Category Archives: Hiking

Naturalist – Mushroom Hike – 12 October 2016

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 This trip is full, but you can contact the coordinator to be added to the waitlist.

Activity Naturalist outing
Destination Mushroom Hike on Quadra
Date 12 October 2016, Wednesday, weather permitting and mushrooms around.
Trip Coordinator Darcy Mitchell, with Marian McMeekin
Contact Info darcm@telus.net or 286-6075; please contact the coordinator by Monday if you are interested
Description Walk to collect mushrooms and do some basic identification.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay store parking lot for car pooling
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Easy
Costs none
Trip limits 12 people
Dogs? no
Notes: Trip length 4-5 hours. Bring lunch and collecting gear (bucket or basket, knife, brown paper bags and wax paper if you’re interested in collecting specimens, mushroom id books).

Trip Report – Mt. Albert Edward – 25-27 Aug 2016

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For the effort it takes to get to the top of Mt. Albert Edward, you want to get the reward, the great view. The weather forecast was for hot and sunny. Up until the last moment and then it changed to cloudy and rain, so we moved the trip a few days earlier so we would only have rain on the walk out, with luck. So four of us packed up our backpacks and headed in to Circlet Lake via Helen Mackenzie Lake. It was 34°C in Campbell River that day, but not so hot at the higher elevation we were at. But we went swimming in Circlet Lake when we got there. We got a couple of the tent pads near the lake since we beat the weekend crowds. The next day we got up to clear sky and headed up the mountain a bit after 8:00 to beat the heat. That was the theory anyway, we drank all the water we carried that day and wished we had more. It melted our chocolate. The hike starts with a steep gravel gully, but after that it’s a wonderful hike across sub-alpine meadows and up and along a steady ridge to the summit with great views to both sides. You can see the top of Albert Edward from just about anywhere and so from the top you can see just about everywhere. We had lunch on the summit. There are spectacular mountains all around. Luckily, it was a very clear day and neither we nor they were in clouds. More swimming once back at Circlet Lake. The next day dawned sunny and we put on our backpacks again and hiked out via the string of lakes, pausing to pick and eat blueberries along the way, to Battleship Lake, where we again paused to put our toes in the water. By this time clouds were building up, but the rain held off until the next day when we were home.

In to Circlet Lake 11.1 km, 5 hours, approx 100m elevation gain. Up to Mt. Albert Edward and back 14.7 km, 9¼ hours, approx 900m elevation gain to 2101m. Return via the Lakes 13.0 km, 5½ hours.

Norris

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Backpacking – Mt. Albert Edward – 25-27 Aug 2016

Trip Report – Stramberg Creek and North Grove – 24 Aug 2016

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Five of us set off to see some of the Stramberg big trees. It was going to be a very hot day, so we moved the start time of the trip an hour earlier and we were thankful that this was a trip in the shade of the forest. So we started down the deactivated logging road called Little Main Road, which is now part of Main Lakes Park. It’s a pleasant stroll apart from being prone to the occasional attempt by huckleberry bushes to retake the path. The road probably goes all the way to Shadowbrook Creek, but the last 50 metres are definitely overgrown. Instead, the path crosses Stramberg Creek, a very nice gravelly stream this season. After that, the flagged route turns back south and winds gently up hill through the old forest, passing one huge big fir tree and reaching a lovely grove of old fir trees where we had lunch before returning home. This grove is just a bit north of the Stramberg big trees we go to more often. These trees aren’t quite as big, but the grove itself is nicer. 11.7 km; 4½ hours.

Norris

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Hike – Stramberg Creek and North Grove – 24 Aug 2016

Trip Report – Forbidden Plateau Lakes Loop – 17 Aug 2016

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Eight of us and a dog hiked the lake loop at Forbidden Plateau. The spectacular scenery was made even more wonderful by the absolutely perfect weather. The day was cloudless. We were worried about the heat, but the breeze and optional swimming kept everyone comfortable.

We hiked the loop counter-clockwise beginning at the Visitor Center and moving through Paradise Meadows up to Helen Mackenzie Lake. We hiked up through the rooty, quite wet and somewhat steep forest to the sub-alpine plateau. We had lunch at Mariwood Lake, where it wasn’t even hot enough for anyone to swim. We visited Kwai, Croteau (stopped for swimming), Lady, Kooso and Battleship (more swimming) Lakes, before descending to Paradise Meadows and the car.

There were some mushroom in the forest and a surprising number of wildflowers still in bloom up on the plateau. It was nearly 30° C on the return to Campbell River, but up on the mountain it was perfect.  18.4 km; 7½ hours.

Debbie

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Hike – Forbidden Plateau Lakes Loop – 17 Aug 2016

Trip Report – Maud Island – 3 Aug 2016

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Nine of us walked the trail to Maud Island on a beautiful, warm, summer day.  We arrived at the Ripple Rock viewpoint on Seymour Narrows at the maximum on a flood current of 14.2 knots.  We met a hiking group from Comox on the trail and another group of seven on the trail that day too.  We went out over the Mt. Lolo bluffs and returned by the Salt Water Lagoon.  9.9 km, 4 hours.

