Monthly Archives: February 2016

Hiking – Beech’s Mtn Loop – 30 Mar 2016

Posted on by
1

Activity Hiking
Destination Beech’s Mtn Loop
Date 30 Mar 2016, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Janis McLean
Contact Info 285-3614; please contact the coordinator in advance of the trip.
Description This hike will be on trails, logging roads and routes.  We will hike to the summit of Beech’s Mtn, then descend the backside  to the old Beaver Rd and then follow a flagged route down the parallel ridge to the Chinese Mtn parking lot.  About 4 hours, 7km.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay store parking lot for carpooling
Departure Time 9:00 am
Difficulty
 moderate
Costs  none
Trip limits  8
Dogs? yes
Notes: Bring lunch and a walking pole if you like them.  If the weather is poor, we will hike to an alternative destination.

 

Advertisement

Hiking – Morte Lake Loop – 23 March 2016

Posted on by
Reply

 POSTPONED

Activity Hiking
Destination Morte Lake Loop
Date 23 Mar 2016, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Julie Mellanby
Contact Info 285-3978.  Please contact the trip coordinator prior to the trip.
Description We will hike the classic loop on maintained trails.  This is a lovely walk through open forest around the lake on bluffs, old logging roads and trails.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay store parking lot, to arrange carpools
Departure Time 09:00
Difficulty
 moderate
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? yes
Notes: Bring lunch and water.

Hiking – DW1 Copper Mine – 2 March 2016

Posted on by
1

Activity Hiking
Destination DW1 Copper Mine
Date 2 Mar 2016, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Les Hand
Contact Info 285-2029;  Please contact the trip coordinator prior to the trip.
Description We will walk up the Deepwater Bay Main road and then follow the old disused DW1 logging road up to an interesting copper mine.  This is a relatively short hike, about 4.2 km.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay store parking lot for car pooling
Departure Time  10:00
Difficulty
  easy
Costs  none
Trip limits  none
Dogs? Okay
Notes:

Hiking – Mt. Seymour – 9 March 2016

Posted on by
Reply

Re-Scheduled

Activity Hiking
Destination Mt. Seymour
Date 13 April 9 Mar 2016, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Julie Mellanby
Contact Info 285-3978.  Please contact the trip coordinator prior to the trip.
Description We will hike up the old logging road and then follow the trail over rocky bluffs with great views of the Nugedzi Lakes and Discovery Passage.  From the summit there are views of Vancouver Island and mainland mountains.  Four to five hours, about 8 km and 425m elevation gain.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay store parking lot, to arrange carpools
Departure Time 09:00
Difficulty
 moderate
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? yes
Notes: Bring lunch and water.  If you use a walking stick, bring it. If the weather is poor, we will do an alternative hike.

Trip Report – Karst Formations – 24 Feb 2016

Posted on by
Reply

There were 12 for this walk to visit three sites of Quadra’s distinctive karst formations. It’s hard to believe that with all the rain this Winter there wasn’t quite enough water in the streams for ideal viewing, but the sinkholes, insurgents and resurgent creeks were impressive nonetheless.

Karst landscape is largely shaped by dissolving action of water on carbonate bedrock (usually limestone, dolomite, or marble). This geological process, occurring over many thousands of years, results in unusual surface and subsurface features ranging from sinkholes, vertical shafts, disappearing streams, and springs, to complex underground drainage systems and caves.

A narrow band of Quatsino Limestone on Quadra Island extends north from Open Bay and terminates near Luoma Creek. The most significant area north of Canyon Creek contains the largest number of caves and karst features. Although the cave sizes are very small, the impressive size of some of the karst features makes this an interesting area for recreational exploration and interpretation.

The Quadra Island Trails Committee has applied to Recreation Sites & Trails BC for two Forest Interpretative Sites to help protect some of the finest surface karst features on Quadra Island.

Richard Leicester

 

(click on photos to view larger)

Naturalist – Karst Formations – 24 February 2016

DSCN2558

Trip Report – Deepwater Bay – 17 Feb 2016

Posted on by
Reply

In spite of a rainy morning, six intrepid hikers set forth for Deepwater Bay. The route goes west from the Granite Bay Road, through a low section north of Mount Seymour. Given the brooding sky, we elected to attempt the drive up the logging road for the first part of the hike. This will not be possible for too much longer due to erosion and encroaching growth along the road. We stopped to view the remains of the old rail trestle which was once part of a logging railway from the north end of the island. There is quite a lot of evidence of the section bridging the canyon by the side of the road. Where the railbed ran before and after that is left to speculation.

After about 2.5 km we parked the cars and walked the last half of the road down to the shore. Beyond the logging, it’s a beautiful, steep valley with lots of water in the creeks. There are a number of buildings strewn around the shore site, in varying states of decay – remains of a fish hatchery that has been closed for over 20 years now. Previous to that, the site was a log dump. Sometimes the bay is busy with boats waiting for slack tide to go through Seymour Narrows, but there was not much action on the water other than a couple of seiners huddled against the shore. Once the herring start to run, sea lions are sometimes spotted here, and I have watched a huge school of dolphin cavorting off the point. But all was quiet today and it was a soggy, grey view across the water.

