Trip Report – Newton Lake, Small Inlet and Waiatt Bay- 21 July 2026

Posted on July 24, 2026 by qioutdoorclub

Due to unanticipated events, changes were made to the plans for the hike to Newton Lake, Small Inlet and Waiatt Bay. The hike started about 9:45 and ended about 3:00. It was a beautiful hike for a hot, sunny day as it was shaded throughout. The rocks on the trail became increasingly wet as the hike proceeded, likely from condensation.

There were numerous groups of hikers on the trail from Waiatt Bay to Newton for a swim. We snacked at Waiatt at noon upon arrival. To suggest it was muggy would be an understatement. There was mist in the trees during multiple parts of the hike. It was surprisingly pleasant feeling for 30 degrees out, but there was much moisture in the air and on the hikers. Short breaks and a casual pace throughout made for a very nice hike in weather that could have humbled us if overly ambitious. (12.8 km, 4 hrs 41 minutes)

Jim

Hiking – Newton Lake-Small Inlet-Waiatt Bay – 22 July 2026

Hiking – Newton Lake – Small Inlet-Waiatt Bay – 6 Aug 2026

Posted on July 24, 2026 by qioutdoorclub

Activity	Hike and swim
Destination	Newton Lake with Small Inlet and/or Waiatt Bay
Date	6 Aug 2026, Thursday, rescheduled
Trip Coordinator	Vic Gladish
Contact Info	vicgladish@gmail.com; 250-285-2111 or 250-287-0459 (text)
Description	We will hike up to Newton Lake, down to Small Inlet, take the portage trail to Waiatt Bay and then back to the Newton Lake. Distance about 15 kilometres – will take approximately 4-5 hours (including lunch and short swim stops at Newton Lake. If there is consensus to do so, we will break into two groups at the trail junction, one going on to Waiatt Bay, and the other returning to the lake. We will then rendezvous at Newton Lake.
Meeting Place	Quadra Community Centre parking lot
Departure Time	9:00
Difficulty	A rocky, rutty initial kilometer, and a steep section at Small Inlet, plus overall distance makes this a moderate – not easy – hike.
Costs	Share fuel costs
Trip limits	10
Dogs?	Limit 2 and on leash. Owners must have a signed “Dog-Owner Acknowledgement Statement” on file with the Club.
Notes:	Bring plenty of water, lunch and snacks, and swimming stuff if you want to swim. The trip is best on a good summer’s day so will be postponed if the forecast is for rain.

Hiking – Kay Dubois Trail – 30 July 2026

Posted on July 20, 2026 by qioutdoorclub

Activity	Hiking
Destination	Kay Dubois Trail
Date	30 July, Thursday
Trip Coordinator	Valerie van Veen
Contact Info	vvv@qisland.ca, 250-285-2329, 778-242-5774
Description	We will walk Kay Dubois trail from trailhead to the end, return via Fox Road. This will be a moderately paced hike for a bit of morning exercise.
Meeting Place	Kay Dubois trailhead, north end
Departure Time	09:30
Difficulty	Easy, one hill
Costs	None
Trip limits	None
Dogs	As per Club guidelines, must have a signed FMCBC form on record, contact coordinator for details if needed.
Notes:	We are meeting at KDB trailhead … if anyone wants to carpool from the Community Centre contact the coordinator. Participants must register with coordinator by Wednesday evening, July 29.

Trip Report – Morte Lake Classic Loop – 16 July 2026

Posted on July 17, 2026 by qioutdoorclub

Seven of us got an early start to get ahead of the heat that was forecast. We hiked into the Lake on the classic old logging road, meeting a few other people on the trail and at the east end sandy beaches. We continued up the switch-backed trail to the bluffs and paused to enjoy the view and indentify the mountains. We made our way back down to the lake and stopped at the picnic table for an early lunch and for those that wanted to swim. The water level was low and the water was relatively warm. We carried on along the fast trail on the west shore, stopping at the old logging access point with the canoe and stopping again at the white sand beach at the south end of the lake. There was no one on any of these beaches, which was surprising given the heat. We continued on the classic loop, rejoining the old logging road and then chosing to take Lower Deadfish for the return to the parking lot. By the end of our hike it was fairly overcast, warm and humid. This was a lovely, relaxed walk with great natural highlights and opportunities for socializing. (10.3 km, 4½ hours total, 290m elevation gain)

Debbie

(click on photos to enlarge)

: Little Morte Lake

: East end beach

: From the bluff

: South beach

Hiking – Morte Lake Classic Loop – 16July2026

Trip Report – Nugedzi Lakes – 9 July 2026

Posted on July 11, 2026 by qioutdoorclub

Well, the day didn’t go as planned as the weather was uncooperative. Five hikers met up, but we were trying to second-guess the rain that had already started. Two decided not to go, but the other three had hopes that the rain would only be temporary. As it turned out, it rained during the whole trip sometimes heavy, sometimes light. On the bright side, it was quite mild and even though we got very wet, we stayed warm due to the long uphill climb to Nugedzi Lake. The rain did add a whole different feel to the trip as your view was confined to a much shorter distance, and you were very aware of your close surroundings. The moss and vegetation seemed considerably greener. As we neared the lake the temperature dropped a bit, and the fog settled in. This changed the whole feeling of your surroundings again and was actually quite eerie but beautiful as you can see in the pictures that were taken.

