village of Lake Cowichan.

Lake Cowichan, home of cougars in trees.

Cowichan Valley Trail map.

Start of the return trip to Duncan aka Lake Cowichan.

Dead Volvo alongside the Cowichan Valley Trail.

Short stretch of Mayo Road between the north and south sections of the Cowichan Valley Trail.

Some well-formed water drops on trailside vegetation.

Trailside vegetation along the Cowichan Valley Trail.

Heading south on the Cowichan Valley Trail.

Goats heading into the bush after a morning lounging in a field with some horses.