Category Archives: moderate

Hiking – Morte Lake Loop – 8 Jan 2020

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Activity Hiking
Destination Morte Lake Loop
Date 8 Jan 2020, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Debbie Quigg
Contact Info debbie.quigg@ualberta.ca or 3710; please contact the coordinator in advance of the trip
Description We will hike the official Morte Lake loop, which passes through a wonderful variety of forest and has great views along the lake.  About 10 km and 4 hours.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Store for car pooling
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Easy to moderate.
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? okay
Notes: Bring lunch and gear for the weather.  This can be a wet trail in places.

 

Trip Report – Deepwater-Seymour Shoulder Loop – 18 Dec 2019

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The weather forecast was dismal, and it was mostly accurate.  However five bold adventurers set out anyway, in spite of wind and rain, on the theory that Mt. Seymour would block the wind for us.  We were just lucky with the rain because there was a hole in the system, a window of opportunity when we needed it.  So we set off, walking up the steep old logging road, which after the heavy rain was more like a shallow river,  It was a good day for waterproof boots.  Further up the hill we had green spongy moss covering the logging road.  Those are the best kind.  Then further up the hill we hit snow.  Fresh snowball-quality snow.  After a brief lunch stop at the viewpoint (in the cloud), we followed the old road as it descended back to the cars.  Of course there were some more water features, places where the trail resembled a cascade or lake.  We all made it safely home before the deluge resumed.  We were dry from the ankles up and remarkably cheerful.  7.1 km, 3¼ hours.

Norris

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Hiking – Deepwater-Seymour Shoulder Loop- 18 Dec 2019

Trip Report – Silent Carrington Bay & Grandmother’s Grove – 9 Dec 2019

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Such a lovely three ladies silent hike at Carrington Bay, Cortes Island. We began with a meditation under the ancient maple tree at the entrance to the trail and then we began our silent hike. Stopping and truly seeing the old giants, visualizing the homestead, the care, hardwork and attention given to homesteading. Listening to the waterfall, the woodpeckers drilling away and later hearing the sound of the lagoon. We walked onto Grandmother’s Grove and ate our lunch near the water, lots of ducks on the lagoon. Those ancient trees towering above us, a lovely place to sit and we felt welcomed. Returning eventually to the trail and slowly making our way back. We ended our hike with a beautiful meditation. There is such a powerful eloquence in silence. A wonderful day.

Margot

Thanks to Sandra for the photos

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Hiking in Silence – Carrington Bay & Grandmother’s Grove – 5 Dec 2019

Trip Report – Carrington Bay & Grandmothers’ Grove – 2 Dec 2019

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We tried, unsuccessfully, to change the date of this hike for better weather, but we ended up with a cold, grey, drizzly day.  Our group of 13 hiked along the old logging road stopping at the Borden homestead .  We continued on to Carrington Bay and the tidal lagoon, and crossed the narrow channel on the bridge as the very high tide was rushing in with a standing wave.  We wandered through the camping area and on to the peninsula with the swim rock.  The lagoon had ice on it and was incredibly silent.  We had a bone chilling lunch break on logs in the forest before we continued on to Grandmothers’ Grove, a beautiful old growth stand of spruce and cedar, in the James Creek drainage.  We followed the trail and logging roads back in a loop and made brisk time up the hill to the vehicles to catch the earlier ferry and stay warm. 8.5 km; 3 hours.

Debbie

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Hiking – Carrington Bay & Grandmothers’ Grove – 2 Dec 2019

Trip Report – Eagle Ridge and Beyond Loop – 27 Nov 2019

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Thirteen of us did the Eagle Ridge and Beyond loop on a crisp, frosty, sunny day.  After crossing the creek where the culverts washed out, we started with the “beyond” part, going up the mossy open ridge (in the warm sun) one ridge north of Eagle Ridge.  Then we descended down the open bands on the south side of that ridge and switched over to beneath the impressive cliffs of Eagle Ridge.  Then the route winds through a gap in the cliff defences and emerges at the top.  We had lunch at the Eagle Ridge summit, enjoying the views, and then took the trail back down, with a stop at the viewpoint overlooking the beaver ponds.  5.6 km, 3¼ hours.

Norris

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Hiking – Eagle Ridge Loop – 27 Nov 2019

Hiking – Deepwater & Seymour Shoulder Loop – 18 December 2019

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Adjustments will be made for poor weather.

