Stave and Cowichan Rivers are salmon spawning spectacles

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      As much as brilliantly coloured foliage characterizes the fall season, there's no more stirring autumnal sight on the West Coast than spawning salmon battling upstream. Right now is a good time to get out and see for yourself.

      Finding a suitable location is surprisingly easy. Two of the best examples that also offer opportunities for extended walks or bike rides are the Stave River east of Maple Ridge in Ruskin and the Cowichan River near Duncan on southern Vancouver Island. As you make your way along their welcoming trails, get ready to enjoy both blazing colours above and swirling waters below.

      The Stave River meets the Fraser River opposite Fort Langley, where spawning channels have been created at the Ruskin Recreation Area below a nearby B.C. Hydro dam. From October to December, annual runs of hefty coho salmon, followed by smaller-sized chums, return here to jam the waterway. Competition for space is fierce, both among the tail slappers in the riverbed and along the gravel banks, where anglers and oglers perch. The salmon aren't able to surmount Ruskin Dam's imposing concrete face, but you can easily make your way from the recreation area's picnic grounds across the structure's narrow top to hook up with the Railway Trail for a six-kilometre ramble around the west side of Hayward Lake. A dense canopy of firs and broadleaf maples shelters this former rail bed as it winds beside the reservoir cupped behind the dam. With little or no incline to contend with, just set your legs in motion and let your natural drive take over. Between the frantic efforts of the salmon, the golden hues of the maples, and the tranquility of the lake, this is one fine place for a day outing.

      Looking to get out of town for an overnighter that's as exotic as the Okanagan Valley but only half the distance? Vancouver Island's Cowichan Valley enjoys just as much sunshine plus a longer growing season than its desert counterpart. When it comes to local fare, above average is the new average. Pack a picnic lunch from True Grain Bread and Hilary's Cheese and Deli in charming Cowichan Bay, then head a short distance inland to wheelchair-accessible Cowichan River Provincial Park, where coho salmon have just begun their run upstream.

      There are many places to explore and things to do in this string bean-shaped park. It hardly matters where you begin; just choose a site between Skutz Falls and Stoltz Pool and start walking parts of the 20-kilometre Cowichan River Footpath, which parallels the Cowichan River west of Duncan. Or cycle a section of the Trans Canada Trail that follows a former CN railway line that once linked Shawnigan Lake with Lake Cowichan.

      The Cowichan River is a powerful fish magnet, attracting anglers with its fall and winter salmon runs as well as its year-round trout, including the enticing brown trout. Many of the best locations for casting or viewing are easily reached along the Canadian Heritage River's banks. Budget a half-day to puddle jump along the Cowichan River between Skutz Falls—simply a modest drop in the river—to Stoltz Pool. Two of the choicest salmon-viewing sites are Trestle 66 and Stoltz Pool itself.

      Trestle 66 is an ideal place to connect with the Cowichan by either heading upriver or downriver on foot or bike. Even if you only walk from the parking lot to the bridge high above the river, pause here. The North Side Walking Trail is an inviting stretch of single track that leads upstream for five kilometres to Skutz Falls. This section of the footpath is far more aesthetically pleasing than the level, hard-packed Trans Canada Trail hemmed in by dense forest. No matter which approach you take, enjoy the sound of the river as it flashes past. For the next month or so, the trestle at Marie Canyon, six kilometres south of the bridge, will be one of the best places to watch salmon spawn.

      By the time the Cowichan reaches Stoltz Pool, most of its white water lies upstream. A beach, picnic tables, a boat launch, and a gentle walking path welcome visitors. Tucked off in the woods is the Burma Cross Cairn, a companion to one in Stanley Park, a quiet reminder to savour these peaceful surroundings. The granite column, a half-size replica of the one erected after the Second World War in Arakan, Burma, commemorates the 14th Allied Army, in particular Victoria Cross winner Maj. Charles Hoey of Duncan. Known as the Forgotten Army, its troops never lost a battle against the Japanese.

      A visit here lends poignancy to a late-season retreat. As the Burma Star Association of B.C.'s president Percy Smith told the Georgia Straight by phone, "When I stand beside that monument I wonder, ”˜Why did it happen?' and ”˜Was it worth it?' " He paused, then continued: "For me, the answer lies in the inscription: ”˜Through this stone we touch the souls of those who died for our freedom.' "

      Access: Ruskin lies 60 kilometres east of Vancouver. Signs indicate the turnoff north to Hayward Lake from the Lougheed Highway (Highway 7). A parking lot is located at the south end of the wheelchair-accessible Railway Trail beside the Ruskin Dam, about four kilometres from Highway 7 on Wilson Road. The Ruskin Recreation Area lies a short distance away on the east side of the dam. For more information, visit www.bchydro.com/community/recreation_areas/ruskin_dam.html/.

      The Cowichan Valley lies halfway between Nanaimo and Victoria. Details on Cowichan River Provincial Park are posted at www.bcparks.ca/. For a copy of the Tourism Cowichan travel planner, visit www.visit.cowichan.net/.

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