Comox Spring 2020
After our earlier than expected return from overseas, we rode our road bikes to get back into shape.
By April 9, we did our first 100km day ride.
If the tides are right, we can paddle onto the Salish Sea from across the street
In this instance, we watched an eagle catch a rock-fish at the Royston wrecks.
This was my first "bikepacking" trip (three days, two nights, from the front door). Steve & I rode out on the Comox Lake logging road, past the Cruikshank River to the upper Puntledge River on what I call the "Beaufort Mountains Circuit".
After visiting Willemar and Forbish lakes, Steve & I rode up a steep logging road and tried to get to Nimnam lake. There are no connecting roads but that didn't stop us. I call it the Nimnam Crossing.
The other (south) side of Nimnam Lake was much easier going and we found a decent camp at Pear Lake.
We followed Comox Main for a while.
However, we took a detour to take a look at Dickson Lake
We ended up on a decommissioned road and on ATV tracks.
And that meant wet feet.
Later, we were cruising on the Alberni rail trail
A nasty connector to get up onto a forestry road that would lead us over the Beauforts.
Back on the east side of the Beaufort Mtns, we passed by Esary Lake
And then along the Qualicum River on the Cook - Horne Lake FSR and camping and a further day's ride home.
Mt Curran was a long day hike in sloppy snow
Day paddle with Keith in the Winchelsea islands near Nanoose Bay.
The Hastings loop was a ride with Eamonn & Steve to see what was on the other side of the defunct Rosewall Creek bridge and it turned out to be quite an interesting day ride.
The lack of logging activity offers the opportunity for day rides along Comox Lake, this one up the Cruickshank to Cougar Lake.
The up and downs of the Comox Lake Main are many.
This was from a local paddle, out the front door up the lower Puntledge River
This heron was too preoccupied to be bothered by our presence.
Day ride to Lost Lake with Steve
We almost missed the rain showers, but were hard hit by one coming into town.
Cruickshank overnight ride. Steve & I tried to connect the two main roads on both sides of the Cruikshank but the bridge has been removed long ago. We rode up Rees Creek and walked as far as reasonable.
We made a four day Discovery Islands trip with Keith, starting from North Quadra. Temperatures were well above normal with light winds.
We watched this eagle up close. Later it captured a snake and flew over us: Discovery Islands Photos
Mohun lake is NE of Campbell River and makes a fine day paddle
There is some excellent road riding in the Coombs area including the very steep "Little Mountain" and up to Englishman Falls.
We can see Tree Island (officially called Sandy Island) from home and it makes a good half day paddle.
Steve & I attempted a Beaufort traverse via Poum Lake (near Lunchtime and Tsable Lakes).
We had fully loaded bikes and rode (and pushed) up over 1100m of vertical ascent on the first day.
We descended on a old weathered road down to Comox Lake. We later rode to the end of Forbush Lake and attempted to find the old Puntledge River trail that seemed to have grown in.
We saw plenty of scenery and even the ride out was hard work. Well done guys!
We did a relaxing overnight trip on Amor Lake, paddled most of its shoreline and we also dropped the boats onto Blackwater Lake.
Buttle Lake offers good, quiet road riding. We did a 100km ride that day.
We drove out to Side Bay for access to Brooks Bay on the West Coast. It was blowing hard when we arrived and we secured a beach camp on Mayday Island.
We paddled over to the south side of Brooks Bay and camped at the entrance of Klaskish inlet (Bonner islets)
We had a look around the neighbourhood into Klaskish Basin and Donald islets. However, the sea state did not encourage paddling further along the Brooks Peninsula.
We had 3 metre swells on the return journey and we camped at one of the beaches south of Keith River.
The wind was forecast to kick up so we made an exit from Side Bay and the long drive home: Brooks Bay Photos
We made an overnight trip to Northern Gulf Islands; launched at Blue Heron Park and we camped at Pirates Cove on DeCourcy island.
An overnight bike trip on Quadra with Steve took us to places that I had never been to.
We had not been to Nile Creek in a while and it is always a pleasure to view the rainforest and many waterfalls.
There were plenty of rain showers on another paddle to Tree Island.
It was our first time camping on Tree Island. We did it all without the use of a motor vehicle, only our carts to and from the water and home.
A fishing trip with Lawrence and Ed out to the Vancouver Island west coast (Quatsino/Winter Harbour) was the last excursion of spring 2020. We didn't catch our limits but my freezer has more spring & coho salmon, halibut, ling cod, and rock fish fillets than before.