Category Archives: trip photos

Trip Report – Blindman’s Bluff – 30 Jan 2019

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Seven of us set out for Blindman’s Bluff.  We went in from Lieshman’s Road instead of the regular way on the Copperhead logging road because of the washed out culvert.  The forecast sunshine failed to show up, but the overcast was high enough to give us some peeks at the surrounding mountains.  The moss and lichen were wonderful.  On the way back, the group decided to take the regular trail and look at the washed out culvert, the new and improved beaver dam, which replaces the one that broke, and also visit the copper mine site.  5.3 km; 2¾ hours.

Norris

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Hiking – Blindman’s Bluff – 30 Jan 2019

Trip Report – Carrington Bay, Cortes – 23 Jan 2019

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Eight of us had spectacular weather for our trip to the Children’s Forest on Cortes Island, including Carrington Bay and the Grandmother’s Grove.  We took the 9:05 ferry to Cortes and the views of Sutil Channel, the mainland and Vancouver Island mountains couldn’t have been better.  We were met by Sabina who guided us through the forest and told us so much about the efforts of the community to acquire this forest, so that this incredibly diverse and important habitat can remain intact. Sabina shared her amazing knowledge about so many topics including lichen and moss, wolves, wildlife trees, flying squirrels and owls and so much more.  We continued on to Carrington Bay and the tidal lagoon, and crossed the narrow channel through which the tide was rushing out.  We walked to the swim rock and sat in the sun for a leisurely lunch admiring the mergansers, golden eye ducks and a curious seal.  From there we continued on to Grandmothers Grove, a beautiful old growth stand of spruce and cedar, in the James Creek watershed which also supports cutthroat trout and spawning salmon. The greens of the mosses were vibrant after all the recent rain.  We followed the trail and logging roads back in a loop and made a short variation on the James Creek Trail before returning to the vehicles and the ferry. 10.4 km; 5 hours.

Thanks so much to Margot for organizing this event and to Sabina for sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge with us.

Debbie

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Here is a short video of the area using mostly drone footage:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-zs5BjQo2U

Hiking – Carrington Bay – 23 Jan 2019

Trip Report – Mt. Washington – 16 Jan 2019

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For our first outing of the year to Mt. Washington, we had two for x-country skiing and nine for snowshoeing.  The snowshoers did a loop in the morning of Old Cabin, Tree Beard and Rossiter’s Rise, then returned to Raven Lodge for lunch.  In the afternoon, we made a loop of Old Cabin and Crooked Creek.  The skies were a bit overcast, the snow somewhat crunchy and the breeze was fairly bracing.  Two of us had binding issues and found it easier to walk; the trail was completely firm so no problem.  Everyone got enough exercise and we finished up around 2:30.  7.7 km; 3¾ hours.

Debbie

Photos by Norris

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Snow – Mt. Washington – 16 Jan 2019

Trip Report – Q Cove Trails – 1 Jan 2019

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The trip into the woods south of the library was scheduled for 2 Jan, but the weatherman was saying heavy rain and high winds, so we moved the trip up to 1 Jan at the last moment.  In the morning there was a very light rain, which was hardly noticeable in the woods.  So nine of us wandered off into the maze of community trails, all unofficial.  This is all private property, so many of the trails connect to someone’s back yard. Some of the trails are on what seems to be easements which extend existing roads.  The main part of property is in the Official Community Plan as a place for future housing.  Until then, it’s a pleasant forest to stroll through, with quite a few small streams and some impressively big cottonwood trees. The trails are well maintained.  The community has decorated the woods with carved masks, beadwork, and a “Word Log”.  We also visited the new stairs connecting Nole Road and Plaza Road.

While we were walking near the end of Nole Road, one of the alders leaning over the trail ahead of us decided to fall across the trail.  There was no wind, no gust of wind, it just decided to fall over for no reason, as alders do. Luckily, we were not too close and not in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Back at the cars, Les provided a little New Year’s tail gate treat with chocolate and pineapple.  4.3 km; 1¾ hours.

Norris

Photos by Norris

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Hiking – Q Cove Trails – 2 Jan 2019

Trip Report – Open Bay and Crikey Creeks – 30 Dec 2018

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We postponed this hike by a day for better weather and were rewarded with a beautiful, sunny winter day.  Ten of us followed the trail downstream along Open Bay Creek.  The trail is wet in a few places with a bit of winter blow-down, but there are great views of the stream rushing through the lush rainforest.  We made a loop by returning on the logging road, then wandered down Open Bay Main to the start of the mountain bike trail Rio.  This trail climbs steeply and near the top there is a banked bridged, which was slippery, with some loose planks.  After a quick snack break, we returned down the Crikey Creek trail, which is the more developed of the two trails.  We didn’t get a lot of sun, with the sun very low in these deep forests, but it was a good, short walk.  5.4 km; 2 hours.

Debbie

Thanks to Norris and Les for the photos.

