WElcome to
"Yarns from the Tarns"
Fall 2024 Edition
As the daylight fades and the cool breeze settles in, the mountains come alive with the vibrant hues of autumn. Shades of crimson, amber, and ochre blanket the landscape, while the forest floor bursts with the vivid colors of mushrooms popping up after the rain. It's a breathtaking transformation, a reminder of nature's cyclical beauty, inviting us to immerse ourselves in the captivating colors of fall in the mountains.
2024 cdmc AGM & PRESENTATION
Save the Date!
Calling all members, hiking and snowshoeing enthusiasts, friends and nature lovers! Take time on a November Saturday evening to get your dose of sunshine by socializing with like-minded people from the Comox Valley and area.
- Date: Saturday, November 2nd
- Time: Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Meeting at 7:00 p.m. followed by our guest speaker
- Location: Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton Avenue, Courtenay.
- Bring: family, friends, neighbours
- Light refreshments will be available
Our guest speaker is polar explorer, observer & author Sunniva Sorby, who promises to enlighten & entertain us describing her incredible experiences in the arctic and how her group is driving climate awareness and action. Her website is heartsintheice.com.
Sign up for the AGM now on the CDMC Meetup page!
Summer photo
Ross Burnett's beautiful photo was the winner of the Summer category in the CDMC Photo Contest, as voted on by the membership at the January potluck.
Here is what Ross had to say about his winning snapshot.
"This photo was taken Oct. 12, 2023, on a club trip to Mt. Becher. It is a very small tarn just below the summit. It was a great fall day – sunny and relatively warm – so still “summerish”! I like the way the gap in the trees framed the distant peak."
MOUNT CAMERON
The hiking guy, Ken Rodonets, found a new mountain to conquer and led a group to explore the new peak in early July. Those of us who know Ken may be surprised to hear that he found some where new to explore. A local of the Valley, Ken's long legs have taken him through the Beaufort Mountains, Strathcona Park and many more mountains in the area. Two years ago, Ken, along with Petra, had a grand adventure as they completed the Beaufort Range Traverse, and Ken was inspired to check out Mount Cameron again. In mid-May, he took some friends to explore the access via logging roads and to gauge the climb. There was still snow, but it was a good chance to explore a new hike and area for CDMC, something Ken loves to do.
A frequent trip leader for CDMC, Ken loves hiking and being outside in the mountains. He finds hiking is good exercise and he loves the views from the mountaintops. He also enjoys the fact that hiking challenges him to do some route finding – he's on the lookout for a safe way up and down, and always considers the safety of members when he's leading a hike. He loves leading hikes and finds that most of the work is in the preparation – figuring out distance and times, and vehicle carpooling. On the trail, he is always looking ahead at the terrain, behind at the members, and making sure that everybody is still with the group and not having any difficulties. He also keeps top of mind cell phone range, first aid and any potential minor or major injuries.
We are grateful for Ken's expertise, experience, quantity and quality of hikes, and that he is always willing to explore and find new hikes. Thank-you Ken.
In case you were wondering, with cooler temps on the horizon, yes - snowshoe trips do count towards the 2028 challenge!
Calling out to see if there are any more CDMC members who have completed a Daytrippers or Explorers list for the 100 Year Challenge! Please let a Board Member know so that we can get your t-shirt made and acknowledge your accomplishment.
More information and the lists of hikes can be found on the Member Resource page of the CDMC website. Best of luck!
CDMC LEADERS!! Need some hike ideas for fall?
Consider some fall hikes from the Challenge lists. Have you thought about.... ?
• Mt Becher or Mt Drabble
• Cumberland Trails (Nikkei Mountain or Allen Lake) or Nymph Falls to Comox Bluffs
• Goose Spit to Kye Bay or Nile Creek or Rosewall Creek
• Ripple Rock or Mount Seymour or Maude Island
be aware and prepared Whistle Signals
Whistles are easy to come by, very affordable, lightweight and don't take up space and can save a life.
A few years ago, a hiker got separated from the group on a CDMC hike, fell down a slope and it took a little while for the group to become aware he was missing. It was his whistle blasts that saved the day, allowing the group who were by then searching for him to ascertain his location.
The sound from a whistle carries further than voices and uses less energy than yelling if you are in an emergency situation, particularly if you are far from people. Most people have whistles on their packs. If you don't already have a whistle, plastic whistles are recommended, as the peas don't react to humidity and won't stick to your lips in colder conditions.
