| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Morte Lake Loop |
| Date | 24 July 2019, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Julie Mellanby |
| Contact Info | 3978 |
| 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 |
Easy to moderate. |
| Costs | none |
| Trip limits | none |
| Dogs? | okay |
| Notes: | Bring lunch and something to swim in, if you want to. |
| Activity | Kayaking |
| Destination | Granite and Kanish Bay/Small Inlet |
| Date | 23 August 2019, Friday |
| Trip Coordinator | Vic Gladish |
| Contact Info | vicgladish@gmail.com; 250-285-2111; cell 250-287-0459 |
| Description | Depending on weather (wind) conditions, paddle to Chained Islets, Granite Point, Orchard Bay and/or to Small Inlet with option to hike across to Waiatt Bay (if winds shorten our Kanish Bay portion). This trip could be as much as 12 NM (24km) and take, including breaks, up to 6 hours not including the driving time. Please carefully read all notes posted below. |
| Meeting Place | Granite Bay boat launch |
| Departure Time | 0830 at Granite Bay; 0900 on the water |
| Difficulty |
Moderate – winds and tides over a 5-6 hour day |
| Costs | Use of ramp $ 5.00; transportation to GB |
| Trip limits | 8 paddlers |
| Dogs? | no |
| Notes: | Lets try to carpool to save fuel – carbon footprint – and space at the boat launch parking. If you can take 2 kayak, set it up with your paddling partner or let me know. I can pick up 1 passenger/kayak.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING |
Although the wind was blowing about 15 knots, five kayakers decided to to give it a try as the day was otherwise beautiful. We started at Mine Lake boat launch and headed to the creek joining Village Bay Lake. The water level is low but it was out of the wind. As we entered the lake we were treated to watching a osprey hunt for about five minutes. They are such fast and graceful birds. He would swoop and hover, swoop and hover as he watched for prey and then dive at great speed to hit the water. After a few tries up he came with a fish in his talons and carried it off to the nest.
We then traveled back the creek and entered the channel to Main Lake. Here we pushed straight into the wind and waves. It was a challenge and work but also gave us some good practice in rough water. Upon reaching the small island to the west of Big Sandy we decided to take a break and have lunch. As we ate the wind came up more so decided to paddle back to Mine Lake. It was so much easier going with the wind back to the vehicles. About 3 hours and 4.5 nautical miles.
Les
Thanks to Norris and Les the photos
(click on photos to enlarge)
We began the outing by exploring the Kellerhals’ farm from the barn down to the water, encountering gardens and farm animals on the way. Heather showed us the quickest way up to the Pond, taking old, wide logging roads and smaller paths. After admiring the Pond we began the route up Mt. Sweat. This clambers up a steep bluff and then undulates along a ridge to a wonderful lookout with views through 270°. The day was mostly sunny and very windy from the northwest. We stopped for lunch and then followed a very basic route, steeply down to Kolker Main. We soon left the logging road and re-entered the Kellerhals property, following an old, wide trail to the Coast Mountain Lookout. After descending back to the farm, we stopped to enjoy Heather’s wonderful trees and her garden. She then invited us to sit on her deck and enjoy some refreshments. It was a lovely, social day. 7.3 km; about 4 hours moving time.
Debbie
(click on photos to enlarge)
Seven members and two dogs hiked the path from the Surge Narrows Road to Main Lake. The route was dry and in good condition, with the usual deadfall trees to climb over, under, or go around. It was cool in the shade of the forest. The forest has several notable big Fir trees and an open understory. After lunch at the lake, four of us walked to Yeatman Bay, three of us stayed at the beach to swim and nap. The dogs split up. We saw a mink emerge from Yeatman Bay and run into the forest. At the Main Lake beach we were out of the wind, but we could see lots of whitecaps further out. 9.8 km; 4½ hours.
