Cowichan Lake & River: New Water Adventures
Our original plan was to head over to Vancouver Island on the BC Day long weekend. We were easily convinced though that it may not be a good idea due to both being crowded on the ferries and on the Island due to a large music festival. I was also exhausted after four back to back sessions of Kids on Wheels and three weekend trips in a row, so staying in town seemed reasonable. It was actually a great decision – the beaches were empty and our local farmers market was not so busy, I guess most people were out of town.
So we decided to take three days off the next weekend. It was the only week during the summer that I didn’t have Kids on Wheels activities, so it was a good opportunity. The ferry ride was smooth and we even saw some whales, but they were quite far away. Our friend Jan picked us up and we headed to their place. After lunch and a rest we went to check out the river on their property. It’s like they have a natural private pool, so nice. Since the thermometer showed that it was 37C, jumping into the river was very refreshing.
The next day we were hoping to go on a little canoe adventure, first time for Neil in a canoe. We set off to Cowichan Lake, unloaded everything, and soon we were on the water. Of course, that was the exact moment when the weather changed – after a long stretch of hot weather rain was finally coming. As we approached the larger part of the lake, we started noticing small waves, and strong winds were starting as well so we decided to head back. With a three year old in tow it seemed like the right decision although he loved the canoe ride and especially having his own paddle and didn’t mind the weather.
As we were approaching the shore again the rain got harder and we ran into Jan and Warrick’s comfy van to have our lunch. After lunch we headed back to their place and at that point the rain actually eased a bit. Later in the afternoon we headed to the river again, this time Warrick brought a small floating boat for Neil which he of course loved and went for rides with both Gili and Warrick. There is a small rapid and you can also float all the way to their house which Neil (and Gili) did a few times.
The next day was cooler but with no rain or wind so we went back to the lake and got a much better experience in the canoe. We paddled for about an hour to a small beach where we had lunch and Neil could run around. We found the canoe ride to be very relaxing (when there is no wind). It seemed that Neil loved it too since he asked that we’d do a longer trip in a canoe that includes taking the tent and stove. Maybe someday it will happen…
