Sidney Spit

 

Living on an island during a pandemic can feel like both a blessing and a curse. Your world can begin to feel very small. Luckily the travel restrictions did not extend to this little island off the coast of our bigger island. Sidney Island has a few residents on it and a large federal park. The park is on a spit on the northern end of the island. The lovely thing about this park (besides the sandy beaches) is that it is only accessible by boat so there are no car, no motorcycles, no ATVs. There is a small ferry that runs a few times a day between Sidney and Sidney Island. We decided to pop over for a couple of days.

There were lots of opportunities to view wildlife on our trip. We watched several great blue herons fish for their dinner, a mink made it's way through our campsite checking for food, we could hear ravens and A found one of their feathers, there were lots of nesting bald eagles, the kids caught sight of an otter near the lagoon and there were tons of sea creatures both in the surf and on the shore.

The campground is a hike-in and there is no potable water on the island so it was an exercise in stamina for us all to get what we needed to the site. From our bases camp we walked about 6-8 kms per day around the island and down the beaches. The kids wanted to just stay at the site and play with tent caterpillars but I feel like our time to enjoy these beauty natural spaces is running out. BC has changed so much from when I was a kid here. Forest fires, logging, urban sprawl, climate change; they are all changing not just our island but the entire province. I want my children to see and love this world and fight to protect it's natural state.

Juan de Fuca :: Day 2

 

Our second day on the Juan de Fuca trail is an ode to my naivete. You see, I knew it would be strenuous, I knew it would be muddy, I knew there would be logs and roots to avoid but I foolishly thought it would be those things at different times at different spots along the trail. The reality is that it is all those things at one time at any given time on the trail. I grossly overestimated my own body.

Our plan for day 2 had been to pack up and hike the 5kms to Little Kuitshe campground. We woke to rain and clouds. I had almost no sleep the night before and F was down to his last pair of dry socks. After a cup of hot chocolate and some granola, we did as planned and packed up. We trekked along the beach back to West Sombrio where we stopped for snacks. Here we encountered our first suspension bridge (and as it would turn out, our only suspension bridge). I think everyone enjoyed crossing the bridge except me. 

The mud began on the other side of the bridge. It was slippery but doable. We passed several mushrooms and banana slugs (F loves to look out for slugs. He would guard them to make sure they were not stepped on during our hike.). Then it was back on to the beach. I think this was the beginning of my downfall. I have chronic joint issues and inflammation in the tendons of my heels. I wore good supportive boots and used a hiking pole to help steady myself. However it was still raining and the rocks were becoming slick. I frequently slipped and wobbled causing those tendons to ache. We reached a spot where the tide was too high to pass. We stopped for lunch in the hopes we could pass soon. 

After an hour and some crab hunting, the tide was still too high so up and over we went. It was slippery, steep and muddy. The steps of roots and logs to help up the slippery hill were meant for someone taller than me. I really struggled to clamor over them. Surprisingly the children seemed to do better with some help from the adults. I could feel the ache in my ankle worsen. Descending down the other side to the beach again did not help. 

We stopped at the marker for 3kms to Little Kuitshe for water and rest. I was feeling this crushing sense of defeat. I know I am fat and I have joint issues but it has never stopped me from hiking before. I just go slowly and take breaks as needed but I carry on. I was feeling concerned that I may end up pushing my ankle to the point of injury. Little Kuitshe campground is only accessible by foot so I would have to walk out if I walked in. I was determined to carry on. I tried to push the pain to the back of my mind and get on with it. Not more than five minutes into hiking again and the pain turned to weakness. It was becoming harder and harder to bear weight on that ankle. I couldn't keep up with my kids and I was feeling defeated. That was the breaking point. We turned back.

I limped back along the beach and over the bridge to our car. I was crushed. I didn't even complete one section of the Juan de Fuca trail. I kept thinking "what if I had taped my ankle?" and "what if we started at the other end of the trail?". I tortured myself the whole night after we returned. I decided to use my defeat as motivation to strengthen that heel and go back. I see my physiotherapist this week and I'll ask her to help me come up with a plan. Juan de Fuca; this isn't over.

Juan de Fuca :: Day 1

 

About a month ago I made the ambitious plans to take my family to hike part of the Juan de Fuca trail. I knew I wanted to spend Mothers' Day with my family in the wild. I read a lot of blogs, talked with friends who have done the trail, read recent experiences on AllTrails; I felt prepared. We have hiked in to camp before but haven't truly backpacked with our children. I put a lot of time and effort into making our packs light as possible but making sure we would be warm, dry and most importantly not run out of snacks. 

F carried a Deuter Climber 22L pack and A carried a MEC Escapade Youth 32L pack. Finding good sized and appropriate fitting packs for my children was a challenge. I think there is a lack of good fitting backpacking packs for children under 16. Nevertheless, I managed to fit their clothing, sleeping bags, mugs, water bottles, headlamps and snacks in their own packs. They each had a hiking pole as well to help with the muddy conditions.

The Juan de Fuca is well known for it's muddy conditions. That side of the island is wet, windy and unpredictable. We were pleasantly surprised however by a clear and sunny day for our arrival at Sombrio Beach. We parked at Sombrio West and hiked the 1.8kms over to Sombrio East for a night on the beach.

Sombrio itself is a beautiful spot. Tricky terrain as you are walking over basketball sized rocks and washed up kelp but there is a lot of beauty to distract you. We found plenty of sea urchins both alive and deceased, starfish, lipets, slugs, bald eagles, seals, cormorants and even a hummingbird. 

