Category: Sunshine Coast

Hopkins Landing – December 20, 2011

Posted on by

So what do you do for fun the week of Christmas? Go to the beach, of course! I couldn’t resist today when the sun made a grand appearance. I postponed the baking and the paperwork and headed outside.





The closest beach to Arcturus Retreat is Hopkins Landing. I love this trip as a quick 1 hour workout. It is a lovely walk, and the scenery is amazing. There is even a bench on which to rest for a mid-trek break. Check out the snow-capped Mount Elphinstone which received another 5″ yesterday. Even the seagulls were basking in the sun.

Looking forward to many more sunny winter days on the beach.

Sunshine Coast Art Crawl – October 23, 2011

Posted on by

What a fantastic weekend! Too much to take in, but so much fun and perfect fall weather. Three all encompassing days of the 2nd Annual Sunshine Coast Art Crawl. 108 studios and galleries participating representing over 175 artists literally from Langdale to Lund.

Now I really don’t know anything about art. But I do know when I think something is beautiful…amazing….and sometimes a little weird. I know when something speaks to me and I know when I wish I could have something to look at every day.

The best thing about the art crawl is getting to see where artists work…where they draw their inspiration and learn just a little bit about their process. It is also about all different kinds of art: paintings, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, metalworks, furniture design, carving, glass blowing, leather, perfume…you name it…it was here. What is really amazing is the high level of quality in some of these artists I am lucky enough to call neighbors.

This is Tien showing off his silver jewelry creations and his perfumes and lotions.


Friday night we mixed in a bit of live music at the Gumboot Cafe…one of my favourite jazz groups: Mimosa. Three amazing women who write much of their own music and perform in at least 3 languages. Don’t miss an opportunity to hear these talented ladies perform. Lively music makes you want to get up and dance.

OK, back to the crawl… I managed to take in 23 studios this weekend and came home with a small painting that looks like it could have been inspired by the beach just down from our house.


23 studios may seem like scratching the surface with 108 studios participating. However, it isn’t about quantity….its about enjoying art and listening to the artist talk about what it means to him/her. It is about talking to other crawlers and hearing their stories of the day. I went to a similar number last year. This year I was able to see many new artists and return to a few of my favourites. There will be plenty more to enjoy in 2012. Mark your calendars now for an October weekend visit to the Sunshine Coast.


Besides, it was a beautiful weekend. I started my crawl today in Davis Bay where there was a cluster of studios. I parked the car and got a nice walk in between visiting 7 studios. On the walk back to the car, I got this lovely view of the ocean. A perfect day for a little family time playing on the beach…and some feathered family feeding time as the tide started to inch its way back out.

Nope…not a bad way to spend a weekend.

Smuggler Cove – Oct 16, 2011

Posted on by


Today was a beautiful day….lots of sunshine, no wind, and temps in the teens (50’s F). One of those few days where I am almost happy not to have guests….so I can get out and experience the best the Sunshine Coast has to offer myself. Today I chose a new hiking adventure…Smuggler Cove Provincial Park.

Smuggler Cove is located in Halfmoon Bay…about 45 minutes from Arcturus Retreat B&B. It is a marine park with anchorage for boats and a 4km trail system from the land access point. Signs inside the park explain that it gets its name first from being a point to smuggle Chinese labor into Canada at the time of the transcontinental railroad, and second from American prohibition. Alcohol was smuggled from nearby Texada Island and eventually across the border to the US.

The first part of the trail is super easy hiking. I wasn’t paying close enough attention to note if it was completely wheelchair accessible…but it is definitely baby stroller ready. Long boardwalks like this take visitors past marshy areas. This area is not home to massive trees, but instead many many young deciduous trees. I hadn’t noticed how many leaves have already fallen until I saw this stretch of empty trees. The season is definitely changing as overnight lows are now into the single digits…upper 40’s F.
About 1/2 of the way down the trail, this even ground ends and the trail becomes narrower and rocky. It is still relatively easy hiking with small elevation changes, but there are stairs and lots of rocks. Hiking books and/or walking poles come in handy protecting ankles and assisting with balance.

