Chemainus Lake

Returning from a trip to the Cowichan Valley in January for some misty morning photography, I stopped to check out Chemainus Lake. The last time I had been there was years earlier, and it had, at that time, felt sad and overused. This time, however, I found a new robust dock, excellent roadway, and fresh gravel at the put-in. I thought, "Time to bring the canoe."

So, on the last day of March, I got up early, canoe already on the roof, and head south. I arrived while it was still dark, put the canoe in the water and set out onto the little lake amid a rising mist and almost total silence.

I paddled around in the cold pre-dawn light, watching the mist swirl and listening to the birds waking up and becoming active. That time of day, on a small body of water, is perhaps the best time of all. The feeling of positive aloneness (sabi) and the feeling of connection to the natural world work to create a rich sense of contentment and hushed awe.

I drifted around, watching the sun slowly rise, painting the tree tops first, with it's golden glow, then eventually the mist, which became thicker with the change in temperature.

I surrendered to the beauty, feeling the cares of the week drifting away amid the mist. There is something about this kind of beauty, the majesty of it, the power of it, that creates an especially receptive mind. I thought about work, relationships, harmony and discord. A wetland is a place that mirrors these qualities. So much life, and with it, so much death.

I experimented with my new camera and the even newer vintage Pentax 28mm lens. It is always difficult to capture the scale of a place like this. Chemainus Lake is small, but also packed with endless views, sights, and details. There are so many nooks and gaps in a wetland and in fact this little lake has channels between the main lake and the shore, bands of water that curve around behind reed banks and a beaver store.

Then, the sun broke over the trees and the morning began in earnest. This always causes me a bit of excitement, the golden hour has begun! I race to get photos, everywhere I look a new subject, a new breath-taking image.

The first shots were of the reed banks, as the light broke across them. I paddled to two spots of the lake to get different perspectives.

As I did, the nesting geese started honking, and within minutes a flock of new geese arrived.

In the reeds, marsh wrens and song sparrows started to mill about, joined by red-wing blackbirds going from perch to perch and back again. The morning chorus, or racket, had begun.

Song Sparrow

Male Redwing Blackbird

Female Redwing Blackbird

Resident Nesting Canadian Goose

About that time, a paddling fly angler joined us on the water. I was off in a corner with my long lens, trying to get portraits of some of the smaller residents, but I snapped one of this young fellow. We humans tend to dominate the landscape, with our impressive tools, including tackle and vessel.

Young Male Human

Another angler arrived on the dock, so I headed down to the far end of the lake. Along the way I marveled at the beauty of this little spot. The shoreline from the water is truly stunning.

As more humans came onto the water the non-resident geese took flight to the air, and I retreated further into the reeds.

Canadian Geese Take Flight

My Hideout Amid the Reeds

In a shady corner I took out my other new vintage lens, the Revuenon 55mm 1.2. This bokeh master lens creates unique artistic renditions that, in some ways, capture a place better than razor sharpness ever can.

Revuenon 55mm 1.2 - #1

By that time, there were anglers arriving every few minutes. I waited against the reeds near the dock as two young fellows in kayaks, a woman in a float tube, and two older guys in a tinner made there way out. I took a photo of the men with kids on the dock. "Can I touch it?" came the call of one child as a fish was held out flopping for inspection. The curiosity and excitement in the kid's voices was a welcomed sound.

Men and Boys Enjoy the Sturdy Functional Attractive Dock

I was glad that these folks would enjoy their time, AND was also glad I was leaving. I packed up while another fellow prepared to head onto the water in a pontoon boat. I would be back to take more photos on this fantastic jewel of a lake on this special island.

Review of the Bluewater Mist

In December of 2010 I sold my Solo Plus and in July of 2011 I sold my old tandem canoe to make room for a new canoe that I hoped would fulfill my desire for a larger, more efficient, more wave-hardy solo canoe.

