Blogging, Friendship, Hiking, Vancouver Island

Walktober — Holland Creek Trail

Retirement Reflections

 

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www.ladysmith.ca

Holland Creek Trail, in Ladysmith, BC, has been on my bucket list for quite some time. Today I finally hiked its 6.6 km loop. It did not disappoint.

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The trail is rated as ‘moderate.’ More accurately, it provides something for everyone. The north side of the creek offers relatively easy walking sections. The south side is more rugged with increased elevation changes (>180 meters).

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Charming bridges, wooden stairs, rope supports…every single corner reveals another breathtaking sight.

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Simple beauties of this trail include epiphytes moss (that take their nutrients from the air and rain and do not harm the trees they grow on).

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Subtle gems are everywhere, like this sword fern. In BC, this fern is predominantly a coastal species. Its fronds can grow up to 1.5 meters high.

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Much more dramatic sights include the running creeks, collier dam, and stunning waterfalls. There is incredible natural (as well as man-made) history to be found here. The area surrounding the trail is rich with wildlife, including spawning salmon, bears and cougars. Other than a lonely snake, our hike today offered no such viewings (sigh with relief or disappointment–you choose)!

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For me, the absolute best part of this trail was hiking it with these amazing ladies.

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Yup, that Erica (left) from Behind the Scenery and Deb from The Widow Badass. (Check Erica’s post on our visit here!)

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All Trails suggests that this loop can be completed in 1.5 hours. It took us 3 hours because…well, you know…bloggers need to stop to take multiple photos, and we each had lots to say!

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Let there be cake!! Another trail perk was that it began and ended at my favourite coffee shop that was less than a 4-minute drive away.

I am linking this post to Breezesatdawn Walktober. There’s still time to join in if you have a favourite walk that you would like to share. If you have a chance, why not invite a friend to walk with you. It just might increase your enjoyment 100 fold. It definitely did for me!

Published by Retirement Reflections

Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.

104 thoughts on “Walktober — Holland Creek Trail”

    1. Hi, Sue – I am so sorry for my late response. I just found this comment in my spam folder. I don’t know how this happened. My spam filter must have been up to early Hallowe’en tricks.
      Thank you so much for your kind comment (as always). And about you and Mike hopping on another flight to visit Canada again — I’m totally for that. Your room is ready!!

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  3. Love the vibrant autumn colours. Donna, you all look very relaxed, and I really enjoy my weekly hiking [tramping] outings with other women, especially a natter over coffee.

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  5. Looks like a nice place for a good ole less than 2 hr walk that took you all 3 hr to complete!! I’m sure there was a lot of laughter and fun 🙂

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      1. I’m hanging out for the lottery win too Donna – so jealous Sue got to meet you without one! And thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 🙂

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      1. Lol! I thought it was from the recent drop in our temperatures. 🙂 Aw…that’s so nice to hear Donna, thank you. I’m so happy Erica enjoyed AMFHT. It’s nice to hear, especially when you’re struggling to write and the self-doubt creeps in. I appreciate you sharing. ❤

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  9. Looks like a beautiful place to hike on a beautiful day. A three hour hike. I wonder if the trees you passed by overheard your convos and now are gossiping about you! Just saying, the forest may have ears 😉

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  10. Well hello ladies!!! How nice to see you all together on a hike. I feel more than a twinge of jealousy that I’m not in there too 😏

    It sounds like it was a great walk. You had me at creeks and waterfalls!

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  12. Such a beautiful day spent in the company of 2 beautiful souls. I had a blast and can’t wait until I can call all of this scenery my home! And can spend more time hiking with these lovelies. Although, I sorely need to get in better shape. My calves are so tight today…LOL!!! Great post, Donna!

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    1. Hi, Debbie – I loved every bit of yesterday. The trail, the weather, the conversation, the friendship….all was perfect. The cinnamon roll and latte were icing on the cake!
      BTW – What did Richard do when we were hiking? Bought new shoes! 😀

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  17. What beautiful photos and how blessed to be hiking with two other wonderful ladies! Now this is me – but I personally do not understand the fascination with concrete, asphalt amusement parks when nature offers such beauty, lusciousness, variety and miracles (the moss that feeds on air and rain) . Thank you for sharing this wonderland!

    Susan Grace

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  18. What a wonderful outing Donna! A beautiful hike with friends and cinnamon buns after. Thanks for sharing this. I did a few nice hikes this Fall but haven’t mastered how to write them up quickly yet.

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    1. Thanks, Natalie – I do tend to write my posts very quickly. I repeatedly promise myself that I will write more slowly (and edit more carefully) the next time. Somehow, I find myself sticking with the same pattern! 😀

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      1. Hi Donna – Your post is great as is. Look forward, don’t look back 🙂 Reviewing/ Editing is a big time eater that we don’t need to feed all the time. There is another beautiful hike waiting to be discovered.

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  19. I love your featured top photo, Donna. All of your photos are beautiful, truly depicting Autumn. A wonderful post! You are right, “subtle gems are everywhere.” Challenging to summarize this beautiful setting.

