Cruikshank Canson – after the heat and before the snow

–submitted by Ken Warren

It was around 3 degrees when we hit the Raven Lodge trailhead, but it only took minutes on the trail before the temperature dropped below zero. There was frost on the boardwalks and the ponds were iced over. However it was a beautiful clear day that quickly warmed up, reaching 18 degrees around 2 pm. We saw few people on the trails and none past Kwai Lake. Mariwood Lake and Lake Beautiful were still and beautiful, and the views of Castlecrag and Comox Glacier were outstanding. The return trip was uneventful and we had a great day. Thanks to my hiking companions for their part in my enjoyment.

Cruikshank Canyon

— Submitted by John Young
The day turned out much better than we’d expected. It was raining on the
drive up, but we just had some light mist on the hike, and by the end of it,
the sun actually came out. Although the views weren’t there (couldn’t see
Cruikshank Canyon at all!), the fall colours were wonderful, and the many
mushrooms were dazzling. A lovely seven hour jaunt around Paradise!

Cruikshank Canyon, a fall feast of colour for the eyes…

A view of the mountains as you look out from the view point

Early fall is often the nicest time for hiking. I often joke with my hiking companions about those who don’t take advantage of the outdoors, they find winter too cold, spring too wet, and summer too hot. There are three ideal weeks in our Vancouver Island year that are perfect for heading outdoors, when spring is converting to summer and summer converting to fall, there are about 9 days at each change that are perfect for hiking! This past weekend must have been that weekend!

Total Horizontal Distance: 21.3 km
Total Time: 7 hours 30 minutes
Elevation Gain: 873 m
Starting Elevation: 1060 m
Max Elevation: 1269 m