Activity Hiking
Destination Deepwater & Seymour Shoulder Loop
Date 18 Dec 2019, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Norris Weimer
Contact Info norris.weimer@ualberta.ca.  Please contact the trip coordinator by email prior to the trip.
Description We will either walk or drive up Deepwater Main from the Granite Bay Rd.  Then we will walk up a steep old logging road on the NW side of Mt Seymour.  From there the road contours around the N side of Mt Seymour with views to the N, then it descends back down to Granite Bay Rd.  About 10.4 km and 4 hours if we walk the whole loop.  If we do a car shuffle, it will be a couple km shorter.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay store parking lot, to arrange carpools. High clearance vehicles might be best
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Moderate, due to elevation gain and eroded logging roads in places
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? Okay if under control
Notes: Bring lunch, gear for the weather and poles if you use them

Hiking – Surge Narrows – 11 Dec 2019

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If the weather is poor, this hike will be postponed and a shorter destination will be substituted.

Activity Hiking
Destination Surge Narrows
Date  11 Dec 2019
Trip Coordinator Julie Mellanby
Contact Info 3798.  Please contact the coordinator in advance of the trip.
Description We will drive to the end of the Surge Narrows Road and hike along the undulating, relatively short trail to the rocky bluffs overlooking the Narrows.  The current will not be running strongly.  We will then continue on the unmaintained route to a small bay.  It’s unlikely that the tide will be low enough to reach the island.  (Low tide at 11:05 – 3.7m; 10:07 – slack current, 12:48 – max flood 5.4 kt))
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Store for car pooling
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 The official trail is moderate but short; the route is more challenging
Costs none
Trip limits
Dogs? Dogs must not run through the group and would need to be particularly disciplined on the route
Notes: Bring  lunch and gear for the weather

 

Hiking – Maud Island- 1 Apr 2020

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Activity Hiking
Destination Maud Island
Date 1 Apr 2020, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Sandra Burns
Contact Info sandraburns.ca@gmail.com or 3977.  Please do not call after 8:00pm.  Contact the coordinator in advance of the trip.
Description Hike to Maud Island through varied forest and terrain.  We will do a loop passing over the shoulder of  Mt. Lolo, crossing the causeway to Maud Island, enjoying views of Seymour Narrows, and returning by the salt water lagoon.  Allow 5 hours, including driving, for this walk of approximately 10km.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Store for car pooling
Departure Time 9:30
Difficulty
 Moderate
Costs none
Trip limits 12
Dogs? no
Notes: Bring lunch, poles if you use them and gear for the weather.  We don’t usually do this trip in very poor weather.

Hiking – Open Bay & Crikey Creeks – 12 Feb 2020

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Activity Hiking
Destination Open Bay and Crikey Creeks
Date 12 Feb 2020, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Janis McLean
Contact Info 285-3614.  Please contact the coordinator prior to the trip departure.
Description We plan to walk a figure-of-eight loop starting on the trail along the Open Bay Creek, then circling back on a logging road. After a short walk down Open Bay Main we will hike up the Rio mountain bike trail and down Crikey Creek. About 6km and two hours walking time.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay store parking lot for car pooling
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Open Bay Creek is easy, but can be wet. Crikey Creek is steep, but easy ground to walk
Costs None
Trip limits 10
Dogs? Yes, under owner’s control
Notes: Bring hiking stick(s), lunch/snack and rain gear.

Trip Report – South Morte Lake Loop – 6 Nov 2019

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Nine of us and two dogs enjoyed another beautiful fall day for this highly varied and scenic hike.  We started up the steep bike trail, Morning Beer, and continued on Upper Deadfish.  The path travels through open forest and rocky, mossy bluffs with dappled light in the sunshine and a few great viewpoints.  We had lunch at the Deadfish summit and then descended Seven Sins and Nirvana to the hiking trail around Morte Lake.  After stopping briefly at Morte Lake, we ascended the South Bluff trail and followed along Mud and Reed Lakes to the Walcan Road.  We crossed and hiked along Yellow Mud to Jack Rabbit trails, connecting back to the parking lot.  There were lots of great views, but perhaps the most photogenic were the myriad mushrooms. If you know what they are, please let us know. It’s been a great fall for mushrooms and there were lots of Chanterelles collected for dinner on this hike.  9.2 km;  4 hours.

Debbie

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Hiking – South Morte Lake Loop – 6 Nov 2019