Category Archives: multi-day trip

Trip Report – Powell River – 21-24 Mar 2025

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The 2025 multi-day hike in Powell River was exceptional based on the weather forecast predicting rain, rain and more rain. Yet, seven enthusiastic hikers deciding to go regardless of the forecast and we were rewarded with three great days of hiking.

Friday: The group travelled to Powell River on the 10am ferry and wasted no time in exploring the trails.  On day one of a three-day hiking getaway in Powell River seven of us hiked the Lost Lake Loop which is accessed from Inland Lake Provincial Park. The loop is a small part of the Sunshine Coast Trail, which winds for 185 km and can be accessed via potholed logging roads in many locations. The hike was 8 km through a lovely sun dappled mossy forest with amazing cedar trees, and nice lake views. The trail was easy on the knees and soft on the feet, and the lake showed evidence of a healthy beaver population.

(click on photos to view larger)

Saturday – Our second day had the best weather forecast, so we planned TWO hikes. The first was Scout Mountain. We started on Sutherland Avenue to get to the Sunshine Coast Trail, and then we went southeast. It was a gentle climb through mossy trees and some open views until we reached the summit trail. We went counterclockwise and we’re so glad we did! There’s a steep climb before the summit. There was a bench to sit on at the top, and we were rewarded with amazing views in the sunshine. From the top, you can see wide-open views of Georgia Strait north and south, as well as Powell Lake. After a short break, we descended and took in more inspiring scenery. It was 5.5 km and 2¾ hours.

Next, after lunch, we explored Stillwater Bluffs, which is all on private land. The start of this trail is at a private residence, so you need to park back by the mailboxes. This is a gentle walk through the forest to the ocean. Here you can enjoy the ocean views before continuing on to the many open bluffs and breathtaking views north and south, or west to Texada Island. Partway there is a stone throne to sit on and enjoy the views. You go up and down many times on large rock formations along the coast, and then you return through the trees. It was 4 km and 1¾ hours.

Sunday – Day three we explored Blackwater Creek Trail which was a well groomed, excellently marked, beautiful forest hike to Kelly and David Lam Falls. There are gentle inclines and declines along this shaded hike. The trail features flush creeks, greenery, and a few picnic tables as well as a wooden observation deck at the waterfall. Part of the trail is called Green Road with is amply named for the lush moss, trees and undergrowth. We decided to start our hike in the early afternoon to allow the weather pattern to pass, and were rewarded with only a slight mist. Overall, we travelled 6.5 km and 2½ hrs on this creek trail.

The multi-day trip was a success thanks to everyone in the group that either helped with planning the hikes, connecting with the information center, taking pictures, prepping meals, creating parts of the trip report, but most importantly working together as a coherent group.

Louise and the team

Thanks to Jim, Carrie, Les, Norris and passing strangers for the photos

Multi-day Hiking – Powell River – 21-24 Mar 2025

Multi-day Hiking – Powell River – 21-24 March 2025

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Activity Multi-day hiking
Destination Powell River
Date 21-24 March 2025, Friday to Monday
Trip Coordinator Louise Squire
Contact Info 306 539 3813 or lsquire@sasktel.net  Anyone who is interested MUST contact the coordinator by March 1.
Description Multi-day hiking excursion in Powell River.
Day hikes only.
More details to follow, but feel free to call or email at anytime.
Meeting Place TBD
Departure Time TBD
Difficulty Moderate
Dogs No
Trip Limits 10
Costs Ferry to Powell River, meals and accommodations and any personal expenses.
Notes We are not trying to find a single accommodation for 10 people.  There will be more than one location for sleeping and eating.

Trip Report – Gold River Area – 15-17 July 2024

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Day 1: There were six of us for the hikes to the Upper and Lower Myra Falls in Strathcona Provincial Park.  We had a beautiful, but very warm day, and enjoyed the drive out along the Upper Campbell and Buttle Lakes.  We started hiking at 11:30 and made our way along the well maintained trail through a mature forest and occasionally large boulders, arriving at the Upper Falls within an hour.  The falls had lots of water pouring through.  We had lunch near the end of the trail and then headed back down.  (7.4 km; 1.5 hours; 220m elevation gain)

(Click on photos to enlarge)

We drove a short way to the Lower Myra Falls parking area.  The hot weather made this a popular and busy destination.  We walked down to the viewpoint and then out to the falls.  While we had seen no one on the Upper Falls trail, there were lots of people here.  These falls are more accessible and very beautiful, but completely different from the upper falls, with a series of smaller cascades and wide open rocks to get close to the water.  We left without swimming.  (1.4 km; 0.75 hours; 60m elevation gain)

Four of us continued on to Gold River and set up camp at three neighbouring sites along the Gold River.  It was lovely, shaded and peaceful.

