The Last Train to Parksville

Position: 49°19’03.8″N 124°19’05.7″W

Hiking and beer go together like rain and galoshes. At least it does when you’re on Vancouver Island. Rarely have we visited a place with more managed trails for walking up an appetite and a thirst. Our land-based excursions are inevitably geared toward making up for our on-board indolence and lack of exercise. That means a minimum of five miles walking a day, with or without an appropriately enthusiastic dog in tow. Carol supplements her peregrinations with an hour or more of yoga.

Yoga sounds and looks like stretching to me. Something I swore off during my stint as a marathoner-in-training. Runners divide into those that stretch religiously and those that avoid it at all costs. The latter, and I am among them, learned that stretching is a one-way trip to strain and pain and time laid up recovering from trying to fix something that wasn’t broken in the first place. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, is the motto of every sailboat owner with whom we have made our acquaintance. It was a lesson I brought forward from my time as a distance athlete. As you might imagine, the debate between the stretchers and the non-stretchers in the running community is heated and polarised. Kind of like shea butter for cyclists. These are topics of religious fervour best avoided if you’re new to your running or riding group.

There is a compromise. Rather than rush back to the yoga studio, stop at a dog friendly pub and relax over a pint and a snack. On this Carol and I are fully aligned. Fortunately, Vancouver Island has no shortage of excellent breweries where hikers can exercise rapprochement with their pups. Here is our very short, rough guide for hiking and recovery spots near Nanaimo.

Copley Ridge Recreational Trail Hike

The general consensus is this is an awesome place to walk a pooch. Just off Highway 19 in Lantzville, Copley Ridge’s trails run for miles through a managed forest. That makes for a blend of paths and wide forest roads that criss-cross the front of the ridge. Dogs off lead don’t generally invite comment from other walkers, of which there are vanishingly few on a weekday. Knarston Creek Falls is a highlight of the early part of the walk. Like the rest of the hikes mentioned here, parking and trail use are both free.

Once you’ve covered your five or six miles, you have a choice of local watering holes.

Fern+Cedar Brewing

Because we wanted to finish our day with a stroll on Qualicum Beach, we stopped at Fern+Cedar brewing. An excellent pub with a large patio and a dedicated entrance for dogs. The beer was very good as was the food. My bison burger was delicious and Carol’s citrus avocado bowl with chicken filled the hole left by the hike. The staff were to a person friendly and attentive. Local brews are a comparative bargain.

Side Note: This being Canada a pint is a proper imperial 20 ounce pour which for $8.50CDN, equates to about $6.20USD. Prices that haven’t been seen in the States since before Covid. If 20 ounces is too much, then ask for a ‘sleeve’. It’s a 16 ounce pour equivalent to an American pint that will save you a $1.50CDN.

Top Bridge Community Park Hike

This regional park is defined by its proximity to Englishman River which runs alongside the park’s southern boundary. Mostly flat and gentle, its wide paths make for a relaxed, open experience. Parking at the Chattell Road trailhead near Top Bridge offers a dramatic start and end to your walk. A suspension footbridge spans the river above a deep cataract at the narrows at the far eastern end of the park. From there you can explore several trails that head upriver. The trails are mostly flat and in spring or at times of heavy rain the area probably floods, giving it an entirely different feel than Copley Ridge. Dogs are generally off leash and other walkers very relaxed.

Note: This park is also close to Qualicum Beach and Fern+Cedar.

Ladysmith

This small town just south of Nanaimo is mostly famous for two things these days. First, it is the birthplace of actress and model Pamela Anderson of Baywatch fame and 1990s’ answer to Jayne Mansfield and Elke Sommer. Second it is where the comedy ‘Resident Alien’ is filmed. Historically, Ladysmith was a coal town originally named for Ladysmith in South Africa by James Duinsmuir, Vancouver Island’s very own Victorian coal magnate and railway baron. Dunsmuir renamed the town (originally Oyster Harbour) in recognition of the British victory over the Boers who had laid siege to the namesake town in South Africa in 1900. Streets in Ladysmith are named after British Military officers who served in South Africa.

