A Visit to Courtenay

 Monday we headed north to visit Neil and Lynne at their home in Courtenay.  We are hiking buddies in Gold Canyon and when we told them we were coming to the island on our way home they offered to give us a tour of the area.  We had a great visit, a nice walk along the ocean and a home cooked meal.  Bonus was the aerial show put on by a pilot in his F18 fighter jet.  The Air Force has a base there and one plane put on a show doing all sorts of maneuvers including some low fly byes which were truly deafening and shook us to our core.  

This massive trunk is now providing nutrients for a new tree growing on top of it.  The roots of the new tree grow down into the dead trunk and into the ground below. At some point a century or so from now the old trunk will have rotted away and the new tree will look like its on stilts.  

The shore was lined with driftwood.  Some pretty massive trees washed up on shore. 

Lynne and Neil leading the way. 

A few islands in the Straight of Georgia but the big peaks in the distance are the Rockies on the mainland. 

The Comax Glacier is hiding behind the clouds. 

It was a great day.  Thanks to Lynne and Neil for their hospitality.