Looking forward to visiting Tofino in the next month for some west coast storm watching. I’ll report back soon!

I was lucky enough to be travelling with an experience local mushroom hunter who has spent his whole life in this area and knows it well. Please note: do not attempt to locate and eat VI mushrooms on your own as we have many poisonous varieties on Vancouver Island which can easily be mis-identified. Island visitors should also always keep to marked paths and trails in our forests, as it is easy for amateur explorers to get lost in the back country.

After a great afternoon of hiking, bucket in hand, I managed to find a nice selection of Golden Chanterelles and even a few of the rarer White Chanterelles, which have a more delicate texture and flavour than the spicy & firm Golden variety. Picking my own mushrooms in their natural habitat was a great experience, and I’ve never enjoyed a meal more than one filled with wild mushrooms picked just hours before with my own hands.

If you’re interested in trying your hand at hunting for the elusive, sought-after West Coast Chanterelle, touch base with a Vancouver Island outdoor or nature tour company. Many companies around the Island give seasonal mushroom picking/hiking tours during the fall, winter and spring and can teach you how to identify and properly pick these delicate mushrooms to protect their root system for re-growth in future years.

If you manage to get your hands on Chanterelles in season (keep your eye out at BC farmer’s markets this month for fresh selections from pickers), here’s a great source for how to clean & cook the mushrooms, as well as recipes to get you started on integrating them into your cooking.

A cooking tip from the High Tide Travel Blog: Chanterelles pair amazingly with British Columbia wines, I especially recommend splashing some BC Pinot Gris white wine into a Chanterelle cream sauce served over pasta.

Trust me, then thank me, this is local eating at its best.

I was both relieved and saddened to hear when I arrived at the beach that a cougar had been discovered in the bushes of a oceanfront resort beside the community beach and was killed by conservation officers. Relieved that no one was hurt, and saddened that a local animal had to be killed.

It’s a good wake up call to people who hike around Vancouver Island that we do, indeed, share this beautiful space with predatory animals that have called our Island home far longer than we have. There were two cougar encounters on VI this past weekend alone. I’ve hiked trails all over this area and never encountered any sort of danger with wildlife, but that doesn’t mean the animals aren’t out there. It’s never a bad idea to brush up on what to do if you unexpectedly come across a cougar, here’s a great rundown of what to do and when.

Situations like this remind me how lucky we are to have conservation officers and RCMP looking out for the welfare of locals and tourists. We are also lucky to have organizations like the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, who care for and rehabilitate injured birds of prey and black bears.

While we can’t save a cougar who walks into a highly populated area, we can donate our money and time towards efforts to care for local wild animals in need. Why not make a donation to the NIWRA in memory of this weekend’s cougars, and thank the next RCMP officer you see for keeping Vancouver Island visitors and locals safe.

To make a donation to the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, click here.

Okanagan Wine Sub-Region: Okanagan Falls, known for gewurztraminer, riesling and pinot noir.

See Ya Later Ranch is a quirky winery tucked into the stunning hillside of Okanagan Falls, BC, just south of Penticton.

There’s a bit of an uphill drive to reach the winery, but it’s worth the small trip once you look down over the rolling green hills of grapes with the blue southern tip of Skaha Lake far below.

Part of the quirkiness of See Ya Later rests, of course, with its unconventional name. One of the legends of the name says that Lord Hugh Fraser, the original owner of the property and first to plant grapes there, came home one day to find his wife gone and a note in the frying pan that said “See ya later!”. But don’t let the kitschy name fool you, this winery is a consistant awards winner for top quality, inexpensive wines.

The second way that the ranch keeps unique is in how they express their unending love for dogs. Dogs? You ask. Yes, See Ya Later Ranch loves dogs and raises money for local SPCA charities year-round. Many of the wines are named after good old Ranch dogs like Ping (a red Meritage) and Nelly (named after Lord Fraser’s playful puppy), who now rest in the winery’s small doggie cemetery. It’s much more heart-warming than strange, and a nice reminder of the loyal animals that live at wineries and vineyards all over the Okanagan.

See Ya Later Ranch is known for their Gewurztraminer, as they should be… their 65 acre Hawthorne Mountain vineyard is the largest Gewurztraminer planting in North America. The vineyard is perfectly situated on the edge of a mountain slope that catches more sun than the rest of the surround valley (seen in the photo above with classic truck). It’s a light, crisp, fresh white wine and I’m looking forward to pairing it with indian curry in the future.

The tasting room and wine shop on the property are located in a heritage home on the property with a panoramic view of the valley and lake below. The shop was surprisingly well-stocked with wine-related goodies, and I was particularly impressed with their selection of BC cookbooks, what better time to pick up some new ideas for dinner to pair with your wine? There is a small patio restaurant serving simple but tasty fare such as pulled-pork sandwiches (great with the Pinot Noir) and house-made desserts.

A visit to See Ya Later Ranch is a fun little trek off the beaten wine path of the Okanagan and well worth a visit, with or without your dog.

Covert Farms Organics & Dunham & Froese Estate Winery

Okanagan Wine Subregion: Oliver, known for Merlot, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer

Although British Columbia’s Okanagan region is finally getting attention as a wine travel destination, the fertile land of the Okanagan Valley can do much more than just grow grapes, and there’s a rich history here of where Canadians get their vegetables from if you drive just a little off the highway and take a look.

Covert Farms was established in 1959 by George and Winnifred Covert, who began with a small tomato and onion farm. The family expanded the farming business to eventually become a leading Western Canadian producer of certified organic vegetables, fruit, table grapes and wines.

What immediately warmed me to Covert Farms was the enthusiasm of Gene Covert (grandson of George and Winnifred, who runs Covert Farms with his wife Shelley). He’s a true Canadian farmer, who understands our unique growing cycle and gets excited about finding ways to reconnect Canada with where our food comes from.

Everything that Covert Farms grows can be “U-Picked”, which is a great way to spend a sunny afternoon (who doesn’t love foraging through a strawberry patch for that perfectly ripe berry?). The scenery is beautiful, and visitors can take a self-guided tour around the spacious property, framed by McIntyre Bluff in the distance. There’s also a lovely indoor/outdoor market selling whatever is fresh along with snacks, coffees and lunch items.

I was particularly impressed with how welcoming Covert Farms is for families. There are a wide variety of activities from educational (take your kids out into the fields to pick their own lunch) and just plain fun (the massive ‘Bouncy Pillow’ near the market had me dying to take a few jumps myself). There is also an extensive ‘Young Organic Farmers’ childrens summer camp series which is jam-packed full of amazing activities and hands-on growing techniques for organic food.

The farm is also home to Dunham & Froese Estate Winery, which was named the Official Wine of the 2011 Subaru Ironman Canada. Since producing their first bottles in 2008, Dunham & Froese wines have received many awards and accolades, including Best New Winery at the 2008 Okanagan Fall Wine Festival.

I really enjoyed seeing a glimpse into where and how Canada is sourcing the flavourful vegetables and fruit we are famous for, and highly recommend it as a unique Okanagan experience that brings you closer to what growing fresh local food is all about.