Southern Vancouver Island locavores lollygag on the Trans Canada Trail in the Cowichan Valley. See Joan’s article pages 6-9 with ‘Getting There’ finale. Here’s a synopsis: Follow Lochside Trail up and over the Saanich Peninsula to the Brentwood Bay Ferry. Stop at Seahorses Restaurant or Merridale Ciderworks for refreshment before rolling on to Shawnigan […]
Travelogue
The Rule of Three: Okanagan Cross Country Skiing
The Rule of Three Cross Country Skiing Omne Trium Perfectum Everything that comes in threes is perfect. We didn’t realize we were following The Rule of Three. One never knows this ahead of time. It’s a writing rule that loosely parallels a visual art concept, the rule of thirds. The three rule creates tension. Once it’s […]
Cross Country Skiing Lucky Streak
Vancouver Skiers to Stake Lake and Larch Hills Friday to Sunday Jan. 24-26, 2014 As Vancouver Skiers depart for some cross country skiing at Stake Lake (near Kamloops) and Larch Hills (near Salmon Arm), two distinct streaks of cloud give the eastern sky a gold-encrusted flair. One is a snow omen. Snow we cross country […]
Hawaiian Culture, Kauai’s South Shore
Hawaiian Culture, Kauai’s South Shore As a tourist, garden volunteer and longtime repeat visitor at the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) on Kauai’s South Shore, Hawaii, I’m excited about the NTBG golden anniversary year, 2014. Renewal is brewing in the gardens. Andy Jasper, NTBG South Shore Director of Gardens, wears enough hats to make that […]
Mayne Island Sea Kayaking SKABC Labour Day Weekend 2013
Mayne Island SKABC Labour Day Weekend, 2013 Leader: Bruce Pickwell Review and photos: Joan Boxall Gathering together at the newly-managed Eco-camping on Seal Beach, Miners Bay, Active Pass, Mayne Island, we meet our gang of twelve in eleven boats. We plan on doing the eighteen nautical miles around […]
Open Water Swimming: Lake Okanagan, Sasamat and Thetis: A Trio of Lake Swims
Open water swimming in British Columbia is a July goal with a trio of lake swims. In May, we prepare the transition from indoor pool to Kitsilano Outdoor Pool to lake, so that by the end of June, lake temperatures creep up as the snowmelt slows to a trickle. We don wetsuits to aid our speed and […]
Camp Fircom, Gambier Island Welcomes Sea Kayak Association of British Columbia (SKABC)
What/who: Sea Kayak Association of British Columbia (SKABC) Destination: Gambier Island’s Camp Fircom luxury accommodation at ‘The Cottage’ Leader: Shirley Brunke plus nine SKABC members When: midweek: June 25-28, 2013 Paddlers meet up at Lion’s Bay Beach Park to unload eight single kayaks and one double, then pack gear, mostly comprising food and clothing en route […]
Pender Island, Gulf Islands Sea Kayaking
Pender Island Sea Kayaking Environs May 17-20, 2013 A holiday weekend with the Sea Kayak Association of British Columbia (SKABC), and ferry traffic can confound, but we’ve got reservations to Swartz Bay, Vancouver Island, and from there, an early afternoon ferry gets us to Pender Island Prior Centennial Campground in time to meet some of our SKABC club […]
Cross Country Skiing Sun Peaks and Stake Lake
Early March is a good time for a British Columbia winter activity such as cross country skiing at Sun Peaks. Sun Peaks, an hour north of Kamloops, is where we take turns cross country skiing British Columbia terrain. The four-hour drive gets us there before dusk to investigate Village cuisine as well as familiarize in our […]
Cariboo Hills Nordic Skiing with Vancouver Skiers
We’re heading for some Cariboo Hills Nordic Skiing with the Vancouver Skiers. We leave the city over the Port Mann and the Mighty Fraser. Frozen farmland is waking up, and there’s a pink ribbon along the horizon. The sky brightens to eggshell. Many animal tracks crisscross the trails. What are they? Rabbits? Deer? Moose? Where […]