Adventure 37: Foraging

First of the year

I have to admit this past month it has been really hard for me to keep moving forward on these adventures. After a summer of so many big trips and momentous occasions, trying to fit in something on a Sunday that feels adventurous feels a little faked. It could be that my plate feels really full and some chill time is necessary on Sunday. We committed to this challenge and it will be seen to the end, we are only 15 adventures away from the end after all. Crazy, it is kind of nuts that between the two of us we were able to keep up momentum to continue on. My motivation to write is lacking as well, so it could be the two combined making this really tough. We persevere and keep on trucking.

Mucky swamp Marshall swam in

This week it was decided that a walk out by the Comox Lake impoundment dam was in order, only on the opposite side of the river from the Bevan trail. Know as Bear Bait, one of the first mountain bike trails in the Comox Valley, first well know one anyways. Rolling through the B.C. Hydro lands along the Puntledge River, this is a very nice spot for a walk or a bike ride if you are of the ability. Unfortunately the River Trail is not for cyclists, which is too bad, because we have very few beginner friendly trails in the Comox Valley that go anywhere nice.

Much cleaner water

Marshall, Natalie and I set off for a quick walk to some of my favorite spots out in this second growth Douglas fir forest, ideal habitat for chantrelle mushrooms, as well as other species. We trucked along, Marshall going like a mad dog. He was bounding out on the trails, then back to us at Mach 1, then through the forest, leaping trees, branches and stumps. He had not been out much lately for lack of water around for him to drink. I could tell that he was missing it. We found several mushrooms at one of my best spots, but that was about it. This area needs rain in the worst way, from a mushroom hunters perspective anyhow. The chantrelles we found were dense and bone dry. The flavour is still wonderful, but they look pretty pitiful in the basket.

Get in there

Marshall found himself a nice muddy swamp to take a swim in getting himself filthy with muck. Of course, he could find water in the desert so he could swim. We came back to the river below the dam and let Marshall have a good long swim. He will stay in the water indefinitley, at least until he gets cold. It is so fun to watch him joyously paddle along, around in circles, not one care in the world. Natalie decided that she wanted to swim, so she doffed her gear and got in up to her knees and changed her mind. The water was quite cool compared to the air temperature, which was in the mid twenties in this last dash of summer. It was time to get moving, Natalie had a request for a play visit at a friends house for the afternoon and we had one more stop to make.

Cool ladder

I had talked to my uncle Don the previous day, and he was filling me in on how many blackberries were on his property. He had been picking steady for weeks and was running out of space and buckets, so I asked to come by and fill a few containers. We arrived and began wandering around. He was not home so we helped ourselves to the patch, quickly filling our buckets. Well I was, Natalie was filling her cheeks. But that is not unusual. Eating is more fun than picking anyways, that is understandable. The last pail was just full when Uncle Don arrived back at the property. We walked around and talked, he showed me his plans for the newly filled land, what he was going to sculpt it as. An impressive amount of fill has been brought in to level out a steep property. We happened upon a tree with a blackberry cane climbing it, with many berries. Natalie and I were picking them, but many were out of reach. Uncle Don fired up his Kubota tractor and encouraged Natalie into the bucket. He then lifted her in the bucket up to the higher berries. She was loving it. She actually picked some fruit. Once the area was cleaned off she directed where the next place was she wanted to be taken to. She had a chauffeured ride around the tree and once the berries were picked, a ride in the bucket back to the car. How much fun. Thanks Uncle Don!

The life

It was a close to home adventure, which most of them will be from this point on in the year. I have a few good ones coming, so stay tuned. Find Adventure.

Adventure 33: Tree Island Camping Trip

Buff Buddies

I believe it was last fall that an article appearing in the local newspaper. The subject was an announcement of a new park on Denman Island, called East Beach Park. This park is on the north end of Denman, in a large area that was logged a decade or two ago. A developer had purchased the land and was hoping to carve it into many separate lots, acreages of various sizes. The developer donated land to the Regional District to create this park, and a staircase was built to allow safer access to the shore below the Komas Bluffs on Denman, and an easy drop in for a hike to Tree Island. In reading this article, another adventure was spawned, before the adventure list was created.

Waiting for the ferry at Buckley Bay

Tree Island has a long history for me personally. As a child, some of my earliest memories include boating to Tree Island with my family. Back then it seemed like everyone in Union Bay had a boat and would cruise over on the weekends. We would randomly have large groups all hanging out in the sun, kids and dogs and grown-ups. I spent many hours snorkeling, digging in the sand, clamming, beach combing, batting rocks, and once getting a mean case of sunstroke. Tree Island was also where I learned to hunt ducks with my uncles. Many days we spent on the islands(the Seal Islets are part of Tree Island, and are called by the locals Shack and Protection) in the fall and winter harvesting mallard and American widgeon. This was my beginning of learning about waterfowl and a love for wildlife watching.

