Day 3 (September 18, 2021): Falls, Mountains... and 10/10 Lasagna!

When we threw open the curtains in our hotel room this morning, there were actually some patches of blue sky.  After yesterday's rain, and given the continued rainy forecast for the entire weekend, we were quite excited at the prospect of being able to take in some sights today without getting soaked.

The hotel offered a great selection of breakfast items, which they gave us in a paper bag to take back to our room.  With over 100 new Covid cases on Vancouver Island in the last day, we were happy to be able to eat in the safety of our room.  

We checked out at 9:15AM and started our itinerary for the day:  a hike at Elk Falls Provincial Park, to take in the falls and spiffy suspension bridge there;  followed by a trip up Mount Washington and a wet ride on the chairlift there;  then on to Courtenay, where we visited Nymph Falls and the Courtenay Riverway.  We ended this excellent day with a family dinner in nearby Comox. 

Indigenous long house replica, adjacent to the Campbell River ferry terminal.

BC Ferries runs this ferry every hour to nearby Quadra Island from Campbell River.

One good thing about yesterday's torrential rain?  It resulted in extra-heavy volumes pouring over Elk Falls! What an incredible sight.

Just down river from Elk Falls on Campbell River.

The Elk Falls Suspension Bridge is quite a feat of engineering.  The project, led by the Rotary Club of Campbell River, was launched in 2009 and the bridge opened in 2015.

The view of Elk Falls from the Suspension Bridge.

Most of the area covered by Elk Falls Provincial Park was harvested in 1928-29.  But a small area of old growth forest was left intact back then, near the falls itself.  It's amazing to see these giants, which stand in great contrast to the trees that were planted in the 20th century as part of a reforestation effort in the area.

There is an incredible beauty in the forest floor of a Pacific Northwest rain forest:  fallen trees, covered in moss and surrounded by ferns.

A reforested stand in Elk Falls Provincial Park shows how tall and straight the trees grow amid the soil and rain of this region.

The Quinsam River Fish Hatchery, jointly operated by Fisheries and Oceans and the Government of BC.

Mount Washington is 25km from the Comox Valley and has a highest point of 1588 metres.  On the way up, there any several "Chain Up Areas", where trucks are required to pull in and install chains after October 1st.

 

In 1983, Pam visited Campbell River on a student exchange program.  At that time, she tried downhill skiing for the first time, at Mount Washington.  This was her first visit back to Campbell River -- and to Mount Washington -- in 38 years!

We had the chair lift to ourselves.  

Fall colours were prevalent on the way to the top of the ski run.

 

We hoped the fog would clear at the top, to provide sweeping views of the area, but no such luck.  It was actually snowing up there!

Many people have left their mark at the top of the mountain via mini inukshuks.

This sign at the top of the mountain shows the plethora of ski runs at Mount Washington.

One of the first things that we saw as we entered Courtenay was a downtown protest against Covid vaccination.

15 minutes outside Courtenay is Nymph Falls on the Puntledge River.  In 1985, I visited my relatives in Comox and accompanied my cousin and his buddy on a daredevil cliff-jumping expedition, just down-river from this spot, at Barber's Hole on the Puntledge River.  Fortunately, they seemed to know the deep spots on the river and none of us broke our necks!

Moss near Nymph Falls on the Puntledge River.

Courtenay has developed a nice walk along the Puntledge River, as it empties into the Courtenay Estuary, and the Estuary itself.

We saw nine herons along the Courtenay Riverway.

Along the Courtenay Riverway.

Scenery and sights are fun, but there is nothing like catching up with family that you haven't seen in 13 years!  What a great evening we had with my Aunt Sharon and cousin, Brad, in Comox.  Thanks, auntie, for sharing your amazing culinary skills with us!