Category Archives: Cortes Island

Hiking – Kw’as Regional Park, Cortes – 4 Nov 2020

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Activity Hiking
Destination Kw’as Regional Park, Cortes
Date 4 Nov 2020, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Debbie Quigg
Contact Info 285-3710 or debbie.quigg@ualberta.ca.  Please contact the coordinator by Monday.
Description We will hike through this lovely park, situated between Gunflint and Hague Lakes on Cortes Island.  Along with great views, there is fine old growth, interesting geology and history, and a good variety of trails.  We hope to include a bit of everything in the day’s hike.  We will return on the 1:50 or 3:50 ferry.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay ferry terminal to Cortes.  Drivers will need to be early enough to be on the ferry.
Departure Time 9:05 ferry
Difficulty
 A few steep places, but mostly reasonable walking on good trails.
Costs Ferry costs;  If you wish to car pool, please make those arrangements privately and in advance, as the Club does not facilitate carpooling during the pandemic.
Trip limits Eight
Dogs?
Notes: Bring lunch and gear for weather. COVID protocol in effect.

Multi-day Kayaking – Sutil Channel – 10-15 Aug 2020

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Activity Multi-day kayaking
Destination Sutil Channel/Cortes Island/Marina Island
Date 10 to 14 or 15 August 2020; Monday to Friday or Saturday
Trip Coordinator Darcy Mitchell
Contact Info mitchelldarcy51@gmail.com; 250 923 5540
Description Departing from Open Bay toward Carrington Bay on Cortes Island (likely 2 nights) then to Shark Spit, Marina Island (likely 2 nights), with a possible 5th night. Itinerary subject to change depending on participants’ interests and weather conditions. Up to 25 km per day in possibly adverse conditions. Possibilities for hiking as well as day paddles.
Meeting Place End of Valdes Road, Open Bay
Departure Time 9:30 a.m. for 10:00 a.m. launch
Difficulty
 Moderate to challenging
Cost none
Trip limits 6
Dogs? no
Notes: All participants must observe club paddling guidelines including demonstrated ability (through Club safety sessions) to perform assisted, and preferably, self-rescue. If you have not previously paddled with the coordinator on a multi-day trip, please contact her to discussion your experience and equipment.  Pandemic protocols will be observed.

Last date for registration – August 4.

Multi-day Hiking – Cortes Island- 4-8 May 2020

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Activity Multi-day Hiking
Destination Cortes Island, staying at Linnaea Farm
Date 4-8 May 2020, Monday to Friday
Trip Coordinator Janis McLean
Contact Info 250.285.3614; please contact the coordinator well in advance of the trip
Description This is our annual trip to Cortes Island, based at Linnaea Farm in an eight bedroom rustic farmhouse on the edge of Gunflint Lake. We are planning to hike many of the trails: Easter Bluff, K’was Park, Hanks Beech Forest Park, Green Mountain, Whaletown Commons, Manson’s Lagoon, Smelt Bay, Carrington, etc. A schedule of trails will be developed and presented daily. There may be one or more optional hikes in silence, giving us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in nature without the distraction of conversation. Each person is responsible for their breakfasts and lunches; dinner teams will be organized in advance. Please visit: http://www.linnaeafarm.org for information about the farm.
Meeting Place Cortes ferry line-up
Departure Time 9:05 am sailing. Vehicles must be in line-up by 8 a.m. This is a busy trades ferry. Car-pooling will be organized in advance.
Difficulty Easy to Moderate.
Cost $35/person/night. Bring your own sleeping bag and towel. Plus ferry costs and shared fuel. Bring your ferry card (and driver’s licence if you want the senior’s rate).
Trip limits Limit of 10 people, if four people are willing to double up in two of the bedrooms. Lakeview Room is reserved for the coordinator.
Dogs? No. Dogs are not allowed on the farm.
Notes: Payment to Club Treasurer Julie Mellanby by April 15, 2020. Members will need to renew their membership for 2020-21. Please advise of any special dietary needs. Other activities include swimming and canoeing/kayaking (bring your own boats and equipment) on Gunflint and Hague Lakes. As in other years, this trip is popular and will fill up quickly.

