| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Morte Lake Loop |
| Date | 15 August, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | TBA |
| Contact Info | TBA |
| 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 |
Moderate. |
| Costs | none |
| Trip limits | none |
| Dogs? | okay |
| Notes: | Bring lunch and something to swim in, if you want to. |
Seven hardy souls braved calm waters, no wind, no rain, light cloud cover, and mild temperatures to venture out to the Bretons and beyond. From the Len Road put-in, we were on the water by 10:17 am, launching taking a little longer than usual thanks to the very low tide. A gentle paddle out to the Bretons gave us a chance to admire the pillow lava in Hyacinthe Bay, and the exposed inter-tidal in Hyacinthe and the Bretons. A few curious seals eyed us from quite close up, they are now obviously much more used to kayakers than when I first paddled in the Breton islets. We saw a few gulls and one small flock of ducks (Goldeneyes ?). The absence of Oystercatchers and other birds usually seen there was possibly due to the large contingent of kayakers from one of the local outfitters who had landed on one of the islets in the very low tide and were busy exploring. We proceeded to Moulds Bay for a brief rest stop, the cabin there seems deserted once again. Passing “Clay’s Cabin” and the oyster lease, we were able to squeak through Shellaligan in the now rising tide. At the oyster lease, heavy rope netting still covers the bagged oysters on the beach, seemingly untouched since my last foray there a few years ago. We also noted the abandoned vessel beached in Shellaligan, no sign of any squatters there this year, nor on Shellaligan Beach. As time, not destination, was the determinant for this paddle, we opted for the first beach on the south side of Village Bay, that is also accessible from the trail, just before it turns inland, as our endpoint, rather than press on to the north beach at Village Bay. After a brief lunch break, we paddled directly back to Hyacinthe Bay, against a light wind, and were rewarded with a high tide landing. 14.5 km; 5 hours.
Valerie
(click on photos to enlarge)
| Activity | Paddling with possible small hike |
| Destination | Kanish Bay (launch from Granite Bay) |
| Date | 1 August 2018, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Darcy Mitchell |
| Contact Info | mitchelldarcy51@gmail.com |
| Description | Depending on weather (wind) conditions, paddle to Chained Islets, or to Small Inlet with option to hike across to Waiatt Bay. |
| Meeting Place | Boat launch, Granite Bay |
| Departure Time | Assemble at 8:30 |
| Difficulty |
easy to moderate; depending on wind conditions |
| Costs | $ 5.00 launch fee at Granite Bay |
| Trip limits | eight |
| Dogs? | no |
| Notes: | All participants must review and conform to QIOC paddling guidelines. Only ‘sea kayaks’ with skirts for this trip, as weather can change quickly with the potential for strong northwesterly winds. If you have not paddled with the coordinator previously, please contact her no later than July 27. All participants must contact the coordinator by email (preferably) or by phone to 778 716 7124 to confirm participation no later than July 29. The trip will be cancelled if forecast winds are higher than 15 knots, or steady rain is expected. Participants will be informed by 7 p.m. on July 31 if the trip will be cancelled. |
Twelve hikers, two of whom were new to the Outdoor Club, met at the Hopespring trailhead for a four hour hike. The day was sunny and warm. We headed up Hopespring trail to the top of the ridge and down the west side, turning northwest onto the Gowlland Harbour trail. This trail was followed through shaded second growth forest and along a ten-year-old clearcut, nicely regenerating, to North Gowlland Harbour Road. Crossing the road and up Missing Links Road a short distance, we hiked northeast along Bite the Bullet which parallels the logging road, managing to avoid being dusted by logging trucks. Recrossing the logging road, we turned southeast at a large beaver dam and walked up John Marlow’s woodlot road. At a deep pool in an old quarry at the roadside, we stopped to admire the critters (salamanders?) swimming there. At that point, we turned south onto a faint bike route that led us to intersect with the Gowlland trail at Rousseau Ridge. Climbing to the top of the ridge, we enjoyed lunch with great views to the west over Copper Bluffs, Discovery Passage and the Vancouver Island mountains.
On the return trip, the group split into two at the Thompson Trail intersection. One group followed Thompson Trail to Thompson Road; the other group retraced their hike down Gowlland Trail and up and over Hopespring Trail to the vehicles at the trailhead. We managed to stay in the shade for most of the hike, and out on the open ridge we had some cloud cover and a nice breeze. However, an earlier start may have been in order – by the end of the hike, the temperature was climbing, with my home thermometer on Thompson Road reading 29C. 10.1 km; 4 hours.
