No Travel Plan

Giants Head Mountain and Dirty Laundry Vineyard

SUMMERLAND, BC - On a warm and windy September day we jumped on our bikes and rode from the neighbourhood of Trout Creek up to the top of Giants Head Mountain (910m) - a popular park and defining natural landmark of the town.

The mountain is a large and dramatic rock outcropping which many say resembles a man's profile. It was formed thousands of years ago by a glacier and is also a former volcano.

The ascent took us about 45 minutes, including a few breaks along the way. We usually take our Canon or Sony cameras along but this time we captured the trip on our iPhone.

You can access the park gate along Giant's Head Road (ask anyone in town and they'll point you in the right direction.) From the gate, a winding road leads up to a parking lot. This takes about five minutes by car. If you're on a bike or walking - prepare for a good sweat. Once you've reached the parking lot, it's a short, but steep scramble to the summit. And believe us - it's worth the effort! (Also at the top you'll find a time capsule marking Canada's 1967 Centennial. It will be opened in 2067.)

Along the road to the top - there are several benches and picnic tables offering equally beautiful views of Okanagan Lake and surrounding valleys.

Following an exhilarating ride down, we rode around the back side of the mountain along Victoria Road. This takes you along part of Summerland's famous 'Bottleneck Drive,' a route linking the town's 11 wineries. On this trip, we stopped at one of our favourites Dirty Laundry Vineyard. A beautiful patio with a stunning view, friendly staff and great wine await your arrival. We parked our bikes (and yes - they have bike parking!) and relaxed with a tasty glass of 2009 Cabernet Merlot.

Dirty Laundry Vineyard (dirtylaundry.ca)

-erick

Strathcona Provincial Park

STRATHCONA PROVINCIAL PARK, BC -Here are some pictures from our latest adventure. We joined our friends Peggy and Roger for a weekend in the backcountry near Mt. Washington. We hiked more than 40km and climbed two mountains over three days. Peggy and Roger are members of the Alpine Club of Canada and wanted to practice their guiding skills. We accomplished what we set out to do; climb Castle Crag and Mount Frink.

We started out at Paradise Meadows and hiked in about 7km to Kwai Lake where we set up camp.

The next morning we set out for a 23 km hike that took us about 12 hours to complete. There was a lot of snow but the hike was well worth it.

The view from the top of Castle Crag.

This photo shows the ridge we climbed to reach the summit of Castle Crag.

Climbing up Mount Frink.

The view from Mt. Washington after hiking back to Paradise Meadows.

-erick

Kinsol Trestle Reopens

COWICHAN VALLEY, BC - The historic Kinsol Trestle in the Cowichan Valley has reopened to the public after more than 20-years.

The 187-metre (614-foot) walkway is used by hikers, cyclists and horseback riders.

The Kinsol Trestle is Canada's tallest timber trestle. In 2010 a $7.2 million refurbishment construction project began. The work included replacing timbers and reinforcing the structure to ensure the historic characteristics were preserved.

On July 28th, 2011 the last spike ceremony was held marking the culmination of a long battle to save the structure from demolition.

The Kinsol Trestle is located in Shawnigan District in the Cowichan Valley.

It rises 44 metres above the Koksilah River.

It is one of the major attractions along the Trans Canada Trail.

The Kinsol Trestle is also an important part of Vancouver Island's history.

Construction on the trestle was completed in 1920.

Kinsol Historical Timeline*

1911 Canadian Northern Pacific Railway (CNPR) begins 250-mile line through southern interior of Vancouver Island linking Victoria to Port Alberni.

1918 Construction resumed by federal government, who took control of Canadian Northern Railway (and subsidiary, CNPR) in 1917. Downgraded to logging railway with wood trestles, rather than steel bridges.

1920 Construction of Trestle completed by Canadian National Railways (CNR), successor to CNPR. Featured high-level Howe Truss. Officially named Koksilah River Trestle; popular name Kinsol Trestle refers to nearby King Solomon copper mine.

1921 CNR ceased work, ending at south end of Cowichan Lake, half its intended length.

1922 Daily passenger and freight service began on main line.

1925 CNR builds ‘Tidewater Subdivision’ to Cowichan Bay and main line extended north to Youbou and Kissinger at head of Lake Cowichan (completed 1928). Freight mainly logs and sawn lumber.

1931 Koksilah River floods cause extensive damage to Trestle, which is repaired by CNR.

1934-36 CNR repairs/rebuilds Trestle with low-level Howe Truss.

1950s Trucks begin to supplant railways for hauling logs on Vancouver Island.

1958 Major repairs to Trestle.

1973-74 CNR repairs Trestle for last time.

1979 Last train passes over Kinsol Trestle on May 30. Trestle abandoned 1 year later.

1984 Province of BC acquires CNR right-of-way, including Kinsol Trestle. Structural assessment and feasibility study for preservation and/or reuse undertaken.

1988 Fire burns portion of Trestle.

1999-2008 CVRD conducts several studies to see if Kinsol Trestle can be saved and to measure the ecomonic impact of the investment. In 2008, CVRD receives final report and decides to rehabilitate Kinsol Trestle.

June 2009 Launch of Cowichan Foundation fundraising campaign for the Kinsol Trestle rehabilitation project.

* www.kinsol.ca

-erick

Cruisin' in California

Riding Cruiser bikes on The Strand in Los Angeles County.

MARINA DEL REY, CA - During a visit to Marina Del Rey we rented bikes at Venice Beach and rode along The Strand.

The Strand is a 22 mile (35km) paved bicycle path that runs along the shoreline between Will Rogers State Beach and Torrance County Beach.

From Venice we rode north under the Santa Monica Pier to Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades. This is a great way to enjoy the scenery but you have to watch out for pedestrians and other obstacles. It costs about $45 to rent two bikes for the day.


Courtesy: CA.GOV

Marina Del Rey


Testing Basketcam at Venice Beach

-erick

Chyakhu, Nepal

Chyakhu is a winter village near the Tibetan border. It is in the Phu Valley which only recently opened to foreign trekkers.

Chyakhu is northwest of Kathmandu in the Manang district. The village is a few days trek from the Annapurna Circuit on the way to the village of Phu. The Phu Valley is connected to the rest of Nepal by ancient trails winding through rock gorges and snow-covered mountain passes.