Trip Report – Silent Carrington Bay & Grandmother’s Grove – 9 Dec 2019

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Such a lovely three ladies silent hike at Carrington Bay, Cortes Island. We began with a meditation under the ancient maple tree at the entrance to the trail and then we began our silent hike. Stopping and truly seeing the old giants, visualizing the homestead, the care, hardwork and attention given to homesteading. Listening to the waterfall, the woodpeckers drilling away and later hearing the sound of the lagoon. We walked onto Grandmother’s Grove and ate our lunch near the water, lots of ducks on the lagoon. Those ancient trees towering above us, a lovely place to sit and we felt welcomed. Returning eventually to the trail and slowly making our way back. We ended our hike with a beautiful meditation. There is such a powerful eloquence in silence. A wonderful day.

Margot

Thanks to Sandra for the photos

(click on photos to view larger)

Hiking in Silence – Carrington Bay & Grandmother’s Grove – 5 Dec 2019

Trip Report – Carrington Bay & Grandmothers’ Grove – 2 Dec 2019

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We tried, unsuccessfully, to change the date of this hike for better weather, but we ended up with a cold, grey, drizzly day.  Our group of 13 hiked along the old logging road stopping at the Borden homestead .  We continued on to Carrington Bay and the tidal lagoon, and crossed the narrow channel on the bridge as the very high tide was rushing in with a standing wave.  We wandered through the camping area and on to the peninsula with the swim rock.  The lagoon had ice on it and was incredibly silent.  We had a bone chilling lunch break on logs in the forest before we continued on to Grandmothers’ Grove, a beautiful old growth stand of spruce and cedar, in the James Creek drainage.  We followed the trail and logging roads back in a loop and made brisk time up the hill to the vehicles to catch the earlier ferry and stay warm. 8.5 km; 3 hours.

Debbie

(click on photos to view larger)

 

Hiking – Carrington Bay & Grandmothers’ Grove – 2 Dec 2019

Hiking in Silence- Carrington Bay – 5 Dec 2019

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This trip has been postponed to Dec. 9

Activity Hiking in Silence
Destination Carrington Bay, Cortes Island
Date 9 Dec 2019, Monday  5 December 2019, Thursday
Trip Coordinator Margot Wood
Contact Info 250.285.2393.  Please contact the coordinator well in advance of the trip, so that car pools can be arranged.
Description We will meet at the Cortes Ferry Line-up. We will drive to the Carrington Bay Trail entrance. Before beginning the hike we will partake in a short meditation, followed by 1 minute of silence (for those who wish to.) Giving oneself completely to the act of listening, seeing and feeling. Hiking in silence onto Carrington Lagoon. Spending a little time at the lagoon and then onto Grandmothers Grove. Returning on the 3:50pm ferry to Quadra. Please bring your packed lunch and water. This trip is weather dependent. The Forest Trust for the children of Cortes has been formed to purchase these forestlands and hold them in trust for the children of Cortes Island in perpetuity. I always feel honoured by being there. Margot.
Meeting Place Cortes ferry line-up.
Departure Time 9:05 am ferry; Car-pooling will be encouraged. Designated drivers please be in line-up by 8:15a.m – this is a busy trades-person ferry.
Difficulty
 Easy
Costs Ferry travel costs; bring your experience card and ID
Trip limits 8
Dogs? no
Notes: This trip is for all who wish to hike in silence.

Hiking – Carrington Bay – 2 Dec 2019

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Change of date!

Activity Hiking
Destination Carrington Bay, Cortes Island
Date 2 4 December 2019, Monday Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Debbie Quigg
Contact Info 3710 or debbie.quigg@ualberta.ca.  Please contact the coordinator well in advance of the trip, so that car pools can be arranged.
Description After the ferry crossing we will drive to the Carrington trailhead and follow the trails to Carrington Bay and lagoon.  We will have lunch at Carrington Bay and continue on to Grandmother’s Grove following the stream.  We plan to return on the 3:50 pm ferry.
Meeting Place Cortes ferry line-up.
Departure Time 9:05 am ferry; vehicles need to be in the ferry line-up not later than 8:15 am for this  busy sailing.
Difficulty
 Easy to moderate.
Costs Ferry travel costs; bring your experience card and ID
Trip limits 12
Dogs? no
Notes: Bring lunch and gear for weather.