 

 


The trail loop at the end is completely worth the reward. One easy climb up a bluff and “Hello Pacific Ocean”. Imagine being the passengers on this lone boat at anchor in the cove. Nothing but stars and a full moon tonight to enjoy. Summer is a more popular time for boats, but crowds are still unlikely.

 

 


This is my favourite spot. I must have sat out on the huge boulder for 30 minutes with no other human in sight. A sailboat off in the distance and the sound of gently lapping waves and a few birds…nothing to spoil the moment. An excellent inspiration spot…perfect for reading, painting, writing, or just dreaming. I’ll definitely be back to enjoy this view. The southern tip of Texada Island is off in the distance and Thormanby Island is closer just out of camera sight to my left.


Arbutus trees line the shoreline. The tree best suited for craggly rocky outcrops. It is the coolest tree that calls the BC coastline and areas of the Mediterranean home. It doesn’t loose its leaves, but instead sheds its bark each summer. This leaves the trees smooth and a unique orange hue.

I am going to have to find time for more hikes in Smuggler Cove.

Mt. Elphinstone – September 27, 2011

Posted on by

Fall has arrived on the Sunshine Coast. Yesterday we had our first major storm which left me and my neighbours without electricity for many hours while hydro crews collected tree branches from the power lines. Today the sun returned, so I decided to celebrate the afternoon with a hike on Mt. Elphinstone

Is this the coolest looking tree or what? Spiral bark pattern with remnants of the forest fire 80+ years ago. Take a look at the boardwalk at the base of the tree. I’ve really started paying attention to the actual trails. Who builds wooden platforms like this in the middle of the forest? Nature loving, hard working volunteers who have great passion for mountain biking, that’s who. Great work and kudos for sharing it with us hikers.

I was very impressed with the forest today. We’ve had over 2″ of rain the past couple of days, so I was a bit worried the trails would be muddy. Not a bit! There were small branches and pine needles scattered everywhere from the high winds but the trails were in fine shape. The forest floor soaks in moisture like you wouldn’t believe.


Recent rains mean the forest is exceptionally green this time of year. Moss is growing on fallen logs, ferns are sprucing up, and everything has new life with slightly cooler temperatures and plenty of moisture. I need to have someone teach me about the edible mushrooms.

This picture doesn’t really do it justice. You have to get out there and see for yourself. Sunshine was streaming in through the towering branches, birds were singing, and I was the only human in sight. It’s magical to take an hour in the middle of the afternoon to be quiet, get a good cardio workout, and be immersed in the natural environment…less than 5 minutes from my front door.

SUP Porpoise Bay – Sept 14, 2011

Posted on by

What a night! Huge thanks to my friends at Alpha Adventures and super guide Annie. I’ve been dying to get back out and try standup paddleboarding for a second time. Every Wednesday this summer, Alpha Adventures takes out a group of 10 lucky people for a group paddle. I just haven’t been able to make the schedule work, or they have been sold out by the time I phoned. Tonight we launched from Porpoise Bay Provincial Park.

Tonight was beautiful! It was cloudy so the deep clear water of Sechelt Inlet looked black once you were away from the shore. Smooth as glass and as quiet as can be. It was so cool paddling along behind ducks, seagulls and Canada geese who were coming in for the night.
OK, this picture isn’t from tonight…but I can’t have a post without pics…and I’m not good enough to take a camera out on the water. This is my friend Laurie’s photo of my first SUP trip back in July. Thanks Laurie! 90 minutes of paddling and I didn’t go for a swim! Which I was very happy about as the water is ok for a quick walk but a bit chilly for a swim.
There were a couple of ambitious teenagers in our group who decided we should paddle around Poise Island. I am glad they did…it gave us a goal and a target and it is gorgeous. Steep cliffs and a mass of rock. How do trees grow directly out of rock? One thing about being new at paddleboarding…you pretty much just look straight ahead. Too much looking around messes with balance which means taking a swim. When we came around finishing the circle of the island, I got my first view at just how far we were from shore. Wow! “How am I going to ever get back?” is what I was thinking. Never fear…slow and steady…but it doesn’t even feel like work while you’re at it. Too much focus on just how beautiful the area is and how different your perspective is from the water.
I hope the temperatures hold in for a couple more weeks so that I can get back out on the water soon.