By far my favourite part of the trip was the Hidden Waterfall. It's easy to miss (hence the "hidden" part) but well worth the visit. You follow a small stream up from the beach to a sandstone cave of sorts. The stream is lined with ferns and salmon berry and is lush and green. You can feel the cool mist of the falls before you can actually see them. I think it might be as close to magic as I have ever seen on Earth. I stood by myself in the mist at the base and grounded myself in that place. I could feel it healing my tired soul. 

We watched the sun set and even enjoyed the warmth of a rather smokey fire. We made sure our tent was above the tide line and our food was safely in the bear cache and curled up in our awesome family backpacking tent for the night.  I thought the waves would be a soothing way to fall asleep but even with ear plugs it was more like a constant roar. Sleep was rather elusive that night which made for an even more difficult second day. Day 2 in the next post.

Here Comes the Sun

 

The past couple days we have been enjoying summer-like weather. The skies have been clear and the temperatures in the 20s. We've been making a point of visiting gardens around the city. The cherry blossoms are almost gone but the rhododendrons are starting to bloom. The hillsides are covered in white fawn lily and common cammas. 

We visited Beacon Hill Park a few days ago and found the turtles out sunning themselves. It's also the time of year for peacocks to show off for the ladies. It's a noisy place when this happens. We also came across great blue herons nesting in the trees. In a few months the ground will be littered with turquois egg shells. 

Today the sun was beating down on us again which called for the sprinkler. Our garden and my children loved the cool shower. If it's this hot in April, I fear for the summer months. It's hard sometimes to remember that sunny days aren't necessarily good. Typically April was a cooler month; as the saying goes "April showers bring May flowers". I hope for the sake of our forests we get more rain in the coming weeks, otherwise it could be a difficult season for forest fires. 

Spring Begins

 

The spring equinox and spring break coincided this weekend so of course we had to get away for a little bit. We spent 3 days tucked away at Goldstream campground. It was cold and wet but such is life here on this island. Everything seemed so lush and calming. We were kept company every night by several barred owls calling "who cooks for you!" to each other. 

This trip was made even better by the company of our closest friends. The kids built forts, explored the swap behind our site and played many rounds of laser tag. We had the campfire going and good company. I can't think of a better way to welcome in this new season. I'm aching to get back into our camping routine and visit some new spots on our little island. 

Forest and Friends

 

 

 

Maintaining friendships has been a huge challenge during this pandemic. I'm feeling the loneliness but my kids are really struggling with the lack of friendship. Connecting online isn't what my young kids need; they need face-to-face interaction. 

 

Luckily we live on an island where Covid infections have been moderate if not minimal. We've had good leadership from our provincial health officer; Bonnie Henry. I don't always agree with her choices but she's been very upfront and consistent throughout this pandemic. So Dr. Henry has maintained restrictions on social gatherings though encouraged citizens to spend time outdoors. Walks outdoors with friends is permitted so we took advantage of the sunshine to meet some friends in the forest.

 

I think we all felt invigorated and refreshed after our time in the woods and connection with friends. The sunshine was such a refreshing change. A good dose of vitamin D always helps boost our mood. I must encourage you all to connect with nature even if you can't connect with friends. 

Expressions

 

For the past year or so, A has been exploring a new way of expressing her deep love and connection with nature. She gathers materials that resonate with her and with mindful focus she creates these beautiful mandalas. I've never asked her what sparked this kind of expression; I merely admire her creativity and the unique beauty of each one. I've been taking pictures of her creations in the hopes of compiling enough pictures to create a calendar of them all for 2022. How do you express your love of nature?

Rock Hunting

 

For the past few years we've been exploring the world of geocaching. It was really fun for a while. It was a great family activity. However, relying on the GPS app was a big challenge and sometimes I just wanted to put the screen away and be in nature. So we stumbled upon this movement called Sooke to Sidney Rock Hunt. The community would paint rocks and hide them around their communities for others to find. You could keep the rock or re-hide it somewhere for another to find. It was wonderful fun!

We've found rocks in the most unexpected places (in a parking lot, on a ledge by the liquor store) and it's been a motivation to get outside and visit places we haven't been before. The kids and I both painted rocks with enthusiasm. We wrote the year on the back in the hopes that at sometime in the future we will find the rocks again and be surprised by how long it's been since we painted it. 

It's very tempting for my children to keep each rock they find. It's like treasure for them and the would love to have a box of their collected rocks. However, the spirit of the movement is to spread joy with the rocks and share art and nature with the community. It doesn't seem right or fair to keep every rock we've found. So they each have one or two rocks that mean something special to them and the others have been re-hidden for others to delight in. 

If you'd like to take part in the fun search Sooke to Sidney Rock Hunt on Facebook to find the group (I'm no longer on Facebook so I don't have the link). If you find a rock on the island labelled SSRH or SS Rock Hunt those are part of the hunt as well. Enjoy, be safe and have fun.

Warm Winter

 

It's undeniable that even in a small way the Covid-19 pandemic was a breath of fresh air for the climate crisis. Less air travel, less cruise ships, less commuters driving to work, less recreational vehicles in lakes and oceans. However, that little bit feels insignificant when you realize that we are fighting a runaway train. 

We had a day of brief snowfall before Christmas, then it quickly warmed up. It's felt more like April than January. F asks me often "Is it spring now?" because we see flowers popping up and it's warm enough to leave your jacket at home. It's sad to see how out of sync nature is becoming. It seems that the plants and animals are just as confused about the season as my son is.

Lulu and I have been venturing further from home on our adventures so we can get a good dose of nature. While I love seeing the lush green moss and new ferns, I shouldn't been seeing this rebirth for another two months. As a gardener, I'm lost as to when to prune or plant. It's hard to push the message that it should not be this warm and sunny in the first month of winter here in the PNW. Everyone loves the sunshine and with Covid restrictions getting outdoors is essential. But just because it's enjoyable doesn't mean it's right. It's time for drastic action.