Norris
(click on photos to view larger)
Seven hikers headed out in mixed weather. It had rained earlier but the trail had dried up and the lake level was low. We stopped at Camp Homewood to look at their new dock and cabin then proceeded up the hill. The rocks on the steep portion were dry which greatly helps the climb up. There were overcast skies at the top but the views were great. During lunch a dark cloud blew in and let loose a deluge for 20 minutes that soaked us. As it slowed down we descended down the back side of the hill. The huge maple by the cliff is always impressive. By the time we returned to the vehicles there were sunny breaks. All in all it was a good hike. 5 km, 3½ hours
Les
Thanks to Les for the photos
(click on photos to enlarge)
| Activity | Multi-day campground-based hiking |
| Destination | Woss Lookout and Huson Caves |
| Date | 15-17 July 2019, Monday-Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Debbie Quigg |
| Contact Info | debbie.quigg@ualberta.ca or 3710. Please let the coordinator know as soon as possible for detailed information about this trip. |
| Description | The details of this trip will depend on those that participate. At a minimum, we will visit the Woss Lookout and the Huson Caves. For more detail see the 2018 trip report: https://qioutdoorclub.org/2018/07/27/trip-report-woss-lookout-little-huson-caves-26-july-2018/ We may also visit other convenient areas of interest such as the White River Provincial Park. It may also be possible to join the group and do some of this as a day-trip. |
| Meeting Place | The destination campground will be the Woss Lake Recreation Site |
| Departure Time | Flexible |
| Difficulty | Varied: Woss Lookout is short, but steep. The Huson Caves are easy. |
| Cost | Transportation costs (ferries, fuel) |
| Trip limits | 10 |
| Dogs? | No |
| Notes: |
Six kayakers put in at Len Road and across a low tide exposed beach on a beautiful spring morning – sunny and warm. Because we found ourselves in very calm conditions as we crossed Hyacinthe Bay, and with the forecast not calling for significant wind until late afternoon, we made the decision to add Dunsterville Islet to our itinerary. It took about an hour to reach the islets and we decided to land on the smaller of the two to explore and have a short break. We found excellent campsites, a profusion of wildflowers of many kinds, a pair of oystercatchers and the inevitable plastic junk. An hour later (not such a short break) with two hatches full of trash and many flower photos taken, we headed back across a still calm Hoskyn Channel with our sights set on Village Bay and lunch. The views in all directions were fabulous and only slightly obscured by smoke from very distant forest fires. We thought about going a little further on to Crescent Channel but time and hunger kept us on track for the beach, on Wei Wai Kai land, at the head of Village Bay. As we ate lunch in the hot sun and sheltered by the small island just offshore, the afternoon wind was picking up and we could see the water sparkling off in the distance. One brave swimmer tried the water. We put in at 1300 and headed south into a rising tide and increasing southerly wind. The sparkly waves in the middle of Hoskyn soon sprouted whitecaps and we had a very different afternoon paddle. The changed conditions gave us some variety in our day and allowed one of the group to give her brand new kayak a good test. We took the seas broadside as we crossed Open Bay and then had the tide and the wind help us cruise into Hyacinthe and into the beach, now much closer to the parked vehicles. 17.2 km; 5½ hours.
Vic
Thanks to Norris, Vic and Terry for the photos
(click on photos to enlarge)
Seven hikers and Kona (the dog) enjoyed a four-hour hike on this loop with a side hike up Eileen’s Bluff. The weather was sunny, high of 26°C, with a slight NW breeze which was welcome on the open ridge bluffs. Starting at the Thompson trailhead, we hiked to the first viewpoint, stopping to admire the views to the east and north, and proceeded on a route north down the open ridge, dropped off the ridge at the big moss-covered maple tree and continued on a deer route through the forest to the old B&B trail. After a short distance on this trail, we headed north on a little used trail, at one point crossing a steep gully spanned by a very large old log. At the end of this trail, a rough route climbs west up the open ridge of Eileen’s Bluff to a steep drop-off at the top, overlooking part of John Marlowe’s woodlot. Here we stopped by a small pond for a snack in the shade and admired the view east across the islands to the mainland mountains. Retracing our steps to the B&B trail, we proceeded south up the trail through the cool forest along the stream gully. Along the way the group admired a couple of decaying alder logs lined with pearly-white oyster mushrooms. At the T-junction with Thompson Trail, we proceeded south to the second viewpoint turnoff and followed this trail up to the top of the ridge for our lunch break, with more spectacular views east. Instead of retracing our steps, we followed a sketchy route east and north down the ridge to intersect Thompson Trail near the first viewpoint intersection. From there, it was only a few minutes down the trail to the vehicles on Thompson Road. On the way we watched an ambitious brown-striped garter snake attempting to swallow a full-sized slug. 5.3 km; 3½ hours.
– Janis
Thanks to Norris and Les for the photos
| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Mt. Sweat |
| Date | 19 June 2019, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Debbie Quigg |
| Contact Info | debbie.quigg@ualberta.ca or 285-3710. Please contact the coordinator by Monday night. |
| Description | Heather Kellerhals has generously offered to let us hike on her property. The trip involves some steep sections and some scrambling over rock, but no actual rock climbing, with some good views over the island and mountains. Three to four hours depending on the loop. |
| Meeting Place | Heriot Bay store parking lot for car pooling |
| Departure Time | 9:30 |
| Difficulty |
moderate |
| Costs | none |
| Trip limits | 12 |
| Dogs? | No, this is a farm. |
| Notes: | Bring lunch. |
Quadra Island Outdoor Club 