Trip Report – Cortes Island – 6-9 May 2019

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A wonderful four days of sunshine for our Cortes Trip.

Day 1: Nine women came along, leaving Quadra on the 9:05 am ferry, arriving in Whaletown at approximately 9:45 am. We drove on to Linnaea Farm and took our food into the kitchen fridge to stay cold. We then drove to Manson’s Landing and hiked on the trails that the students had created through the forest to Manson’s Lagoon. Stopping to view the beautiful carved totem pole on the beach, then walked on to the lagoon. The timing was perfect because we reached the lagoon at low tide and walked out to the islands. The islands were covered with wild flowers, colours of blues, yellows, pinks and even chocolate lilies. We sat and ate our lunches, watching the geese with their babies. A number of blue starfish in the tidal pools along with sand dollars, a lovely treat, the lagoon was covered in shells. Return hike along the lagoon trail and onto Hague Lake, even two of the ladies swam. Then on to Manson’s to say ‘hello’ to Tom the turkey plus a treat from the Co-op, arriving at the farm by 4 pm, gear brought in and took the time to get settled. Dinner team # 1 prepared a delicious dinner, served at 6 pm. A group then took a walk around the farm, seeing the cows and the planting of produce etc. Nine pm we held meditation and everyone was present. Games were played by a few members, plus group discussions. A lovely end to a glorious day.

Day 2: Soon the kitchen was busy with individuals preparing their lunches and breakfasts. Eight am – meditation, the focus ‘I am my Silence’. This was a day for hiking Kw’as Park in silence, giving each person the opportunity to truly appreciate nature. The trails lead from Linnaea Farm along the sides of Hague and Gunflint lakes, through deep old forest with numerous old growth trees. We climbed up to the higher rocks overlooking Hague lake for lunch, warm sunshine with us, we all managed to find a little shade. In the afternoon we climbed over the high manzanita covered bluffs, a most beautiful avenue of tiny blue flowers helped our descent. Climbing down a newly erected steel ladder to the forest floor. Kw’as Park is a jewel, so much to see, to hear, to feel, we celebrated each step in silence. Arriving back at the farm in good time for dinner preparation by Team # 2. Another delicious dinner, giving us a chance to discuss our day of silence. Meditation at 9 pm again appreciated by all. All ready for a good nights sleep.

Day 3: Again, the busy kitchen with preparation for lunches and breakfasts. Today, the trip was to Blue Jay Farm, this is a 350 acre farm overlooking Carrington Bay and Squirrel Cove on the edge of Blue Jay Lake. A productive busy farm, chickens, cows, goats, ducks, lumber yard and also a huge amount of fresh produce grown, a magnificent farm. We toured the farm and then Tiger the cat came with us for a hike through the forest and around the lake, he took great care of us. We had lunch at the lake and a number of brave ladies swam in the cold waters. Another hike to a high ridge overlooking the farm and Carrington Bay and beyond. Such a wonderful day. We stopped for a short time at Squirrel Cove and then on to Linnaea Farm. Dinner Team 3 prepared the dinner, yet another delicious dinner. After dinner, a group went for a short walk and some played games. Nine pm meditation to end yet another beautiful day.

Day 4: Individuals awoke early to get a start for leaving the farm. We packed our lunches, ate breakfast and then cleaned. Nine-thirty am we set off to hike Easter Bluff, a pretty hot weather hike. Arriving at the top to take in the magnificent views overlooking the south and west end of Cortes and the mountains beyond, looking down on Cortes Bay, also a good view of Quadra. A trek down to Linnaea Farm to get into our vehicles, we then drove to Hanks Beach. This is a short forest walk to a secluded wide sandy beach with intriguing rock formations which we explored. Hanks Beach overlooks Twin Islands. We stopped awhile and ate our lunches before walking back to our vehicles. We then headed for the 3:50 pm ferry, reflecting on our wonderful trip to Cortes Island. The whales gave some a terrific display in the waters off Cortes.

