Last week the Probus hiking group met at Tsolum Spirit Park for a very soggy hike down the One Spot trail. I had optimistically decided that I would follow the best forecast, which was a 40% chance of showers. It poured the entire time! When we got back to the park, we went down to the river to see if there were any salmon in it. We were treated with a number of salmon going up the river and a few that were jumping in a nice deep pool. This week delivered another soggy day for the Probus hiking group, but thankfully nothing like the previous week. We deferred to Seal Bay Park in case we needed to make a speedy exit on account of the weather. The hike started at the Bates road parking lot and took us around the perimeter until joining the Forest Loop. From there we added in the Western Hemlock Loop. Along the way we saw a leaf that was half pink and half green and a tree whose nurse stump had long ago decayed, leaving what I think looks like a horse. After a quick snack we returned to the parking lot feeling quite pleased that we were not drenched. The slide show includes photos from both our Tsolum Spirit Park and Seal Bay hikes, plus one from our September rainy hike in the Snowden Demonstration Forest - John contemplating a verdant moss covered cliff. Anne Flanagan, Hiking Group Leader Great fall colours and support for National Truth and Reconciliation day. Plus a stop at the Seiffert's Farm Market pumpkin patch!
The Probus hiking group was a bit daunted by the weather forecast, despite my promise that it doesn’t rain in the trees. Thankfully my promise worked out! We varied from the normal path and came across a beautiful farm with a gourd stand and a barn with Virginia Creeper flowing down the walls. From that we looked for the fall “bloom” or fungi and were not disappointed. Group leader Anne Flanagan A group of 9 braved cooler temperatures, a bit of wind and possible showers to complete Sunday's ride. The rain held off and it was a good ride with coffee at Sunnydale Golf course. Photos attached including my feeble attempt at a selfie!!!! Group leader Willy van Kemenade Sometimes the weather just doesn't cooperate. Two Tuesdays of drizzly weather got in the way of our planned Mt. Elma hike, with more drizzle in the forecast for the next week. So the hiking group called an impromptu hike on short notice to take advantage of the last sunny day of summer. Only 4 of the group could attend yesterday, but the hike to a perch on the summit of Mt. Elma was spectacular! Well... we have reached the end of another motorcycling season and it was an interesting year overall. The riding theme this year was 'Explore the Smaller Islands' and we checked out several - Gabriola, Denman, Quadra and Hornby. In addition to those destinations, we rode to Gold River, Sayward, Qualicum (twice - for one of Canada's best rated burgers), and to Bowser for lunch. Today was lovely. We had lunch at Heriot Bay Inn on Quadra and the ride could hardly have been more mellow and enjoyable. Here are a couple of photos of today's trip, taken while we waited for the Quadra ferry in Campbell River. Submitted by Group Leader David Anderson Marg Hundt hosted 14 people at this month's Appy Mix and Mingle evening. Lots of wine, good food, good conversation, and good camaraderie. It’s September 21st and we paddled across Baynes Sound from Union Bay on a warm, calm sunny day. Fantastic! But, what’s the two Hearts? Bruce Hart was one of our paddlers, and after we landed, we discovered that our route was heart shaped. Have a look at our route map in the slideshow for the evidence. It was another lovely day for three Probus Paddlers to enjoy a fine autumn day together. Trip length was 13 km in 3 hours. The Probus Peddlers went on a 20 km ride Sunday around the Valley View and Crown Isle areas, and the town of Comox. It was another enjoyable ride, including a stop to admire the view over the Goose Spit lookout, as seen in this photo.
Group Leader Willy van Kemenade Our small, but mighty group paddled Discovery Passage from Campbell River’s Tyee Spit north to Duncan Bay. Discovery Passage is the marine gateway to the wild side of Vancouver Island, and the human and ocean dynamics are different from what we see in the Comox Valley. Harbour porpoise popped up when least expected and we discovered that Steller sea lions were very interested in my whistle. The large industrial boats made an interesting contrast with the gentle rowboats of the intrepid anglers of The Tyee Club. And the changing currents kept us alert for visual clues from features like the dense bull kelp forest which indicated current direction and speed. It was another great adventure for us! Trip length was 12 km in 4 hours. Bob Allan Kayaking Group Coordinator |