Comments on: 10 Walks To Beat the November Blues

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:30:11 +0000

Sometimes a dog can do more harm than good regarding bear safety by surprising a bear and then running back to you for safety. Your best bet for avoiding furry encounters is to make lots of noise, sing, wear bear bells or carry a noisemaker, two rocks will do, and definitely put a bell on your dog too. Given enough warning of your approach most times bears are very happy to stay away. Most black bears will leave before you are even aware of them. If you do come face to face with a bear do not run, stand your ground calmly and talk the bear into leaving the area, give it an escape route and if it’s behavior becomes threatening make yourself and your group s big as possible, arms waving and voices loud. The old song verse “if you go out in the woods today, you better not go alone” is based in honest to goodness truth. Stay safe and don’t let fear stand in your way of a great day in the woods learning and exploring.

By: Bevin

Bevin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:47:44 +0000

Great trail tip, Kathryn. Should a dog join us on this trail? I know we have two mama bears and some cubs wandering around the village these days!

We love most of these trails (have yet to explore two of them) and I find we hit them regularly during the Winter months. All of them have something special to offer up.

Thanks for the reminder, Robin.

By: Karen McKinnon

Karen McKinnon — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:57:11 +0000

Great post – thanks

By: Robin Rivers

Robin Rivers — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:43:45 +0000

Kathryn, thanks for that great addition.

Kristi. The trail head for MacDonald Wood is at the corner of Balmoral and Croteau in Comox.
The trail head we use for Mack Laing is all the way at the end of Comox Road, past Filberg Park.

More complete directions are available if you click the link to either park in the story above.

Have a great Sunday!

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:37:26 +0000

Cumberland has a wonderful family trail, Mama Bear’s Trail of Tears. It curves along the edge of the forest and winds it’s way past marshy swamp. Skunk cabbage, tall tall trees and a well worn soft trail. Afterward warm up in one of the Village’s many cafe’s. Park in the Cumberland Recreation Institute lot at the corner of Dunsmuir and Sutton. Allow up to 1 hour to walk to the end and back if toddlers are walking too. Otherwise it can be a shorter walk on adult legs.

Walk downhill (left) on Sutton and through the yellow gate at the foot. Turn right on the logging road then right again onto the trail marked “Mama Bear’s Trail of Tears”. As you descend Mamma Bear’s Trail of Tears, note the hemlocks with dwarf mistletoe, like witches’ brooms. There are very few spruce in the Cumberland Community forest as they were taken first for ships’ spars. Watch for brain mushrooms at the side of the trail and the wooden boards across parts of the trail, from an old corduroy logging road. You will see bracket fungus, which indicates that a tree is dead (the fungus lives on decaying cell tissue). False Lily of the Valley, Vanilla Leaf and Yellow Wood Violets abound in this area. Continuing up the trail, notice large fir trees on the left. Core samples indicate that they are over 100 years old. This and more trail info is available on the Cumberland Community Forest Society website at http://www.cumberlandforest.com

By: Kristi

Kristi — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:49:14 +0000

How do you get to Macdonald park & Mack Lang always looking for new nature walkd, Thanks Robin~