A huge thank you to everyone, our fantastic trail guide, our meditation guide, the dinner teams etc. etc. A wonderful group. Yes, we were Silent on Day 2 for our walk in Kw’as Park. ‘ I am My Silence’.

Margot Wood.

Thanks to Jan, Janis, Kathryn and Cyndy for the photos

(click on photos to view larger)

Multi-day Hiking – Cortes Island – 6-9 May 2019

Trip Report – Carrington Bay, Cortes – 23 Jan 2019

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Eight of us had spectacular weather for our trip to the Children’s Forest on Cortes Island, including Carrington Bay and the Grandmother’s Grove.  We took the 9:05 ferry to Cortes and the views of Sutil Channel, the mainland and Vancouver Island mountains couldn’t have been better.  We were met by Sabina who guided us through the forest and told us so much about the efforts of the community to acquire this forest, so that this incredibly diverse and important habitat can remain intact. Sabina shared her amazing knowledge about so many topics including lichen and moss, wolves, wildlife trees, flying squirrels and owls and so much more.  We continued on to Carrington Bay and the tidal lagoon, and crossed the narrow channel through which the tide was rushing out.  We walked to the swim rock and sat in the sun for a leisurely lunch admiring the mergansers, golden eye ducks and a curious seal.  From there we continued on to Grandmothers Grove, a beautiful old growth stand of spruce and cedar, in the James Creek watershed which also supports cutthroat trout and spawning salmon. The greens of the mosses were vibrant after all the recent rain.  We followed the trail and logging roads back in a loop and made a short variation on the James Creek Trail before returning to the vehicles and the ferry. 10.4 km; 5 hours.

Thanks so much to Margot for organizing this event and to Sabina for sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge with us.

Debbie

(click on photos to view larger)

Here is a short video of the area using mostly drone footage:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-zs5BjQo2U

Hiking – Carrington Bay – 23 Jan 2019

Multi-day Hiking – Cortes Island – 6-9 May 2019

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This trip is full.  Contact the coordinator if you wish to wait-list.

Activity Multi-day hiking, women only
Destination Cortes Island, staying at Linnaea Farm
Date 6-9 May 2019, Monday to Thursday
Trip Coordinator Margot Wood
Contact Info 250.285.2393; please contact the coordinator well in advance of the trip
Description Planning our annual Cortes hiking trip for women, staying at Linnaea Farm. An eight bedroom rustic farmhouse on the edge of Gunflint Lake, at the gateway to many of the hiking trails on Cortes. We are planning to hike many of the trails: Easter Bluff, Kw’as Park, Hanks Beech Forest Park, Sisken Forest Park, Whaletown Commons, Carrington Trails, etc. A schedule of trails will be developed and presented daily by Janis. We will be offering a short guided group meditation morning and evening to those who wish to participate. (7:45 am meditation and 9:00 pm relaxation meditation).  We are also planning one day of Silence as we hike in Kw’as Park, giving us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in nature without the distraction of conversation. Silence would begin after breakfast and conclude at dinner time on this day. Each person is responsible for their breakfast and lunch; dinner teams will be organized by Margot. Please visit: www.linnaeafarm.org

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Meeting Place Cortes ferry line-up. Vehicles must be in line-up by 8 a.m. This is a busy trades ferry.
Departure Time 9:05 am ferry to Cortes
Difficulty Moderate to easy
Dogs No
Trip Limits Limit of 8 ladies, or 9 if two wish to share a room.
Costs $30/person/night if you bring your own sleeping bag and towel. $50/person/night if you use Linnaea bedding, plus ferry costs and shared fuel. Bring your ferry card.
Notes Car-pooling and dinner teams will be organized by Margot. Let me know your diet needs. Please let me know a.s.a.p. as this trip will fill up fast. This is such a lovely happening on beautiful Cortes Island.