“Hooray, hooray, the first of May! We’ll Paddle the Cow from Lake to Bay” – credit to Tom Staebell

VCKC will be holding its Annual “Running of the Cow(ichan)” this year on Saturday and Sunday, May 7th and 8th. This is a two-day moving water event where we paddle the Cowichan River,  from Cowichan Lake all the way down to the ocean – river water levels permitting. This is open to all VCKC members who have completed Moving Water 1 (River) Canoe training.  

On Saturday we will start at the weir at Cowichan Lake at 10 am and paddle down to Stoltz Pool camp. A shuttle will be set up for those who choose not to paddle the canyon.  At the camp, we will enjoy a great evening with a hearty meal and warm campfire to share tales of the day's events. On Sunday morning, we will pack up the camp and complete our paddle as far as the water levels will take us, with a final shuttle back to the vehicles.

Tent camping is available for our exclusive use at the Stoltz Pool Day Use Area in Cowichan River Provincial Park starting on Friday May 6th. Self-contained recreational vehicles can stay at the Group Site, but please note that there are no outhouses available there at this time. 

Cost for the event is free and includes: Provincial Park camping fee for 2 nights, shuttle of canoes and canoeists to drop off and pick-up spots, and  dinner on Saturday night.

Club members who are not paddling, may also join us for camping and our Saturday night dinner, as its a great place to hike and bike in the area. 

VCKC also invites all moving water paddlers in the area for the weekend to celebrate the last great weekend of river paddling before the summer low water levels set in (well hopefully there will be a few more weekends).

 If you are interested in attending, please register. For more information please contact:

 canoe@vckc.ca