This week started with beautiful weather...some clouds but plenty of sunshine too. Fall is definitely in the air though as temperatures at night are dipping down to single digit levels and daytime highs are in the mid to high teens (these temps are in Celsius of course).
Saturday (Oct. 4) morning we decided to drive out to Seal Bay Regional Nature Park for a hike. We took the Coupland Loop Trail and instead of taking the usual "Don Apps Trail" that zig-zags down to the beach, we continued along to another trail that goes pretty well straight down. Here I am at the top...
Steve took a short 33 second video of the view...
After sitting on a log and taking in the beautiful view, it was time to hike back up.
Our hike was about 2.5 km (1.55 miles) but it involved a fair amount of elevation change...so we decided to reward ourselves with a stop at "Timmie's" (Tim Horton's) for coffee and a treat 😁.
It was such a lovely day that we decided to go for another walk in the afternoon. We went down to the river from the campground...
Merganser ducks sitting on a log with a sea gull...
Sunday (Oct. 5) was another beautiful sunny day. After our usual morning walk, we puttered around doing "stuff" until it was time to walk up to the Gladstone Brewery. Walking across the bridge, there are numerous salmon fishers out in the Puntledge River...
A 57 second video of the spawning Pinks below the bridge...
Monday (Oct. 6) was another beautiful sunny day. After lunch we went out to the little trailer to winterize it. The process went smoothly...and quickly! Before we knew it, we were on our way home to take care of a bunch of chores on this sunny day.
Tuesday (Oct. 7) was a very chilly start to the day...but we did have a gorgeous sunrise!
After my Pilates class, we went to Nymph Falls Nature Park for a hike. I know we have posted many pictures of this park but this was an unusual heart shaped display on one of the picnic tables...
A picture taken while on our walk Wednesday morning (Oct. 8) a dark and gloomy day at the airpark/riverway path...
Steve heard splashing behind him against the shoreline and for the first time saw a huge Sea Lion with a salmon in the Courtenay River. It was gone before he could get a photo but managed to get (a 21 second video)...
After lunch we drove out to the Puntledge River Hatchery. There were plenty of fish in the holding ponds, Pinks, Coho, and Chinook...checking them out in the underwater viewing area...
Here is a 2:41 minute video that starts with salmon in the river...and then shows some Coho being transferred from a holding pond into a mobile tank. They are transporting them to Comox Lake...basically giving them a "helping hand" rather than having to make their own way up the river to the lake.
We were hoping to see the egg and milt (semen) collecting but it wasn't in operation today.
On our way home from the hatchery, we stopped at Puntledge River Park (not to be confused with Puntledge RV Park 😉). There is a short .63 km (.4 mile) loop trail that starts along the river and then loops into the woods...we walked along the river and turned around.
Foot bridge crossing Morrison Creek...
There were a few fishers here too...
Rain set in the next couple of days...so we really didn't do much. Steve took the car in for a service on Thursday morning (Oct. 9) and we got out for a short walk with our umbrellas after lunch. Friday morning (Oct. 10) we also managed a morning walk at Nymph Falls carrying our umbrellas...before the rain really set in...
Saturday morning (Oct. 11) we woke to the pitter-patter of rain on the trailer roof but it didn't last. By mid afternoon some sun was breaking through the clouds.
We are heading down island (again!) tomorrow...looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with Rob, Angie and the boys. Both Steve and I have appointments there next week and I will be grocery shopping and preparing meals for Rob and Steve to take on their hunting trip. They leave next Saturday for a week. I will be enjoying a week doing a bunch of stuff...without Steve 😁.
(And Bro time for me! Steve) 😉
That's the type of fishing that I have always wanted to do.
ReplyDeleteStay Safe and Enjoy the hunting trip.
It's about time.