After months of research I ordered a Bluewater Mist from Peter Harris at Pacifica Paddle Sports in Victoria BC, Canada. In previous posts I wrote in some detail about how I finally decided on the Mist, and here, over a year since I began to paddle the canoe, I give a detailed review of the experience.

First some photos of the beautiful hull:

Bluewater Mist on Durrance Lake

Bluewater Mist on the Shore of Elk Lake

Bluewater Mist on Dickson Lake

Bluewater Mist on Westwood Lake

Bluewater Mist on Muriel Lake

Some Initial Glitches
I received the Mist towards the end of August, 2011, and was disappointed to discover a number of flaws with the hull which included manufacturing defects and damage from shipping. Both Peter at Pacifica Paddle Sports and Bluewater representative Brent Wood were quick to acknowledge the flaws and Brent offered a new boat to replace the one I had received, allowing me to paddle it until the new one arrived. I asked if the skid plates that were installed on the first canoe could be left off the second canoe, and was assured the new one would be skid-plate free. Putting skid plates on a performance boat like this seems like slapping cheap all-season tires on a Ferrari.

Upon hearing that I was looking for a foot brace and a lower seat, Brent also offered to customize the boat to fit my wishes.

Over the fall, winter, and spring I paddled the "first" Mist and earlier this summer I received the replacement boat. Along with the promised foot-brace and lower seat I was delighted to discover that the layup was done with a new carbon/kevlar material which looks nicer and feels like it reduces the weight by around 4 or 5 pounds.

The foot brace was exactly where I had asked it to be and the seat height precisely as requested. I believe that the boat was flawless leaving the build site, but unfortunately the transportation from Ontario to British Columbia gave the hull a good number of scratches, gouges, and dings.

Note the Foot-brace Location and Beautiful Gunwale Lines on the Bluewater Mist

So, regarding Bluewater as a company, A+ for responsiveness to customer concerns, A+ for quality of build (second time around), and C- for shipping and timely delivery. Mid-Canada Fiberglass, the parent company for Bluewater, also makes Scott Canoes and Impex Kayaks. The three businesses combined make MCF "Canada's largest canoe and kayak manufacturer" according to longtime retailer Frontenac Outfitters. It seems curious to me that a company of this size had such trouble getting the boat to Victoria -- over 10 months and many dings in the process. I know that shipping is a major challenge with canoes, and I have heard numerous horror stories about canoes from many manufacturers, not just MCF. It just seems sad to me that a boat of this value and quality receives such harsh treatment before it ever sees the water!

Regarding the build of the canoe -- while the first one was clearly not a good representation of the company's abilities, the second one is a thing of beauty and extremely well made. It is made with what I presume is the "Ultralite Carbon Kevlar" fabric and I have to say I really love it. Aesthetically it catches everyone's eye and for the type of paddling I do, the weight benefit is a big deal.

Ultralite Carbon Kevlar photographed under a bush, so the mottled look is from the shadows

I believe that the Ultralite Carbon Kevlar adds several hundred dollars to the price of a canoe, so I feel more than compensated for my transportation dings.

Lastly, I have to say that I particularly like the style of aluminum gunwale used by Bluewater, with the hidden rivets and smooth substantial feel. All and all the boat presents as a thing of quality and performance.

Price
My Mist cost $3,016.16. That includes $343.00 for shipping and $323.16 in taxes.Compared to the other boats on my list it ended up being more expensive than I anticipated, but in line with it's nearest competitor, the Swift Keewaydin 15. Both the Wenonah Argosy and Clipper Packer, would have been significantly less expensive and I know for sure that I would have been happy with the Packer. The Packer is, however, still shorter and less wave-hardy than the Mist.

The Paddling Experience
The first day I paddled the Mist I was perplexed by the difference between what I had read and what I experienced. The hull was efficient, but not as fast as I had hoped for; and the stability was also less than I had expected. I soon discovered, however, that it was because I was paddling the boat in a way that did not bring out it's inner strengths, so to speak.