Trailhead

It was decided early this spring that Natalie and I would make the trip over and hike to Tree Island for an overnight camping trip. Hanna was invited along, and with Marshall leading the way we made a "Fantastic Four" of camping machines. We left Cumberland about 8am to catch what ever ferry we could. Low tide was at 12:45 and I wanted to be well on our way before then walking the beach, as I was unsure how long it would take to walk, with the distance not being exactly known. I had pre-scouted the location of the trail head on a previous visit to the Island, so locating it would not be a problem, wasting precious time. We parked and shouldered packs that were pretty heavy. Unfortunately Tree Island has no fresh water so we had to pack it all in. I brought 12 liters, which was probably just enough, we could have used more. Marshall had his own pack on, to shoulder the load of his water and food, plus some of our stuff.

114 of those to come back up??

The hike ended up being about 3.5 kilometers from the parking lot to our campsite on Tree Island. We scored a beautiful spot close to the outhouse, and a couple nice Douglas fir tree with hammocks that someone had hung in them. The walk over was pretty warm so we wanted to get in the water asap. I instructed Natalie and Hanna on how to set up their tent, and with little help from me, the shelter was up and beds were made. It was remarkable how they could work together to finish the task. When they would say "We can't" I would tell them to figure it out. Kids give up much too fast when something gives them a little difficulty. The persevered and soon we were swimming. I had my snorkel on and determined to find a crab that was big enough to eat. Hanna bailed right in the water and was quickly in the deep water with her snorkel and fins, floating along with a life jacket. Natalie was having technical difficulties with her mask and finally gave up on it. Before I had a chance to look around much, Hanna was already cold so they went in. I went back and forth through the eel grass looking for a good eating size crab. I took pictures of some smaller ones and lots of starfish and sea stars. Suddenly, I spotted a big one, I mean huge. It would be a great meal for the three of us. I got excited, swam myself around for the perfect angle to snatch him from the grass. Down I go, and give it a poke. Nothing. Ah man, it was dead. That was very disappointed. I kept trying for a little while more then decided to check on the crew, so called it an incomplete mission to attempt again.

It was time to eat. Hunger had set in, so we munched on some smoked salmon, the last from 2011, and cheese. Energized we decided to try our hand at clamming. We hiked across the island to the mud flat between Protection and Tree Island to find some manila clams. The other side of the island all I could find were sand dollars and varnish clams. We cooked some varnish clams and they seemed spawny and not very palatable. We loaded up on manila clams. It was so easy, just raking my fingers through the mud pulled up two or three everytime. This was the clamming I remember as a youth! I pulled them up and tossed them to Natalie and Hanna, who scoped them into their containers. In the end we ate my one liter camping pot full of clams 4 times. What a feed. Natalie told me she didn't like clams, but fresh and boiled in sea water, she was in love with them. That made me happy to say the least. A wild foraged snack, how cool.

Your not big enough.....

Moon Snail

The rest of the afternoon I lazed in a hammock while Natalie and Hanna talked and sang songs. I was allowed to read a book and doze briefly before realizing that Marshall had wandered off. He wasn't far, but that was it for my little snooze. Originally my plan was to sleep on the beach like I had done at Raft Cove, but the weather forecast for a possible shower convinced me to raise my tent. With Hanna's help my very little cottage was erected and my bed made. As dusk settled in it was time for bed. The day trippers had all left for ports unknown, mostly Union Bay and Comox. I was sleepy and the girls were too. I stopped hearing them after about fifteen minutes and went out shortly after.

Clam feed

I was awoken around 1:30 am with Marshall growling and woofing at something. Telling him to be quiet as he was sleeping right beside me. I left the door of my tent open so he could be close. He will not sleep outside without company, and he wasn't about to come in my tiny shack. He continued growling quietly in his throat, I couldn't sleep. Damn dog. What could be be getting worked up for. I must have drifted off again and suddenly he was up and full out barking. I scrambled out of my tent, searching frantically for my headlamp. I have never heard of a bear on the island before, nothing else has made him this loud before at night. I shine my light at the beach. A single refection back. Light blue in color. What the heck? Too big to be a bird, absolutely not a bear. Alien? Sasquatch? Giant duck? Zombie? Nope, I turned off the light and I could just make out a form. It was a common critter that does exactly what we did to access Tree Island. It was a Black Tailed Deer. They cross the land bridge between the two islands on a regular basis to feed on the grass and sea asparagus. I could hear his hooves clicking on the rocks, and that was probably what set Marshall off. I got back in the tent, Marshall was still on edge for quite sometime and I didn't sleep all that well after wards. Of course the kids didn't hear a thing.

