TotY - Courtenay/Merville - Grand Tour

by Roger Chayer
2 years ago
Near Courtenay, CA

98 views

This loop is the longest of all the loops at 46 kms. It is mostly a road ride with a short cross country section through Seal Bay Park and a 3 km section on Highway 19. The loop has seven trees on it : #7, #9, #12, #14, #24, #26, #28 . The loop starts near Comox Valley Sports Centre. Trees #7 and #26 are located just beyond the driveway of SD71 Operations Yard, GPS 49.712566, -124.99925. Follow the path, best to walk in, into the park. The trees are at GPS 49.712525, -124.997168. Tree #26 is on the right hand side of the path with a blue ribbon and Tree #7 is on the left with the pink ribbon. Tree #12 is on private property just to the north of Piercy Rd. between Condensory Road. and Dove Creek Road. (in the field west of 3220 Piercy). GPS location of tree: 49.709505, -125.020477. The next two trees are near the Tsolum River. #14 is located on the property adjacent to the headquarters townsite and the recently developed Headquarters Townsite Park and nature trail, 1/2 block from the Tsolum River. The nearest cross road is Railway Ave. #28 is located in the Tsolum River Commons, CVRD Regional Park, near the end of River Ave. N, in North Merville. Here the access roads off Railway Avenue are good gravel roads (River Ave S and River Ave N). To get to the next tree travel through the beautiful countryside to Seal Bay Park, where the cross country starts. Seal Bay Park has changed a little bit with new signs and trail names. Not all trails are designated for bicycle use. You may need to walk your bike for the few few metres as you enter. The main trail is compact gravel. Tree # 9 is on Grieve Rd, opposite 2610 Grieve Road, in the middle of the field at the foot of the hill GPS 49.733414, -124.993877. From here it is a short ride - on Highway 19, watch for traffic - to Tree # 24, located in a hay field on the north side of Huband Road GPS 49.728397, -124.989768. Another short ride on Highway 19 takes you to Vanier Road and back to start. The loop can be done on any kind of bike, but a bike with either the skinny tires or smooth tread is best suited. There are a couple of cutoff points to make the loop shorter - 1. at Headquarters Road and 2. at Highway 19. There is the option of joining this loop to TotY - Courtenay - #4, #13, #21, #27 by cycling north on Headquaters Road.