The Mist begs to be paddled "hit and switch" style from the kneeling position. Once I shifted to this position the merits of the hull became immediately apparent. Here is a video of me paddling on Spider Lake. Note my sitting position and how at different times I lean forward, shifting my weight to my knees, to really get a good grip on the water for power strokes and turning.

Thanks to Paul for the able camera work!

In the silhouetted shot on the beginning of the next video you can see that I eventually learned to perform a standing draw and other maneuvering strokes in this minimally rockered canoe.

Once I discovered that the boat likes the weight slightly forward (in calm conditions), and can be leaned moderately in a brace or draw I began to love the feeling of control that had initially eluded me. Charlie Wilson warned that the boat was wet because of the "bubble" sides and said that it was tricky to heel over. I found this to be true, but discovered that I could heel it over a bit without freaking out, and while the minimal heeling did not produce the kind of turning results other more highly rockered canoes would deliver, it gave great access to the water and a solid feeling of control.

In a thread on the Canadian Canoe Routes forum Charlie said, "Outside heels, often not quite to the rail, start the bow carving into the turn, so the hull comes around more smartly." I have yet to master this maneuver.

So, after the initial feeling of being somewhat non-plussed, I found that the boat was a true pleasure to paddle, and even my favorite Indian stroke could produce respectable speed and enjoyment, as I think the following video demonstrates:

 In fact, despite my knowledge of psychology and the way that we grow to justify our decisions and like our purchases more over time -- even if they are not the best -- I think I can say that I have retained some objectivity in the matter.

I suspect that I might have been more impressed with the Swift Osprey or Keewaydin 15, as my preferred activity involves a lot of maneuvering and poking into nooks and tight places, but I sure appreciate the straight ahead tracking of the Mist when crossing large water, especially large windy water!

I have a technique I use now in which I pull out my Alton Aleut paddle and lean forward to cut down on windage and motor at a high cadence till I'm across the worst of it. Then I stow the double and take out my single again for pleasurable cruising. This is what I had envisioned for this canoe, and it has proven to facilitate comfortable paddling on larger lakes.

My Pros and Cons List for the Bluewater Mist 

Pros

Cons

Efficient short hull  -- so gets up to speed fast and feels fun doing it, Good tracking, Steeply angled internal float chambers for ease when washing it out, Slimline "hidden rivet" aluminum gunwales, Good fit and finish including smart looking gel coat and layup, Light (around 40 pounds) even with gelcoat, Unique styling (plum ends, step-flared bow) Can be paddled with speed using a double blade, especially an Aleutian style with a high cadence stroke.

Minimal undifferentiated rocker, so impossible to turn quickly, Not easy to do radical heeling without going swimming, and so turning is not much aided by this method, Designed for "hit and switch" paddling in the kneeling position, so sitting can feel unstable in rough water. Absent or outdated foot brace; and fixed seat height (NOTE: Canadian canoe manufacturers need to take a lesson from Wenonah who have the best braces and seats in this sector of the industry from my experience/perspective), Lack of good shipping method to Western Canada.

Summary
So, despite the problems with the first boat, and after giving the hull a long trial period, I can say that of all the canoes I have tried so far it is my favorite. I like it better than my Spitfire and better than the Rapidfire because there are multiple options for sitting/kneeling and it is well suited to both double and single blades.

It feels fast and responsive and just downright fun to paddle. I can sprint in it with a double blade or cruise for hours doing the Indian stroke with seemingly minimal effort. It turns reasonably well, though this is it's weakest quality. It looks classy with a unique style that sets it apart from other boats on the water -- certainly eye candy for me. One observer commented that it had a "pug nose" which I assume was in response to the relatively wide run just forward of the paddling station before it abruptly narrows to the end.

