Ten hikers attended the two short hikes. The weather was pleasant for early February, with cloud cover, mild temperatures and no rain. We walked south along the forestry road near the bottom of the big hill on Village Bay Lakes Road (opposite the Open Bay Main turnoff). After substantial snow the week before, the road still had a couple of inches of soft snow, but not deep enough to make walking difficult. After a half hour or so (and passing several clearcuts on the uphill side of the road), we took a trail into the woods towards Open Bay Creek, and followed this undulating trail through mossy open second growth Douglas fir and hemlock forest north along Open Bay Creek (upstream). This beautiful stream sustains salmon spawning in the fall, when chum and coho migrate up from Open Bay.

The second hike began on Open Bay Main which proceeds northwest from Village Bay Lakes Road, downhill from the large gravel pit. After a hundred meters are so, we turned west into the forest and proceeded at a steady uphill climb through lovely open Douglas fir and hemlock forest. The first part of this trail has been heavily eroded after the heavy winter rains, having been improperly constructed with no switchbacks or proper water management. We avoided the slippery-looking rough bridges by easily dipping down into the creek swales. Partway up this hill, we came across ‘Road Right-of-Way’ flagging tape, indicating that this area will be bisected by a forestry road and is slated for logging, presumably in the near future. We popped out onto a narrow logging road and could see Granite Bay Road a little further west uphill. A ten-minute walk south along the road took us to a good place for lunch, with old moss-covered logs to sit on. A short distance further, near the junction of this road and Granite Bay Road, our next trail headed downhill through the same forest, but closer to Crikey Creek which is situated in a deep gully. We came across forestry cruise plots used for timber volume estimates, another indication of imminent logging. The downhill trail ended on Open Bay Main just a short distance to the south of our uphill trail. Total time was three hours, from assembly at the Heriot Bay Store parking lot and back again. 

Janis

Hiking – Open Bay and Crikey Creeks – 12 Feb 2020

Although the forecast threatened considerable snowfall and high winds, five hikers and Luna-dog braved the snowy trails of Heriot Ridge. Trail conditions were slightly tricky as old snow and icy patches were covered with an inch of fresh snow. We expended a little more energy than usual being careful not to slip, and the hiking poles came in handy. Beginning at the Hopespring Trailhead we hiked Hopespring Trail up and over the ridge, turning right on the Gowlland Trail and right again onto Thompson Trail to the trailhead at Thompson Road. Snow fell lightly throughout the hike offering us lovely Christmas card surroundings in the forest.  4.9 km, 2 hours.

Janis

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Twelve hikers and two dogs came out for this classic Quadra hike around Morte Lake, and several had not done this hike before.  We hiked up the old logging road to the north beach on the lake, with lots of water in the lake, the creeks and on the trail in places.  After a short stop to enjoy the view we continued up the hill, following the newly constructed route, hiking counter-clockwise around the lake.  Between some very wet places on the trail, we enjoyed views from the high bluffs, before descending to the lake level, over some under-construction trail, and stopping for lunch at the southwest beach.  We carried on through the Conservancy Lands, past the southeast beach and over the undulating trail on the east side of the lake.  After re-joining the main approach trail, we crossed the creek and followed Lower Deadfish back to the parking lot.  Even on an overcast day, the forest, water features and forest were beautiful.   9.9 km, 3½ hours.

Debbie

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Hiking – Morte Lake Loop – 8 Jan 2020

The weather forecast was dismal, and it was mostly accurate.  However five bold adventurers set out anyway, in spite of wind and rain, on the theory that Mt. Seymour would block the wind for us.  We were just lucky with the rain because there was a hole in the system, a window of opportunity when we needed it.  So we set off, walking up the steep old logging road, which after the heavy rain was more like a shallow river,  It was a good day for waterproof boots.  Further up the hill we had green spongy moss covering the logging road.  Those are the best kind.  Then further up the hill we hit snow.  Fresh snowball-quality snow.  After a brief lunch stop at the viewpoint (in the cloud), we followed the old road as it descended back to the cars.  Of course there were some more water features, places where the trail resembled a cascade or lake.  We all made it safely home before the deluge resumed.  We were dry from the ankles up and remarkably cheerful.  7.1 km, 3¼ hours.

Norris

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Hiking – Deepwater-Seymour Shoulder Loop- 18 Dec 2019