| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Morte Lake Loop |
| Date | 15 August, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | TBA |
| Contact Info | TBA |
| 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. |
| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Crest Mountain |
| Date | 25 July 2018, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Norris Weimer |
| Contact Info | norris.weimer@ualberta.ca or 3710. Please contact the coordinator in advance of the trip. |
| Description | There is a good trail through the forest which climbs steadily at about a 22% grade. Think Pilot Road. It goes up 1,100 metres in 5.0 km. It’s strenuous but not difficult other than that. At the top of the climb there are fantastic views all around and a small alpine lake. From there the trail to the summit is easier. 14 km, 7 hours, plus driving and ferry time. |
| Meeting Place | We will take the 07:05 Quadra ferry. Rides to be arranged in advance. |
| Departure Time | 06:20 |
| Difficulty |
lots of uphill! |
| Costs | share gas and ferry costs |
| Trip limits | must be fit and have good knees |
| Dogs? | no |
| Notes: | poles, lunch, water |
Twelve hikers, two of whom were new to the Outdoor Club, met at the Hopespring trailhead for a four hour hike. The day was sunny and warm. We headed up Hopespring trail to the top of the ridge and down the west side, turning northwest onto the Gowlland Harbour trail. This trail was followed through shaded second growth forest and along a ten-year-old clearcut, nicely regenerating, to North Gowlland Harbour Road. Crossing the road and up Missing Links Road a short distance, we hiked northeast along Bite the Bullet which parallels the logging road, managing to avoid being dusted by logging trucks. Recrossing the logging road, we turned southeast at a large beaver dam and walked up John Marlow’s woodlot road. At a deep pool in an old quarry at the roadside, we stopped to admire the critters (salamanders?) swimming there. At that point, we turned south onto a faint bike route that led us to intersect with the Gowlland trail at Rousseau Ridge. Climbing to the top of the ridge, we enjoyed lunch with great views to the west over Copper Bluffs, Discovery Passage and the Vancouver Island mountains.
On the return trip, the group split into two at the Thompson Trail intersection. One group followed Thompson Trail to Thompson Road; the other group retraced their hike down Gowlland Trail and up and over Hopespring Trail to the vehicles at the trailhead. We managed to stay in the shade for most of the hike, and out on the open ridge we had some cloud cover and a nice breeze. However, an earlier start may have been in order – by the end of the hike, the temperature was climbing, with my home thermometer on Thompson Road reading 29C. 10.1 km; 4 hours.
Janis
Thanks to Norris and Les for the photos
(click on photos to enlarge)
| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Woss Lookout and Little Huson Caves, Vancouver Island |
| Date | 26 |
| Trip Coordinator | QIOC |
| Contact Info | qioutdoorclub@gmail.com |
| Description | The recently restored Woss Lookout, about 1.5 hrs north of Campbell River, is accessed by a short but steep, rope-assisted, hike, about 4 km round trip. Even at a moderate pace, allowing for the steepness, this hike will not take all day. So for a more relaxing afternoon, we will then drive north and west to the LIttle Huson Caves, on the Zeballos Road, to explore this little known regional park. These caves are perfect for those who prefer to admire caves from the outside only, as they are shallow caves with wide entrances. www.vancouverislandnorth.ca (Things to do, Caving) for more information on the Caves. |
| Meeting Place | QCove Ferry Terminal; we will organize carpooling before trip |
| Departure Time | 6:20 |
| Difficulty |
Woss Lookout – Difficult; LIttle Huson Caves – Easy |
| Costs | Ferry and gas contribution when carpooling |
| Trip limits | none |
| Dogs? | no |
| Notes: | A long day is expected. Some may want to stay in Campbell River for dinner to avoid ferry lineups. Must bring lunch, snacks, water. Good hiking boots recommended for the Woss Lookout hike; suggest that poles, if used, be of the foldable type for the rope sections. Flashlights may be useful to look into the caves. Trip cancelled if steady rain. Must phone or email the trip coordinator by 9 pm Wednesday, July 25 to join this hike. |
| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Mt. Seymour |
| Date | 11 July 2018, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Valerie van Veen |
| Contact Info | vvv@qisland.ca; or 250 285 2329 |