It is light, durable, and not too long to fit in my small house. That's right, I have it on the wall of my office, along with the Spitfire. Despite other newer designs this proven and slightly unusual design holds it's own. I will NOT be selling this one any time soon.

Nanaimo Urban Lakes

I'm often asked which lakes in Nanaimo are nice to paddle, and for a long time I have hesitated to give an answer because my ideal type of lake is one with minimal human impact or long stretches of wilderness -- qualities hard to find near centers of human habitation. But paddling any water is better than paddling none, so here I try to temper my own ideals and sort out the best quiet water paddling in the city.

There are more than 18 lakes within or near Nanaimo that can be paddled, but only 5 of them have easy access. This post devotes photos and a few paragraphs to each of the main 5, with additional photos and text on 4 of the other lakes that are worth paddling, even though access is a bit more difficult.

Of the 9 I devote space to here, only 3 are really satisfying to a paddler with my aesthetics, and of those 3, only 2 really hold my imagination in the long term. So bear my bias in mind as you read, and feel free to disagree with me in the comments section below!

At the end of the post is information on local lakes which, for various reasons, I can't recommend.

Me on Westwood Lake in Nanaimo

Here are the 18 potentially paddle-able lakes in alphabetical order. I will highlight the 5 easy access lakes in yellow and the other four that are a little harder to access in green.

Lake	Recommendation
Beck Lake	Not recommended
Blind Lake	Not recommended
Brannen Lake	Go if you don't mind power-boats and noise
Cathers Lake	Not recommended
Collier Dam	Go at least once
Divers Lake	Go often
Enos Lake	Go at least once
Green Lake	Go at least once
Harewood Lake
Holden Lake	Go at least once
Long Lake	Go if you don't mind power-boats and noise
McKay Lake
Michael Lake
Priest Lake
Quennel Lake	Go often
Richard Lake
Westwood Lake	Go often
Witchcraft Lake

Brannen Lake
Latitude/Longitude: Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: 49° 12' 50" N 124° 3' 0" W
Decimal Degrees: 49.214° N 124.05° W
UTM Coordinates: 10U 423529 5451788
Topographic Map Sheet Number: 092F01

Brannon Lake has a great parking area, boat launch, and adjacent sandy beach.This is good for launching a canoe, but also good for launching all sorts of other boats.

Brannon is a favorite for wake board and water ski boats, as well as sea-doo operators, so expect noise (including boat stereos with rap music) during the summer months. If you stick to the shore you will be out of the way of the "go fast" gang because of fairly dense weed beds.

The southern and western shores are fairly scenic with a nice rural feel. Fish of some kind were rising in the weeds the day these photos were taken. The lake is often subject to wind, but can be calm and serene after a rain.

Divers Lake
Latitude/Longitude: Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: 49° 12' 8" N 124° 0' 52" W
Decimal Degrees: 49.202° N 124.015° W
UTM Coordinates: 10U 426096 5450439
Topographic Map Sheet Number: 092F01

Divers Lake has a great parking lot close to the lake with a sandy beach and a nice little bay that is protected from southerly winds.

The above fishing pier is a little way past the put-in and there was a dead trout floating beside the dock the day I was there. There is an informative video about the dock here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX7LmsVBi4s The pier cost $21,000 and affords easy access to some of the 300 trout that are released into the lake each year.

Divers is a small shallow lake which is completely bordered by marshy expanses of cattails, bullrushes, and Lilly pads. Though there are lots of invasive bullfrogs (watch the video below for hopping, plopping, squeaking fun), there are also herons, bald eagles, and plenty of redwing blackbirds. Here is a HD video I took while paddling around the lake:

Divers is worth paddling for the wildlife and relatively unspoiled shoreline. There has been a bit of human activity in the past, but unlike Green Lake which has similar habitat and is a similar size, the intrusion onto Divers Lake from nearby homes and yards is virtually non-existent or in serious disrepair. Two new buildings are under construction, however, so the wild-like quality of the lake may soon disappear.