Nice spot to sleep if it wasn't for the deer on the beach

We packed up rather early in the morning. The skies didn't rain on us over night, but the wind was picking up and the clouds ominous, and I wanted the tents packed up before they potentially could get soaked. We ate breakfast of homemade granola soaked in tea(that the kids didn't appreciate) and I had some terrible coffee. It was a tough morning on me, and the kids were really good helping to get ready. At ten I announced that we were going for it. I could see land forming between the islands as the tide receded, so we would be good to go.

Making the crossing

The hike out was pretty good, no problem getting across at all. I offered to carry Natalie's backpack about a third of the way to help speed her up so we could get back to the car. Hanna was keeping up with me even with her pack on, and Natalie empty couldn't. She just doesn't move fast. Maybe if she was with Hanna's family the roles would reverse, I don't know. But we made it back, up all 114 stairs to the car. We were almost perfectly in time for the ferry and a much deserved coffee for me and an ice cream for the kids.

Cute puppy pic

Introducing Natalie to Tree Island camping was fulfilling for me. I really like to incorporate adventures that I had as a child into ours, it lets me re-live a little of my past and build tradition and memories for her to share along in her future. Find Adventure.

Preparedness and Food Security

Lacto Fermenting. Garlic Scapes, dill pickles, and chow chow.

I have been wanting to write about the subject of food security for a few months now. This subject has come to the forefront in my thinking since watching "Island on the Edge"  a film that looks at the possibility of no outside inputs to bring food to Vancouver Island. On the Island we only grow about 10% of the food locally that we eat throughout the year. So what happens if we have a major storm event. A huge cold front from Alaska hits a warm current in from the Pacific, a winter weather bomb. Massive snow, hurricane force winds, power outages and impassable roads. Nothing is moving for potentially days, maybe a week. Your power has been out for three days, your children are cold and hungry, food in the freezer is starting to thaw and the perishables in the refrigerator have all been consumed. So what do we do?

This situation is pretty extreme for the Pacific Northwest. I have never seen such an event in my years of living on Vancouver Island, at least the mid to southern parts. I know the north end has been hit with many huge storms that can close off the lone highway between communities and the rest of the rock. Could something else happen, or something worse? Of course. Earthquakes are a real possibility, so are forest fires, or floods. There are other worldly things that could possibly happen, but you get the picture. We need to be ready, in a pinch, if and when something out of the ordinary happens. Do you have three days, a week, a month of food on hand at all times. Food that will not spoil, in long term storage? What about water, heat, cooking? So many possible situations.

For years the idea of having food items long term stored in a pantry has been an interest for me. I have canned some fruits and jams, frozen berries, fish, and veggies. As a hunter/gatherer I have had many bits of wild edibles around, including deer meat, salmon, wild mushrooms, ducks and nettles. Long term storage has  basically been about freezing with some dehydrating involved. With the purchase of a pressure canner last summer my long term storage food preparations have gone up a couple of notches. Salmon, mushrooms, other meats are safely canned, and soups, stocks, sauces and stews can be bottled and put away for future use. A properly home canned product will last easily for a year or more. It is safe, easy and fun. Just follow the instructions to a tee with the recommended times and pressure. Low acid foods can not be safely processed in a water bath canner. They need to be brought above atmospheric pressure and above the boiling point to actually kill all the bacteria that could potentially spoil your food and make you very ill.

Other means of long term storage include lacto fermenting. Lacto fermenting uses the naturally occuring bacteria that are found all around us to cure the product. Fermenting is only limited to ones imagination and the amount of salt you have on hand. A few extra containers of coarse sea salt is something that every home should have in your cupboard. It is crucial in the preserving with lacto fermenting, as well as drying meat. Salt curing is on my list of things to try this winter when I have some deer meat around. The salt will pull the moisture out of the meat and allows it to be stored out of refrigeration. It is similar to jerky but it takes much longer. Biltong is an example of this kind of curing. Hams and salami are other types of cured meat using salt and wood smoke. I have never made any of these items, and they are also on the list of interesting things to try.

