This trip was scheduled for Rousseau Ridge, but at a last-minute request it was re-routed to the bluff on the north shore of Mine Lake. The weather was perfect: clear, warm and still. We followed the trail from the Surge Narrows Road to the Camp Homewood campsite, which was closed for the season. After finding the sign to the bluff we climbed through the forest and then steeply on rocks up to great views of Mine Lake and the Mt. Seymour Ridge. We explored the top of the bluff for views and found a trail that descended the north side and then along the base of an impressive cliff. This trail circled back to re-join the trail we had taken up the south side of the bluff. We descended to the lake, stopping for lunch and a swim at the rocky peninsula near the campsite, before heading back.

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Hike Rousseau Ridge – 10 Sept 2014

The forecast was for rain, one of the few rainy days in the entire summer. A small group decided to go anyway. The threat of rain was exaggerated, but there was mist and low clouds – not perfect for hike with such great views. We hiked up to the viewpoint and on to the summit. We then decided to make a loop back to the parking lot by taking the route down the west side of Beech’s mountain, continuing on the old logging road for a while, and then following another flagged route along bluffs, finally joining the North Chinese Mountain trail. There are several routes from the logging road to the Chinese Mountain parking lot, but this is the most scenic.

A few people went the following day which was sunny and beautiful.

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Hike Beech’s Mtn. – 2 Sept 2014

The seven hikers on the trip headed out early due to the early-July heat wave. We dropped vehicles off at the Nugedzi Lakes parking area, and headed up the trail to Mount Seymour from the Granite Bay Road departure point. The climb through the forest was not too hot yet, and we were pleased to find a breeze to help the over-heating issue once we moved onto the more open section of the trail to the summit. The views from the top were superb. A bit of summer heat haze, but still a lovely, clear panorama of peaks to the east, and the Vancouver Island coastline and more fine peaks to the west.

We descended to Nugedzi Lakes for lunch, and a refreshing dip in the lake for some of us. A couple of grouse flushed along the trail were our most exciting wildlife spotting for the day. We descended through the forest trail below Nugedzi, appreciative of at the work the Trails Committee did last year to reestablish this path after the damage from the previous winter. We were back at the cars around 2 pm and glad to be out of the most intense heat of the day.

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Hike Mt. Seymour – 12 July 2014