What I Wish I Knew Before I Retired
Trail: Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, North and South Loops, with Woodlot Trail Distance Hiked: 10.3 km Time Walking: 2 hr, 48 min Trail Rating: Easy (except for the railway trestle bridge crossing...which I did not love) How to Get There: The South Loop parking lot is located at the end of Lioness Blvd (off Lions… Continue reading Day 12: Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, Qualicum Bay/Bowser
Distance Walked: 7.2 km (Trail length is 4.5 km. Again we added extra loops.) Time Spent Walking: 2 hrs Trail Rating: Easy Nanaimo Waterfront: The current 4.5 km Nanaimo Waterfront Walkway is a multi-use path that extends along the Newcastle Channel and downtown waterfront. It has been developed and refined over the past 30 years.… Continue reading Day 11: Nanaimo Waterfront Walkway
Trail: Lantzville Lookout Loop (Part of the Copley Ridge Recreational Trail) Distance Hiked: 8 km (we added side trails to the main loop) Total Time: 3.5 hrs (including picnic lunch) Trail Rating: Moderate (with steep climbs) Main Loop: 5.6 km, Climb 373 m, Descent -371m, High Point: 405m, Low Point: 127m Starting Point: End of… Continue reading Day 10: Lantzville Lookout Loop
Distance Hiked: 13 km Total Time on Hike: 5 hrs 30 min Trail Rating: Moderate (with definite tricky bits) Getting There: Nile Creek Trail offers two main access points. We entered via Charleston Road, off of Highway 19A. That allows for a full 11+ km hike to the falls. If wanting to shorten this trek,… Continue reading Day 9: Nile Creek Trail, Qualicum
Distance Walked: 9.2 km (total return distance from our home) Central Park & Area Loop: 5.2 km (as shown) Walking Time: 2 hrs Rating: Very Easy This is a walk that Richard and I have done (with minor variations) literally hundreds of times. During the first three months of COVID sheltering, we walked this route… Continue reading Day 8: Parksville Community Park, Boardwalk and Low-Tide Loop
Today we had plans to meet up with a small group of friends to walk 4 km at Little Qualicum Fish Hatchery. To extend that walk, Richard and I began with a 5+km walk in nearby Laburnum Woods. Trail 1: Laburnum Woods, Qualicum Beach (Map) Distance: 5.6 km Walking Time: 1 hr, 15 min Laburnum… Continue reading Day 7: Laburnum Woods and Little Qualicum Fish Hatchery
Trail: Westwood Lake and Morrell's Nature Sanctuary Distance Walked: 13.94 km Walking Time: 3hrs 7m Trail Rating: Easy Westwood Lake Park: Nestled in the foothills of Mt. Benson, Westwood Lake is a popular spot to stroll, hike, run, (mountain) bike and swim. The main beach is Nanaimo's only lifeguard-patrolled freshwater swimming area. Dogs can be… Continue reading Day 6: Westwood Lake, Nanaimo, BC
Trail: Coombs-Parksville Railtrail Distance Walked: 15 km Walking Time: 3 h 9 m Difficulty: Very Easy When preparing to hike the Via Francigena last summer, Richard and I did a dress-rehearsal (inclusive of full backpack and Italian lunch) along the Coombs-Parksville Railtrail. It was one of the highlights of our VF training. So, it only… Continue reading Day 5: Coombs-Parksville Railtrail
Trail: Saysutshun (Newcastle Island) Distance Hiked: 13.77 km Walking Time: 3 hrs, 14 min Difficulty: Easy Getting There: Ferry from Maffeo Sutton Park, Nanaimo, BC ($7 return) History: Saysutshun is the home of the Snuneymuxw people. It is associated with physical and spiritual healing. After European contact, Saysutshun housed a coal mining operation, a fish-salting… Continue reading Day 4: Saysutshun (Newcastle Island)
#30hikesin30days Trail: Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park Total Distance Hiked: 10 km (5.78 Trail + 4.25 Walking Home) Time: 2 hrs 6 m walking time (app), 2 hr 30 min total time (watch) Difficulty: Very Easy The Challenge Continues When embarking on a hiking challenge with a partner, it's imperative to have a teammate with a… Continue reading Day 3: Rathtrevor Provincial Park
Retirement Reflections 