**This blog might have to end soon. Google is discontinuing the little widget that allows automatic email subscriptions and don't seem to be replacing it. It's supposed to happen in July **
Our objective last Sunday was to walk partly up Mount Benson in Nanaimo to investigate some waterfalls, but unfortunately when we were half way along, a bridge on the trail was being upgraded and the rest of the trail was blocked. So we had to be content with walking some alternate paths through the forest and along streams.
Mount Benson is 1000 metres above sea level and dominates the Nanaimo skyline. It is snow covered from October until about April. A hike to the top is a 5 hour adventure that I haven't done, although it's not considered difficult.
View of Nanaimo and Mount Benson, from harbour and from the peak.
It was a scenic walk, the creek itself was steep sided and Mount Benson was towering over us all the time.
Parts of the forest was clear cut .
We have some large slugs on the west coast that thrive in the damp air.
Spot the frog!
Fiery Dragon tree
For fans of the Hobbit, if Treebeard really had a tree beard could this be Treebeards tree beard?
A cedar trunk worn right into the trail.
An attempt to protect new tree plantings to regenerate the clear cuts.
And, in interesting local news. A truck carrying an enormous old growth tree was photographed on the highway. It caused a stir and the CBC story, link below explains how complicated logging is in BC.
Firstly, the great majority of our logs go directly to China. They buy up the entire annual production from the large logging companies that own the rights to the island. Local saw mills struggle to find good logs and inevitably pay more because they only order in small job lots. This log managed to return home, cut on the North island, floated to Vancouver, floated back to the island, and soon to be turned into 3000 guitar tops that will be exported around the world.
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