Trip Report – Reed Lake to Nighthawk Lake – 3 Nov 2026

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Seven hikers were eager to explore a wonderful forest walk that many had not been on before. Weather was great for the beginning of November in which there was only a sprinkling of rain, cooler hiking temperatures (9° C) and the sun peaking through the trees as we moved through the forest. This 8.5km track started at the pullout at Reed Lake. We headed south on Straight-as-a-Dime Trail (lower, middle and upper) following a combination of newer bike trail sections and old logging roads. We connected to Navel, turning east onto Backdoor Trail, Dick’s Ride and then returning back northwest down Yellow Mud Trail which has been renamed Rob’s Rike in memory of Rob McKerracher.

We hiked over vibrant green moss-covered rock bluffs, through a pine forest, past a logging cut, the beaver dam and finally the lush sword ferns, hemlock and Douglas fir forest. It was great to highlight other neighboring trails such as Little Black Dress and Silk Stockings that connected to our route. (8.5 km and 3.5 hours which included lunch)

Louise

Thanks to Louise and Kathy for the photos

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Hike – Reed Lake to Nighthawk Lake – 3 Nov 2026

Trip Report – Haskin Farm, Fir Crest, Golf Course and Todd’s Trails – 28 Oct 2026

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Tried and true will always come through.

On what was supposed to be a wet day, nine hikers started out at 9 am with a burst of sunshine angling through the tall trees of this old, favourite Quadra hike.

The trail was littered with the golden leaves of the Broadleaf Maple on this calm after the storm morning. We checked on the plantings of hazelnut trees in the homestead site and soon descended the switchbacks to the beach. Recent trail maintenance was evident, especially on this steep portion. We rested briefly at the beach and enjoyed the mid-fall sunshine. Driftwood on the flat calm seas, a plume of smoke on distant Cortes Is. and a few loons caught our attention. No whales to be seen or heard.

The group then climbed back up to the junction and headed north, along the ridge, on the Fir Crest trail, past the grove of large Douglas Firs and on through drifts of Maple leaves. This easy walk allowed for a lot of socializing as we made our way around the perimeter of the Golf Course on the well signed trail. Back at the bottom of the long straight fairway we went off trail for a few minutes to “bushwack” our way back to Fir Crest Trail. A few minutes later we were on Todd’s Trail heading back uphill to the trailhead.

We arrived back at the cars, debriefed, and then headed home for lunch and various afternoon activities. Having planned for a wet morning we ended up with a beautiful, dry fall day. About 2½ hours and 5 to 6 km.

Vic

Thanks to Louise and Jody for the photos

(click on photos to enlarge)

Hiking – Haskin Farm & Fir Crest Loop – 28 October 2026

Hiking – Kay Dubois Trail – 25 November 2026

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Activity Hiking
Destination Kay Dubois Trail
Date 25 November, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Kathy Sales
Contact Info ilsuzyh@hotmail.com or 250-314-4055
Description We will go the the big witch tree, up the hill through the Hansel and Gretel woods and back on the woodlot road to where we started. Bring a snack and a thermos of something warm ., in case we want to stop and have a bit of beach time.
Meeting Place End of Sutil Road
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Easy
Costs None
Trip limits None
Dogs Welcome.  Dog-owners need to have a signed Dog-Owners Acknowledgement Statement.
Notes:

Hiking – Plumper Bay – 18 Nov 2026

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Activity Hiking
Destination Plumper Bay
Date 18 Nov 2026, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Valerie van Veen
Contact Info vvv@qisland.ca, 250 285 2329, 778 242 5774
Description We will start from the Maud Island trailhead, follow the mossy logging road to the T junction, turn right to follow another old logging road to Plumper Bay, our turn around point. Depending on weather we can stay for lunch or have a quick snack before retracing our steps. This is a pleasant, undemanding hike, no elevation, an excellent hike for newcomers and novice hikers.
Meeting Place Community Centre
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty Easy, about 2-3 hours on old logging roads
Costs none
Trip limits 10
Dogs? Contact the coordinator.
Notes: This is a great introductory hike for anyone interested in hiking on Quadra and/ or interested in joining the QI Outdoor Club. Participants must sign up by Monday evening Nov 16. Cancelled if very windy or very rainy. Coordinator will only contact registered participants.

Hiking – Deadfish-Tripod Loop – 7 Dec 2026

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Activity Hiking
Destination Deadfish-Tripod Loop
Date 7 December,  Monday
Trip Coordinator Nicole and Louise
Contact Info quadranick@gmail.com or LSquire@sasktel.net
Description We will head out on Deadfish, wind our way down Seven Sins, then connect with Nirvana, and then east along South Morte Lake. Turning back on Tripod, Ridge Trail and Lost Rider, we return by Deadfish to the parking lot. Max 3 hrs.
Meeting Place Meet at the Morte Lake trail head
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Moderate
Costs none
Trip limits 10
Dogs? No
Notes