Duinsmuir also built the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway that ran up the eastern side of Vancouver Island. The last train to Parksville ran in 2011. Hopes of reviving the dilapidated railway continue under the auspices of The Island Corridor Foundation, whose web site is a mine of information.

Pig War

Canada’s Ladysmith was the site of significant labour unrest during the miner’s strike of 1912-1914. The miners walked out over significant safety concerns in Duinsmuir’s mines. Duinsmuir’s were at one point the most dangerous mines in the world. When the average for North America as a whole was six deaths per million tons of coal produced, Duinsmuir’s mines averaged 23 deaths. Duinsmuir retired from active management in 1910, paving the way for unions and protests against the horrendous conditions.

Ladysmith, meanwhile, reinvented itself from coal mining to logging and tourism. A plaque in town reminds you that it sits on the 49th Parallel, which might have been important had not the US/Canadian border run along ‘the deepest channel’ out through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A dispute over which side of the San Juan Islands that channel ran was settled in the Pig War of 1859. The only victim of that conflict being a large black pig. These days, Ladysmith harbour has an active logging concern and marina. It also has its own brewpub.

Bayview Brewing

Carol was less enthusiastic about Bayview’s beers than I was. My IPA was quite serviceable and welcome after our long walk around the harbour and all the way along First Avenue (improbably voted Canada’s best street in 2017). What we agreed on was the food was outstanding. We shared a vegetarian wrap that was plenty for both of us and very tasty. Sitting on the slightly draughty patio was fine while the sun was out, but a little chilly when the clouds rolled in. Hoochi could have cared less and made himself agreeable to the other patrons. The staff were friendly and knew their beers.

Cameron Lake Hike

A stand of 800 year old Douglas Fir trees known as Cathedral Grove sits inside Macmillan Park. It is one of the most accessible stands of old-growth giant Douglas fir trees on the island. A short tour along boardwalks with lots of signage draws you through this clutch of giant trees. Twenty years ago, a huge windstorm took down several trees and caused extensive damage to the trails. Warning signs urge you to keep out whenever the wind picks up. These signs were roundly ignored the day we visited. That didn’t stop large branches crashing to the ground.

To make sure we got our miles in, we hiked along the north shore of Cameron Lake for as far as we could until the trail dead-ended in rockslides and a small wildfire burn area. Just above the end point is the West Lake Trestle Bridge. You can scramble up to it if you want. With Hoochi in tow we were not about to hack through the undergrowth. From watching videos on YouTube the bridge looks gnarly and rotten and was the only one of four trestles to survive last year’s wildfires. it is not a walk for the fainthearted. This time we went home via the grocery store and not the pub. (Most) humans don’t live by beer alone.

Puntledge River Trails Hike

BC Hydro is a regulated utility owned by the Province of British Columbia. Apart from generating electricity by damming up local lakes and plunking down turbines, they offset their collective environmental guilt by managing a network of hiking trails and parks in areas they oversee. One such is Puntledge River. Starting at the Comox Valley water treatment plant, the trails will take you to Comox Dam and back. The trails are neat and beautifully maintained. Several new wooden bridges proved BC Hydro’s active engagement in maintaining their property for public access. The water was a beautiful series of greens and blues and as clear as crystal. One of the trails takes you alongside the steadily flowing river, while another takes you 50 metres inland up along a low ridge. Pine trees surround you and dominate the scenery.

Gladstone Brewing

Puntledge River is a pinecone’s throw from Gladstone Brewing in the town of Courtenay. Entry is via a large dog-friendly patio where you can order your beer and eats. The beer is capable, while our chips and salsa was wholly unremarkable. On balance, this pub is worth the detour assuming you’ve worked up a thirst out on the trails.

Elk Falls Provincial Park Hike

Up north to the left of Campbell River, you’ll find Elk Falls provincial park. Another BC Hydro affair with excellent trails and stunning scenery. The highlight is the punchbowl falls, best viewed from a bouncy suspension bridge over the gorge and river. The bridge’s grating wasn’t much to Hoochi’s liking, but he soldiered through without complaining. The park is currently under a good deal of construction. New spillways from John Hart Lake down to the hydro generators are being put in place and the dam undergoing a seismic refit.