    I agree how the best part was spending the day with you and Deb, two beautiful ladies inside and out! The day sped by. We might still by there if Richard wasn’t coming to pick you up. 🙂 Thank you for the bakery and hiking recommendation, Donna! Perfect! Looking forward to future adventures! xo

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      1. Hi again, Donna, Thank you for the mention and the Pingback. I had not thought about how I could add something new or edit a post after the post is published. Thank you for your support. I am always learning something new. Have a great Sunday!🙂

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      2. Hi, Erica – My pleasure! One of my favourite things about blogging is that it is super easy to make changes to what you have written, even after pressing ‘submit’. I wish that it had been the same in my Travel Writing course. 😀

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  20. With a name like Ladysmith, I would expect everything in the area to be pretty!! And this series of trails is a prime example. I do miss trees, and leaves and moss and ferns. What fun to have shared all of those things with friends. And celebrating the hike’s completion with cake. Sounds like the perfect day to me.

    I don’t have a single retired friend who would go for a hike or even a walk. I usually wind up listening to a book when I walk alone. A bit envious of your experience.

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  22. Ahhhh, that is so pretty, I can almost feel the cool, dewy air. What a wonderful trail and to share it with good company is an added bonus. I love the moss and that single leaf is a real stand out. I just saw Erica’s post on Instagram and connected the dots. My trail walking days will begin soon. Just need the temps to drop below 90F. Enjoy the season.

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    1. Hi, Suzanne – Thank you for reminding me about Instagram. I have recently switched phones (iPhone to Samsung) and have also upgraded the operating system on my Mac and hadn’t reinstalled my Instagram. I will check out her posts now.
      Waiting for the temperatures to drop by 90F? I’m totally jealous!!

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  26. Pingback: Do You Have Different Friends For Different Seasons? – Behind the Scenery

  27. What a wonderful project I’m going to try to walk somewhere beautiful this week as well! I do have lots of choices. Thanks for the inspiration.

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    1. Hi, Liesbet – This hike was in Ladysmith, on the Island. It is 10 minutes from where Deb’s daughter is currently living, 1 hour away from me, and 1:15 hrs from Erica. It has truly been on my bucket list for a while now. With it being such a midpoint location, the timing was perfect!

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  29. Hi, Donna,
    Love, love, LOVE the pictures. Holland Creek Trail appears to be a place where the silence is deafening, but then, I’m certain that you three had something to say about that. What a great place to hike with friends. I don’t need to remind you that “a life lived outdoors is a life well lived.”

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  30. Wow, such exquisite photographs, Donna, and how fun to share with fellow bloggers. I’m so jealous of your fall leaves, but those trails look amazing. Too flat around here but I would have to go into the foothills for a good moderate hike. Thanks for the walk and the glorious leaves and scenery!

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    1. Thanks for joining us, Terri. I wish that you had been with us IRL…but being with us virtually is the next best thing. Thank you also for your kind comments about my photography. I have switched to a Samsung phone, which I am enjoying immensely!

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  31. This looks absolutely delightful Donna, your photos are brilliant and show the autumn colours so well, I almost feel like I was there. And what fun to join with Deb and Erica! I look forward to reading their posts as well.

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  32. I’ve been loving Erica’s images on Insta and yours are fabulous too. What I really love is reading 2 posts about the same subject, seeing 2 sets of words & 2 sets of photos and seeing how the same thing is seen through different eyes and different voices. As I said in my comments on Erica’s post, I wish I was on that hike with you all!

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    1. Thanks, Jo – I was just reading your recent post when I saw this one pop up. It would have been wonderful to have you on the hike with us, as well. You would have LOVED the bakery (and the hike too, of course). Thank you for joining us virtually!

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  33. I could have done without the snake, but as long as it wasn’t aggressive … well, and there was cake at the end? Too much fun! (I’m over here from Robin’s blog and can hardly wait for her to provide links so I can see more beautiful Fall color!)

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      1. He is a beautiful senior pup, a Sheltie that I’ve loved from the moment I brought him home at age eight weeks. I love how Robin’s blog has introduced us to so many interesting bloggers from so many interesting parts of the world.

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      2. Thanks, Debbie – I agree that blogging is magical in this way. Because of blogging, I have met many new inspiring friends around the world (both virtually and IRL). I look forward to reading more about your gorgeous senior pup!

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    1. Hi, Jennifer – It was definitely ‘a talk and a walk….with more talk…and coffee and pastry thrown in for good measure!’ I agree that hiking with friends is the best hiking. Thank you so much for stopping by!

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  37. Over from Robin’s as through the years I’ve tried to visit as many of the participants as possible. A delightful walk and wonderful photos for the journey. So vivid. … and thank you!

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  40. Pingback: Vancouver Island October 2019 - THE WIDOW BADASS BLOG

  42. Oh, Donna, that looks like such a beautiful trail, even when wet. I’m sorry I missed the chance for this outing with you, Erica, and Deb. However, I did have a really fun and busy week with my grandsons (looking after them while their parents were away was why I couldn’t come with you).

    Jude

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