Davis Bay Sandcastles – July 30, 2011

Posted on by


It was a super sunny day for today’s annual Davis Bay Sandcastle Competition. This is an annual event put on by our local Rotary organizations. Boy, did they pick the day for a long very low tide!

Some very creative minds went to work this morning designing all elements of creatures. Here are a few of our favourites:

Amazing likeness!


Love those toenails! Purple clam shells

Seaweed for the thong.


Mr Tortoise soaking up some sun

 

SUP – July 24, 2011

Posted on by

Today was an amazing day. Summer has finally arrived in earnest here on the Sunshine Coast and we were looking for some fun in the sun. Our good friends at Alpha Adventures hosted the 1st Annual SUP Festival in Porpoise Bay Provincial Park. I’ve been wanting to try this hot new sport out for a while now, but everything finally came together today.

What is SUP? Stand Up Paddleboarding! I am so sorry not to have pictures…I didn’t want to worry about the camera on the beach and in the water. I’ll try to get some from a friend to add to this post tomorrow.

Picture standing on a surfboard in fairly calm water and using a single paddle…something like a canoe paddle, but really long. How hard would it be? Balance of surfing but advertised as easy as kayaking? It was awesome!

Thanks to Jamie Mani, Alpha Adventure co-owner, for hooking us up with equipment and a quick 5 minute lesson. Yes, a whole 5 minutes to get a pfd, learn how to measure for the appropriate paddle length, learn to carry the board into the water. Next, you get on the board in a kneeling position on all fours and center yourself on the board. I like to think of it as yoga prep…do a few cat/cow to get comfortable on the board. When you’ve got the feel of it, roll back onto your toes and into somewhere between downward dog and forward fold. Get your balance and roll yourself up to a standing position. You’re up!

This is where the work begins. This isn’t just standing on a board and paddling. This is balance! Core muscles working, knees bent, thighs engaged, arms & abs pulling through the water. This was a perfect day to learn…sunny and warm so not a big deal if you fall into the water. We were out at high tide on Sechelt Inlet, so fairly calm water and a very long stretch of shallow (3′) water. Just a little windy to cause some waves to give you something to pay attention to. Now you learn to paddle and steer and see how brave you are to venture to deeper water.

So much fun, but high concentration necessary to not fall into the water. (only once!) After a break to warm up & dry off in the sun, I took a second try at it. Amazing improvement 2nd time out and able to enjoy and look around a bit more. What a gorgeous day! Shallow enough water to feel very safe, but so clear you could see the bottom. Lots of families out enjoying a day at the beach and trying out the equipment. I am looking forward to upcoming Wednesday evenings when Alpha Adventures does regular SUP nights in Davis Bay. Yes, come out after work and try paddleboarding in the Salish Sea. Can’t wait to try this again!

To watch a video of the day, check out http://vimeo.com/2688035. Thanks to Laurie at Bigpacific.com for the photo & video!

BC Bike Race – July 7, 2011

Posted on by

This week’s highlight was BC Bike Race’s annual appearance on the Sunshine Coast. This is a premier mountain bike race with over 400 riders from all around the world competing for 7 days. The Sunshine Coast is proud to be home for 3 days of the race.

Today, riders made the trip from Sechelt to Langdale…38km with 1,400m of elevation climbing. Serious stuff, but they all love the 7km downhill decent at the end. These are the same trails that I hike regularly on Mt Elphinstone. The last kilometer comes down through our neighborhood with the finish line at the ferry terminal.

The fastest riders made the trip in 2 hours. A good number were in by 3 hours and some made a day of it. There is obvious relief & joy when they hit the finish line.
The first rider I spoke to was from Belgium and the next pair was from the UK. Love to see people come from around the world to ride in my backyard. The brits loved the course, but were disappointed that they hadn’t seen a bear yet. I told them that was probably a good thing.
One rider said, “The most fun you can have on your bike.”
After the race, there is still much work to be done. The support team for the event is as least as big as the riders themselves.


