The Cowichan Valley Trail will take you from Duncan through Lake Cowichan and down past the Kinsol Trestle following former CN and E&N railway lines. With many access points and 8 trestles, it's a beautiful trail to walk, jog or bike. From the Island Spirit Team, we hope you enjoy your time in the Cowichan Valley.
All the Island Spirit Legacy Caches are within a 2 steps of the trail, there is no need to bushwack or trample the vegetation unless otherwise noted.
Fireweed
Fireweed is one of the plants known for quickly growing after forest fires which is how it got it's name. It has a tall slender stalk anywhere from 18 inches to an incredible 8 feet tall, with long thin leaves scattered up the stalk until the flowerhead, light purple flowers that bloom first from the bottom flowers then work their way up the stalk to the top. The flowers are edible, collect an icecream bucket of fireweed flowers, boil them in water and they make a fantastic fireweed jelly, tea, candies or syrup, with their flowery honey flavour. The young shoots can be cooked and eaten as well, larger stalks can be peeled and eaten as well although the bigger they get, the more bitter they seem to taste.