This is worth noting if you intend to follow the trail from the falls down to the generating station and cross the bridge and return on the north side of the river. The road across the dam is closed forcing you to double back and turn your eight mile walk into a 14-mile hike. Again, Hoochi could have cared less and thoroughly enjoyed his time in the lush woods with a steep drop-off into the canyon. Fortunately, he is very well trained and when called immediately stepped back from any precipice that drew his interest. By the time we got back to the car, there was little energy left for anything but the drive home.

Nanoose Bay & Rocking Horse Pub Loop

Behind the supermarket and up a residential street in Nanoose lies a series of trails on land that used to be part of Canada’s military industrial complex. From any of the dead ends you can take a pleasant hike through the woods towards the Rocking Horse pub. There you can slake your thirst and refuel for the return journey. The pub sits in the middle of a series of horse farms and itself has large, active stables on your approach. The place has the feel of a traditional English pub, only with better beers on tap. It has a large, dog friendly garden where you can enjoy the warm sun and evocative smells of the stables that surround you.

Enos Lake Loop Hike

Just around the corner from Nanoose in the village of Dolphin Beach sits Enos Lake, itself part of Fairwinds, a planned community, marina and golf course. Fairwinds’ promotional marketing seems targeted at people our age, but the walking trails are open for all. The landscape on this spit is hilly, rocky and varied with lots of tree cover to shade your perambulations.

Hole in the Wall Hike

For our last foray, we headed out towards Port Alberni, the town at the top of Vancouver Island’s longest inlet. From here you can board your boat and sail directly for Japan without having to portage. A couple of miles from downtown, you should pull off the road and find the trail that leads you downhill to the Hole in the Wall cascade.

The hole was blasted through the shale for a water pipeline to serve Port Alberni sometime back when such things didn’t rile up environmentalists. Today the pipeline is long gone while the hole remains. Roger Creek flows through it creating a man-made waterfall and swimming hole. It is a pretty spot. According to the trail maps, there should be a ford just below the hole when water levels are lower than they are in springtime. With Hoochi in tow, we walked another three miles to a ford where the Log Train trail crosses Roger Creek further downstream.

Squelch

There, a stout wooden bridge crosses the fast-moving part of the river, and you wade across the stones in one of the shallow side becks. If you’re careful the water won’t reach higher than your hiking boots and soak your feet. We were a little careless. Once on the other side, we squelched towards the Hole in the Wall hoping to find the rope bridge repaired so we could complete a loop. Several trail signs warned us that the bridge was broken and not to bother.

We ignored their advice and forged ahead only to be disappointed that we’d have to add another five miles to our walk by doubling back. Hoochi, stalwart he is, couldn’t have been happier with that outcome. We found the remains of the old rope bridge. Had we been desperate I suppose we might have clambered across hand over hand. But the risk of dropping Hoochi into the cold waters 20 feet below was too great.

Rusted Rake

Tired from our long walk, we decided we’d give Nanoose Bay’s brewery, Rusted Rake, a try. Sadly, their outdoor seating area remains closed until May for reasons known only to management. Since Hoochi wasn’t allowed in the restaurant (what is wrong with North America?) we’ll have to take other visitor’s words for the quality of the place. Instead, we opted for gin and tonics on the deck overlooking the bay. Tough duty, but someone had to do it. Hoochi snuck off to visit his girlfriend a few houses down and returned sandy and smelling of kelp. Next time we’ll plan a little better.

That’s not all

There are so many hikes and breweries and pubs on Vancouver Island we barely scratched the surface. For a couple of days, we stayed close to the house and explored parts of the Copley Trail we’d not explored. If we lived on the island we’d find a different hike each day of the year and marvel at the variety of microsystems each one offered. In addition to these hikes, walks through city parks in Nanaimo offered up sea lions and seals in abundance.

The central spine of Vancouver Island acts as a giant rain shadow for the eastern side of the island. Whenever the forecast called for rain, we grew to expect that only a fraction of it would make it across the hills to the far side. Now we know why the region north of Vancouver (the city) across the Salish Sea is called the ‘Sunshine Coast’. With clear views of the rugged mountains to the east, we pined for Aleta and want to bring her here to explore the inlets and fjords that make up this magical area.

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