Category Archives: moderate

Hike – Nugedzi Lakes & Viewpoint – 9 July 2026

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Activity Hiking
Destination Nugedzi Lakes and Viewpoint
Date 9 July, Thursday
Trip Coordinator Les Hand
Contact Info lhquadra@gmail.com 285-2029
Description We will park on Granite Bay Road and hike the Mount Seymour Trail to Nugetzi Lake. Then we will travel on out to the Nugetzi viewpoint and back to the lake for lunch. Bring gear if you would like to take a swim, although it might still be cool. After we will travel back to the vehicles. About 7 to 8 km and four hours..
Meeting Place Quadra Community Centre
Departure Time 9:00
Difficulty Moderate
Costs None
Trip limits 10
Dogs? OK, but must be under control and not run back-and-forth through the group
Notes: We are leaving earlier because of the heat that might be happening at that point. Bring lots of water and hiking poles if you use them.

Trip Report – Mt. Lolo – 10 June 2026

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We had a lovely spring day for this rarely visited peak. We shortened the hike a bit by parking in the clear-cut and making our way quickly to the Maud Island trail. This trail is in very good condition. After the small creek we turned off onto an even older logging road, which has also had some trail work done on it. However, we soon turned uphill through the open forest and followed a gradual ascent to views over Discovery Passage. We followed the ridge south to the end, where we had lunch on the mossy rocks with views to the south. We ignored the good historical tracks we had for the descent, and chose a route descending through the cliffy bluffs which required some careful route finding and negotiating deadfall and steep rocks. We came out to the Maud Lake trail a bit south of our starting point and returned to the vehicles. We really enjoyed revisiting this area. (About 5.3km, 4 hours, 270m elevation gain)

Norris
 
Thanks to Norris and Les for the photos.
 

(click on photos to enlarge)

Hiking – Mt. Lolo – 10 June 2026

Hiking – Newton Lake – Small Inlet-Waiatt Bay – 21 July 2026

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Activity Hike and swim
Destination Newton Lake with Small Inlet and/or Waiatt Bay
Date 21 July 2026, Tuesday, revised
Trip Coordinator Vic Gladish
Contact Info vicgladish@gmail.com; 250-285-2111 or 250-287-0459 (text)
Description We will hike up to Newton Lake, down to Small Inlet, take the portage trail to Waiatt Bay and then back to the Newton Lake. Distance about 15 kilometres – will take approximately 4-5 hours (including lunch and short swim stops at Newton Lake.
If there is consensus to do so, we will break into two groups at the trail junction, one going on to Waiatt Bay, and the other returning to the lake. We will then rendezvous at Newton Lake.
Meeting Place Quadra Community Centre parking lot
Departure Time 9:00
Difficulty
 A rocky, rutty initial kilometer, and a steep section at Small Inlet, plus overall distance makes this a moderate – not easy – hike.
Costs Share fuel costs
Trip limits 10
Dogs? Limit 2 and on leash.
Notes: Bring plenty of water, lunch and snacks, and swimming stuff if you want to swim.
The trip is best on a good summer’s day so will be postponed if the forecast is for rain.

Trip Report – Canyon View and Elk Falls – 3 June 2026

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A good turnout of eight hikers and two dogs took advantage of the slightly cooler and overcast day to hike the Canyon View and Elk Falls Trail. For the previous two days we have had temperatures in the mid to high twenties, so the milder weather was a blessing for the 11 km hike. We caught the 9:00 am ferry from Quadra Island and returned on the 2:30 pm boat.
We parked on the North side of the Duncan Bay Main bridge (over the Campbell River) where we started our hike. The well maintained trail follows the river to the old power station outfall, where the grade changes to a steep uphill climb with lots of stairs. Once at the top, the trail levels off until you reach the entrance to the falls where now you go down stairs to a viewing platform and the suspension bridge. We viewed the falls from the bridge and hiked back up to the old parking lot for a different view of the falls. At the parking lot there are pit toilets and picnic tables.
On the way back we took a side trail downriver from the falls to a mossy bluff overlooking the river. From here we had a view of the suspension bridge and the falls. After a lunch break we continued back on the trail to the old outfall where we crossed over to the highway side of the river. Here there is a path following the river back to the bridge where we parked our vehicles. Total distance 11 km in 4 hours.

Allan

(click on photos to enlarge)

Hiking – Canyon View and Elk Falls – 3 June 2026

Hiking – Noel’s Knoll to Little Morte Lake – 24 June 2026

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Activity Hiking
Destination Noel’s Knoll to Little Morte Lake
Date 24 June 2026, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Debbie Quigg
Contact Info dmquigg@gmail.com or 3710
Description REVISED: We will start at the Nugedzi parking lot and hike up the old logging road toward Beech’s Mtn. The Trail Committee has recently brushed and improved this route. We will visit Noel’s Knoll for great views and then return to the saddle between Beech’s and Noel’s Knoll. From there we will follow a new and impressive trail which descends through some bluffs with views and then continues more steeply down to the Morte Lake trail. As this is hiked in a straight line, we will need a car shuffle ending at the Morte Lake parking lot. Roughly 7.5km, 4 hours, 300m ascent and more than 400m descent.
Meeting Place Community Centre parking lot
Departure Time 9:00, as an early-ish start for the heat.
Difficulty
 Challenging. This trip will work your legs.
Costs No
Trip limits 10
Dogs? No
Notes: Bring poles if you use them. We will not do this if the weather is poor and may start earlier if it is hot.