At this point, we decided not to go out to the viewpoint as you wouldn’t have been able to see anything anyway. Instead, we headed back down the trail toward the Cedar Grove Canyon. There we took a connector trail back to the trail going up to Mt. Seymour, which is quite steep in some areas. This is a newer flagged trail that goes through some magnificent large trees and open mossy landscape. Back on the Seymour Trail, it was downhill all the way to the vehicles. (7 km, 320m ascent and 3 hours)

Les

Thanks to Les and Norris for the photos

(click on photos to view larger)

Hiking – Nugedzi Lakes and Views – 9 July 2026

Hiking – Morte Lake Loop – 16 July 2026

Posted on July 8, 2026 by qioutdoorclub

Activity	Hiking
Destination	Morte Lake Loop
Date	16 July, Thursday
Trip Coordinator	Debbie Quigg
Contact Info	dmquigg@gmail.com or 3710
Description	We will hike the classic loop counter-clockwise. We will find a beach for lunch and swimming will be possible for those who are interested. At this time, it is expected to be very warm.
Meeting Place	Community Centre parking lot
Departure Time	9:00, or earlier to avoid the heat
Difficulty	Moderate
Costs	None
Trip limits	10
Dogs?	Yes, if under control and with a “Dog-Owner Acknowledgement Statement”
Notes	Bring lunch and swimming gear if interested. Stay in touch with the coordinator about a possible change to the start time.

Trip Report – Noel’s Knoll to Little Morte Lake – 24 June 2026

Posted on June 26, 2026 by qioutdoorclub

Five of us did this particular hike as a first for the Outdoor Club. After a car shuffle, we started hiking from the Nugedzi parking lot, up the old road and across the bridge. We continued on the old logging road heading south, which has recently been cleared of deadfall and brush. Not long into our hike we noticed a wasp’s nest which had fallen into the path and had fallen apart. Although we saw that there were some wasps flying about, we were not careful enough crossing by the nest and unfortunately three of us were stung, one person multiple times. After a bit of first aid, we carried on up the old road and then on a very improved trail through the forest and across the re-located bridge. From there we followed a flagged route and slight path over to the Noel’s Knoll viewpoint. After enjoying a short break, with view, breeze and snack, we returned on this short out-and-back section to rejoin the new trail which descends steeply to the Morte Lake trail.

The new trail is quite a long descent, with some good views from bluffs along the way. Most of the route is fairly easy to follow with visible path, flagging and cairns. There was one place where we followed some flags the lead into the bush rather than a path, but we were soon back on track and down to the main Morte Lake trail. We followed the lovely Deadfish route back to the Morte Lake parking lot. Thanks to all the volunteers who made this new trail possible.

7.5km, 4½ hours, about 350m ascent and 490m descent.

Debbie

(click on photos to enlarge)

Thanks to Carrie and Les for the photos

Hiking – Noel’s Knoll to Little Morte Lake – 24 June 2026

Hike – Nugedzi Lakes & Viewpoint – 9 July 2026

Posted on June 14, 2026 by qioutdoorclub

Activity	Hiking
Destination	Nugedzi Lakes and Viewpoint
Date	9 July, Thursday
Trip Coordinator	Les Hand
Contact Info	lhquadra@gmail.com 285-2029
Description	We will park on Granite Bay Road and hike the Mount Seymour Trail to Nugetzi Lake. Then we will travel on out to the Nugetzi viewpoint and back to the lake for lunch. Bring gear if you would like to take a swim, although it might still be cool. After we will travel back to the vehicles. About 7 to 8 km and four hours..
Meeting Place	Quadra Community Centre
Departure Time	9:00
Difficulty	Moderate
Costs	None
Trip limits	10
Dogs?	OK, but must be under control and not run back-and-forth through the group
Notes:	We are leaving earlier because of the heat that might be happening at that point. Bring lots of water and hiking poles if you use them.

	Trip Report –… on Hiking – Newton Lake…
	Trip Report –… on Hiking – Morte Lake Loop…
	Trip Report –… on Hike – Nugedzi Lakes…
	Trip Report –… on Kayaking – Gowlland Harb…
	Trip Report –… on Hiking – Noel’s Kn…

Quadra Island Outdoor Club

hiking, paddling, and other outdoor activities on or near Quadra