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www.google.ca "Climb the mountains & get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their freshness into you, & the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like falling leaves".John Muir My walking, Hiking, Biking Stomping Grounds. |
Lighthouse Country is a little haven situated along the eastern
shore of Vancouver Island, British Columbia (Canada). It is located midway up Island between 2
lighthouses, hence the name, The Sisters Lighthouse off the northern tip of Lasqueti Island & Chrome Lighthouse off the tip of Denman Island, & covers
an area of roughly 300 square kilometres. The population is approximately
4-5000 with a mixture of retirees & working folk. It is home to the
Pentlatch-speaking First Nations that have an active community in & around
Qualicum Bay, a small hamlet in Lighthouse Country. The area is also rich with
artists and musicians scattered throughout, and where beautiful artwork can be
found.
The area is rural and blessed with such beauty as rainforests,
mountains, caves, beaches, lakes, rivers and creeks. It allows for a wonderful
play area all year round whether you enjoy walking, hiking, biking, geo-caching, horse-back
riding, spelunking (caving), sailing, water-skiing, surfing, fishing, golf, photography,
skiing/snowboarding or cross country skiing, you name it, you can find it
in Lighthouse Country.
With the richness of its rainforests, there are beautiful trails
to explore which are scattered throughout the area taking you along creeks,
rivers and through magical forests. The majority of the trails are intentionally
created in keeping with the natural environment & range from approximately
1 – 2 hours in duration and are essentially suitable for walking & hiking
with some of the trails being accessible for biking if you have a mountain bike
& are prepared to carry your bike at times. The trails are basically
level with some hills which may or may not have stairs and some areas where one
is climbing up & down banks.
NOTE: It is very important that visitors using these trails do so at their own risk & understand that they are responsible for their own decisions, actions & behaviour. Please use your own common sense & judgement of your own abilities.
These trails as mentioned have been intentionally designed &
created to fit into the natural environment. Generally speaking, the trails are
built for single file walking. There are tree stumps & roots that one can
trip over if not paying attention & bridges that are built across creeks
from fallen logs where
some of them have
a rope to use as a handrail & some of them don’t; so that requires your own
judgement as to whether you feel safe enough to cross over these logs. You are
in a forest, so be aware of high winds as trees do fall down. With the popular
use of these trails & the constant exposure to the environment, there is a
natural progression of wear & tear, so take care when a trail has been
washed out, or a tree has fallen over the trail, or the wooden stairs are a
little rotten in places & things are slippery from the rain. Don’t forget,
this is a rainforest & you should be wearing suitable shoes with good tread & support. Having rain gear, a cell phone & carrying water is advisable.
Walking, hiking, biking around & through Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock and Western Red Cedar trees that have been standing over us for an unimaginable amount of time, are home to squirrels, wood peckers, ravens, eagles, bears & salmon, just to name a few of the creatures that share these forests. It is a perfect place for contemplation rejuvenation, photography and connecting to nature while exercising the body.
This is a magical experience with the protection of the trees
from the heat, rain or snow, allowing you to wander through these forests that
dazzle you with all the different colour greens of moss, ferns and
native vegetation while listening to the birds chattering and screeching, wood
peckers hammering, creeks flowing, crashing or rippling through on their
journey to the ocean. While you share this space exploring the area by walking,
hiking, biking, these trails can take you further up the creeks & rivers or
deeper into the forests, with the beauty of it all enticing you to keep going,
to see what's around the next corner, what's over that hill or down
that ravine. 
If you are a dog lover and owner,
well your mate has found heaven & is free to sniff, run, swim and explore
with joy without being restricted by a leash.
NOTE: Please be responsible for your dog. There is nothing worse than
coming across a plastic doggy bag that the owner has decided to leave on the
side of the trail, or a pile of poop on the trail waiting for someone to step in.
If your dog has pooped on the trail or just on the side of the trail, it is better to use a stick & push it off into the bush to decompose naturally rather than pick it up with a doggy bag and then leave the bag out there. Just be aware of pushing the poop right off into the bush. If you do use a doggy bag PLEASE take your bag home with you.
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| www.google.ca |
This is an easy destination for day trippers living in and
around the Nanaimo area, Courtenay or Campbell River. Folk living further away will
find this a great corner of Vancouver Island to explore & enjoy the natural beauty,
meet local islanders, enjoy a variety of annual festivals & events, buy
beautiful unique jewellery, art, pottery & much more, enjoy local seafood
& have plain old fun. You will find that Lighthouse Country has a variety
of great accommodations ranging from camp-grounds B & B’s, resorts, funky
lodgings & house rentals. I will talk about them another time. In the meantime
take a look at the following site to discover a little more about Lighthouse Country.
http://lighthousecountry.ca
HAPPY WALKING, HIKING, BIKING & EXPLORING
http://lighthousecountry.ca
HAPPY WALKING, HIKING, BIKING & EXPLORING
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