Category Archives: day-trip

Kayaking – Open Bay to Village Bay – 10 July 2023

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Activity Kayaking
Destination Open Bay to Village Bay
Date 10 July, Monday
Trip Coordinator Valerie Van Veen
Contact Info 250 285 2329 vvv@qisland.ca 778 242 5774
Description July 10 is the perfect day to launch from the Open Bay area with a higher tide throughout the day. This will be a gentle paddle to explore the Bretons, go through Moulds Bay and the Pass with the high tide allowing us passage, then on to Village Bay. We can go further afield if the group wishes, to Bold Island and possibly over to Dunsterville and surrounding islets. We have seen Humpbacks out in the Channel so we may be lucky on this trip.
Meeting Place Launch will be from the low gravel beach at a member’s home close to Valdes Beach.  Meeting point address and instructions will be given to Club members when they sign up for this trip.
Departure Time Meet at 9:30 am, on water by 10:00
Difficulty
 Moderate
Costs None
Trip limits None
Dogs
Notes: Must have ocean kayaks with all Transport Canada required safety equipment. Trip is weather and wind dependent. Only signed-up participants will be contacted of any changes in plans. MUST sign up by Saturday evening, July 8. Bring lunch, water.

Trip Report – Caves near Sayward – 28 June 2023

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Five of us visited two caves in the Memekay area with the help of Bill West-Sells. Our caving trips had been interrupted by COVID and it was good to get back. We started with Chicken II, which is a large cave that used to have a river running through it. We drove further south and stopped for lunch in the shade, followed by a walk up along a series of caves so that Bill could try to reconnect a water pipe after the winter. From there we walked to the entrance of the Scallop Falls cave which is very beautiful and more challenging. This is like walking up a subterranean creek in a narrow slot canyon of marble and limestone. There were some tricky moves to try to stay out of the water and climb up the ascending creek. At the end, there were a few options to slither through narrow passages to emerge above ground, upstream from the cave entrance. All the options were narrow and muddy, but some more so than others. It was fascinating and rewarding and everyone had a good time. We’re so very grateful for Bill’s help and generosity in taking us to these amazing nearby places.

Debbie and Cyndy

Thanks to Norris, Cyndy and Bill for their photos

(click on photos to view larger)

Caving – Sayward Area – 28 June 2023

Naturalist Outing – Francisco Point at Low Tide – 17 July 2023

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Activity Intertidal exploration
Destination Francisco Point at low tide
Date 17 July 2023, Monday
Trip Coordinator Debbie Quigg with Deb Cowper
Contact Info dmquigg@gmail.com or 3710.  Please contact the coordinator by Saturday night
Description Deb Cowper, an environmental educator, has graciously offered to accompany us on a low tide walk to identify those creatures we couldn’t figure out in May and perhaps some others.  This will be a walk on cobbled rock, so wear footwear that can get wet and has good traction. No flip-flops, please.  Be prepared for heat and have already had your lunch.  We will explore until about 13:30.
Meeting Place Francisco Point
Departure Time 11:45 to 12:00.  Deb will be coming on the 11:15 ferry
Difficulty There will be little distance covered, but attention needs to be paid to footing.
Costs None
Trip limits 12
Dogs? No
Notes
 Directions to Francisco Point: take Cape Mudge Rd south until it becomes Sutil Rd.  When the road curves to the north, take the right-hand turn onto Petroglyph Rd.  Parking is somewhat limited and car-pooling would be good.

Trip Report – Deepwater and Plumper Bays – 19 June 2023

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Six of us hiked to Deepwater Bay on a warm, somewhat overcast day.  We started out as if going to Maud Island, but turned right at the T-junction instead of left.  From here to Plumper Bay follows an old logging road, not an official trail.  Nevertheless, it has been cleared of the deadfall, so it is an easy,  pleasant walk.  From the Plumper Bay junction we followed another old logging road for a short distance, also easy walking.  Then we plunged into the no-trail part of the day.  There are several flagged routes.  The one we followed was fine until it ended.  Then we pushed through the brush the short remaining distance to the beach.  It was a very low tide and we walked along the shore to a noticeable row of large rocks, where we stopped for relaxing lunch.  We then continued along the shore to a point where you can see into the next bay.  There are some fine cedar and Stika spruce at the edge of the forest. The walk was very interesting for the wide variety of rocks along the shore.  Things the glaciers dragged in from who-knows-where?   On the return, we tried another flagged route back.  This one was much better, although there was a short boggy section at the start.  We stopped at Plumper Bay on the way back to check it out.   (9.4 km; 4½ hours.)

Norris

Click on photos to enlarge
 

Hiking – Deepwater and Plumber Bays – 19 June 2023

Hiking – Noel’s Pizza Peak – 3 July 2023

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Activity Hiking
Destination Noel’s Pizza Peak
Date 3 July 2023, Monday
Trip Coordinator Les Hand
Contact Info 285-2029 or lhquadra@gmail.com
Description Noel’s Pizza peak is the informal name for the west ridge of Beech’s Mt. It is a flagged route, not an official trail. There may be some blow down and bushwhacking as it is not maintained. This is a view hike, so will be postponed if raining. About 4 hours.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Store for car pooling
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Moderate
Costs No
Trip limits 10
Dogs? No
Notes: If you use hiking poles bring them. I would also recommend good hiking boots.
Be sure and sign up a couple of days early so that I may contact you if there is a change in plans.

