The hike around Morte Lake is a familiar classic to many of us. There have been lots of changes in the past two years so this hike gave us an opportunity to experience some of those changes. Volunteers have been busy creating alternatives to trail sections that were wet or seriously eroded.

In spite of grizzly bear sightings and a rainy weather forecast, seven of us met at the Morte Lake parking lot and set off under sunny skies. We hiked counter clockwise, stopping for a snack on a bluff overlooking the lake. It started to rain lightly as we ate our lunch at the sandy beach on the south end. We returned to the parking via lower Deadfish Trail. It was a great to spend the day hiking and chatting with new people after so many months of isolation.

4 hours total (with snack & lunch stops) 9.5 km

This  was the first Club outing since Dr. Bonnie Henry re-opened adult outdoor sports in British Columbia.  It was great to go out with a group again.  The six of us first talked a bit about work that has been done documenting the geology, plants, animals and Indigenous history in this area.  We started out on the Homewood Camp trails leading to the first and most easterly bluff with views to the south and east.  We descended and continued on to Homewood Bluff for more views.  After a brief section off-trail we followed a forest trail leading to a short, steep ascent and High Bluff.  We stopped for lunch, then descended and made our way westerly across open mossy bluffs below the Citadel.  We climbed up a line to the plateau on the Citadel and visited the emergency communications tower with entirely different views to the northeast.  It was quite warm and humid, so we vegged out a bit on the helipad before continuing along the ridge and joining the Hopespring trail.  This trail led us to North Gowland Trail and then the Isle of 19 old growth Douglas firs.  We admired these survivors of the 1925 fire before crossing the small bridge, and again out onto mossy bluffs.  We followed a good line down to a forested logging road, where a Barred Owl sang to us, and a then short trail section leading back to North Gowlland Trail.  From there we walked east back to the vehicles.  7.7 km; 4¼ hours.

In damp, cloudy weather, eight hikers enjoyed our first “Hot Chocolate” hike of the season, perambulating the beautiful Shellaligan inland loop clockwise. We set off from the first parking lot from the turn off from Valdes Road, a good decision in retrospect as the logging road was blocked further on by downed trees from the previous day’s windstorm. The first part of this loop is on good logging roads, watch for signage for the turn-offs. Soon we turned right off a wide logging road, onto the trail, this turn easily missed so now marked with extra orange flagging tape. We followed this lovely, easy trail through a veritable sea of green, alongside a very full creek, to the shore. Here we admired the “neurotic sapsucker tree” and noted the collected marine debris awaiting pick-up. Soon reaching the trail sign a bit inland, we headed back on the “shortcut to parking lot” to the “middle” parking lot, turning right onto the logging road back to our cars. Just under 2 hours, good exercise, good company, home by the fire by early afternoon, a great first “Hot Chocolate” hike. 4.9 km; 1½ hours.

Thank you to Norris for the photos!