Category Archives: easy

Trip Photos – Gowlland Harbour 5 May 2014

Posted on by
Reply

The sea Gods were with us and we had spectacular weather for the Gowland paddle. The winds were light to none, the sun shone bright and the sky clear. The Sea Blush was in full bloom on all the small islands and many other flowers as well so it was a great day for taking pictures.

There were also many animals and birds out as it was a lower tide. The Canadian geese with the goslings were abundant and were quite humorous to watch. We saw quite a few mink and three river otters were playing on a knoll.

When we were in south Gowland we paddled thru the small opening to April Point. Here there were many sea urchins to look at and quite colorful. All and all it was a fabulous day and to bad that more people could not have experienced it.

(click on photos to view larger)

Kayak Gowlland Harbour 5 May 2014

Trip Photos – Deepwater Bay – 1 May 2014

Posted on by
Reply

Started off the month of May with great weather and an adventurous hike. We were headed to Deepwater Bay via the old logging road but decided to take time out to look for the old logging train trestle. Debbie, Norris and Les had looked for this before but to no avail. It seemed that everyone we had talked to had not been there in a few years back and you know how memories are. This time though we found it, much to our pleasure. There is not much left but sure leaves you with a great appreciation for old engineering skills. It was quite a feat to cross that canyon and the old pilings give you an idea of the immense size.

We then walked down the old part of the logging road to Deepwater Bay. There are old remnants of a land based fish farm there. We had lunch by a small creek and enjoyed the sun. The hike back up was harder but it is not far and well worth the time.

(click on photos to view larger)

Hike Deepwater Bay 1 May 2014

Hike Deepwater Bay 2 May 2014

Posted on by
1

NOTE DATE CHANGE

Activity Hiking
Destination Deepwater Bay
Date Friday, 2 May 1 May 2014
Trip Coordinator Les Hand
Contact Info 285-2029
Description Hike on old logging road from end of new logging road to Deepwater Bay. This path follows a lovely stream to the ocean.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Store for car pooling
Departure Time 10:00 A.M.
Difficulty
 easy
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? Are welcome as long as they will stay by you
Notes: Please let me know at least two days prior if you are going.  Bring water and a lunch.  We will eat where the stream goes into the ocean. This is only 2.5 kilometers one way but 275 meters up on the way back. Including lunch and driving the trip will take about 3.5 hours.

 

Google Maps of the hike

 

Paddling/camping Main Lake 12-14 May 2014

Posted on by
1

Activity Paddling/camping (kayak or canoe)
Destination Main Lake Provincial Park
Date Monday, May 12 – Wednesday, May 14 (alternate dates if bad weather – Tuesday, May 20 to Thursday, May 22)
Trip Coordinator Darcy Mitchell
Contact Info 285 2739 or darcm@telus.net
Description Camping on Main Lake with day paddling/hiking
Meeting Place Boat launch, Mine Lake
Departure Time 10:30 a.m.  Plan to be at the launch site by 9:30.
Difficulty
 easy
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? no
Notes: Please see map.  We will likely camp on the north side of Main Lake where there are two designated sites.  Everyone responsible for their own equipment and meals, but doubling up for tents and cooking would be a good idea.  I will send a list of people who have signed up a week before the event to facilitate planning, so please let me know if you are interested no later than May 5.  We’ll plan to come back after lunch on the 3rd day, so will have 2 half days and one full day to explore the park.

Map of Main Lake BC Provincial Park

Kayak Gowlland Harbour 5 May 2014

Posted on by
1

Activity Kayaking
Destination Gowlland Harbour
Date Monday 5 May 2014
Trip Coordinator Les Hand
Contact Info 285-2029; please contact the coordinator not later than Thursday
Description Gowlland Harbour is a lovely, protected harbour with several interesting islands to explore. There will be wildflowers at this time of year.
Meeting Place Gowlland Harbour Resort parking lot, 823 Gowlland Harbour Rd.
Departure Time 09:45
Difficulty
 easy to moderate
Costs none
Trip limits limited by parking space to 12 cars
Dogs? no
Notes: If you have not completed your 2014-15 membership, please come prepared to sign papers and pay the membership fee. Only 2 vehicles can unload at beach at one time so please be on time. We will paddle South Gowlland and North Gowlland, about 4 hours weather permitting.  Bring a lunch.  If pouring rain, e-mail will be sent out by 8 am cancelling trip. Gowlland Harbour Resort has kindly granted us permission to use their boat launch for this trip.  This is not a public access.

 

Trip Photos – Maud Island 31 Mar 2014

Posted on by
Reply

The weather could not have been more perfect for our hike to Maud Island. It was a beautiful spring day with plenty of sunshine. We reached Seymour Narrows just before a maximum current of 14.1 knots. It was like a roaring river, complete with whirlpools and back eddies that sea-lions were playing in.

On the return trip we went over Mt. Lolo. This proved to be a bit of an adventure as the trail is not marked as well from that direction. We were rewarded with bright sunny views though.