Day 2:  We had an intentionally leisurely start and some of us explored the trails from the campground along the river in the early morning.  We began hiking around Antler Lake shortly after 10:00 on an even hotter day than Monday.  This well-constructed trail has quite a lot of variety with lake views, boulder fields, quirky trail decorations and truly impressive old growth trees.  We took our time to appreciate all that it had to offer.  (4.3 km; 1.75 hours; 100m)

We had lunch at a picnic area by Antler Lake and then drove out to the Upana Caves stopping at the Cala Creek Falls for the view.  There are fives caves in the Upana Cave system.  The trails between them are quite short.  The maps are very interesting, but not always easy to visualize once you are in the cave.  We visited all the caves, but did not have the enthusiasm for slithering in the mud or getting very wet.  We missed some of the loops in the caves inadvertently. (0.8 km; 1.75 hours)  It was 33° C on the drive back to Gold River and we were happy for our shaded campsites.  There was some exploration to a swimming area on the Gold River in Peppercorn Park, used by locals.

Day 3 – We mostly headed home, but three of us hiked the short walk from the Gold River bridge to the junction with the Heber River and up along the Heber Gorge, which is quite impressive.  The trail is unmaintained, but has a chainlink fence along much of the way where the trail is narrow and exposed.  (2.9 km; 1.25 hours; 85m elevation gain)  On the way home we stopped for photos on the Upper Campbell Lake and for lunch at the Echo Lake Rec Site.

There was at least one new area to explore for everyone that came on this trip.  The weather was photogenic, if hot, and there was great variety with the varied falls, the lakes, beautiful forests and fascinating caves.  There is lots to explore near to us on Vancouver Island.

Debbie

Multi-day Hiking, Camping – Gold River area – 15-17 July 2024

Multi-day Kayaking and Camping – Granite Bay and Beyond- 20-22 Aug 2024

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Due to weather this is now a day trip on Thursday.  There is a new trip description.

Activity Kayaking and camping
Destination Granite Bay and beyond
Date 20-22 Aug 2024, Tuesday to Thursday
Trip Coordinator Vic Gladish
Contact Info vicgladish@gmail.com; 250-287-0459
Description This will be a two night multi-day paddling trip out of Granite Bay. We will set up a base camp at Orchard Bay and explore the familiar haunts of Small Inlet and Kanish Bay. As well as doing lots of paddling we will do the hikes to Waiatt Bay and Newton Lake.
Day 1: paddle to Chained Islets and Bodega Pt and finish at Orchard Bay on a rising tide.
Day 2: paddle to east end of Small Inlet and hike to Waiatt Bay and/or Newton Lake (big tidal changes to deal with); camp at Orchard Bay
Day 3: paddle to Granite Pt., Nixon Is, Ashlar Creek and return to Granite Bay and take out on a rising tide.
WEATHER/WINDS will determine the final trip plan and itinerary. We will be very flexible.
Meeting Place Granite Bay boat launch
Departure Time Meet up 0830. On the water by 0915.
Difficulty Moderate, but difficulty variable with the wind.
Cost Fee for launching/parking and fuel
Trip limits 8
Dogs? No
Notes: Must have ocean kayaks with sealed hatches and sprayskirt with all Transport Canada required safety equipment. PLEASE REVIEW OUR PADDLING GUIDELINES. You will not put in unless fully equipped. (https://qioutdoorclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/paddling-guidelines-july2023.pdf ) Trip is weather and wind dependent. Only signed-up participants will be contacted of any changes in plans. MUST sign up by Sunday evening, August 18.
You need drinking water for 3 days, your own camping gear and food. Be aware of the weather forecast when prepping your gear and clothing. There are no food caches or outhouses. We will hang our food and have a designated “outhouse” area.

Multi-day Hiking, Camping – Gold River area – 15-17 July 2024

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Activity Multi-day hiking and camping
Destination Gold River area
Date 15-17 July 2024, Monday to Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Debbie Quigg
Contact Info dmquigg@gmail.com or 3710; please contact the coordinator well in advance of the trip
Description We plan to visit the Uphana Caves, hike the Antler Lake Loop, and possibly other local trails.  Activities may depend on the group.  We may camp at the Gold River Municipal campground or at Muchalat Lake Rec Site
Meeting Place QCove ferry terminal
Departure Time 9:00 ferry to Campbell River or by individual arrangement
Difficulty Easy to moderate.
Cost Ferry, fuel and camping costs.
Trip limits 10
Dogs? No
Notes: I have not personally visited the caves, so this will be an exploration. Please read the “comment” below for more information about the plans.