Dilapidated dock and new construction in the background.

For sedge benders, this is a pretty idyllic little lake which suffers only from nearby traffic noise and the loud speaker from a nearby car lot. Still, you can't beat the accessibility and lack of power boat activity.

Green Lake
Latitude/Longitude: Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: 49° 13' 48" N 124° 3' 47" W
Decimal Degrees: 49.23° N 124.063° W
UTM Coordinates: 10U 422601 5453579
Topographic Map Sheet Number: 092F01

Green Lake has a fairly good gravel parking lot and a satisfactory put in, though it is the most rustic of the easy access lakes in Nanaimo. 

A little larger than Divers this pretty urban habitat share's with divers the plague of thousands of invasive bullfrogs.

As you paddle around the lake you will hear them squeaking and calling and despite their profusion and voracious habit of consuming every living thing they can fit in their mouths, they are rather handsome little devils.

Green Lake is surrounded on all sides by houses, man-made openings in the shoreline, wharves, and walkways.

The abundance of shoreline human activity on Green Lake reminds me of Fuller Lake in Chemainus but more on the marshy side of the spectrum and less gentile.


Long Lake
Latitude/Longitude: Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: 49° 12' 35" N 124° 1' 23" W
Decimal Degrees: 49.21° N 124.023° W
UTM Coordinates: 10U 425467 5451288
Topographic Map Sheet Number: 092F01

Like Green Lake the shore of Long Lake is dominated by human presence. If you like paddling past million-dollar (and multi-million dollar) homes and docks crowded with expensive boats, sea-doos, and float planes, this is the lake for you.

If you are looking for natural shoreline with wildlife and interesting habitat, you will have to look pretty hard to find it.

One of the more amusing aspects of Long Lake is captured in the above photo. Many houses on the lake have sleek expensive power boats and/or Seadoos and right beside them ugly, poorly designed, cheap plastic canoes and kayaks. It is clear that for these folks the world of quality self propelled water craft is not even on the radar.

The day I took these photos this plane took off, several power boats zoomed around and there were two Sea-doos towing inflated rings behind them with lots of shooting, laughing, and hand waving. It was like a Mad Magazine cartoon to me, but obviously lots of people like this kind of fun.

As I cruised along the shore returning to the boat ramp I crossed the buoy line that marks the swimming area to take a picture of the curve of beach. Within seconds the park security was heading my way. No boats inside the swimming perimeter I guess, even when no swimmers are in sight. I backed out and paddle around. The man has to do his job and I don't begrudge him taking it seriously.

On such a busy lake I guess there have to be lots of rules. It pained me a bit to think that many people are introduced to canoe and kayak paddling on this lake via the Nanaimo Canoe and Kayak Club's activities. Not that I am critical of NCKC. They are doing what they like and doing it well.

But for someone like me, a connoisseur of a different kind of paddling experience, Long Lake has all the attraction of a shopping mall parking lot -- and I mean that in the worst possible way. Racing canoes and kayaks amid power boats and airplanes just feel stressful to me. I paddle to relieve stress, but I know that many others paddle to get the adrenaline pumping.

Still, after most daytime guests have left the lake and the sun is descending to the horizon, the careful paddler can find calm and beauty even among the garish opulence of a heavily urbanized lake like Long Lake.

Westwood Lake
Latitude/Longitude: Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: 49° 9' 46" N 123° 59' 52" W
Decimal Degrees: 49.163° N 123.998° W
UTM Coordinates: 10U 427258 5446045
Topographic Map Sheet Number: 092G04

Westwood Lake is my favorite lake to paddle in Nanaimo because it combines a wide wonderful sandy ramp for launching with several kilometers of shoreline featuring intermittent forest, sandy beach, and rocky promenades.

Westwood Lake is heavily used by swimmers (a long sandy beach), anglers (lots of fish year round), and recreational paddlers. A ban on gas motors means the boats that are on the water are quiet.

