Category Archives: moderate

Hiking – Newton Lake-Small Inlet-Waiatt Bay – 23 July 2025

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Activity Hiking / swiming
Destination Newton Lake, Small Inlet and Waiatt Bay
Date 23 July 2025, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Vic Gladish
Contact Info vicgladish@gmail.com; 250-287-0459
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 6-7 hours (including lunch and short swim stops at Newton Lake)
If there is sufficient interest, there will be a shorter option, for those who want to go to Small Inlet, but not continue on to Waiatt Bay.
Meeting Place Quadra Community Centre
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? No
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 – Mt. Seymour – 19 June 2025

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We had moved this hike from Wednesday to Thursday due to the heavy rainfall forecast, which didn’t come until afternoon, but it really poured so we were glad that we had.

Five hikers left at 9:30 in the morning from the Granite Bay Road to hike to Mount Seymour. The large ferns on the start of the trail were very wet from the rainfall the night before, but the trail was in good shape. It was a cool pleasant morning with clouds and sunshine that made the moss very photogenic. We briefly stopped to admire the Nugedzi Lakes and could see huge thunder heads to the west toward Gold River. We continued our ascent and stopped on top by the large rock cairn to enjoy lunch and the views. There was a small breeze, but the sunshine had warmed up the rocks, so it was a very pleasant time on top of the highest point on Quadra Island. After this, we went to the viewpoint looking out over Browns Bay and then to the second peak with the view to the north.

We then descended down, following the same path, to the fork that goes to Nugedzi Lake. Because it looked like the thunder heads were coming toward us we decided not to carry on to the Nugedzi view point and we went back down the same route to the vehicles.
8 km, 4 1/2 hours and 500 m total ascent to 612 m elevation.

Les

Thanks to Les and Norris for the photos.

(click on photos to enlarge)    

 

Hiking – Mt. Seymour – 19 June 2025

Hiking – Heron Point and Mt. Sweat – 3 July 2025

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Activity Hiking
Destination Heron Pt and Mt. Sweat loop
Date 3 July, Thursday
Trip Coordinator Debbie Quigg
Contact Info dmquigg@gmail.com or 3710  Please contact the coordinator by Tuesday night.
Description This is a fairly short hike starting on Kolker Main. We will briefly follow a logging road, a short connector and a mossy bluff to Heron Point for great views of Hyacinthe Bay and the Chinese Mtn area.  From there we will take a cairned route through undulating forest trails and rocky bluffs to Mt. Sweat. We descend to Kolker Main through open, forested slope and return to the vehicles on Kolker Main.  This is a view hike and will not be done in poor weather.  About 4 km; 2½ hours.
Meeting Place Community Centre parking lot.  We will drive out in a group.
Departure Time 10:00 or earlier if it’s hot
Difficulty
 Mostly easy, except some steep places on Mt. Sweat.
Costs None
Trip limits 10
Dogs? No, some of this will be on private property.
Notes: Some of this trip is on private property and we thank Heather Kellerhals for allowing our visit to Chauntaluf Farm.  Bring gear appropriate for the weather and trail conditions, as well as lunch.

Trip Report – Cortes Island – 27-29 May 2025

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The first part of the adventure was just getting to Cortes, due to overloads and low tides.  Seven of us went on four different ferry sailings and arrived more or less as planned.

Tuesday: We started at Manson’s Landing Provincial Park to explore the forest and the beach.  The timing was arranged to coincide with a very slightly minus tide around 12:30.  We hiked through the forest to the community of Manson’s Landing and then down along Hague Lake before circling back to walk along the nearly dry Lagoon and out across the sand to the island for lunch.  There were wild roses, death camas and sedums around us as we sheltered out of the wind.  We walked around the end of the peninsula before going to the campground at Smelt Bay Provincial Park before our hike to Easter Bluff.  (Manson Lagoon walk: 5.0 km, 2½ hours, 115m)  The hike to the bluffs is short, but steep and rough in some places.  The morning overcast was just retreating as we arrived on the bluff for the great views over Desolation Sound, Baker Passage and toward the mainland.  (Easter Bluff hike: 2.0 km, 1½ hours, 130m)  We wanted a bit more, so we explored the trail out to Red Granite Point, which we had not visited before.  We found this a wonderful viewpoint for the effort to get there. (Red Granite Point hike: 1.1 km, 1¾ hour, 70m)

Back at the campground, we enjoyed a group happy hour, some of us walked on the beach, and after dinner we sat around a campfire.