Hiking – Savary Island – 26 June 2024

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This trip may be changed due to transportation issues.

Activity Hiking
Destination Savary Island
Date 26 June 2024, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Cyndy Chidley
Contact Info 250-285-3575
Description
Savary is a jewel of an island surrounded by white sand beaches.  We will hike around and through Savary, exploring its beaches.
The challenge is getting to Savary Island.  Water taxi and float plane are available, but sometimes complicated and expensive.  One option is to go to Powell River and take the scheduled water taxi from Lund.  We are still working on how to do this realistically.
Meeting Place: Water taxi dock
Departure Time TBD
Difficulty
 Mostly easy as the hiking is quite level.   Circumnavigating the island is very long.
Costs Cost of transportation to Savary Island
Trip limits
Dogs?
Notes: Please note that for practical reasons, the go-no go date for this trip is June 10.  Cyndy does not have communication once she has left for Savary Island.

Multi-day Paddling, Camping, Hiking – Main Lake Prov Park- 12-14 June 2024

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This trip will likely be postponed and/or substituted.

Activity Paddling, camping, hiking
Destination Main Lake Provincial Park
Date 12-14 June 2024, Wednesday to Friday
Trip Coordinator Vic Gladish
Contact Info vicgladish@gmail.com; 250-287-0459
Description We will set up camp at Main Lake and spend three days exploring by hiking and paddling. Destinations can vary with the group’s interests. Possibilities include paddle into Little Main, Paddle to Village Bay Lake, hike to Yeatman Bay and/or Surge Narrows.
Meeting Place Mine Lake boat launch
Departure Time 1000
Difficulty Easy unless the wind comes up while we’re on the water.
Cost Fee for camping
Trip limits 8
Dogs? No
Notes: This multi-day trip is relatively easy on a local lake, but requires good paddling and camping gear. Bring footwear suitable for hiking (easy). Each participant is responsible for their own camping gear and meals. Tent and meal sharing can be arranged if you buddy up with someone.
Ask coordinator about joining for just 1 or 2 days if you have a schedule conflict.Visit the BC Parks Camping website after May 28th to register and pay for camping.  https//:camping.bcparks.ca under “Backcountry” ;l “Backcountry Registration” ; “Main Lake”

Trip Report – Amor and Nearby Lakes – 29-30 Sept 2023

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This trip used the road-accessible Rec Site on Amor Lake for greatest flexibility.  Of the six people who participated, some stayed three nights, two nights, one night or just one day.  It certainly isn’t the best campsite on Amor Lake, but it has some conveniences. We were incredibly lucky with the beautiful autumn weather, since the trip was planned long in advance.

Friday:  Two came out on Thursday and set up camp.  Three others arrived on Friday morning and all launched as soon as possible.  We headed out to the south end of Amor and hauled out at the Mr. Canoehead campsite.  We navigated the short portage to Surprise Lake with the assistance of borrowed wheels for the kayaks and paddled across Surprise Lake as if we were doing the canoe circuit.  We left the boats at the south end of Surprise Lake and walked the 2.2 km portage to Brewster Lake through a lovely forest.  We had lunch at the launch site into Brewster Lake before retracing our steps and paddled back to the campsite by mid-afternoon.  We walked down the Blackwater Main logging road to visit the Rec Site on Blackwater Lake, which was sunny and scenic.  After relaxing on the shore, we headed back for dinner and enjoyed a great campfire, as the ban had just been lifted during the week and the evenings were cool.  The full moon was a bonus. (paddling 5.2 km, 1¼ hr; walking 8.3 km, 2½ hr)

(click to enlarge photos)

Saturday: We were joined by one more person on Saturday morning and were quickly away, heading north and across Amor Lake to the portage to Twin Lakes.  The launch site was quite muddy, but we managed awkwardly to get to the trail and walk up the undulating path to Twin Lake.  The campsite there, which is accessible by road, was very busy on this long weekend with great weather.  We briefly followed a trail up the north side of Twin Lake to a swim rock before heading back.  After returning to Amor Lake, we stopped for lunch at the first campsite we passed, which was on the north shore and had a beautiful sandy beach and lots of sunshine.  Continuing on, we came out of the east arm of the Lake and headed to the campsite at the north end, which has significant infrastructure.  We admired the dock with the picnic table as well as the covered shelter, but especially the sandy beach, sun-facing direction and great view.  We headed south along the western shore exploring the many campsites and sandy beaches along the way.  On our return to the campsite, two of the group packed up and left, leaving four others to enjoy another relaxed evening around the campfire.  (paddling 13.1 km, 3¼ hr; walking 2.5 km, ¾ hr)

