60th Year 60 Hikes

I will be turning 60 this year and felt I should find a way to mark my entering into a new decade of my life. So I have publicly challenged myself to do 60 hikes which include 6 summits before my 60th birthday. I didn't feel it would be too difficult but I must admit I am finding it hard as I will need to find the time to do more than one hike a week for some of the weeks. My first hikes  included a hike along the Trans Canada trail in Sahtlam and then one out to Shawnigan Lake, another up Cobble Hill Mountain. 

 

Then I did a couple of smaller hikes with my little ones but as they were under 5kms I am not counting them as part of my 60. I do love getting the younger ones outdoors and up trails. Sometimes we go to find caches and other times just to explore. 

Hiking to the waterfall close to home to nab a cache. Great little hikers!

 

Up in Comox with family exploring Seal Bay park.  So many trails but they can’t hike more than a couple of Kms  yet. 

Then did a nice hike along the Cowichan River. Always a great place to explore. 

Then another hike down to the Chemainus river to see that waterfall 

There was an assortment of hikes. Was difficult to find the time but found a few new short trails around the area and loved getting out in nature. 

 

Snowshoe 2022

Once a year my very sweet daughter in Comox takes me on a snowshoe adventure up in Strathcona Park. This year we decided that we would try and make it all the way to Helen McKenzie Lake. In the past we have made it to Battleship and then come back. We lucked out and the day was sunny and warm. 

We headed out across the meadow following the Outback trail which is now marked and free. (Although not knowing this we did pay) 

We found the trail turnoff to Battleship without any problems and headed up the trail through the trees. It goes up for some distance but in many ways seems much easier to do in the winter than it does hiking it in the summer. However the snow was very icy due to some rain that had fallen so I had to be careful. 

Upon reaching the lake we snowshoed out to the island where we stopped for our snack and found a cache besides. From here we just had to hike down the lake and cross over to Helen McKenzie, probably only another 30 minutes. Half way down the lake my snow shoe got stuck in the snow and I did an acrobatic dance landing flat out on my face. It was rather embarrassing but we had a good laugh once I got back up. 

We were not sure of which trail to take so we followed another group that was heading in the same direction. We came to a lake but not the lake we were suppose to be at so we decided to "bushwack" making our own trail in the direction of the lake. Thankfully there was service so the map on my phone let us know where we needed to be. 

I have to admit I did not feel comfortable leaving the trail and just wandering through the trees but my confident daughter led the way and eventually we could see the lake in the distance. I fell twice more on the icy snow in the trees and was really quite ready to head back home. 

|It was beautiful out on McKenzie lake as we snowshoed down to the trail that would take us back to Battleship Lake. So after a few photos playing with the sunshine off we went. 

After taking the long way back we were once again on Battleship heading for home. It is a very long skinny lake and I imagine that is how it got it's name. 

Lunch break on the side of the lake in a place where someone had carved out a snow bench to sit on in the snow. It was good to stop and I felt much better knowing we would soon be back to the trails. 

As we came out of the outback trail to the meadow it was an icy slippery trail and very steep. I knew I would fall again I didn't feel I would have the energy to get myself back up so I just sat down and had a nice ride down onto the meadow. It was great fun! 

Upon reaching the carpark I looked up and there was Mount Albert Edward, a mountain I am proud to have summited. It is always great to look up and see it there in the distance. 

It was a great day from start to finish and I am so grateful that my daughters continue to take me out on the trails. I am very blessed to have one here in town and one up north so that my adventures can cover both ends of the island. Today's four hour journey took us out into nature and left us feeing rebooted for life.