(Click on the photos to enlarge)

Wednesday: We were off by 9:30 for the hike to Green Mountain.  The climb went more quickly than we remembered and we were up to the loop on the bluff in half an hour.  The day was very clear and the views in every direction were great.  (Green Mountain hike: 4.1 km, 1¾ hour, 200m)  We returned to the campsite for lunch and then headed out on the beach again with a slightly minus tide at around 13:20.  We walked out toward the end of Sutil Point, but did not go the entire way.  It was a wonderful, if a bit wet, walk.  The extensive flats, the intertidal life, the views and the clouds were excellent.  (Sutil Point beach exploration: 4.8 km, 2 hours)  For a bit more variety, most of us visited the gardens at Hollyhock in the late afternoon.  The garden with flowers, vegetables and herbs is very impressive and photogenic.  The variety of iris in bloom was lovely.  We visited their east-facing beach before returning to camp for dinner and some early packing up, in light of the forecast rain overnight.

Thursday: It definitely rained overnight, but what was more inconvenient was the deluge at 8:30 in the morning, which was not forecast.  If definitely put a damper on enthusiasm for walking.  While some headed home, two headed out to visit the very popular free-store on Cortes, while two others went for the initial planned walk to the south end of Kw’as Park.  We had not used this approach before.  After reaching the park we followed two short loops with a connector.  From the really huge Douglas fir tree, we climbed to the cedar ridge and back down to the bridge over the inlet between Hague and Gunflint Lakes.  We circled back and then climbed up to the short Pierre de trail loop.  It was a lovely, quiet, wet walk.  (South Kw’as hike: 3.5 km, 1 hour, 120m)

We returned to Quadra on three different ferry sailings and by noon the sun was out and the wind was up.  This was a wonderful visit to Cortes with great destinations and mostly great weather.

Debbie

Thanks to Vic, Les and Norris for the photos

Multi-day Hiking, Camping – Cortes Island – 27-29 May 2025

Trip Report – Ripple Rock Trail – 13 May 2025

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Three of us and two dogs hiked out from trailhead at Highway 19 to the viewpoint overlooking former Ripple Rock. Blasted in 1958, it was the largest non nuclear blast up until that time. It was a beautiful sunny day with slight breeze so temperature was ideal for hiking. With no significant rainfall for awhile the trail was dry with no mud or slippery sections. We walked the trail at a good pace with dogs helping us along. The whole route out and back was 9 km and took 3 hours and 6 minutes, with a 15 to 20 minute break for a snack at Ripple Rock viewpoint. The last uphill stretch to parking lot was a bit exhausting, but welcome once there.

Allan
 
Thanks to Allan for the photos
 

(click on photos to enlarge)

Hiking – Ripple Rock Trail – 13 May 2025

Trip Report – Gowlland Harbour – 14 May 2025

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What could go wrong?  Well, first there were 13 people who registered to come on this trip, but only four were able to come and three of them live on Gowlland Harbour.  The day was beautifully clear and a perfect temperature.  We paddled over to Gowlland Harbour Resort, who very generously allowed us to launch from their property.  There was a slight breeze from the northwest, which was just a bit of extra work.  By the time the last person was in the water, however, it seemed as if the wind was sufficient to reconsider the planned route and so instead of paddling over to Gowlland Island, we went upwind into North Gowlland.  We got out on a beach there for a short break, even though we had not paddled for very long.  In the 15 minutes or so that we were there, the wind increased noticeably so the there were small white caps.  So we once again changed our plan to explore the upper reaches of North Gowlland Harbour and instead crossed over to Vigilant Islet.  The bay behind the island was very sheltered and the tide was rapidly ebbing so there was lots of foreshore.  A few people rambled around the Island, admiring the flowers and the views before returning to the kayaks.  We had a brisk paddle back over to the north shore of Quadra Island, but were then somewhat sheltered.  We poked into the inlet east of Gowlland Harbour Resort before heading back to the launching beach.  We had lunch on the rocks there, enjoying the sunshine, and the view.  In our fairly short paddle we saw a mink, river otter, lots of Harbour Seals, a few porpoise or dolphin (which may have been Pacific White-sided Dolphin), deer, Bald Eagles, Canada Geese, Turkey Vultures, and Great Blue Heron.  It was a lovely day, but not the day we expected.    (From east Gowlland Harbour 7.4 km; 4 hours with lunch and two stops)

Debbie

(click on photos to enlarge)