Norris

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Hike – Maud Island – 3 Aug 2016

Backpacking – Mt. Albert Edward- 28-30 Aug 2016

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 Change of date

Activity Backpacking
Destination Mt. Albert Edward
Date 25-27 28-30 Aug 2016, Thursday to Saturday Sunday to Tuesday
Trip Coordinator Norris Weimer
Contact Info norris.weimer@ualberta.ca or 3710.  Please contact the trip coordinator not later than Thursday, 25 Aug.
Description Three days/two nights hiking and camping in Strathcona Park. Backpack from the Paradise Meadow trailhead to Circlet Lake (10 km) and set up camp on Sunday. Hike up to the Mt. Albert Edward summit and back on Monday (12 km/900 metres elevation gain). This is a truly alpine experience with great views. Tuesday hike out.
Meeting Place Ferry terminal to Campbell River
Departure Time 07:05 ferry
Difficulty Strenuous
Costs Shared fuel and ferry costs, $10/person/night for back country camping
Trip limits Three or four tents
Dogs?  no
Notes: The Circlet Lake campground will be crowded – this is high season. Parts of the trail to Circlet Lake can be muddy. If the weather is not promising, the trip will be postponed or cancelled.

Trip Report – Nugedzi Lakes & Lookouts – 27 July 2016

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The nine of us had a perfect day for the hike to Nugedzi Lakes and lookouts. We started a bit earlier to get up the old logging road before the heat of the day. We stopped at a viewpoint just before the end of the old road with great views to the northeast and then continued on to the Lily Pond and the viewpoint looking southeast. We hiked through the ancient forest arriving at Nugedzi Lake in time for lunch and a swim. We continued on to the viewpoints over Discovery Passage and then retraced our steps, making the loop to Little Nugedzi on the return.   We were quite warm and fairly tired when we reached the parking lot, but had a wonderful day.   11.9 km; 6½ hours.

Debbie

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Hike – Nugedzi – 27 July 2016

Trip Report – Noel’s Pizza Peak – 21 July 2016

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Thursday dawned clear with summer in mind, so five of us set out to Noel’s Pizza Lookout. We started up the steep old logging road between the two Chinese Mountain peaks and continued up along the ridge which forms North Chinese Peak following a lovely flagged route.  When the route reached an old Nugedzi logging road we resumed the steep rough hike to the north side of Beech’s Mountain.  From there another flagged route took us to the Noel’s Pizza viewpoint, with great views overlooking Morte Lake and points from south to west to north.  We then took another flagged route to the summit of Beech’s Mountain for more views, including to the east.  From there, the official trail takes us back down the ridge which forms South Chinese Mountain.  8.3 km, 5 hours.

Norris

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Hike – Noel’s Pizza Peak – 21 July 2016

Trip Report – Morte Lake Mtn Bike Trails – 20 July 2016

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The weather forecast for Wednesday wasn’t great, but when we woke up in the morning it was raining pretty hard. Since the scheduled hike to Noel’s Pizza Peak is a hike to a viewpoint, we decided to postpone that for a day and hike some of the Morte Lake area mountain bike trails instead.  The rain stopped and five of us had a great walk on these wonderful trails.  Lower Deadfish, Upper Deadfish, Lost Rider, Stinky Beaver, Straight as a Dime, Back Door, Plaything, Yellow Mud, and Jack Rabbit.  11.0 km, 4 hours.

Norris

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Hike – Forbidden Plateau Lakes – 17 Aug 2016

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Activity Hiking
Destination Loop to include eight lakes on Forbidden Plateau in Strathcona Park
Date 17 August 2016, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Debbie Quigg
Contact Info debbie.quigg@ualberta.ca or 250-3710; it is important that you contact the trip coordinator not later than Sunday, 14 Aug.
Description This is a moderate, but long day hike of 16-19 kilometers round trip with a few steep, rooty sections. Estimated hiking time is 7 hours, plus breaks. The hike is planned as a loop, moving counter-clockwise. Starting at the Friends of Strathcona Visitor Centre we will hike to Helen Mackenzie, Hairtrigger, Kwai, Mariwood, Croteau, Lady, Kooso, and Battleship Lakes and before returning to the parking lot.   Hopefully the weather will encourage swimming in some of these Lakes.
Meeting Place Ferry parking lot on Quadra Island at 7:30 a.m. for car pooling for 8 a.m. ferry sailing
Departure Time As soon as we can
Difficulty Moderate terrain with some steep sections & long day
Costs Ferry and carpooling costs
Trip limits 12; make sure to sign up early.
Dogs? Dogs are permitted, but must be on a leash at all times due to Park regulations
Notes: This is a lovely hike through sub-alpine plateau, with beautiful lakes and great views.