Category Archives: easy

Hiking – South Heriot Ridge – 10 June 2015

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Activity Hiking
Destination South Heriot Ridge
Date 10 June 2015, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Debbie Quigg
Contact Info 285-3710 or debbie.quigg@ualberta.ca; please contact the coordinator in advance of the trip
Description We will start on Hope Spring Trail and follow routes on open bluffs and unofficial trails to an overlook with a great view of Georgia Strait.  There are a number of different loops possible to return to the trailhead.  Three to four hours.
Meeting Place Trailhead at the end of Hope Spring Road.
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 easy
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs?
Notes: Bring lunch.  If you use poles, bring them.

 

Kayaking – Village Bay Lakes – 3 June 2015

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 Postponed to Thursday 4 June

 

Activity Kayaking
Destination Village Bay Lakes, Mine, Main and Little Main Lakes
Date 3 4 June 2015, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Sheelagh Elmitt
Contact Info 285-2296.  Please contact the trip coordinator prior to the trip.
Description Come and enjoy Village Bay lakes before the crowds arrive. We will launch at Mine Lake and explore the lakes. Hopefully there will be enough water to go up to Little Main Lake.  Paddling  distances will depend on the wishes of the participants.
Meeting Place Mine Lake launch site
Departure Time Come prepared to leave the launch site at 10 am.
Difficulty
 easy
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? no
Notes: Bring the necessary safety equipment and lunch.

 

Trip Report – Maud Island – 29 April 2015

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The weather forecasts varied wildly, but in the end we had a good day for the hike to Maud Island. The nine of us hiked through the mossy forest and along the old logging road leading to the foot of Mt. Lolo. Even with some cloud, the views were good. We descended the trail down the south bluff, continued through the forest and along the coastal trail to the area north of the causeway where Canoe Pass Tidal Energy Corp. has recently built a dock and rearranged the rocks. The work leading to constructing tidal turbines was not as far advanced as we had expected.

http://www.newenergycorp.ca/Portals/0/documents/case_studies/Canoe%20Pass.pdf

We hiked to the overlook on Maud Island for lunch and were rewarded with sightings of sea lions and a whale (humpback?)  in Seymour Narrows. We returned via the saltwater lagoon. About 4 hours, 10.2 km.

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Hiking Maud Island 29 April 2015

Trip Report – Mt. Sweat – 22 April 2015

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This trip was postponed to the raincheck date, which turned out to be a lovely day. Rolf and Heather welcomed the dozen hikers at their property, and Rolf had lots of information about the history and natural history of the area.   He has the 1890 survey of the property and there are fruit trees from the same period. The group hiked past the Kellerhals’ garden and up through a series of mossy bluffs and intermittent forest to several great 270° viewpoints, extending from the Vancouver Island mountains across the Strait of Georgia (Salish Sea) to the mainland mountains. We had lunch at the Mt. Sweat summit and then descended by the same route until we turned off to the pond/reservoir. Along the way we saw the Sequoia trees in their experimental forest, their garden, beautiful spring deciduous trees, some old growth fir, a hummingbird, sapsucker, tree frog, a newt swimming in the pond, and an unusual worm case. Many thanks to Rolf and Heather for showing us this great area.

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Hiking Mt Sweat 21 April 2015

Kayaking – Gowlland Harbour – 5 May 2015

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 Postponed to Wednesday 6 May due to weather.

Activity Kayaking
Destination Gowlland Harbour
Date 5 6 May 2015, Tuesday Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Margot Wood
Contact Info 285-2393.  Please contact Margot before 4 p.m. on May 4th. I need to inform April Point Marina.
Description We will meet at April Point marina to launch – no cost. Paddle the east side of Gowlland Island, passing by Stag, Doe, Fawn. Hopefully the islands will give us a beautiful display of wildflowers, the blue/pink blush. Creatures we may see: porpoise, seals, eagles, herons etc.  I have booked two tables for lunch on May Island, after viewing the shipwreck off May Island.  We will paddle down the inside of Gowlland Harbour, past Gowlland Harbour Resort, Homewood and onto April Point. A lovely peaceful paddle for approximately 3-4h.
Meeting Place April Point Marina Dock
Departure Time 10:30
Difficulty
 easy
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? no
Notes: Bring your kayak, all necessary safety equipment and lunch.  The trip will be cancelled or postponed if it is windy.