The Swimming Beach with Boat Ramp behind it at Westwood Lake

It is also a little higher than most of the other lakes in Nanaimo, and therefore more subject to icing over in the winter. This is meliorated somewhat by it's size and depth. Collier Dam, for example, will often freeze over sooner, even though it is 100 meters or more lower in elevation.

One of the great things about Westwood is the overhanging tree branches and rocky outcroppings along the shore.

In many places you can paddle along right beside the trees, in fairly deep water. But be careful, there are many snags in the water that are just below water level. I have run up on a few over the years.

Enos Lake
Latitude/Longitude:
Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: 49° 16' 43" N 124° 9' 20" W
Decimal Degrees: 49.279° N 124.156° W
UTM Coordinates: 10U 415948 5459099
Topographic Map Sheet Number: 092F08

Enos Lake is surrounded by private land in Nanoose. You have to carry your canoe down a fairly long road (25 meters) in order to access the lake. While we were paddling the lake we chatted with some folks on the shore and one local fellow said, "I didn't think canoes were allowed on the lake." But there were no signs indicated that it was not allowed.

Enos Lake Put-in

The Lake is special in part because it is the home to an endangered species of Stickleback known as the limnetic Enos Lake stickleback. This curious looking fish lives nowhere else except in Enos Lake. It is threatened by development and the introduction of non-native species to the lake.

Add caption

I can't see how gentle paddlers on the lake could negatively effect the little fish, but still, it might be something to consider in the long run.

Given it's proximity to Nanaimo (about a 20 minute drive) and given it's remote feel, I expect more folks will want to paddle this lake. The owner of the surrounding land has applied to develope the area, and seems to be proceeding with a responsible degree of public consultation, so I am hopeful this unique resouce will get the respect and protection it deserves.


Holden Lake
Latitude/Longitude: Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: 49° 6' 10" N 123° 49' 30" W
Decimal Degrees: 49.103° N 123.825° W
UTM Coordinates: 10U 439767 5439232
Topographic Map Sheet Number: 092G04

Holden Lake is boardered on the Eastern side by Hemmer Provincial Park. The Provincial Park website description lists canoeing as one of the activites in the park, but the portage from the park parking lot is a long one (about 300 meters). Alternatively the lake can be accessed from Bean Road off Holden Corso Road.

 

At the bottom of Bean Road there is a small parking spot and a short muddy walk to the water.

Beware of dogs at this location as the place is swarming with them. They didn't bother me the time I visited, but there sure was a lot of barking -- some from behind fences, some from up the hill on the road.

On the lake you feel pretty peaceful -- it is mostly surrounded by the park on one side and large stretches of farm land on the other.

I also came across a curious water plant while paddling the lake. Does anyone know what this is?

Quennel Lake
Latitude/Longitude: Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: 49° 4' 34" N 123° 48' 49" W
Decimal Degrees: 49.076° N 123.814° W
UTM Coordinates: 10U 440566 5436243
Topographic Map Sheet Number: 092G04

Quennel Lake is somewhat of a hidden gem in Nanaimo. Access is relatively easy if you have some pocket change, or difficult if you just don't like paying to paddle on public water.

The only really convenient way to access Quennel if via the ZUIDERZEE CAMPGROUND & RESORT. The good folks at Zuiderzee will charge you a small fee for the privilege and it may be worth it. Aside from their floating dock, they have a wooden ramp into the water that is really very nice for launching a canoe.

Zuiderzee Waterfront

There is one other put-in for the lake located on Ritten Road, which is off of Yellow Point Road. The ramp here is rutted, muddy, and has steep and bushy sides making it difficult to launch without getting very muddy. There are often trucks and trailers parked all around the ramp. I'm not sure who's jurisdiction this ramp falls under, but given the extensive use it receives I would suggest that several tons of clean fill, gravel, and maybe even cement be dedicated to improving this launch spot.