If you've got a whistle - do you know the signals for distress? Well, three blasts on the whistle is a sign of emergency in Canada. Give 3 blasts, then pause (listen for responses) and repeat until heard.
Whistling or leaving signals spelling out S.O.S. in Morse code also works:
. . . __ __ __ . . . (3 short blasts, three longer blasts, 3 short blasts again)
If you have time and inclination prior to a hike, you can talk about signals with your group:
- 3 blasts - “help me”
- 2 blasts - “come here”
- 1 blast - “where are you?”
Thank to all who volunteered your time and hard work!
Over the summer, between June 22 and September 18th, 20 CDMC trips happened in the local area. Thank-you so much to all the leaders and co-leaders who got our members out and enjoying the forests, mountains, creeks and rivers.
Thank-you to all those that participated in the CDMC work parties that have taken place this year. Juanita W, Ken R ,and Jody F have organized work parties with several members joining them, sometimes for multiple days. With gratitude, we want to acknowledge those that worked hard to keep trails and roads clear of brush.
Would you like to participate in CDMC Work Parties? Watch for posts on the CDMC Meetup page, sign up, and join in!
get ready for winter!
It's never too early to start preparing for your winter trips. Island Alpine Guides offers excellent courses to help you learn to be prepared for outdoor winter trips. Some favorites are their Intro to Winter Travel/Camping (on snowshoes), Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST1) for snowshoers, and new this year is their Online - Intro to Weather Forecasting course.
Check out their list of courses online now, and if you don't see a date available for a course you'd like to attend, start a new trip and let others know!
These courses and more qualify for the CDMC Learning Subsidy rebate so be sure to submit your receipts and certificate (when applicable) to comoxdistrictmountaineering@gmail.com to receive your rebate of $25 - $100: $100 for active CDMC trip leaders, $40 for active CDMC trip co-leaders, and $25 for other current members.
Lower Bedwell Valley Trail Work
The CDMC is proud to not only provide club trips, but also to continue to work on trails, build park amenities and help with construction in the parks. The work parties that contribute back to the parks in the area are always done in collaboration with B.C. Parks and sometimes other organizations. This summer, some CDMC members participated in a project in collaboration with B.C. Parks and the Friends of Strathcona Park.
A total of 8 hikers worked on the Lower Bedwell Valley Trail between August 15 and 21. Organizers from the Friends of Strathcona Park (FOSP) were Marlene Smith and John Milne. Participants were Ian Holm, Dave Osmond (CDMC member and Board Member), Petra Strougal (trip leader, CDMC organizer) and Susan Holvenstot (CDMC member) from the Comox Valley, Sean Anderson from Nanaimo and Tim Hanson (CDMC member) from Campbell River. The goal was to clear the brush and install trail markers. Once this work was complete, B.C. Parks intends to assess river and creek crossings for any repairs, replacement or maintenance that need to be done.
The Lower Bedwell Valley Trail was constructed by the Friends of Strathcona Park in the 1990’s. The trail created a route that went from coast to coast, alpine to ocean. One could begin in the Campbell River watershed, cross the divide and end up in Tofino on the west coast, or travel in the opposite direction. This route is largely below the alpine having lower impact on the fragile meadows. It also is used by mountaineers taking a loop over Mount Tom Taylor and Mariner Mountain then back to Bedwell Lake.
This hearty group was driven from Courtenay to Tofino due to the generosity of CDMC member Anna Osmond on August 15 and caught a water taxi to the head of Bedwell Sound, landing at Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge. Staff from the lodge drove them as far as possible up the valley after which they hiked and camped at the Gayle McGee Bridge outside the Park. After that they worked their way up the Bedwell Valley working some long long days. On the fourth day the weather deteriorated with rain, sometimes pouring rain, which lasted for the rest of the trip.
Days were spent clipping trail for 8 to 10 hours, and at times they could not see each other or find the trail due to the heavy brush. Between You Creek and Ashwood Creek, there were log culverts that were so rotten that the hikers' legs plunged through. On day 7, the group hiked out to the trail head at Jim Mitchell Lake road and were picked up by Jamie Boulding from Strathcona Park Lodge and returned to Campbell River.
The group acknowledged that the trip was demanding, the weather was a challenge and more people would have helped them accomplish more. It was noted that those enjoying the park from Bedwell and Cream Lakes could benefit from walking the trail to enjoy the old growth forest, waterfalls and scenic views, for a day trip or to travel all the way to the west coast.