Trip Report – Surge Narrows Trail – 13 May 2026

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Our timing was perfect on our Surge Narrows hike, arriving at the rapids just at full
flood of 7.4 knots. We decided to make the rocky viewpoint our lunch stop so that we could enjoy watching about a dozen kayakers who appeared on cue. We suspected that they were local guides in training for the summer season, and were impressed by the rolling and self-rescue skills of some as they tackled the rapids.

Over the years, the Surge Narrows trail has been greatly improved. The trail to the viewpoint is easy to follow and the old, dodgy bridges have been replaced with culverts by our hardworking Trail Committee.  There is even a port-a-pottie at the trailhead. The
trailhead, well signed, is now at the upper parking lot; old-timers will recall that the trail
originally began at the lower parking lot. To the viewpoint is a moderate 2 km hike, with “suitable undulations” to provide some cardio, through typical West Coast forest. We saw several outcroppings of oyster mushrooms and one bunch of coral root on the trail to the viewpoint.  Beyond the viewpoint, the trail is signposted as a route and is not maintained, overgrown with deadfall and salal.  This route is challenging, hugging the steep shoreline until reaching a rocky beach. At low tide it would be possible to walk north along the shoreline for intertidal viewing, but the tide was too high for this on the day of our hike.

As always, parking at Surge Narrows is a challenge, carpooling is a necessity.
5.14 km, about 2.5 hours including on-water entertainment.

Valerie van Veen

Many thanks to Norris for photos.

Click on photos to enlarge
 

Hiking – Surge Narrows Trail – 13 May 2026

Hiking – Elk Falls/Canyon View Trails – 3 June 2026

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Activity Hiking
Destination Elk Falls – Canyon View trails
Date 3 June, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Allan Liimatta
Contact Info allanliimatta@gmail.com or 250-416-9338
Description Start out at parking area at first bridge past highway on Campbell River and hike the Canyon View Trail up to Elk Falls suspension bridge where we will stop for lunch. Then back track and then take the trail to old power station and cross river and hike back on opposite side of river back to parking area. Trail is well maintained and easy walking except there are a few long uphill climbs with many stairs. Total distance approximately 11 km.
Meeting Place Q Cove ferry terminal
Departure Time 9:00 ferry
Difficulty Moderate
Costs Ferry costs
Trip limits 10
Dogs? Yes, but must be on leash.
Notes:

Hiking – Mt. Lolo – 10 June 2026

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Activity Hiking
Destination Mt. Lolo
Date 10 June 2026, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Norris Weimer
Contact Info norris.weimer@ualberta.ca, 3710. Please contact the coordinator by Monday night.
Description We will begin on the trail to Maud Island and then follow old logging roads, deer trails and routes to the Mt. Lolo bluff overlooking Discovery Passage.  After exploring the short ridge with great views we will return the same way.  About 8 km; 4+ hours.
Meeting Place Community Centre parking lot.  We will drive out in a group.
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Moderate, much of this will not be on maintained trails.
Costs None
Trip limits 10
Dogs?
Notes: Bring lunch, poles if you use them and gear for the weather.  This is a trip better done in good weather and might be postponed if the forecast is poor.

Trip Report – Trout Creek Falls – 6 May 2026

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On a overcast day, six people drove out to the start of the trail on Menzie’s Main. There is a easy place to park just before and after the bridge over Mohun Creek, which used to be called Trout Creek. The first of three waterfalls is just a short walk. The creek was much lower than when we did this hike last year, even though it is the same time of year. The trail has lots of rocks and roots in it so you must be careful not to trip. The trail is in good shape and has had a lot of traffic this spring. As you hike up the trail, there are many pools and rapid areas that are very picturesque. The second waterfall is the highest and very impressive. The trail was quite dry, which made it loose and you had to watch your step as this is a steep area. The third waterfall is short but very unique as it drops over a rock face and then makes a sharp right down a rocky ravine before it drops more. As the water level was quite low, you can see many more of the logs that have been left in the ravine. We carried on and had lunch on the rock bluff above the waterfall. After lunch we hiked out to the old logging road, stopped briefly at Mary Lake and then returned to the vehicles.
7 km and about three hours moving time

Les
 
(click on photos to enlarge)
 

Hiking – Trout Creek Falls Loop – 6 May 2026

Hiking – Surge Narrows Trail – 13 May 2026

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Activity Hiking
Destination Surge Narrows Trail
Date 13 June 2026, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Valerie van Veen
Contact Info vvv@qisland.ca, 250 285 2329, cell: 778 242 5774
Description This trail affords spectacular views of the infamous Surge Narrows rapids, especially when the current is running strong. The trail follows the coastline going north/northeast and steeply undulating. The first, shorter section to a rocky viewpoint is well used, the longer section beyond to an even better viewpoint is more challenging, narrow, generally rougher. Altogether not a long hike. On May 13, Surge Narrows will be in flood, 7.4 knots, at 11:44, so we should have some good views of the rapids in action.
Meeting Place Community Centre parking lot at 10 am; carpool in vehicles suitable for the gravel road north of the Valdes turnoff; Village Bay Lakes boat launch parking lot at 10:20 am (approx.) where I will meet the group.
Meeting Time 10:00
Difficulty Moderate
Costs None
Trip limits 10
Dogs? Must be in control, especially along the second section where the narrow trail hugs the hillside.
Please note that the FMCBC has a new policy where dogs are explicitly exclude from liability insurance and owners need to sign a waiver of understanding.
Notes This trip is only worth the effort of the long drive on the unpaved road if the weather is pleasant and trail conditions are dry . An alternative hike will be offered if the weather does not justify the effort. Bring lunch, poles if used. Participants MUST register by Monday evening, March 11. Only registered participants will be advised of any changes in plans. Contact the coordinator if you have any questions.