| Activity | Hiking and social |
| Destination | Blenkin Park |
| Date | 18 Dec 2024, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Debbie Quigg |
| Contact Info | dmquigg@gmail.com or 3710. Please RSVP by Monday night. |
| Description | Starting at the Community Centre, we will hike a complex loop through the Blenkin Park trails. The walking is easy but likely wet and muddy with some great variety in this forest. About 6 km and 2 hours. After that we will have some lunch and share some seasonal cheer in room 3 at the Community Hall. |
| Meeting Place | Community Centre parking lot |
| Departure Time | 10:00 |
| Difficulty |
Easy |
| Costs | None |
| Trip limits | None |
| Dogs? | Okay, but must not run through the group. |
| Notes: | You are encouraged to bring and share any Christmas goodies you have. But it doesn’t all have to be sweets. If the weather is really bad, we may shorten the walk by starting later. |
Category Archives: day-trip
Hiking – Big Tree Woodlot – 9 Dec 2024
| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Big Tree Woodlot |
| Date | 9 Dec 2024, Monday |
| Trip Coordinator | Debbie Quigg |
| Contact Info | dmquigg@gmail.com or 3710. Please contact the coordinator by Saturday night. |
| Description | We will start at the sign at Benner’s woodlot. We will meander along his logging roads to Open Bay Main and then do a loop back to Village Bay Road. The last part of the loop is on the Bold Point Rd. Roughly 7 km. |
| Meeting Place | Community Centre parking lot |
| Departure Time | 10:00 |
| Difficulty |
Easy |
| Costs | none |
| Trip limits | 10 |
| Dogs? | Okay, but must not run through the group |
| Notes: | Bring a snack and gear for the weather |
Hiking – Snowden Demonstration Forest – 4 Dec 2024
| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Snowden Demonstration Forest, Campbell River |
| Date | 4 Dec 2024, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Norris Weimer |
| Contact Info | 250-285-3710, norris.weimer@ualberta.ca Please contact the coordinator by Monday night |
| Description | We will hike a few trails in this labyrinth of mountain bike trails. Beginning at the Lost Lake parking area, we will follow Mudhoney Pass, Lost Lake trail, around Riley Lake and back to Lost Lake parking. |
| Meeting Place | Q Cove Ferry terminal |
| Departure Time | 9:30 ferry |
| Difficulty |
Mostly easy (but I don’t know this area well). |
| Costs | Ferry costs |
| Trip limits | 10 |
| Dogs? | Okay, if on leash and not passing through the group |
| Notes: | Bring lunch. Due to BC Hydro construction, the drive to the Lost Lake parking is a bit out of the way, using Duncan Bay Main. |
Trip Report – Beaver Lake and Open Bay Creek – 14 Nov 2024
Ten hikers started out on the Crikey Creek Trail on a chilly but sunny morning. It was nice to get a day without rain for a change. We came out at the Open Bay Main logging road and proceeded down Open Bay Creek. We followed the trail along the creek and were delighted to see chum salmon still spawning in the creek. It has been a record year for returning salmon. Farther down the trail we ran into three large trees that had blown down and were a bit of a challenge to scramble over. We continued on through the mossy forest and turned up the hill to follow the creek to Beaver Lake. Because of the heavy rainfall the Creek was high with many small waterfalls. We had lunch on the rock bluff at the end of Beaver Lake. The creek was a bit of a challenge to get across, but the group managed and continued up the trail beside the lake. As we continued to climb up to Village Bay Lake Road we were treated to rock bluffs with very heavy deep green moss and many different varieties of mushrooms to look at. From there we proceeded back to the vehicles via the Nugedzi parking lot and logging road. (7.4 km and 3 1/2 hours)
(click on photos to enlarge)
- Chum spawning
- Open Bay Creek
- Creek from Beaver Lake
- Bluff over Beaver Lake
- Improvised creek crossing
- The usual crossing
Hiking – Carrington Bay and Forest – 27 Nov 2024
| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Carrington Bay and Forest, Cortes Island |
| Date | 27 Nov, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Allan Liimatta |
| Contact Info | allanliimatta@gmail.com or 250-416-9338 |
| Description | Easy walk through mature forest with lagoon that drains by small water falls into ocean. |
| Meeting Place | Heriot Bay ferry terminal |
| Departure Time | 9:05 Cortes ferry at Heriot Bay, so be in the line-up shortly after 8:00 |
| Difficulty |
Easy to moderate. |
| Costs | Ferry travel costs; bring your experience card and ID |
| Trip limits | None |
| Dogs? | Yes, but must be on leash due to wolves in the area. |
| Notes: | Bring a lunch and rain gear. |
Exploring – Two Mines and Some Karst – 4 Dec 2024
We won’t be doing this outing. The forest has overwhelmed the sites. Expect an update.