Each day there are celebrations and awards for top finishers. Teams of 2, individuals, and two race categories. There are a number of women racing, and the best are right up there with the guys. These women rock.


What better after 3 hours of gruelling riding than a massage by this caring crew?


The first task after the race is food & drinks. Tables are layed out for the riders with fruit & drinks to rehydrate. The second task is to give the bikes a quick shower and get them loaded up on the truck for easy transport on the ferry.
Once the bike is taken care of…its time for the riders to have a shower, too. Yes, there is a mobile truck for that, too.


Then its time to hit tent city a have a good long sleep. Afterall, there is more singletrack waiting the next morning.
Good luck to all the riders in stage 6 & 7!

Skookumchuck Narrows – May 2, 2011

Posted on by


Monday was an adventure day. We are entertaining guests from the U.S. so we took the day to explore the Sunshine Coast. The highlight was an evening cruise with Bryce of Sunshine Coast Tours to explore Skookumchuck Narrows in Egmont BC. Bryce is an excellent tour guide who freely shares stories and information about the area. Monday was an extra large current day and we happened to find some avid kayakers taking advantage of the rapids. Even though it had been a rainy day, the skies cleared for our afternoon cruise and we had a wonderful time on the water.


I highly recommend this tour. The hike in through the forest is an easy trail through the provincial park…baby strollers are often seen…and is 45min each direction. Huge ferns and endless Douglass firs, hemlocks & pine trees line the route past Brown Lake on your way to 2 viewing points for the Sechelt Rapids. The boat trip into Skookumchuck Narrows is a special treat, especially if some in your party aren’t ready for the hike. From land, it is hard to feel the full power of the rapids. From the boat, you can hear how hard the motor runs just to keep still against the fast current.

The Sechelt Rapids are a natural phenomenon that occur at least twice each day. Tide changes move millions of liters of water from the Pacific Ocean into a narrow spot at the top of Sechelt Inlet and then back again. A shallow section of the inlet bordered by narrow granite cliffs creates either fast moving salt water rapids or amazing whirlpools depending on the direction of the current. Skookumchuck Narrows is home to the fastest tidal currents in the world.

This was an experienced group of kayakers and we enjoyed the show. Surfers are sometimes seen here, too. In between tides, this is also a wonderful place to dive. Underwater reefs and bountiful sealife make for an exciting underwater experience.

Wildlife is plentiful. We saw many types of ducks and various migrating birds on their spring travels north. Bald eagles nest high in the trees and we were happy to see one looking for its dinner.

Altogether a great day experience.

Spring – May 1, 2011

Posted on by

Well it took a while, but spring has fully arrived on BC’s Sunshine Coast. April went by so fast with a bit too much rain and cool temps. But here we are with gorgeous sunshine.

I can’t believe 2 full weeks went by without a good hike. You can tell I’m out of practice…I forgot the camera! I managed to get out Friday with some good friendly encouragement and took to the trails on Mt Elphinstone. We came across some significant trail development. A whole new trail appeared in the last 2 weeks since I’ve been on the mountain! We decided to follow it down…serious work was done! So many cutbacks and some serious built up curves for the mountain bikes. This new trail (still unnamed) will be a great ride, but it’s not a trail for a leisurely hike. Lots of up and down for jumps and some serious curves.

When we reached the bottom, we ran into a student and his dad headed up for a ride. We mentioned the new trail, and the student had been involved in building it. Turns out it was the final project for the Capilano University Mountain Bike Program students. They built the entire trail in the last couple of weeks. A rock feature, a water crossing, wooden jumps, and serious reinforced turns belonged to each group of students. Great to see students gaining practical skills and leaving a great gift to our trail system.

There is also a new sign at the entrance to the park announcing “Sprockids Bike Park”. So much to explore….grab you bike (or your hiking boots) and get outside! It won’t be so long till I get back on the trails.