Kayaking – Gowlland Harbour – 14 May 2025

Trip Report – Trout Creek Falls – 7 May 2025

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On a sunny spring day, nine hikers drove out Menzie’s Main to the start of the trail. There is a easy place to park just before and after the bridge over Mohun Creek, which used to be called Trout Creek. It is only a short walk to the first of three waterfalls. The first is impressive, but smaller. The trail has lots of rocks and roots in it so you must be careful not to trip. The trail has been used extensively already 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 beautiful. The trail is very steep here so you need to be careful not to slip. The third waterfall is short but very impressive as it drops over a rock face and then makes a sharp right down a rocky ravine before it drops more. 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 in about three hours

Les
 
(click on photos to enlarge)
 

Hiking – Trout Creek Falls Loop – 7 May 2025

Hiking – Ripple Rock – 13 May 2025

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Activity Hiking
Destinatio Ripple Rock Trail, Campbell River
Date 13 May, Tuesday
Trip Coordinator Allan Liimatta
Contact Info allanliimatta@gmail.com; 1 250 416 9338
Description Ripple Rock Trail starts 16 km north of Campbell River. It is a moderate hike through a lovely forest. The trail undulates over 9 km (RT), taking 4 to 4.5 hours return. There are several metal bridges, and a 47-step staircase near the top.
Meeting Place QCove ferry line up
Departure Time 10:00 ferry
Difficulty
 Moderate
Costs Ferry and gas
Trip limits 10
Dogs? Bring a leash.
Notes: Please arrange your own carpools. Bring a lunch and dress for the weather.

Trip Report – Blindman’s Bluff and Eagle Ridge – 30 Apr 2025

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On a gorgeous sunny spring day, five hikers set out from the Copperhead Road parking area to hike around Blindman’s Bluff. There were only a few fallen trees on the trail, so it was in fair shape. There had been no other hikers on the trail since last fall, so it was easy to lose the path because of the new grass growth and trees across it. We had to rely on an old GPS track in a couple of places as we went around the Bluff counterclockwise. We stopped at a couple of open bluff areas to admire the mountains on Vancouver Island. Victoria Peak was especially prominent. As we came across the south side above Gowlland Harbour log sort we decided to go south down the rocky open area and explore a bit. This is a beautiful mossy area and we found many deer bones as well as a full skull where possibly a cougar had feasted. We then returned back to the main trail, continued on around Blindman Bluff Trail, and headed for Eagle Ridge.
We stopped by the large beaver pond to have lunch, admire the lily pads that were starting to grow and vegetation around the lake. We then preceded up the ridge to the highpoint, looking over Seymour Narrows toward Menzies Bay. This is also a great viewpoint with a large swampy area below you, then the ocean and looking again to the mountains in Strathcona Park. There were two tugs moving a log boom from Menzies Bay around Race Point. You could see the current moving the center of the boom out as they tried to get it going straight again, and finally did. After a short rest we headed back to the vehicles to call it a day.  (6.8 km and about four hours)

Les

Thanks to Carrie and Les for the photos.

Click on photos to enlarge
 

Hiking – Blindman’s Bluff and Eagle Ridge – 30 Apr 2025

Multi-day Hiking – Cortes Island – 27-29 May 2025

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Activity Multi-day Hiking
Destination Cortes Island, staying at Smelt Bay Prov Park campground
Date 27-29 May 2025, Tuesday to Thursday
Trip Coordinator Debbie Quigg
Contact Info 3710 or dmquigg@gmail.com; please contact the coordinator well in advance of the trip
Description We will have two half-days and one full day to explore Cortes Island.  There is lots to do: Easter Bluff, K’was Park, Hanks Beech Forest Park, Green Mountain, and Manson’s Lagoon. We can decide closer to the trip what our schedule will be.
Each person or group will need to make their own arrangements to stay at the Smelt Bay Provincial Park campground or elsewhere.  Sooner would be better than later, especially if you have a trailer.  Trailer sites are quite limited at the campground.  The cost is half-price for seniors.
Meeting Place Cortes ferry line-up
Departure Time 9:05 am sailing. Vehicles must be in line-up very, very early. This is a busy trades ferry.
Difficulty Easy to Moderate.
Cost The ferry and the accommodation at the Smelt Bay campground or other alternative
Trip limits 10
Dogs?
Notes: Please ensure that you have adequate camping gear.  Everyone on the trip needs to have a 2025-26 Club membership.