| Activity | Exploring |
| Destination | Two Mines and Some Karst Formations |
| Date | 4 December 2024, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Debbie Quigg |
| Contact Info | 3710 or dmquigg@gmail.com; please RSVP by Monday night |
| Description | We will visit an old mine off of Open Bay Main, a limestone cave and grikes in the limestone. We will also stop at the Lucky Jim mine before continuing on to some sinkhole formations. |
| Meeting Place | Community Centre parking to carpool or by arrangement |
| Departure Time | 9:30 am |
| Difficulty |
Easy. This will more a visit to multiple sites than a lot of exercise, however the trails will not be maintained |
| Costs | None |
| Trip limits | 10 |
| Dogs? | No |
| Notes: | Be prepared for wet. Bring a good flashlight if you have one. |
Hiking – Nighthawk Lake – 20 Nov 2024
Postponed due to weather!
| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Nighthawk Lake and bluffs to the west |
| Date | 20 Nov 2024 |
| Trip Coordinator | Valerie van Veen |
| Contact Info | vvv@qisland.ca, 250 285 2329, 778 242 5774 |
| Description | We will start at the Mud Lake parking area and follow Yellow Mud trail to the south end of Nighthawk Lake, route back via Rob’s Ride and Plaything to Yellow Mud to return back to the Mud Lake parking lot. |
| Meeting Place | Community Centre at 10:00 or Mud Lake parking lot at 10:10 |
| Departure Time | 10:00 |
| Difficulty |
Moderate, one steep downhill |
| Costs | None |
| Trip limits | 10 |
| Dogs? | Must be under control and stay with owner at front of group |
| Notes: | Bring lunch, snack, dress for the weather. Be sure to sign up as the final choice of location for this hike will be entirely weather dependent … weather alternatives will be in the south end. |
Trip Report – Baikie Estuary – 6 Nov 2024
After heavy rains and wind on Quadra earlier in the week, complete with power outages, nine of us met a tenth walker at Spruce and 19th to start our walk. Our first block was along an interesting row of river front houses and then a view of a few of Alex Witcombe’s driftwood sculptures near an informative plaque about local wildlife at the river edge.
Then it was up and over the bridge to the Raven trail that follows the estuary and across a number of wooden bridges. Spawning Chum could be seen at many vantage points and as we strolled out to the mill pond, we got a glimpse of many water fowl.
We came upon a recently reconstructed section near the information board and were greeted by a very informative worker who was in the process of hand bombing thousands of trees to bring the island back to where it was before industry. The Greenway Land Trust and Wei Wa Kum have put years, months and many hours into reclaiming this once very industrial area and their efforts are really starting to show.
This short 5K walk only minutes from Campbellton offers everyone a great way to enjoy our surroundings with very little effort as the trails are wide and very accessible. We ended with a fine meal at More Eatery and we headed home without any rain. (4.7 km; 1½ hours for the walk)
Neil U
Thanks to Neil and Norris for the photos
(click on photos to enlarge)
- Alex Witcombe’s art
- Chum salmon spawning
- Learning about the restoration
- Rose hips
- The plants and the planters
- Lunch at More Eatery
Hiking – Beaver Lake to Open Bay Creek – 14 Nov 2024
| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Beaver Lake to Open Bay Creek |
| Date | 14 Nov 2024, Thursday |
| Trip Coordinator | Les Hand |
| Contact Info | lhquadra@gmail.com 285-2029 |
| Description | We will leave from Hyacinth Bay Road and follow a flagged trail down to Beaver Lake. From there we will continue on to Open Bay Creek and follow it back to Village Bay Road. |
| Meeting Place | Community Centre parking lot |
| Departure Time | 10:00 |
| Difficulty |
Moderate |
| Costs | none |
| Trip limits | 10 |
| Dogs? | O.K. but must not run back and forth |
| Notes | Bring a lunch or snack and dress for the weather. |
Hike – Baikie Estuary – 6 Nov 2024
| Activity | Hike and Lunch |
| Destination | Baikie Estuary and River Nook |
| Date | 6 Nov. 2024, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Neil Unwin |
| Contact Info | neilunwin08@gmail.com /604 202 4762 |
| Description | We can meet on the ferry and drive to our starting point. The walk will be about 4.5 km. Call for carpooling arrangements. 604 202 4762 Debriefing to be held at More Eatery for lunch |
| Meeting Place | QCove ferry terminal |
| Departure Time | 10:00 ferry |
| Difficulty |
Easy |
| Costs | Ferry and lunch at More Eatery |
| Trip limits | 10 |
| Dogs? | Okay |
| Notes: |



