Hiking – Reed Lake to Nighthawk Lake – 3 Nov 2026

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Activity Hiking
Destination Reed Lake to Nighthawk Lake
Date 3 November, Tuesday
Trip Coordinator Louise Squire
Contact Info Lsquire@sasktel.net
Description Starting across Reed Lake, we will go south on Straight as a Dime trail, turn east onto Backdoor over the rock bluffs and through a beautiful pine forest. We will continue onto Dick’s Ride and down towards Nighthawk lake with the large beaver dam. From here we will return along the Rob’s Ride (in memory of Rob McKerracher) back to Reed Lake. Be prepared for weather and lunch. Approx 8km and 3 hrs
Meeting Place Legion parking lot
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Easy to moderate – may be slick if it rains
Costs none
Trip limits 10
Dogs? Yes, on leash. Dog owners must have a signed Dog-Owner Acknowledgement of Risk.
Notes:

Hike – Nugedzi Lakes – 9 Nov 2026

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Activity Hiking
Destination Nugedzi Lakes
Date 9 Nov, Monday
Trip Coordinator Derek Marcoux
Contact Info marcoux.derek@gmail.com
Description This hike will explore the Nugedzi Lakes area and enjoy the late fall conditions. The plan will be to take a moderate-paced hike into the upper lakes and get up to the viewpoint (weather permitting). The trails have been recently brushed, so should be ok for wet weather hiking. This will be an out-and-back along the same trail starting from the Nugedzi parking lot (approx 9km return, 430 elev gain)

We will meet at the Quadra Community Centre at 9am to arrange any carpools. If some participants want to meet at the Nugedzi parking lot, please meet there at 9:30.
Meeting Place Quadra Community Centre (see description for options)
Departure Time 9:00
Difficulty Moderate
Costs None
Trip limits 10
Dogs? Ok if on leash, or under control.  Dog owners must have signed a Dog-owners Acknowledgement of Risk Statement.
Notes:

Hiking – Haskin Farm and Fircrest Trail – 28 Oct 2026

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Activity Hiking
Destination Haskin Farm and Fircrest Trail
Date 28 Oct 2026, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Vic Gladish
Contact Info vicgladish@gmail.com or 250-287-0459
Description We will begin at the Haskin Farm parking area at Smith and Heriot Bay Rd. at 0900, walking the Haskins Farm Trail to the beach. After a short break we will ascend the bluff and then take the Fir Crest trail along the ridge and around the golf course. We will loop back around, heading south and back to the Haskins Farm Trail and then out to the parking lot.
Meeting Place Haskin Farm trailhead (Heriot Bay Rd and Smith Rd)
Departure Time 9:00
Difficulty Easy
Costs None
Trip limits 10
Dogs? Only if on leash. Dog owners must have a signed Dog-Owner Acknowledgement Statement.
Notes The trip will start earlier than normal and we will not stop for a lunch break. This will allow us to complete the hike and return home for lunch which will be appreciated if it is, as forecast, a wet day.
Dress for the rain and carry a snack.

Trip Report – Heriot and Rousseau Ridges – 21 Oct 2026

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Eight hikers left from the end of Hope Spring Road on a cloudy fall day that later turned to beautiful sunshine. As we travelled up the trail to the Heriot Ridge fork we passed by the two large rock walls that always have such lovely multicoloured green moss on them. We stopped at the bench on the ridge trail to admire the views and also shed one layer after coming up the hill. The many rock bluffs on the Heriot Ridge Trail were quite dry, which made the hike that much more enjoyable as they can be quite slick sometimes. When we got to the Thompson Trail, we turned left and couldn’t help but notice how much more this trail is used. After crossing the two small creeks that were nearly dry, we turned to head for Rousseau Ridge on Gowland Trail. The high bluff was dry, so we stopped and had lunch in the warm sunshine while enjoying the view of the many Vancouver Island peaks in the far distance.
After lunch, we returned via Gowland Trail and continued on to the small valley with the old growth trees in it. We were able to take a group photo there that shows just how big these old growth trees are. Continuing on, we passed the Three Sisters that are some of the biggest old growth on Quadra Island. From here we continued on down the trail, went up and over the Hope Spring ridge, and back to the vehicles. (7.8 km; 3¾ hours, about 300m elevation)

Les
 
Thanks to Les and Norris for the photos
 

(click on photos to enlarge)

Hiking – Rousseau Ridge – 21 Oct 2026

Trip Report – Maud Island – 15 Oct 2026

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On a cool, overcast morning, seven hikers headed out to view the max current at Maud Island. There was an exceptional amount of long moss hanging in the trees over the trail down near the old truck. We decided to go over Mount Lolo for extra views. There has been quite a bit of work done on the Lolo section and part of it rerouted. There are some exceptional views from the ledges on this route, but one needs to be careful especially if you go over it in the snow. After a quick break, we went on down to Maud Island and even though the max was only 8 knots there was plenty of current and whirlpools. There were sea lions feeding in the current and bald eagles feeding on the leftovers. After lunch, we hiked back to the vehicles via the lower route. On this there have been some exceptionally big danger trees cut down. 8 Km and 3 1/2 hr.

Les

Thanks to Les, Louise and Norris for the photos.

Click on photos to enlarge
 

Hiking – Maud Island – 15 Oct 2026