What I Wish I Knew Before I Retired
Distance Walked: 9.14 km Walking Time: 2.5 hrs Pubs: Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Company and The Black Goose Inn Route: Easy Richard and I had unanimously agreed that the final day of our #30hikesin30days Challenge should be the Oyster River Pub-to-Pub Hike near Courtney, BC. What a perfect way to walk and celebrate at the same… Continue reading Day 30: Pub-to-Pub Hike or Bust!
Shelly Creek Park and Rail Loop: 4.25 km Coffee Loop: 4.02 km Total Distance Walked: 8.27 km Total Walking Time: 2 hrs Shelly Creek is a tributary to the Englishman River. It begins on Little Mountain and flows into the river near Parksville's Orange Bridge. Shelly Creek Park is the last healthy riparian section of… Continue reading Day 29: Shelly Creek Park and E & N Rail Loop, Parksville
Trails: Stocking Creek and Cowichan Valley Access: 11014 Finch Place or 10786 Chemainus Road, Saltair (near Ladysmith) Distance Walked: 8.88 km Walking Time: 2 hr 8 min Difficulty: Both easy and moderate paths are available. What's not to love about trails that meander through a rainforest, give you easy access to a waterfall (that you… Continue reading Day 28: Stocking Creek Falls, Saltair
Distance Walked: 9.4 km Walking Time: 2 hrs Trail Rating: Easy The Fern Road Woods Trail gives Qualicum Beach residents a scenic, low-traffic, multi-purpose route to travel to the downtown core or to simply use for recreational purposes (it includes a No Through Road). This trail is part of the 13 km Parksville-Qualicum Beach Link… Continue reading Day 27: Fern Road Woods Trail / Qualicum-Parksville Link
Distance Walked: 7.01 km Walking Time: 1 hr, 42 min Trail Rating: Easy History: Protection Island is located in the harbour of Nanaimo, BC. It is home to 350 full-time residents. Locals commonly travel across the island by golf cart, while some transfer their groceries, recycling and garbage from the community dock by wheelbarrow. Many… Continue reading Day 26: Protection Island
DISTANCES WALKED Duke Point Ferry Terminal: 3 km Duke Point Ferry: 7 km Crescent Beach: 3.75 km White Rock Pier: 5.25 km Combined Distances Walked: 19 km Combined Walking Time: 5 hrs I wasn't sure how I would squeeze in a hike today, let alone 7 km (our minimum daily hiking distance in this series… Continue reading Day 25: Duke Point, Crescent Beach and White Rock Pier
Trail 1: Jack Point Trail Loop (Duke Point) Distance Walked: 6 km Walking Time: 1 hr, 45 min Trail Rating: Easy Jack Point Park is a fascinating place with much to offer. It is a Geopark, recognized for its geological interest. In particular, the sandstones and mudstones found here display unique erosion features. This park… Continue reading Day 24: A Tale of Two Trails: Jack Point Park and Morrell Nature Sanctuary, Nanaimo
Distance Hiked: 18 km Walking Time: 4 hrs Trail Rating: Easy and Moderate trails are available Location: 4481 Forbidden Plateau Road, Comox-Strathcona History: Nymph Falls resulted from the creation of a fish ladder on the Puntledge River, completed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and BC Hydro, in the early 1950s.In 1992, the Comox… Continue reading Day 23: Nymph Falls, Comox Valley
Distance Walked: 10.75 km Walking Time: 3 hrs Trail Rating: Easy Map Although a familiar trek for local off-leash dog walkers and community hiking groups, I consider this trail to be another hidden gem. It is not currently listed on Alltrails. Google wasn't much help either. Just before reaching the gate for Pheasant Glen Golfcourse,… Continue reading Day 22: Pheasant Glen Nature Trails, Qualicum Beach
Distance Walked: 7.22 km Walking Time: 1 hr, 45 min Trail Rating: Easy (with options for moderately steep climbs and rock scrambling) Address: 1055 Morningside Drive, Nanaimo Source Neck Point Park is surrounded by rugged rock cliffs and pebble beaches. It offers 36 acres of waterfront forest with several short trails, including a 1.8- kilometre… Continue reading Day 21: Neck Point Park, Nanaimo
Retirement Reflections 