Category Archives: Hiking

Trip Report – Mine Lake Bluff – 9 May 2018

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Seven hikers parked at the trail-head and headed along side of Mine Lake to Camp Homewood’s summer site. This trail can be covered in water in places but was dry for us. After going through the site you take the left trail that heads up to the bluff. The trail is steep through the trees but some steps have been dug out to make it a little better. The tough part is when you come to the rocks. It had rained the night before so the first climb was slick. Luck was with us though and the next section was in the sun and wind so it was dry. This is definitely a hike that should be done when dry as it involves some scrambling on all fours. When we reached the top the view was certainly worth the effort.

We ate lunch here and descended down the back side. The walk down is easier and below an impressive cliff. When we returned to the lake three brave souls went for a dip. They said it was cold but refreshing. 5 km; 3 ½ hours.

Les and Julie

Thanks to Les for the photos

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Hiking – Mine Lake Bluff – 9 May 2018

Hiking – North Gowlland Trail Loop – 10 Oct 2018

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Activity Hiking
Destination North Gowlland Trail Loop
Date 10 Oct 2018, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Janis McLean
Contact Info 3614; please contact the coordinator in advance of the trip
Description A series of bike trails including Cash Only, Little Black Dress, Silk Stocking, Bite the Bullet and Sam’s Shorty, to start and end on North Gowlland Harbour Road.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Store parking lot
Departure Time 9:30
Difficulty
 Moderate (some steep sections)
Costs None
Trip limits
Dogs? Okay
Notes: Bring snacks/lunch; hiking poles; time approx. 3 hours.

 

Hiking – Homewood Trails Loop – 22 August 2018

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Change of start time!

Activity Hiking
Destination Homewood Trails Loop
Date 22 August 2018, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Janis McLean
Contact Info 3614; please contact the coordinator in advance of the trip
Description Hopespring trail, south on Homewood trail to Homewood Bluff. Loop trail to High Bluff and north along Heriot Ridge to Hopespring trail.
Meeting Place Hopespring trailhead
Departure Time 8:30 9:30
Difficulty
 Easy to moderate (on bluff climbs)
Costs None
Trip limits
Dogs? Okay
Notes: Bring snacks/lunch; hiking poles for the up and down; time approx. 2.5 to 3 hours.

 

Hiking – Rousseau Ridge Loop – 4 July 2018

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Activity Hiking
Destination Rousseau Ridge Loop
Date 4 July 2018, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Janis McLean
Contact Info 3614; please contact the coordinator in advance of the trip
Description Hopespring and Gowlland trails to Rousseau Ridge, then continuing on Gowlland trail, crossing N. Gowlland Harbour road and returning via Gowlland and Thompson trails.
Meeting Place Hopespring trailhead
Departure Time 9:30
Difficulty
 Easy to moderate (on the Rousseau bluff)
Costs None
Trip limits
Dogs? Okay
Notes: Bring snacks/lunch; hiking poles for the up and down; time approx. 3 hours.

 

Hiking – Surge Narrows – 8 August 2018

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Activity Hiking
Destination Surge Narrows
Date  8 August 2018
Trip Coordinator Julie Mellanby
Contact Info 3978; please contact the coordinator in advance of the trip.
Description We will drive to the end of the Surge Narrows Rd and hike along the undulating and relatively short trail and then continue on the unmaintained route to a small bay.  Perhaps the tide will be low enough for intertidal viewing or a walk to the island.  (Low tide at 7:40)  We will return to the bluff at the end of the maintained trail for a view of the rapids, which will be flooding 9.4 knots at 11:30.  We will stop at Mine Lake on the way back for a swim.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Store for car pooling
Departure Time 9:00
Difficulty
 The official trail is moderate but short; the route is more challenging
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs?
Notes: Bring  lunch and swim gear (optional) for the dip at Mine Lake

 

Trip Report – The Campbell River Loop – 25 Apr 2018

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Eight of us hiked the loop from the logging bridge on the Campbell River up to Moose Falls and back. This is always a beautiful walk, but it is particularly special in the spring with the wildflowers in bloom. We crossed the bridge and walked along the excellent trail on the north side of the river.  As the path follows side branches on the Campbell River, the trail was bordered by a profusion of pink fawn lilies, trillium, and wild bleeding heart.

We admired the Canyon View and continued up to the Millennium Trail.  We took an unmarked side path, recommended by Cyndy, to a lovely mossy bluff with an excellent view of Elk Falls.   We walked on through some big old growth Douglas fir trees to the Elk Falls viewing platform and suspensions bridge.  The views were particularly impressive because of the amount of water coming down the river.