| Description | We will do this long hike as a crossover, using two cars, going up the Nugedzi Trail from Hyacinthe Bay Road then down the Mt. Seymour Trail to Granite Bay Road. We will park at least one car at each trailhead to ferry drivers back to their cars. Swim time in Nugedzi if desired. Lunch at either Nugedzi or Mt. Seymour (or both?). Bring lunch, snacks, water. Cancelled if raining as trails can be slippery. |
| Meeting Place | Heriot Bay Parking Lot; north enders meet at Nugedzi Parking Lot no later than 8:15 |
| Departure Time | 8:00 |
| Difficulty |
This is a long, more challenging hike. Good hiking shoes highly recommended for the rubble on the Nugedzi Trail especially. |
| Costs | none |
| Trip limits | none |
| Dogs | no |
| Notes: | Must confirm with coordinator by 8 pm the night before at the latest to be on my participant checklist; only confirmed participants will be notified if hike cancelled due to weather. |
| Activity | Hiking with swiming |
| Destination | Newton Lake and beyond |
| Date | 18 July 2018, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Darcy Mitchell |
| Contact Info | mitchelldarcy51@gmail.co |
| Description | Hike into 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 | Newton Lake parking lot. Drive to the end of Granite Bay Road, cross the small bridge and turn right. There is a sign. Or arrange carpools |
| Departure Time | We will meet at the HB store parking lot at 8:00, to be at the Newton Lake trailhead at 8:30 (Not 10:00) |
| Difficulty |
Moderate, with a steepish grade between the portage trail and Newton Lake. Fairly long day. |
| Costs | none |
| Trip limits | none |
| Dogs? | no |
| Notes: | Bring plenty of water, lunch and snacks, and swimming stuff if you want to take a dip in the rather cold but very clear lake. |
Eight of us kayaked from Len Road across Hyacinthe Bay in the morning (1 km; ¼ hour). It was a very short paddle to Maple Bay where we explored a property that is proposed to become a wilderness conservation area. From there we hiked up to a viewpoint with views over Hyacinthe Bay and Rebecca Spit. It was steep and rugged in places, a path following cairns. We returned to the Bay for lunch (hike – 4.4 km; 2½ hours), then kayaked on to Lady Ann Bay. One interesting feature of Hyacinthe Point is the exposed pillow lava which flowed out under water causing the “pillow” formations. Three kayaks returned from this point and five continued on for an extended paddle since the weather was hot and calm.
On our paddle there were herring jumping out of the water near us, which attracted an eagle to swoop in to catch them a couple of times. He put on a very nice show quite close to us. We continued around Heriot Island in shallow water and returned to the vehicles. (kayak – 6.0 km; 1½ hours)
Many thanks to the two owners who invited us to visit their properties.
Norris
Photos by Norris and Les
(click on photos to enlarge)
We decided at the last minute not to go to Surge Narrows to hike. The weather forecast was sketchy and the recent rains would have made it a wet walk. Ten of us had a lovely walk around Morte Lake without more than a few drops of rain. We hiked the loop counter-clockwise, stopping at some of the high bluff viewpoints. We had lunch at the northwest beach and admired the lovely green water. After the south beach, we took the side trip to the lake viewpoint on the south shore. We returned to the vehicles on Lower Dead Fish, enjoying views of the creek and some old growth fir. The forest seemed to have been refreshed by the recent rains. 10.1 km; 3¾ hours.
Julie
(click on photos to enlarge)
Eight hikers arrived on beautiful Cortes, drove to Whaletown. Wandered around this sweet village, the floating dentist, the little post office, the tiny library and the church. Sculpin Potter opened his studio for viewing and some selected a few pieces. We even met the Sea Caption who was attacked by a bear last year in the Great Bear Rain Forest, he told us his story. He was busy painting bear paw prints on his boat. We then drove to Linnaea Farm and selected our bedrooms, all happily roomed. Ate lunch and then off for our first hike to Easter Bluff. It was an extremely hot day and thank goodness we were in the woods. What a delight to reach the summit, with its views of Cortes Bay, looking down on Linnaea Farm fields and beyond, incredible views. All found a little shade to sit and cool down. Returned to the farm and a number of members jumped in the lake.
We noticed a very tall fir clothed in wisteria on the shoreline, so beautiful. Dinner Team # 1 cooked a delicious meal, everyone sitting around the large table sharing stories and getting to know each other. We all ate so much, we decided to take a walk to see a close-up of the wisteria tree. Bed time.