We saw four of the Sayward canoe circuit lakes on this brief two-day paddle.  It was an easy and relaxed exploration.  We only encountered four other boats on Amor.  This was a fitting end to the season, having begun in May with an outing to Morton Lake Provincial Park and paddling on two other Sayward canoe circuit lakes – Mohun and Goose.  We had beautiful weather for both trips and enjoyed the relative quiet of the shoulder season.

Debbie

Multi-day kayaking and camping – Amor Lake – 29-30 Sept. 2023

Day or Multi-day Paddling – Amor Lake – 29-30 Sept 2023

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Activity Day or Multi-day Paddling
Destination Amor Lake
Date 29-30 Sept 2023, Friday – Saturday
Trip Coordinator Debbie Quigg
Contact Info dmquigg@gmail.com or 3710; please contact the coordinator well in advance of the trip
Description We will try to make this a very flexible outing.  Kayaks or canoes are welcome with good gear and experience.  Participants may come for one day or for both.  The base for our activities will be the small Rec Site on the west side of the lake with five campsites.  This is a free Rec Site accessible by logging road.  The boat launch is modest.  Amor Lake has lovely beaches and islets with much to explore.  It is on the Sayward Canoe Circuit and we can walk the portages.
Meeting Place QCove ferry terminal or Amor Lake
Departure Time 9:00 ferry to Campbell River or by individual arrangement
Difficulty Easy to moderate.
Cost Ferry
Trip limits 10
Dogs? No
Notes: Here is information about the Rec Site and Amor Lake:  http://www.sitesandtrailsbc.ca/search/search-result.aspx?type=Site&site=REC0174
There is currently an advisory for an aggressive cougar, but I believe that is quite old.

Reconnaissance Report – Woss Lake Provincial Park – 12-14 July 2023

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We had talked about this trip for over a year, but it came together at the very last minute. There is little information available about Woss Lake Provincial Park and much of it is unhelpful or actually incorrect. Historically this was an important trade route for the Namgis and Mowachaht, but today it is not much visited. There are some reasons why this beautiful place is quite inaccessible and little known.

Six of us in two kayaks and two canoes set out on a beautiful summer day to explore this area hoping to find the campsite and the Grease Trail. We launched at 11:30 in calm water from the Woss Community Cabin, which is about 8 kilometres down Woss Rd. The views on this in-land fjord are wonderful with Rugged Mountain and the glacier at the southwest end of the Lake. By 13:00 the diurnal wind from the south began to build and continued to increase to about 20 knots until after sunset, but the wind didn’t die completely until midnight. We spent several hours pulled out on the shore waiting for the wind to abate. Magically, a large Namgis cedar dugout canoe came quickly down-wind while we were on shore.

The campsite was not where we expected because the trail location on Backroads map is incorrect. The campsite is in much better condition than we expected since the BC parks says there are no facilities, and other sites simply repeat that there are a “few tent pads.” The campsite was built and the trail re-established as an initiative by the Namgis between 2001 and 2005. Lindsay Elms’ information in Beyond Nootka is the most complete. While some of the tent platforms have rotten wood, the general facilities and location are excellent for rustic camping.

The following day we planned to hike up to the pass on the Grease trail, which would descend to Tahsis on the far, south side. The trail was in better condition than we expected, since BC Parks are certainly not maintaining this. It seems likely that the Namgis are working on it. It was well flagged and most of the creeks were bridged for the first 3 kilometres. Then there was lots of flagging in different colours, but no convincing trail and no logical continuity. Because Backroads maps shows the trail on the wrong side of the creek and Lindsay Elms says that the grant was to develop 3 kilometres of trail, our expectations were that this would be a short steep hike. That was not the case and we had not allowed sufficient time to continue to the pass. We returned to the campsite through this excellent forest with many streams. The diurnal wind started earlier and persisted longer than the previous day.

The last day we paddled out following the west-side shore with interesting geology and small bays. Starting earlier in the day, we arrived at our launch site by noon and encountered virtually no wind at all. We learned a lot about this area on the trip, but definitely not everything and hope to return.

Debbie

(click on photos to enlarge)