Janis
Thanks to Norris and Les for the photos
(click on photos to enlarge)
| Activity | Kayaking |
| Destination | Bretons and Village Bay: time, not distance will determine destination |
| Date | 9 July 2018, Monday |
| Trip Coordinator | Valerie van Veen |
| Contact Info | vvv@qisland.ca; 250 285 2329 |
| Description | We will paddle from Len Road Beach northwards towards the Bretons and Village Bay . Trip will be about 4-5 hours including a lunch break. Bring lunch, snacks, and water. |
| Meeting Place | Len Road Beach |
| Departure Time | Meet at launch site at 9:30 am; on water by 10 am |
| Difficulty |
Moderate: trip will be cancelled if steady rain and/or winds over 18 knots (approx). Paddlers should be prepared for some wind and possible rain. |
| Costs | None |
| Trip limits | Seven paddlers plus coordinator |
| Dogs? | no |
| Notes: | Paddlers must have all gear and equipment as outlined in the Paddling Guidelines on the QIOC website. Paddlers who are not Club members AND/OR who have not paddled with this coordinator before MUST talk to the coordinator no later than 24 hours before launch (ie by 10 am Sunday morning) in order to be signed-up. All other paddlers must email or phone coordinator no later than 7 pm Sunday night to sign-up. ONLY paddlers who are signed-up will be allowed to join this trip. |
| Activity | Hiking |
| Destination | Mt. Seymour |
| Date | 11 July 2018, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Valerie van Veen |
| Contact Info | vvv@qisland.ca; or 250 285 2329 |
| Description | We will do this long hike as a crossover, using two cars, going up the Nugedzi Trail from Hyacinthe Bay Road then down the Mt. Seymour Trail to Granite Bay Road. We will park at least one car at each trailhead to ferry drivers back to their cars. Swim time in Nugedzi if desired. Lunch at either Nugedzi or Mt. Seymour (or both?). Bring lunch, snacks, water. Cancelled if raining as trails can be slippery. |
| Meeting Place | Heriot Bay Parking Lot; north enders meet at Nugedzi Parking Lot no later than 8:15 |
| Departure Time | 8:00 |
| Difficulty |
This is a long, more challenging hike. Good hiking shoes highly recommended for the rubble on the Nugedzi Trail especially. |
| Costs | none |
| Trip limits | none |
| Dogs | no |
| Notes: | Must confirm with coordinator by 8 pm the night before at the latest to be on my participant checklist; only confirmed participants will be notified if hike cancelled due to weather. |
| Activity | Hiking with swiming |
| Destination | Newton Lake and beyond |
| Date | 18 July 2018, Wednesday |
| Trip Coordinator | Darcy Mitchell |
| Contact Info | mitchelldarcy51@gmail.co |
| Description | Hike into Newton Lake, down to the portage between Small Inlet and Waiatt Bay and back to the Newton Lake parking lot. Distance about 15 kilometres – will take approximately 6-7 hours (including lunch and short swim stops at Newton Lake) |
| Meeting Place | Newton Lake parking lot. Drive to the end of Granite Bay Road, cross the small bridge and turn right. There is a sign. Or arrange carpools |
| Departure Time | We will meet at the HB store parking lot at 8:00, to be at the Newton Lake trailhead at 8:30 (Not 10:00) |
| Difficulty |
Moderate, with a steepish grade between the portage trail and Newton Lake. Fairly long day. |
| Costs | none |
| Trip limits | none |
| Dogs? | no |
| Notes: | Bring plenty of water, lunch and snacks, and swimming stuff if you want to take a dip in the rather cold but very clear lake. |
Eight of us kayaked from Len Road across Hyacinthe Bay in the morning (1 km; ¼ hour). It was a very short paddle to Maple Bay where we explored a property that is proposed to become a wilderness conservation area. From there we hiked up to a viewpoint with views over Hyacinthe Bay and Rebecca Spit. It was steep and rugged in places, a path following cairns. We returned to the Bay for lunch (hike – 4.4 km; 2½ hours), then kayaked on to Lady Ann Bay. One interesting feature of Hyacinthe Point is the exposed pillow lava which flowed out under water causing the “pillow” formations. Three kayaks returned from this point and five continued on for an extended paddle since the weather was hot and calm.
On our paddle there were herring jumping out of the water near us, which attracted an eagle to swoop in to catch them a couple of times. He put on a very nice show quite close to us. We continued around Heriot Island in shallow water and returned to the vehicles. (kayak – 6.0 km; 1½ hours)
Many thanks to the two owners who invited us to visit their properties.
Norris
Photos by Norris and Les
(click on photos to enlarge)
We decided at the last minute not to go to Surge Narrows to hike. The weather forecast was sketchy and the recent rains would have made it a wet walk. Ten of us had a lovely walk around Morte Lake without more than a few drops of rain. We hiked the loop counter-clockwise, stopping at some of the high bluff viewpoints. We had lunch at the northwest beach and admired the lovely green water. After the south beach, we took the side trip to the lake viewpoint on the south shore. We returned to the vehicles on Lower Dead Fish, enjoying views of the creek and some old growth fir. The forest seemed to have been refreshed by the recent rains. 10.1 km; 3¾ hours.
Julie
(click on photos to enlarge)
Thanks to trainers Doug Taylor, Monica Russell and Penny Taylor, seven club members learned and revisited kayak rescue and paddling skills in the club’s annual rescue workshop. In a separate afternoon session, five members and guests were introduced to the use of the Greenland paddle. The day was cool, partly sunny and rather windy, but still the best day of a wet blustery week.
Doug and his fellow trainers have adopted a ‘backwards’ approach to teaching assisted rescue. Rather than starting with the dreaded “dump yourself upside down” (otherwise known as a wet exit), this step is taught last, after participants have practiced emptying a swamped boat and re-entering with the help of a fellow paddler. Participants unanimously preferred keeping wet heads and water up the nose until the end of the session.
In the afternoon, club members learned about the history and construction of the Greenland paddle and practiced various strokes in a short tour of the lake. Paddling technique is quite different from that of the Euro paddle, and is considered very efficient for long trips, especially in windy conditions. The shorter and lower stokes place less stress on the shoulders. For the older paddler, this is a real advantage.
Once again organized through Coast Mountain Expeditions, the two workshops were both well received and very useful. Several participants mentioned that they would like to see self-rescue included in future workshops, which will likely require some advance information about proper deck rigging.
Darcy
(click on photos to view larger)
Quadra Island Outdoor Club 