Day 2: Another hot and sunny day. Up early, everyone ate a good breakfast, lunch packed and off to Kw’as Park Trail Network. Janis was our fantastic guide. This network of trails varies in difficulty and moderate climbs. Rugged in some places, magnificent old growth with trails that lead around the two lakes of Hague and Gunflint. Found wonderful places to stop, reflect, eat lunch, and just rest from the heat. Some of us climbed to the high manzanita covered bluffs, up and down the ladder, certainly well worth the climb. We always find this park magical. One could spend days in this park, we still need to walk the ‘Secret Trail’, next time for sure. Returned to the farm and several jumped in the lake or took out the canoe. Dinner Team # 2 cooked another delicious dinner, many laughs and stories happened around the table. We all helped with clean-up, giving us the time to travel to Smelt Bay to watch the sunset. Wandered along the beach, families were on the beach enjoying the warm night, even a trumpet player. A wonderful display of the sunset over Marina Island. Back to the farm and all filled with beauty.
Day 3: Yet another gorgeous day. Cyndy was our guide on this day. First stop, a walk through the woods to Hanks Beach. It was truly wonderful sitting on the magnificent rocks overlooking Twin Islands. We then drove to Manson’s Lagoon, low tide at this time giving us the opportunity to walk out and explore the beach pools and the islands. The islands were covered with wild flowers, colours of blues, yellows and pinks. We enjoyed having lunch on the top taking in the serenity of the lagoon. Off to walk the trail through the woods to Mansons Landing, stopping at the Community Co-op for a treat and to say ‘hello’ to the old turkey in the community gardens. A trip to Cortes Museum and all enjoyed the exhibit of ‘Refuge Cove’. Walked to Cortes School, terrific gardens created by staff and students. We then walked the trail, again created and mapped by the students of Cortes School. A beautiful trail that led us back to Mansons Lagoon. We stopped and marvelled at the newly carved totem pole overlooking Mansons Bay. Returned to Linnaea, of course a number jumped in the lake to cool down. Dinner Team # 3 prepared a delicious dinner, enjoyed by all. After dinner we then drove to Hollyhock to wander the garden and the beach area. A lovely treat to end our day.
Day 4: Members up early, clean-up began in the farmhouse. Everyone pitched in and soon the house was sparkling clean. After breakfast, food and gear packed, said our ‘goodbye’s’ to the farm and off to Carrington Bay. A beautiful hike through the woods down to the bay. Stories and dancing performed on the stage and enjoyed by all. Explored the magnificent lagoon, lots of starfish and sea cucumbers. Such a beautiful camping area. Took the trail to ‘Grandmother’s Grove’, feeling the energy and beauty it gives. The Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society has been formed to purchase these forestlands and to hold them in trust for the children of Cortes Island in perpetuity. Members managed to connect with the 1:50 p.m ferry for home.
We all gave input regarding our Cortes Trip, communicating how much we all enjoyed these days on Cortes, the trails, the laughs, the stories, the sharing and giving, the delicious food and of course staying at Linnaea Farm is always a delight. Many thanks to our guides, the drivers, our stretching exercise teacher, and for the donation collected for ‘The Children’s Forest’. A terrific group of members at Margot thanks you all for your positive support.
Margot
Thanks to Jan, Bonnie, Cyndy and Mary for the photos
(click on photos to view larger)
| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Broken Eyes Mountain, aka Campbell River Lookout |
| Date | 19 July 2018 |
| Trip Coordinator | Norris Weimer |
| Contact Info | 285-3710 or norris.weimer@ualberta.ca. Please contact the coordinator well in advance of the trip. |
| Description
|
This hike is located about 20 km north of Campbell River. It includes some difficult sections over a long, narrow log bridge and very steep climbs, sometimes assisted by fixed chains. There are excellent views form the summit. 500 m elevation gain; 7 km. Participants on this hike need to be fit, experienced and confident. You need good cardio and knees. For more information see: https://qioutdoorclub.org/2018/06/12/reconnaissance-report-broken-eyes-mtn-11-june-2018/ |
| Meeting Place | Q Cove Ferry terminal. |
| Departure Time | 8:00 ferry |
| Difficulty |
Overall this is a challenging hike, with a mix of trails, logging roads, and very steep sections. |
| Costs | Shared ferry costs |
| Trip limits | 10 participants |
| Dogs? | |
| Notes: | This trip is weather dependent. Highly recommended: protective gloves for chains and good boots. Poles are optional. Bring lunch and water. |
Quadra Island Outdoor Club 