The Lake is a collection of connected chanells roughly in the shape of a Y next to an H or two H's next to each other. The large central island has one house on it and a short road, very rural looking and scenic.

There are some nice open stretches of water and the vistas in all directions feel expansive and cultured, like I might imagine a lake in Europe would feel.

There are not many places to take out and have your lunch, but there is one on the most westerly chanel. The house directly accross from this spot, however, is inhabited by vigilant residents  who must have seen a lot of shenanigans over the years as they are quick to run off anyone who doesn't seem to be fully respecting the fact that the land around the lake is private property.

There are a good number of houses on the lake, but unlike Green or Fuller there are still long stretches of pleasant farmland, forest, and marsh.

I'm not sure what the actual linear dimensions of the shoreline is, but it is quite significant and there are many little bays and corners filled with lilly pads and bull rushes.

Many of the houses that are visible are quaint or well healed into the surrounding landscape and the folks we encountered on the eastern side of the lake were very gracious and friendly. There was a nice feel of neighborly contentment.

Of all the lakes in and around Nanaimo, Quenell is by far the most varied in scenery, diverse in habitat, and charming in character. Note that at certain times of the year the lake can be congested with anglers due to fishing derbies.  

Collier Dam Park 
Collier Dam Park has two lakes, both accessible to the canoeist. I have previously posted about these little lakes so please see that post for further details.


Other Nanaimo Area Lakes
Beck Lake -- If you look hard you will find access to this lake just south of Nanaimo. Access is through a landscape that harkens back to the coal mining years and a 4 wheel drive vehicle is recommended. I've visited this lake on two occasions, once with my canoe on my roof rack, but both times have gone elsewhere.

Blind Lake -- There is direct road access to this small lake off of Nanaimo River Road. Because of it's size and relatively uninteresting surroundings, I have not included Blind Lake in my photo log.

Cathers Lake  -- There is access to Cathers Lake on the Northern end. Because the lake is surrounded by houses, some of them pretty close to the water, it felt like I would be paddling in everyone's back yard, so I did not launch. 

Harewood Lake -- I have so far not found public access to this lake.

Priest Lake -- I have so far not found public access to this lake.

McKay Lake -- This gem of a lake is currently on my "unknown status" list. I have seen it advertised for sale online, and like with other Timberland and Timberwest lands, access is uncertain from one season to the next. I have visited it in the past and found it charming, but not within the last few years. There are large no trespassing signs on the road into nearby Timberland Lake, so I would not be surprised if McKay has suffered the same fate of too many rowdies tearing up the place to allow continued public access.

Michael Lake -- This south Cedar lake looks interesting on the map, and I have gazed upon it from afar, but have so far been unable to find access to the water.

Richard Lake -- access to this Cinnabar Valley lake is uncertain. I have visited it several times looking for access and each time have felt that near water locations may be private property, so I have not ventured further. It is a pretty little spot with lots of fish rising, but also near a dirt farm, so I would not go on a windy day.

Witchcraft Lake -- This hidden lake on the slopes overlooking Nanaimo is small and covered with dead-fall. There is a nice bridge across the lake, but I have not explored the area enough to confirm a good place to launch a canoe.


Still Others...
Long Lake in the Ladysmith Eco Reserve -- Would require a long carry (200 plus meters) and I am uncertian if watercraft are allowed on the lake. If they are, it might be worth it as it is a beauty.

Morrell Lake -- Within the Morrell Sanctuary and a long hike past the gate. I plan to ask the Sanctuary folks about paddling this lake some day as I walk past it on longer walks from my house and it calls to me often.

Myles Lake -- I have not tried to visit this lake.

Stark Lakes -- I have not tried to visit these lakes.

Overton Lake -- I have not tried to visit this lake.

Whiskey Lake -- looks interesting on Google Earth, but the access seems pretty convoluted. Maybe someday I will give it a try.