Category Archives: day-trip

Hiking – Mt. Seymour – 19 July 2017

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Activity Hiking
Destination Mt. Seymour on north end of Quadra
Date 19 July, 2017, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Mark Zimmerman / Kathryn Manry
Contact Info 285-22103.  Please contact the coordinator prior to the trip.
Description Hike up to the summit of Mt Seymour. We will do this as a loop (to include Nugedzi Lakes) if car pooling permits. This is a moderately demanding hike with an elevation gain of about 425 metres and about 12 km for the loop route. The trail is steep in places but there is no scrambling.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Store parking lot
Departure Time 9:00 am
Difficulty
 Moderately difficult
Costs none other than possibly offering to share gas expense for car pooling
Trip limits 12
Dogs? Very well behaved or on leash (bring a leash)
Notes: Bring lunch and lots of water.

Hiking – Morte Lake Loop – 12 July 2017

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Activity Hiking
Destination Morte Lake Loop
Date 12 July, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Julie Mellanby
Contact Info 285-3978; please contact the coordinator in advance of the trip
Description We will hike the official Morte Lake loop, with opportunities for a picnic lunch and swimming.  4 to 5 hours.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Store for car pooling
Departure Time 9:30
Difficulty
 Moderate.
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? okay
Notes: Bring lunch and something to swim in, if you want to.

 

Hiking – Maud Island- 24 June 2017

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Activity Hiking
Destination Maud Island
Date 24 June 2017, Saturday
Trip Coordinator Norris Weimer
Contact Info norris.weimer@ualberta.ca or 3710.  Please contact the coordinator prior to the trip.
Description Hike to Maud Island to view Seymour Narrows at a 15.9 knot flood tide at 15:17.  This will be an unusually big current.  The hike is always interesting with the varied forest and terrain, Mt. Lolo, the causeway to Maud Island, the salt water lagoon and the history of the Ripple Rock explosion.  Allow 5 hours, including driving, for this walk of approximately 10km.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Store for car pooling
Departure Time 12:30
Difficulty
 Moderate
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? No
Notes: Bring a snack and poles if you use them.

Trip Report – Shellalligan Trail – 14 June 2017

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The scheduled Beech’s Mountain loop was postponed due to a weather forecast of showers. Instead the group of eight hikers and two dogs hiked the Shellalligan trail. As it turned out, the weather was fine – cloudy and a bit breezy in exposed places, but no rain. We walked along the open rock shelves adjacent to Hoskyn Channel, with good views eastward to Read Island and Dunsterville Island. Further along, we had long views south to Marina Island, Mitlenatch Island and beyond. As the trail turned west and inland a bit we entered Village Bay. Sitka spruce made an appearance along the trail, and numerous very large and gorgeous maple trees greeted the group.   We dropped down to a rocky beach on Village Bay for lunch. The second half of the loop took us through varied forest of different species and age classes, very lush and green at this time of year. Trip time was three hours; 4.7 km. We convened at the home of Valerie and Allard Van Veen in Open Bay for tea and cake, with great views of Open Bay and good conversation. Thank you Valerie!

Janis

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Hiking – Darkwater Lake & Kanish Bay – 28 June 2017

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 Rescheduled from June 28

Activity Hiking
Destination Darkwater Lake and Kanish Bay
Date 1 Aug 2017, Tuesday
Trip Coordinator Norris Weimer
Contact Info norris.weimer@ualberta.ca or 3710; please contact the coordinator in advance of the trip.
Description A short hike to Darkwater Lake on a flagged trail, about 1 km round-trip. There might be swimming potential. Darkwater Lake is a bit south of Kanish Bay. We will also do a short walk to Kanish Bay on an old logging road, about 2 km roundtrip. There is also the possibility of walking an old logging road on Bodega Point if the group is interested.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay store for car pooling
Departure Time 9:30 10:00
Difficulty
 easy
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? okay
Notes: This trip will be dependent on logging activity in the area. There is quite a bit of driving on active and old logging roads to reach the two areas.

