Fall Colour & Returning Salmon, 2016

At Coast Mountain Lodge, another  Discovery Islands sea kayaking season is done. We love the change of pace that offers time for watching the special ritual of salmon returning to the rain-replenished creek here at our home on Read Island. October has been full of cloud and rainy days, and we suspect Mother Nature will be breaking more records this month!  The good part is that there is plenty of water for the salmon, prompting them to return a little early this year.  Every autumn of our 38 years here – and probably for millennia – these Pacific salmon have responded to fresh water cues delivered by the rain. They return to the rivers and streams of their birth, lay eggs, and then die.  It’s always a visceral thrill to watch this seasonal ritual, and the other wildlife that gathers to participate.

In spite of the weather, our end of the road Discovery Islands Lodge has continued to be busy with intrepid kayakers. Many are with club groups, enjoying the recreational possibilities – and the dry warm lodge at the end of the day!  This morning we said goodbye to 12 North Island College students and instructors who made use of many options for skills training. Their unexpected highlight for yesterday was encountering an active pod of transient Orcas!  Our next bunch of hardy paddlers are from the Campbell River kayak club, just fitting in few more

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adventures before the chilly winter really sets in.  These folks will face the day in drysuits, gloves, booties, and insulated head gear; for this season, their motto is “There’s no such thing as bad weather—only bad clothing!”

But most of us will be hanging up the paddles for the colder months ahead. There are lots of other things to do now!