(click on photos to view larger)

Hiking Maud Island 31 Mar 2014

Trip Photos – Ripple Rock – 19 March 2014

Posted on by
1

Although the day dawned dark and rainy, the weather was great by the time we started down the trail around 11:00.  The group enjoyed the walk on this well constructed, undulating trail including stairs and a swinging suspension bridge.  Points of interest along the way include a few excellent old growth trees, lush mosses and ferns, an old corduroy road, a few creeks, the view point over Menzies Bay from a rocky bluff, the sandy beach at Nymphe Cove and budding fawn lilies.  After the final push up the hill and stairs to Wilfred Point, the group was rewarded with great views of Discovery Passage and a warm and sunny lunch stop.   There were sea lions and seagulls feeding in the current. The area is steeped in the history of early logging and the major efforts made to blow up Ripple Rock in Seymour Narrows to improve the safety of navigation through those waters.  When we arrived the ebb was running about 7 knots.  Although it can run more than double that speed, the turbulence was quite impressive.  The hike, round trip, is 8 kilometres.

(click on photos to view larger)

Hiking – Ripple Rock 19 Mar 2014

The Ripple Rock explosion was 9:31 a.m. on 5 April 1958.  The Museum at Campbell River is offering a hike to this lookout to commemorate the 56th anniversary of the explosion on April 5, 2014.  Cost is $20, register with the museum at 250-287-3103.

 

Trip Photos – Stramberg Trees 12 Feb 2014

Posted on by
Reply

The weather was great for the walk to the Stramberg big trees.  The forest in general, and the old growth trees in particular, were a pleasure.  It’s a long, but rewarding walk, as long as you don’t mind full forest, minimal trail and serious route finding.  Allow at least two hours each way and allow some extra time for getting lost.  13 km round trip.

The trail can be divided into three sections.  From the start, the small parking area on the left just before Village Bay Lake, take the path which starts along the stream; don’t take the gravel road which goes uphill to a gate. The hike begins on a good trail along the edge of a very open forest with marshes and ponds on the left. There was good sunlight with the maple leaves gone.  Keep going past an abandoned cabin with old fencing.  At the end of this section the path gets smaller and passes by a mossy rock overlook of a pond.

Section two. From here the path gradually turns north and enters into Main Lakes Provincial Park.  The trail is flagged except for some parts where a flat, wet area is full of fallen trees. For those taking it in the summer, it might be hard to find because of salal growth.   There is one trail junction.  Left is flagged and might lead to Stramberg Lake after a stream crossing. Right, the trail follows the east side of a stream, but on a bank or old roadbed which keeps it out of the wet.  For us, the trail had some snow cover.  The trail is a bit overgrown in places, until it becomes heavy bush and it is no longer possible to follow the old road.  At this point we had lunch at a sunny opening at a creek.

Section three. Where the trail seems to end, look left for an easy place to jump over the stream.  There was no flagging for this turn.  The trail then goes up the hill a bit to a more open forest and the big trees.  For a trail that has not been maintained in some time, there is less brush and blow-down than you might expect. The route is mostly well flagged, but there are a number of places where it would be easy to get lost.  GPS and map highly recommended, preferably already loaded with a route to follow.

Hiking Stramberg Trees 12 Feb 2014

(click on photos to view larger)

Hiking – Ripple Rock 19 Mar 2014

Posted on by
1

Activity hiking
Destination Ripple Rock Trail, Campbell River
Date Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Trip Coordinator Margot Wood
Contact Info Margot @ 250.285.2393. margotw@uniserve.com

Please contact the coordinator in advance.
Description Ripple Rock Trail near Campbell River is a 1½ to 2 hour walk (one way) leading to the Seymour Narrows lookout and views across to Quadra and Maud Islands.

The marked trailhead is 15.5 km north of Campbell River with a parking pull-off on the east side of the highway
Meeting Place Quadra Ferry Line-Up/Parking Area
Departure Time 10:00 AM ferry
Difficulty
 I can do it, you can do it.
Costs Ferry Cost/Car-pool cost.
Trip limits none
Dogs? Yes
Notes: 4 hours.  Bring lunch to be eaten on the bluff.

Be aware that it is important to lock your vehicle & not leave valuable items in your vehicle.

The trail is 8 km long, with an easy to moderate grade to Menzies Bay and a steep section to Wilfred Point. It passes through areas that were logged about 70 years ago and now have Douglas fir, red alder, broadleaf maple and western hemlock.

On the east side of Menzies Creek the trail passes through two small patches of old growth with 300-year-old Sitka spruce and Douglas-fir. There are good viewpoints along the trail and a nice sandy beach at Nymphe Cove.

Midway between the lookout and Maud Island is the site of the infamous Ripple Rock, two menacing rock pinnacles whose summits used to provide only a few metres clearance at low tide.

This notorious marine hazard wrecked dozens of ships and claimed 114 lives, resulting in a project to destroy Ripple Rock by blowing it to pieces. In 1958, the largest man-made, non-nuclear explosion in history reduced the rock by 370,000 tonnes to create a clearance of 13 m.

Trip Photos – Rousseau Ridge – 1 Jan 2014

Posted on by
Reply

Not every trip has fantastic weather, but often it’s worth going anyway.  This trip did not have a predetermined destination.  The decision in the parking lot was to go to Rousseau Ridge from the North Gowlland Road side.  This is a short walk to a rocky bluff with great views of Discovery Passage, when it’s clear.  There is a bit of scrambling to get to the top.  It didn’t even rain.

Hiking Quadra 1 Jan 2014

(click on photos to view larger)

Here’s a link to a nice photo on a nicer day (5 Jan 2011)
http://www.pbase.com/henryimages/image/131627675

Here’s a link to a trail description
http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Heriots-Ridge-near-Campbell-River-BC-3072