Arcturus Retreat Garden - April 25, 2009

Spring has fully arrived and the gardens are full of colour. This is our yellow plum tree that last year produced over 1,000 plums. Just a few bags left in the freezer to use between now and August when we'll have fresh plums again. Excellent for breakfast smoothies!

It is hard to seet he mountains in the background. The clouds are hovering to hide the peaks. Snow is melting, but there is still a lot at the top and on the north faces. My friend who owns Natural Trekking has still been taking clients out on snowshoe treks.




The maple tree is full of new red leaves. I with I could identify the tree next to it. It has beautiful pink blossoms and will soon be full of green leaves. In front of the maple tree is a red currant bush. It has tiny little blossoms that will hopefully be many delicious red currants come July.

In the foreground, you can see we got the hummingbird feeder out last weekend. They are back and we've seen a number hovering around it and visiting all the blooming flowers. Hummingbirds are so interesting to watch for this kid raised on the prairies.

Earls Cove - April 15, 2009

Much too long since my last post. Today I took the opportunity to join the Sunshine Coast Bed & Breakfast, Cottage Owners Association on their annual Spring Tours. We visited 9 B&Bs and cottages in the Egmont and Pender Harbour area.

This is a beautiful view from Earl's Cove over the Agamemnon channel. In the distance is Nelson Island which lies between the Upper and Lower Sunshine Coast. Absolutely beautiful and peaceful! This is as far as a person can travel from Arcturus Retreat B&B without getting on a boat or ferry. 1km from here is the Earls Cove BC Ferry terminal where you can sail to Saltery Bay and the Powell River/Lund area.

This is Ravenscove Cottage which is a classic waterfront cottage. I am out on their private dock looking back to the shore. Talk about getting away from it all..... No one else in site.

Hopkins Landing - Feb 19, 2009

After a string of beautiful sunny days, I finally made it out with the camera. Hopkins Landing is a short walk from my house and a lovely place to spend a sunny afternoon.

There is a bench out on the dock which stretches far enough out into Howe Sound, that you get the feeling you are actually out on the water. You can gaze back at the public beach that stretches 5km all the way into Gibsons. You can sit, relax, listen to the birds and the constant ebb and flow of the tide.

In the summer, this is a popular swimming spot and dock for both recreational purposes and for those who live on the nearby islands. It is a very walkable stretch of beach with lots of driftwood for a campfire.



Then of course, you can look the other direction and simply enjoy the North Shore Mountains. Grace Island is the very small island in the front of the picture. Gambier Island is just behind that, and then the mountains.

Snow levels are fairly low for February, a sign of the warm weather we have had of late. It is interesting to watch the white make its way lower down the mountain after a storm system, only to recede to higher elevations after a few sunny days.

Dakota Ridge - Feb 2, 2009

How to escape winter gray of the Pacific Northwest? Some head south in search of sun and tropics, but I like it right here. We spent a wonderful Sunday up on the mountain where rain was replaced with beautiful snowfall the entire day. There is something magical about trees covered in a white blanket.

Dakota Ridge is a recreational area near Wilson Creek on the Sunshine Coast. It is run mostly by volunteers who absolutley love the outdoors. A big thank you to Alpha Adventures - Outdoor Adventure Store who hosted their annual equipment demo day. We took their shuttle to the top of the mountain and tried out snowshoes and cross country skis. It was our first time to try these winter sports and Alpha's guides were fantastic.

This is me finishing up my first cross country ski session. Note the fact there is no one else in sight. This is skiing in nature...not with thousands of people jockeying for a spot on the slopes. There were a about 20 cars in the upper parking lot, but once out on the trails we were on our own. There is a warming hut and a washroom which make for a nice break in the day.

I can't wait to get back up on the mountain and do it all again.

Ucluelet & Tofino - Jan 11-12, 2009

I've been living on the west coast for a couple of year's now, and I never get tired of looking at the ocean. However, I know that it isn't the direct ocean...I usually see Howe Sound or the Georgia Strait. Sure, they are salt water and sure they are part of the Pacific Ocean, but they aren't really "open ocean waters". Vancouver Island protects the Sunshine Coast and provides a natural buffer to the waves, winds, and storms that move across the Pacific Ocean. This weekend, I visited the true west coast and saw the wild Pacific Ocean up close.

The first picture is Long Beach which is between Tofino and Ucluelet. The sand is smooth and easy to walk on. The waves crash onto the shore and are mesmorizing in their rhythm. Surfers were out enjoying the day.

Tofino and Ucluelet are on the west coast of Vancouver Island. At this latitude, there is nothing except open ocean between us and the west coast of Russia. Winter is storm watching season, although everything was calm during this visit. These photos are both in Ucluelet. Huge black boulders line this part of coastline. I'm not sure if they are lava from and old volcano or just boulders from ice age retreating glaciers. Either way, they are a spectacular sight. It becomes an adventure weaving around and over the rocks to get to the water. Waves crash as the floor of the coastline changes over the contour of the rocks.

On other rocky outcrops, mature trees find bits of soil on which to grow. What you can't see is that just behind me is a forest. Sorry...the ocean seems to have gotten all the camera attention. This area receives over 3.2 meters or 10 feet of rain each year. It is a rain forest and the mix of plant life is amazing. Be sure to hike the Pacific Rim Trail to see old growth forest and amazing views of the Pacific Ocean.

Langdale Trail - Jan 2, 2009

Holiday travels have kept me away from hiking the Sunshine Coast. Over the past 2 weeks, we have received a meter of snow which is very, very abnormal for this area. Usually you have to hike up into the mountains to see that much snow. Just when we were getting a bit of melting and transportation was starting to get back to normal, we received another 4" on New Year's Day. Sunshine filled the sky today and beckoned me out for a much needed hike.

I am lucky to live 1 block from a wonderful trail. The Langdale Trail starts at the end of Wharf Road and heads into the forest. Just as I was starting in, a teenage mountain biker came riding out so I was pretty sure the trail would be passable. This was the only person I saw for the whole trek...a great time to get away by myself.


The sounds of the forest are always different and always amazing. Today water was the key sound. The tall trees dripped both water and snow as the sun reached the upper branches. It was a good day to wear a hat! Interestingly, snow covered the ground completely at the lowest elevations. As I hiked higher, melting snow flowed into streams covering the entire path. The sound of fresh, clean water making its way over rocks, leaves and branches is always refreshing and pure.





It was a great day to be out and I definitely won't wait so long for my next trek.

Roberts Creek Provincial Park - Dec 7, 2008

The sunshine was beautiful and the Sunshine Coast held up to its name today. I decided to go exploring in a park that I haven't visited before, Roberts Creek Provincial Park.
It is located just down the block from "downtown" Roberts Creek. There is a nice grassy area with picnic tables and easy steps leading down to the beach. I was surprised to find actual sand here...most of the area beaches are rocky. The sand was only a small stretch, but it was very nice walking. It was probably just after high tide and the waves were rolling in. There is an amazing amount of driftwood along this stretch. A great place to curl up with a good book or have a picnic on a slightly warmer day.

A great day for fishing!

This little guy had just finished some amazing body surfing in the waves. Shortly after this picture, he rejoined his two friends about 5 meters into the water. A bit farther down the beach I came across a bright purple starfish. He had become stranded in the sand as the tide was moving out. Unfortunately, I didn't think to take a picture until after my partner threw him back into the ocean.