Trip Report – Heron Pt. and Mt. Sweat – 14 June 2023

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Four of us enjoyed this great, short loop with wonderful views and lots of variety in terrain.  It’s very quick up to Heron Point, with views from Chinese Mtn to Hyacinthe Bay.  The weather was windy and “soft”.  The sky was clear, but there was haze, perhaps from smoke.  We continued on a gentle cairned trail to an old logging road and off on another marked trail which climbs and undulates through forest and mossy bluffs up to an intermediate viewpoint and then Mt. Sweat.  We stopped for a very relaxing lunch at this viewpoint which covers more than 180°.  From there we followed a recently flagged route down the north side back to Kolker Main and the short walk to the vehicles.  Thanks to Heather Kellerhals for letting the Outdoor Club use the Chauntaluf farm trails to make this loop.  3.8 km, 2½ hours.

Debbie
 

(click on photos to enlarge)

Hiking – Heron Point and Mt. Sweat – 14 June 2023

Caving – Sayward Area – 28 June 2023

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Activity Caving
Destination Sayward area caves
Date 28 June 2023, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Cyndy Chidley
Contact Info Cyndy Chidley: 250-285-3575.  Please let the coordinator know as soon as possible if you are interested.
Description We will meet Bill north of Campbell River around 10:00 and drive to the cave area from there.  We will try to car pool.  Challenges may include bridging, climbing, stretching, wriggling, not to mention small, dark, wet places.  Make sure you read the notes below on what to bring.
Meeting Place Q Cove ferry terminal
Departure Time 9:00 ferry to Campbell River.
Difficulty Moderate
Costs Ferry and shared gas
Trip limits 10
Dogs? No
Notes:
Bring;
Wear rubber boots, neoprene socks or booties, or wool socks with runners that you don’t mind getting wet.   The water will be cold.
Gloves and coveralls for protection of hands, arms and legs.
A helmet that you are able to fit with head light, and a head light, if you have one.
Lunch and water.
A towel and change of shoes if you get wet.
Walkie-talkie or family radio (FSR), with charged batteries.

Hiking – Newton Lake-Small Inlet-Waiatt Bay – 26 July 2023

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Activity Hiking with swimming
Destination Newton Lake, Small Inlet and Waiatt Bay
Date 26 July 2023, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Vic Gladish
Contact Info vicgladish@gmail.com; 250-285-2111; text 250-287-0459
Description We will hike up to Newton Lake, down to the portage between Small Inlet and Waiatt Bay and back to the Newton Lake parking lot. Distance about 15 kilometres – will take approximately 6-7 hours (including lunch and short swim stops at Newton Lake)
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Tru Value
Departure Time 9:00
Difficulty
 Moderate for distance and steep grades
Costs Share fuel costs
Trip limits 10
Dogs? No
Notes: Bring plenty of water, lunch and snacks, and swimming stuff if you want to swim.

Hiking – Plumper and Deepwater Bays – 19 June 2023

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Activity Hiking
Destination Plumper and Deepwater Bays
Date 19 June, Monday
Trip Coordinator Norris Weimer
Contact Info norris.weimer@ualberta.ca or 3710.  Please contact the coordinator in advance.
Description A relatively flat and easy hike on old logging roads. The first part is the same as for going to Maud Island, then instead of turning left, we turn right. The trail is quite gradual down to the water. There has been some recent trail work.  Plumper Bay has a nice grassy, sunny meadow on the waterfront and Deepwater has a  gravel shore with a view north up Discovery Passage. Both have recently had a beach clean-up.  About 8 km roundtrip.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Tru Value parking lot; we will convoy in our cars from there.
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty Easy, but roughly maintained
Costs none
Trip limits 10
Dogs?
Notes: Bring lunch.

Trip Report – Santana Mine – 29 May 2023

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Nine of us, including two guests, drove out to Bold Point, the start of the old Santana Mine Road.  Gabe and Karen generously offered for us to park on and cross their property to the trailhead.  The old road needed a bit of brush cutting and sawing, but we were very grateful to Alex and Ellen for their flagging and chainsawing.  We did a bit more work on it and it’s not too bad now.  After climbing the final rise below the mine, we had a snack at the viewpoint toward Vancouver Island and admired the Western tanager singing loudly in the tree in front of us.  We continued up the tailing slope and explored the mine with it’s colourful entrance, old rail tracks, and a few crickets.  There were no spiders this time.  
 

After we returned to the cars, doing a bit more trail work along the way, we drove to the old Bold Point trestle, where the Union Steamship used to dock.  The planking is seriously deteriorating, but it’s a beautiful vista onto Hoskyn Channel.

Thanks for all the community support for our hike out to the mine.  The mine trail was 3.3 km; 2¼ hours.

Norris
 

(click on photos to enlarge)

Hiking – Santana Mine – 29 May 2023