 

Kayaking – Granite/Kanish Bays – 30 August 2017

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Activity Kayaking
Destination Granite and Kanish Bays
Date 30 August 2017, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Darcy Mitchell
Contact Info mitchelldarcy51@gmail.com
Description Depending on weather conditions, paddle from Granite Bay to Chained Islets, north to Kanish Bay entrance, across to Orchard Bay for lunch and back to Granite Bay. If it’s windy, we’ll likely paddle up to Small Inlet, hike across to Waiatt Bay and back with a stop at Orchard Bay.
Meeting Place Boat launch, Granite Bay
Departure Time 10:00 (come early to unload and prepare)
Difficulty
 easy/moderate
Costs parking and launch fee at Granite Bay Boat launch (about $5.00)
Trip limits none
Dogs? no
Notes: We’ll plan to be back at the boat launch by 4:30 p.m. Bring a lunch and snacks.
Bring all necessary gear to meet the Coast Guard requirements and to ensure safety.

Trip Report – Memekay Caves – 31 May 2017

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Seven of us had a great trip to the Memekay Caves. We visited two caves: Chicken II and Scallop Falls. Bill, our guide from Vancouver Island Cave Exploration Group, was full of stories and information. He made us feel at ease as we made our way through the long narrow passages. There were some challenges in the second cave as we climbed, bridged and wriggle through the narrow tunnel with water running through it. We marvelled at the rock formations and Scallop Falls. After lunch we took a short walk along the East Memekay River.

Cyndy

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Thanks to Norris, Bill & Cyndy, Mitch and Sameen for contributing their photos

Natural History – Caving near Sayward – 31 May 2017

Trip Report – Hopespring – Homewood Loop – 24 May 2017

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Ten hikers and three dogs enjoyed a three and a half hour hike on a loop of trails and routes in the Heriot Ridge area. The weather was sunny and cool with a brisk northwest wind blowing. Starting at the Hopespring trailhead, we walked up to the height of land, then headed south along Heriot Ridge. Our first stop was the location of the new North Island communication tower. From there we dropped off the south end of the ridge and proceeded south through the woods to High Bluff where we had great views south and west.   We hiked west on the High Bluff trail, then south on Gowlland Harbour trail to Homewood Bluff where we stopped for lunch and enjoyed more views west to the Vancouver Island Mountains.   Dropping off the east side of Homewood Bluff, we picked up the High Bluff trail back to High Bluff, then north across Heriot Ridge to Hopespring trail and back to the vehicles. The wildflowers on the open bluffs of Heriot Ridge were a bonus.  5.9 km.

Janis

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Hiking – Hopespring – Homewood Loop – 24 May 2017

Trip Report – Ripple Rock – 10 May 2017

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We met on the 9:00 ferry and drove 16 km north from Campbell River to the start of the Ripple Rock Trail. Seven of us set out – but eight came back, because we met a lone hiker on the way out who joined us for the return trip. We had six club members and one guest from Ontario. The weather cooperated and we were soon peeling off layers as the day warmed up.

The trail was muddy in spots because of all the recent rain, but the path is easy to follow. There were some steep sections but nothing challenging. We crossed several metal bridges and after the final 47-step staircase, we reached the top. We ate our lunch overlooking Seymour Narrows, and the site of the former Ripple Rock. It was interesting to see the endpoint of Quadra’s Maud Island hike from this viewpoint.

We passed several groups of hikers and dogs along the way – when we arrived there was only 1 other car in the parking lot. By the time we left, there were 11 vehicles.   The 9.6 km hike took 4 hours, with short stops at each viewpoint along the way and a generous stop for lunch.

Diana

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Hiking – Ripple Rock – 10 May 2017

Trip Report – Gowlland Harbour – 4 May 2017

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A magnificent day, the mist was floating through the harbour in the morning and before mid-day the sun broke through. Six kayakers took this trip, we began at Gowlland Harbour Resort Boat launch. Kayaked around Fawn Island, the islands had wonderful displays of yellow, pink and blue wildflowers, extra succulent this year because of all the moisture. Kayaked around Stag Island, seals sunning themselves, counted a number of eagles plus the geese showing off their babies. Enjoyed lunch on May Island, here the eagles gave us a display. Kayaked over the boat wreck and then over to the shores of Quadra. The rockface with cascading water and wildflowers was amazing. We were filled up with beauty. Returned to the boat launch at 3.p.m. We all enjoyed this magical spring display.  9.1km; 3½ hours.

Margot

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Kayaking – Gowlland Harbour – 4 May 2017