We took the gradually ascending Old Growth trail and then the very steep descent to the rocky viewpoint for Moose Falls and the Dolphin Pool, where we stopped for lunch. The weather was beautiful and sunny, with a very warm afternoon. We returned along the river, passing more old growth trees, Deer Falls and another spectacular viewpoint for Elk Falls.  We crossed at Station View, which was quite hot and industrial, and continued on the south bank, with more wildflowers, back to the vehicles. 12.9 km; 5 hours.

Debbie

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Hiking – The Campbell River River Loop – 25 Apr 2018

Hiking – Mine Lake Bluff – 9 May 2018

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Activity Hiking
Destination Mine Lake Bluff
Date 9 May 2018, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Julie Mellanby
Contact Info phone 3978.  Please contact the coordinator in advance.
Description We will park near the Mine Lake boat access and walk to Camp Homewood.  From there the route ascends the bluff to the north of Mine Lake with great views.  The trail going up the bluff can feel a bit exposed.  This is a hike, not a climb, but do have good footwear and be careful.  The trail down is a regular trail and it loops back underneath the bluffs to the start of the steep bit.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Tru Value parking lot for car pooling
Departure Time TBD
Difficulty Moderate, for very steep section
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs?
Notes: Bring lunch.

Trip Report – Stramberg Old Growth – 18 April 2018

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We had a perfect hiking day for this walk through varied forest to see some of Quadra’s biggest old growth trees.  The first part of the hike skirts Vic’s Marsh through open forest and passes meadows with fruit tree, nettles, Vic’s barn-like house and old fencing.  We stopped briefly at the bluff overlooking the open water part of the marsh to enjoy the view and watch huge numbers of geese heading north.  The next section follows a narrow, flagged trail which undulates, often along a creek or below bluffs and heads into Main Lake Provincial Park.  After the T-junction with the logging road, the right turn leads more or less north with a gradual grade and wide allowance, though very wet at this time of year.  The trees are plastered with lichen and moss making it an enchanted forest.  After crossing a small creek, the trail ascends to the glade with old growth Douglas fir and cedar.  But there are big trees along the whole walk.

The flagging is in good condition, and the trail is not too bad except for the fallen trees which you have to climb under or over or go around, and long sections of sword fern where you never see the ground or your feet.   12.1 km round trip, 5⅓ hours.

Debbie

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Hike – Stramberg Old Growth Grove – 18 April 2018

Trip Report – Deepwater Bay – 12 Apr 2018

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Because the weather forecast was poor, we saved the planned view trip for another day when we would have a view, and chose another destination below cloud level.  We also postponed it a day to avoid the worst weather.  As luck would have it, we had a beautiful sunny day for a hike down to Deepwater Bay and back.

The first part of the hike was an unexpected detour through the forest around work to renew the old road for future logging operations.  Trees alongside of the roadway had been neatly felled onto the logging road and not yet cleaned up.  Beyond that, the walking was good except for a bit of erosion and a landslide on the north bank of the creek, which swept trees across to the south bank and the trail.  The whitewater stream was impressive with recent rains and there were several waterfalls.  We had lunch at the Bay in warm sunshine and returned uphill to the vehicle. 4.4 km; 2½ hours.  

As the hike was fairly short, we made a side trip to some of the nearby karst sinkholes.  There was a report that the creek had re-routed.  However, there was some water in the insurgent and resurgent creek, though not as much might be expected with recent rain.

– Norris

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Trip Report – Campbell River Ramble – 4 April 2018

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On April 4, in cool and drizzly weather, five adventurers set out to explore the hinterlands of Campbell River.  We walked from the ferry terminal to the north ERT trailhead at the corner of Maple and Homewood . From there it was gradually uphill on the wide paved trail, which was surprisingly deserted, through mixed deciduous, past a few old homesteads and some signs of future development. Crossing Evergreen Rd, a short walk brought us to the Beaver Lodge Forest lands where we met many more walkers as well as mountain bikers in this beautiful forest. The wide Rail Trail led through coniferous second growth, graced with a few old specimens. Branching off on a bike trail took us to the underpass and out onto Rockland Rd, crossing over we followed the paved trail past the Willow Point Sportsplex, winding our way down to the waterfront to a very welcome lunch stop in Willow Point . Refreshed, the Quadra Island crowd walked briskly back along the waterfront, in plenty of time for the 3:30 ferry. A very long pleasant walk, disappointingly few wildflowers, but nice to see the salmonberries and huckleberries beginning to bloom, as well as a little group of Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa) gone wild, and cultivated spring blossoms. 19.3 km; 5⅔ hours, including lunch.

Valerie  & Darcy

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Hiking – Campbell River Ramble – 4 April 2018