A Magical Meadow of Fall Colors
Sense Memory from a Vancouver Island road trip in September 2018
When: September 2018
Where: Paradise Meadows (video) in the Forbidden Plateau region of Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island
Road Trip: South Vancouver Island
What: walking
Accompaniment: When I Get Home by Post Animal
We had no idea what we'd find at Strathcona Provincial Park, but it had come up in my research as a good place to go near Courtenay. We drove up the mountain, past a closed ski area, hoping the weather would hold despite heavy gray skies. Not trusting the clouds, we donned rain jackets for our walk.
A boardwalk wound around the edges of a vast meadow, cutting through copses of trees along the outskirts, granting views across the grassy plain to hillsides covered in evergreens. Though it was September, fall comes early in the mountains, and the grasses and heathers and blueberries were tinted gold and red. Corn lilies and yellow grasses marked the path of small meandering streams crossing the field. Its magic enchanted me.
Light rain pattered on our shoulders as we neared the far side of the loop trail. Drops dotted the surface of a small lake rimmed by emergent rushes and a stand of trees, dead or on their way to it. As the rain grew heavier, the trail ducked under cover of the forest. We came back around through a grove of long-needled pines turning yellow in patches, preparing to shed some to make way for new growth. The rain slackened as the trail opened up.
All too soon, we were back at the parking lot. This is another place that earns the name of Paradise. I can only imagine how spectacular it would be at the height of wildflower season. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to see it for myself.
South Vancouver Island Road Trip
The drive out of Ucluelet wasn't bad, we could have made it to Courtenay same day — no need to stop in Parksville / Qualicum Beach (which seemed more aimed at the older crowd). Parksville to Courtenay was a quick trip.
We only spent a little time in Courtenay itself, staying at a lodge well out of town. The local paleontology museum was surprisingly good for such a small town — and right across the street from a chill brewery with eclectic reclaimed decor.
From Courtenay, we caught a quick ferry across to Powell River and the Sunshine Coast for the rest of our trip (coming up next week).