After a hurried lunch in the rain we trudged back up the hill to the vehicles, electing to save exploration of some of the tracks that ran off from the main logging road for a drier day. After less than three hours, we were back on the Granite Bay Road heading for dry clothes and a warm beverage. 4.4 km.

Kathryn

(click on photos to view larger)

Hiking – Deepwater Bay – 17 February 2016

Trip Report – Maud Island – 13 Feb 2016

Posted on by
Reply

Even thought there was a forecast for rain, four hikers decided to give it a go. The first half an hour was indeed wet but the trees protected us quite a bit. Moss among the trees is especially green now.  The rain let up as we scrambled up over Mt. Lolo being careful of the slippery rocks.

When we crossed the causeway to Maude Island the wind was really howling. We were lucky though and the lunch spot over the narrows was in the lee of the island. While we ate lunch the ebb tide rapids put on a great show at 12 knots. At that speed the ocean was more like a white water river.  There were five sea lions playing and feeding at the edge of the heavy current as well as many whirlpools.

On the way back rain started again, but all and all it was a great hike of about 10.5 km; 3.75 hours.

Les

(click on photos to view larger)

Hike – Maud Island – 13 Feb 2016

Trip Report – Hope Spring-Thompson Loop – 10 Feb 2016

Posted on by
Reply

This was supposed to be a trip to Mt. Washington, but the conditions again were uncooperative. When they closed the nordic trails at Paradise Meadow because of high water table, we knew that It had been really warm up on the hill for days. So five of us went for a hike from the Hope Spring trailhead, down to the Gowlland Trail and on to Thompson Trail. We admired the old growth Three Sisters and encountered early season newts. The trail was pleasingly dry for winter conditions and the forecast wind and rain didn’t happen until later.

Debbie

(click on photos to view larger)

Hiking – Cortes Island – 18-20 Apr 2016

Posted on by
Reply

Activity Hiking
Destination Cortes Island, Linnaea Farm
Date 18-20 Apr, Monday-Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Margot Wood
Contact Info 250-285-2393.  Please contact the coordinator by April 1st.
Description Planning three days of hiking on Cortes Island, staying at Linnaea Farm House. This is an eight bedroom rustic farmhouse, on the edge of Gunflint Lake at the gateway to many of the hiking trails on Cortes. This is still an active farm & was once the residence of the farmers who ran Lakeview Dairy, the last raw milk in B.C.
I have ordered beautiful weather, allowing us to hike many of  the trails, Green Mountain, Easter Bluff, Kw’as Park, Hanks Beech Forest Park, Sisken Forest Park, Carrington Trails etc. Or you can sign-up for farm chores. If you wish to bring your kayak, we can paddle the lake & beyond.
A schedule of trails will be developed & presented daily with your input. I would also like to take you to the ‘Free Store’….pretty neat.
Pot-luck dinners will be organized, using the kitchen at the farmhouse.
You may chose to stay one/two nights……..let me know.
Please check:  www.linnaeafarm.org
Meeting Place Cortes ferry terminal
Departure Time 9:05 ferry to Cortes
Difficulty easy to moderate
Costs $50 per night with bed linens/ $30 per night with own sleeping bag. Ferry round trip.
Trip limits When the bedrooms are full.
Dogs? No. Not allowed at the farm.
Notes: Car pooling will be organized.
Bring food for breakfast, & lunch and pot-luck dinners.
Hope you can make this trip before we get out into the garden.

Trip Report – B&B Trail Loop – 3 Feb 2016

Posted on by
Reply

Despite the gloomy forecast for a blustery rainy day, five hikers set out on the Thompson Trail from the Thompson Road trailhead, then branched off to the first marked viewpoint. Although the Coast Mountains were hidden due to the weather, there was still a good view to the east over the islands. From the viewpoint, we followed the open mossy ridge downhill to a forested trail which connected to the B&B Trail. This trail was named for two now defunct Bed and Breakfast establishments in the vicinity of Harper Graham’s corner on Hyacinthe Bay Road, where the trail begins. We turned left (south) on the B&B Trail to an unmarked junction where we branched off on a side trail to the right (north), which led us uphill to a bluff above Hyacinthe Bay Road. We climbed west to the top of the ridge (153 meters altitude which is slightly higher than the Hopespring viewpoints) over mossy open bluffs.   At the top we had a panoramic ocean view to the east and southeast, and forests to the west and south, well worth the effort. We returned on the side trail to the B&B unmarked junction and turned right to carry on uphill (south).   For a good part of its length, the B&B Trail overlooks a rushing stream set in a deep gully. At the Thompson Trail junction we turned left (east) and hiked back to Thompson Road. Total hiking time was approximately 2.5 hours, including time for photos and taking in the views. Hiking level moderately difficult over bluff sections.

Janis

(click on photos to view larger)

Hiking – B&B Trail – 3 Feb 2016