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Hiking – Open Bay and Crikey Creeks – 30 Dec 2018

Trip Report – Two Mines and Some Karst – 12 Dec 2018

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Having decided that Mt. Washington needed more snow before we make that trip, we substituted this outing.  Seven of us visited a number of caves and karst formations at the north end of Quadra Island.  We started at the Lucky Jim mine, an historic gold, silver and copper mine, which is well signed and has been made safe with gratings over the vertical shafts.  The steam donkey is huge and in good condition considering it was installed in about 1910.   We next visited a mine off of Open Bay Main, which we know very little about.  The horizontal shaft is in good condition. We continued to a karst cave with excellent marbling and were impressed by the risks inherent in the nearby grikes or eroded fissures in the limestone. 

After lunch in the parking area we cut over to the Granite Bay Road and an area of sink holes.  We started at a very large sinkhole with a lovely waterfall and then moved a short distance south for a walk following a creek which is insurgent and resurgent in the limestone.  There are areas where the creek seems to have re-routed for it no longer emerges.  The large sinkholes and walls are impressive.  We didn’t walk very far, but took our time enjoying the sites and the incredible green forest at this time of year.  A bit more than four hours, without the drive out.

Debbie

Photos by Norris

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Exploring – Two Mines and Some Karst – 12 Dec 2018

Trip Report – Deepwater Mine and Bay – 5 Dec 2018

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Deepwater Bay is on Discovery Passage, north of Seymour Narrows.  Deepwater canyon or valley (for lack of a better name;  it’s not quite a canyon and it’s more than a valley) is a big gap between Mt. Seymour and North Mountain, complete with a mountain stream which can be impressive.

Twelve of us set off on a clear, cold morning to explore it.  It was a winter wonderland, even without snow, all white from hoarfrost.  We stopped first on the Deepwater Main logging road to visit the old rail trestle, which is in ruins.  Then we hiked up the old logging road to the copper mine on North Mountain. The horizontal shaft is full of water and fascinating, but no one was tempted to go swimming.  We then hiked down the old road to the Bay, passed the abandoned fish hatchery, and had lunch in the beautiful warm sunshine, with great views of Deepwater Bay and Discovery Passage.  A lone sea lion swam by close to shore.  This area is full of the history of logging, mining and fishery on Quadra.   6.8 km; 3¼ hours.

Norris

Photos by Norris

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Hiking – Deepwater Copper Mine and Bay – 5 Dec 2018

Trip Report – Open Bay and Breton Islands – 2 Dec 2018

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It was a chilly day, as there had been frost, but sunny and calm. Five paddlers set out from Len Road access to enjoy the sun and an afternoon on the water. There were a large number of eagles and loons out enjoying the sun as well. We paddled out of Hyacinthe Bay and headed over to the North Breton Island. The tide was quite high, 15.7 feet, so we were able to cross the rocks near the south end. From there we traveled north and came back down through Shellalligan Pass. We stopped on a little stretch of sand in Moulds Bay for tea and cookies. It was quite warm in the sun for this time of year. Afterwards we made a circle into Open Bay before returning to the cars. 3 hours, 6.6 nautical miles

Les

Thanks to Norris and Les for the photos

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Kayaking – Open Bay & Breton Islands – 2 Dec 2018

Trip Report – Backdoor-Yellow Mud Loop – 28 Nov 2018

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Fifteen hikers, along with Kona and Joey, the dogs, enjoyed a three hour hike in the area south of Walcan Road, starting at the pullout at Reed Lake. The weather was great for November – cloudy but with no rain, no wind and a pleasant 8° C. We headed south on Straight-as-a-Dime Trail, following a combination of newer bike trail sections and old logging roads. Turning east onto Backdoor Trail, we hiked over vibrant green moss-covered rock bluffs, through pine forest and past a perfectly mirrored pond. Shortly after going past some old mining camp debris, we headed north and followed Dick’s Ride down to Nighthawk Lake (variously named Yellow Mud, Hilda’s, Wood Duck and Beaver Pond Lake). Walking alongside the large lake created by a 20-meter-long plus beaver dam, we spotted Bufflehead and other waterbirds, and an unidentified hawk. We continued northwest down Yellow Mud Trail through lush sword fern, hemlock and Doug fir forest, paralleling McKercher Creek before arriving back at Reed Lake.  8.1 km.

Janis McLean

Thanks to Norris and Les for the photos

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Hiking – Backdoor-Yellow Mud Loop – 28 Nov 2018

Trip Report – Kay Dubois Loop – 21 Nov 2018

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Eight hikers and two dogs hiked a loop of the Kay Dubois trail and adjoining woodlot from the Sutil Road trailhead.  We hiked down the switchbacks to the rocky beach and enjoyed the rolling waves on a fairly windy day.  We continued along the quiet trail following the shore and then took the connector from the big Sitka Spruce tree up to the top of the bluff and walked the logging road back to the vehicles.  The weather was better than forecast and we stayed dry.  We all went back to Julie’s, where she served us an excellent lunch.  5.1 km; 1½ hours.

Julie and Debbie

Thanks to Norris and Eva for the photos

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Hiking – Kay Dubois Loop – 21 Nov 2018