Trip Report – Karst Formations 21 Mar 2015

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Clouds in the early morning gave way to perfect sunny weather for the Karst Hike on Saturday March 21st, 2015. The previous day’s rain provided plenty of water in the streams, creating ideal conditions in which to really appreciate this distinctive topography.

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 most 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 finest surface karst features on Quadra Island.

Richard Leicester.

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Karst Formations – 21 March 2015

Trip Report – Heriot System Loop 11 Mar 2015

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Due to the forecast storm, this was proposed as a last minute substitute for the hike to Maud Island. As it turned out there was only a bit of wind and some drizzle in the last half hour. The six of us hiked along the Hope Spring trail to the Gowlland Harbour trail. We admired the old growth fir trees and then took the side trip to the old growth grove. We continued along the Thompson trail and then returned to the cars via the Heriot Ridge route. We stopped for lunch on an open mossy bluff. These trails are in good condition for the end of winter, with noticeable volunteer maintenance. 2 ¾ hours; 6.1 km.

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Trip Report – Blindman’s Bluff & Eagle Ridge 4 Mar 2015

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It was cool in the morning when the five of us left for Eagle Ridge. It was a great sunny day for a hike though. We were surprised to find that the beaver pond was nearly dry on the way there. The ridge was covered in may shades of beautiful green moss and the views of the island mountains great. We returned on the same route and then hiked Blindman’s Bluff Trail. We saw one deer and the bald eagles entertained us why we ate lunch.

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Blindman’s Bluff & Eagle Ridge – 4 March 2015

Hike Carrington Bay – 15 April 2015

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Activity Hiking
Destination Carrington Bay, Cortes Island
Date 15 April 2015, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Margot Wood
Contact Info 250.285.2393.  You MUST contact Margot by Monday, April 13th, 10 a.m. in order to arrange transportation.
Description This hike will be hosted by the Children’s Forest Board of Directors. We will be met at the Cortes Ferry Parking and driven to the start of the hike.
Our guide is a long time resident of Cortes Island, knows the area well and he is filled with the history and knowledge of this beautiful park.

Carrington Bay Regional Park is one of the most widely used mature forest destinations on the island. The main trail out to the lagoon is an old dirt road bed and the many other trails through the forest are suitable for both hiking and mountain biking. The lagoon entrance is a narrow channel through which the tide flows, mixing salt and fresh water for abundant aquatic life. The forests are also home to a significant amount of wildlife, including several species at risk. The mature forest on the way out to the lagoon also hosts a whole network of hiking and biking trails, with several “you are here” maps along the way that will also help you to locate two historic homesteads. Much of the forest that you will hike through to get to the lagoon is private managed forestland. The Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society has been formed to purchase these forestlands and hold them in trust for the children of Cortes Island in perpetuity. For more information visit http://www.corteschildrensforesttrust.org. Park at the trail head on Coulter Bay Rd. Access is off Carrington Bay Road in Whaletown or down Jimmy Smith Road, through the Cortes Pit. Estimated walking time for several trails: allow at least 2-3 hrs.
Meeting Place Cortes ferry line-up
Departure Time 9:05 a.m. ferry.  We plan to return on the 1:50 p.m ferry or the 3:50 p.m. at the latest.
Difficulty Easy & beautiful
Costs Ferry fare
Trip limits none
Dogs? Yes. Be aware wolves in the area.
Notes: Bring lunch.  This trip is weather dependent.

Karst Formations – 21 March 2015

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Activity Naturalist outing
Destination Quadra’s Karst formations
Date 21 March 2015, Saturday
Trip Coordinator Richard Leicester
Contact Info 285-2663; please contact the coordinator by Thursday if you are interested in going
Description Visit some of Quadra’s Quatsino limestone formations, an area which contains karst sinkholes, intakes, resurgences and underground streams.   We will visit two or three areas, which involves a bit of driving on logging roads and bush walking.  We will not be walking in caves.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay store parking lot for car pooling. High clearance vehicles will be preferable.
Departure Time TBA
Difficulty
 Easy to moderate
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? no
Notes: Bring lunch and gear appropriate for the weather.  Also, bring a flashlight to see into these geological formations.