Fall Means Mushrooms

When fall arrives on Vancouver Island, so do the mushroom pickers. Locals and traveling pickers venture into the local forests, looking mostly for the golden glow of chantrelles.

A late summer and fall such as this one, with some sun and some rain, encourages good mushroom growth. Our temperate rainforest ecosystem is a natural breeding ground for them as well.

Both Shelley and Ed have been out mushroom picking this season. Shelley says walking through the forest on a mushroom treasure hunt is more fun then you'd think it would be, and both Ed and Shelley admit that hunting the chantrelles is addictive.

Every year it seems at least a few mushroom pickers get lost while on the island - usually ones who are not as familiar with the area. It goes without saying that good maps, being well prepared and paying attention to the weather and your surroundings is important. And although pickers are secretive about their locations, do let someone know your approximate whereabouts and what time you intend to be back.

While Shelley was out hunting chantrelles she started noticing all the other fungus formations in the woods right now, so took us on a photo exploration.

We live in a region of amazing abundance.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Room for Recreation

Lots of people move to Campbell River, and the central/north Vancouver Island region, because of the wonderful outdoor lifestyle opportunities. Camping, boating, kayaking, hiking, atv-ing, mountain biking, skiing, hunting, fishing - the list goes on; as a home base, this region offers some of the most accessible outdoor activity area anywhere. Within 45 minutes of town one can be on a ski hill, at a beach, enjoying a lake, fishing a river, camping in a forest, or exploring the ocean and islands off shore.

With all that recreation, however, comes equipment. And if you are moving here to take advantage of the great outdoors, thinking about where you are going to keep your equipment is important.

Are you thinking of downsizing so you can spend time RVing? Then you need to have somewhere to store your RV. Coming here to fish on the ocean or lakes? Will you have a boat and if so, where will you keep it? Skis, ATVs, mountain bikes, kayaks - all need a place to sit when not in use.

Listings in this region should tell you if RV parking, extra outdoor space and good storage space is available. Most properties allow these types of outdoor items, although there are still some neighbourhoods that do not, so check if there are any covenants on the title restricting property use.

When you come to the area, come prepared to take advantage of all it offers and make sure your home allows you to easily access what you need. Whether that means a sturdy pair of walking shoes or a state-of-the-art RV beside the house is completely up to you!

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Fall River Walking on Vancouver Island

One of the wonderful things about Vancouver Island is that every season offers a different nature show. The Fall happens to be a great time to walk along local rivers. With the beauty of the changing leaves on the trees along the banks of the rivers, the salmon returning to spawn to many of the rivers and the extra water brought by seasonal rain, rivers are the perfect place to be in the fall.

There is a great selection of walks and rivers close to most of the towns and cities on Vancouver Island. Many of them are within minutes of town and are easy to drive to. Some walks are just meandering strolls while others can be quite the hike.

We are expecting a series of storms to hit the island over the next few days. Should make the rivers even better for a visit next week!

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Homesteading History on the BC Coast

The BC Coast is not just rich in First Nations history, it is also rich in homesteading history. Throughout the last two centuries as resource workers and other groups made their way to the coast small groups, individuals and families took up residence throughout the coast, including on the many islands between the mainland and Vancouver Island.

It is not uncommon to come across relics from homesteading in the middle of what looks like untouched forest or grassland. From broken fencelines to house foundations and even old tools, evidence is abundant when you start to look. In particular on the north end of Vancouver Island, it is easy to stumble across pieces of machinery and household items from the early 1900s. Apparently at one time 1000 people lived in an area where only a handful of people now live at the Cape Scott area of Vancouver Island.

Another visual reminder of this past history is the abundance of fruit trees scattered throughout the region, from old orchards that have been reclaimed by the surrounding wild. Going for walks in parks and along beach fronts it is not uncommon to find a gnarled old plum or apple tree, still producing fruit. Along with the fruit trees it is possible to also find overgrown domestic plants that survived long after the homestead itself has disappeared. Rhododendrons and holly bushes are common ones to come across.

People have come and gone for various reasons. A number of Scandinavian groups came in the early 1900s to places such as Cape Scott and Sointula on Malcolm Island, looking to establish a new type of community. Many of the homesteaders in the Discovery Islands were families of the local resource workers whose livelihoods depending on the fishing, mining and forestry industries. Then in the 60s there was another wave of homesteading as the hippy generation found the mild weather of the coast perfect for their communes and back-to-the-earth ideals.

As larger communities grew on the coast and on Vancouver Island especially, many of the homesteader families moved away from the more remote areas to the convenience and steady jobs that towns could offer. Now it seems the homesteading movement is gathering interest and attention, and so more people are coming to the coast to once again connect with those more remote areas.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

BCO Coastal Gems: Port Alice

The west coast of Vancouver Island is marked by large inlets and remote villages and towns separated by wild coast and mountains. Only a few of the towns are accessible by paved road.

Port Alice is on the north-west of Vancouver Island, on the banks of Neroutsos Inlet. Often referred to as "The Gateway to the Wild West Coast", Port Alice draws fishermen looking to access the waters off Northern Vancouver Island as well as Neroutsos and Quatsino Inlets.

The town itself has approximately 800 residents. The main industry has historically been the local pulp mill. The town offers basic amenities and shopping as well as a marina and a golf course.

Beach in front of Port Alice

Port Alice is surrounded by amazing natural beauty, with great access to Alice and Victoria Lakes recreational areas. This is an area popular with outdoor enthusiasts. The climate is mild and wet, like most of the north island.

Alice Lake

To get to Port Alice is approximately a 3 - 3.5 hour drive from Campbell River, along highway that cuts through some very remote and beautiful coastal forest.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

BCO Coastal Gem: Cathedral Grove

Vancouver Island has so much forest, we sometimes forget to look more closely at the amazing trees in these forests. Sight-seeing gets taken up by the amazing water features of the island, while we drive past acres and acres of forest.

Cathedral Grove, or as it's formal name MacMillan Provincial Park, found on the highway to Port Alberni, is a place to appreciate the trees in our island forests. This small provincial park celebrates Vancouver Island forests, both their eco-systems and their history. In a very small space that is bisected by a busy road, one is quickly overwhelmed by the majesty of the trees.

largest tree in the park

rain forest moss

tall, tall trees

 

Cathedral Grove is worth a stop, even if you live on the island and think you know trees. It's worth the reminder that these forests of ours are something special.

 

 

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Pass It On!