Many simple things that people can do to prepare for a bad "week". I suggest keeping a plastic tote somewhere safe and dry with various bits of storage foods in it. Include a bag or two of rolled oats, some whole wheat pasta,, canned fish like salmon or tuna. Sardines are another option. If it is within your means dehydrate a mix of vegetables and mushrooms. They are great additions to a soup that is easily made by boiling water, adding some jerky, pasta, bullion cube and dried veggies. Jerky is as easy or as complicated as you want to make it. Recipes abound on line and find one that looks tasty. Just remember to remove as much of the fat as possible. The fat will go rancid and ruin your prep. Plant a garden to help with your own food security. Start small, every little bit helps. If your municipality allows for backyard hens, leap at the opportunity.  Eggs are one of the greatest sources of protein and healthy fats, plus hens will eat almost anything. Kitchen compost scraps are great food for your flock, turning waste into food. I plan on having backyard hens as soon as we can convince our municipal government that they are okay.

The greatest thing that we all can do is to support our local farmers. More food that is grown locally the greater our food sovereignty. Less inputs from off the island means we are potentially less affected by major interruptions in transportation. Buy in season and put stuff up by canning, freezing, dehydrating and a combination of the methods. Don't be afraid to try things. If you don't have success, you will have learned something so next time it will be better. Read, ask questions, and play in the kitchen. It is so fun and satisfying to look in the cupboard and know that if there is a disaster, you, with your own hands, made it possible to eat even if SHTF. Getting out and meeting your neighbours is so important. The closer relationship you have with the folks is your community, and show them that you are a good person is the best security one can have. People will have to band together and help out. It is much easier with people you know and care about. It is much easier to feed your neighbours than to.....well we don't need to get into that. Keep it Local.

Adventure 27- Berry picking

Bowl of beautiful

With my focus gaining momentum on supporting local agriculture and wanting to be more self sufficient with my food supply, the local farms offering u-pick option for strawberries was a no brainer. I was chomping at the bit to get picking and fortunately for Cumberland residents, Ashberry Farm is just down the hill, on the Royston side of Boulder Hill. I had visited the farm twice over the July long weekend, the second time in the pouring rain. With rain gear on, I was able to pick around 15 pounds. What a treat for the freezer. With Natalie still camping I was not able to bring her with me.

Big grin

Natalie arrived home from a great camping trip, and I didn't have her for a night again until Thursday we had to plan our adventure carefully. Her mom requested that Natalie join her for the next weekend at a family gathering, so our Sunday would be a no go. Thursday it would be. I phoned Ashberry for permission to come and pick after hours as it was my only chance to bring her with me. I picked up Natalie from Hanna's house, where she spent the day. I asked Hanna and her older sister Olivia if they wanted to join. Of course they said "Sure!"

The day was brilliant, hot sun, not a cloud to be seen. The berry picking was sure to be great. Russ had gone earlier in the day and picked his buckets in about 5 minutes. Wow. Soon our empty pails were weighed and our patch was picked for us. Trying to keep three children picking and not skipping over the ripe berries was a challenge in itself. Olivia was on the ball, and had her ice cream bucket full in no time and offered to help fill Natalie's. The eight year olds were more random, not wanting to follow the "rules". The rules are really simple. Pick all the ripe ones and if you find bug eaten berries it is asked that you pluck off the bush and toss them aside. Pretty easy. And stay in your section. It only makes sense. The farmer wants to control where the picking has been based on ripeness and amount of berries. They don't make any money if a row sits full of ripe berries and no one picks. Neither do they want a customer to be un-happy with rows with no fruit

While we picked I asked the kids if they knew what organic meant. Olivia had it pretty much spot on, Natalie was close. Hanna was out of range, picking at the top of the row. I stress how important it is to involve the next generation in our food system. They need to see where it comes from, not from a box or bag. They need to understand that things can be grown with-out chemical inputs. Weeds and crops can grow in unison. The strawberries at Ashberry have chick weed and various grasses growing through out the plants. It is very natural and we were encouraged to move the plants about to look for the bright red berries. Often the farms ducks will wander around the crop, eating bugs and slugs. That is organic pest control at it's finest.

My crew

It was a bit of a tough time for Natalie. She started getting itchy from the grass and the plants. Her eyes were itching also, and sneezing. That poor kid got my allergy problem. I was feeling the effects of the hay fever that has plagued me for several weeks. Such is life. I tried to encourage her to ignore the symptoms, but that is hard for a child. It is hard for me! Hanna and Olivia helped her and soon we had our containers full. To the weigh station. We picked $80 worth of berries in around an hour. What a haul. A couple of photos and away we went.

