Ummmm, well…yesterday up on the mountain was…WET.

I had suspected it would be mildly damp, in a Summer sort of way – and the smallish group of morning walkers who headed up to Paradise Meadows early yesterday did hit the trail for a quite dewy wander full of friendly whiskey jacks and curious stellar jays, hunting for trout who were hiding a bit and some really gorgeous views made a bit otherworld by the rain and fog.

But, as we were rounding one of the last corners to head back to the lodge for lunch, the deluge unleashed itself and I’m pretty sure the forest was empty of all human types for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, much of the afternoon crew was not detoured by the much milder rains in the Valley and headed up the hill to meet us only to find the wind and rain an un-walkable combo.

So, we busted out the trusty craft bag, were treated to a great story by StrongStart teacher Maureen Wagner, and spent the afternoon hanging out enjoying the view from the lodge.

It wasn’t quite what we had hoped for in a Summer Walk finale.

But, it seemed almost appropriate nonetheless as a damp reminder that life in a rain forest means rain gear in required, along with something to do in case the clouds open up.

Our rainy day was the last walk of the Summer.

We’ll get together one last time next week for some fun at The Filberg to wrap things up. Morning folks are on Wednesday (10 a.m.) and afternoon folks will hang out on Thursday (1 p.m.)

Thank you, thank you for another great walk series! It is always inspiring to see families getting together to explore and discover nature. Vancouver Island is an AMAZING place, and the families in the Valley are seriously inspiring.

If you are anxiously awaiting plans for our Fall series, we will be taking a few weeks off while families get back to school in September and some big things happen here at CVK in October.

But, make a note because registration for the 6-week Fall series will be the third week of October, with walks running November 4 through December 9.

The Fall series will be all about migration and we will be checking out some cool spots to see salmon running and birds setting up shop for the Winter.

Looking forward to seeing some new faces and meeting up with old friends again as we get together to trek through nature all year long.