The haul

Natalie and I arrived home and spent time to pluck the green tops from the berries and bagged them for the freezer. Sitting at the table, listening to the radio and talking. What a wonderful time with my girl. She was practicing using a paring knife. She had her hands on our food. She asked if we were going to vacuum pack them, because she was my helper when I processed a big lot of salmon earlier in the spring. I am excited to teach her about canning, butchery, lacto-fermenting, and involve her in shopping locally. She will join me on a couple of deer hunts this fall. By the time she is ready to leave me for the real world, an appreciation of our food and the people who produce it will be part of her DNA. Find Adventure and Keep it local.

One Wild Hobby

Young yellow chanterelle mushrooms

Fall is upon us. I love this time of the year. I get to light the wood stove and feel the deep warmth cast from its belly. After observing the neatly piled cord wood dry and check all summer it is tremendously satisfying to see the results of your hard labor. Harvesting from ones own garden or buying locally grown produce from area farmers and processing it into fresh ingredients to eat in the fall is also very fulfilling. I also enjoy the cooler days for working, and wearing cozy warmer clothes. The feeling of a soft merino sweater against your skin while you enjoy fresh pressed coffee and a book in a cool house is like no other. The contrasting colors of the season in all it beauty makes every glance a potential piece of mind art.

White Chanterelle

Yellow Chanterelle

All these elements in the previous paragraph come together in my most satisfying and exciting event. The time of the chanterelle. Wandering the woods looking for these beautiful, bright fruits of the forest floor is something that I do as often as possible. I find satisfaction in finding a large one hidden beneath the detritus and moss. It is a treasure hunt without the fear of pirates or booby traps. Rain or shine, the promise of another mushroom potentially around the next stump keeps me looking. I can get "lost" in the woods for hours hunting and picking.

Young Yellow Chanterelle

The chanterelle is, in my opinion, the easiest of the wild mushrooms to identify. It may also be the most prolific. I know in my local area it is. The distinguishing features of Cantharellus cibarius include a bright orange cap, that is slightly concave especially when more mature, the gills and stem match the same color as the cap, and the gill are large and continue down the stalk. The stalk is also fibrous and doesn't snap like chalk when broken. The mushroom can get quite large, sometimes the cap can be as large as your palm. Smaller ones can seem as though the cap, gill and stalk have no defining border. I often encounter the yellow chanterelles cousin, the white chanterelle. It has the same distinguishing features as the yellow aside from the mushroom being totally white.

Most often you will find tight little ones earlier before there is much moisture, usually near the middle to end of August. As the fall rains re-hydrate the forest the chanterelle will grow larger with a more defined cap, stalk and gill. They are available to picking until the first hard frost freezes them and makes them mushy. I have found chanterelles growing with snow around them. This is a rare event but it can happen.


I am asked questions about general areas and likely terrain to hunt for chanterelles, and I laugh. I find them in areas where I expect to find them, such as mature second growth fir forests with little understory. I see them in strange places such as growing out of the gravel under alder trees on the side of a road or on the edge of a clearing in the direct sun. I usually explain that they will be where you least expect and not where you would expect. That keeps searching for the chanterelle interesting and exciting.



A nice cauliflower mushroom


I aspire to learn more species of wild mushrooms. I also identify cauliflower mushrooms, oysters, angel wings and morels when I find them. The cauliflower is delicious and very beautiful. It grows most often on rotten stumps. They are bright white and stand out in the dark forest. Morels are a springtime mushroom which I have found sparingly and I don't often go out targeting them. They have a wonderful nutty flavor that I adore. I find oyster mushroom and angel wings not very exciting to eat so I generally don't pick them. I am hoping to learn the boletus family, many of which are very edible and sought after. I have never successfully picked pine mushrooms and one day I will do so. Lobsters mushrooms are a species that I will pick given the chance.



Lobster Mushroom

I have referenced a book by David Aurora called "All the rain promises and more". It along with its more in-depth cousin "Mushrooms Demystified" by the same author are probably the most inclusive guides for the Pacific Northwest and I would suggest purchasing "All the rain promises and more" if you are interesting in self learning this fantastic hobby. I am always willing to talk mushroom and would like to experience teaching newbie the skills of the chanterelle harvest. I have successfully taught my daughter how to identify and properly cut the mushroom, as I was taught by my grandfather when I was six or seven. If you have any questions or interest please comment or email me.


I love the exercise and the fresh air whilst mushrooming. Wearing warm comfortable clothing that keep me dry while out in a rain storm, sharing the bounty with friends and family, coming home to a warm house and getting to experience the change of the season first hand ties mushroom hunting in with all the things I love about fall.