Hiking – Deepwater & Seymour Shoulder Loop – 18 December 2019

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Adjustments will be made for poor weather.

Activity Hiking
Destination Deepwater & Seymour Shoulder Loop
Date 18 Dec 2019, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Norris Weimer
Contact Info norris.weimer@ualberta.ca.  Please contact the trip coordinator by email prior to the trip.
Description We will either walk or drive up Deepwater Main from the Granite Bay Rd.  Then we will walk up a steep old logging road on the NW side of Mt Seymour.  From there the road contours around the N side of Mt Seymour with views to the N, then it descends back down to Granite Bay Rd.  About 10.4 km and 4 hours if we walk the whole loop.  If we do a car shuffle, it will be a couple km shorter.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay store parking lot, to arrange carpools. High clearance vehicles might be best
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Moderate, due to elevation gain and eroded logging roads in places
Costs none
Trip limits none
Dogs? Okay if under control
Notes: Bring lunch, gear for the weather and poles if you use them

Hiking – Surge Narrows – 11 Dec 2019

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If the weather is poor, this hike will be postponed and a shorter destination will be substituted.

Activity Hiking
Destination Surge Narrows
Date  11 Dec 2019
Trip Coordinator Julie Mellanby
Contact Info 3798.  Please contact the coordinator in advance of the trip.
Description We will drive to the end of the Surge Narrows Road and hike along the undulating, relatively short trail to the rocky bluffs overlooking the Narrows.  The current will not be running strongly.  We will then continue on the unmaintained route to a small bay.  It’s unlikely that the tide will be low enough to reach the island.  (Low tide at 11:05 – 3.7m; 10:07 – slack current, 12:48 – max flood 5.4 kt))
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Store for car pooling
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 The official trail is moderate but short; the route is more challenging
Costs none
Trip limits
Dogs? Dogs must not run through the group and would need to be particularly disciplined on the route
Notes: Bring  lunch and gear for the weather

 

Trip Report – Shellaligan Pass Loop – 13 Nov 2019

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We had a big group of 14 people for this classic hike. The weather was overcast, but good for hiking.  We parked on Valdez Road and walked the logging road to the shorter loop trailhead. We hiked clockwise through the new and the old forest to Village Bay where we stopped for a short break.  We continued on the rocky trail with moss, lichen and water views.  We stopped again for lunch on the rocky bluffs at the corner of Village Bay and Hoskyn Channel where we enjoyed the view of the calm water and migrating ducks.  We  continued on the trail overlooking Hoskyn Channel stopping briefly at the small cove and then hiking back along the logging road to the vehicles.  6.7 km, 3 hours.

Julie Mellanby

(click on photos to enlarge)

Hiking – Shellaligan Loop – 13 Nov 2019

Hiking in Silence- Carrington Bay – 5 Dec 2019

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This trip has been postponed to Dec. 9

Activity Hiking in Silence
Destination Carrington Bay, Cortes Island
Date 9 Dec 2019, Monday  5 December 2019, Thursday
Trip Coordinator Margot Wood
Contact Info 250.285.2393.  Please contact the coordinator well in advance of the trip, so that car pools can be arranged.
Description We will meet at the Cortes Ferry Line-up. We will drive to the Carrington Bay Trail entrance. Before beginning the hike we will partake in a short meditation, followed by 1 minute of silence (for those who wish to.) Giving oneself completely to the act of listening, seeing and feeling. Hiking in silence onto Carrington Lagoon. Spending a little time at the lagoon and then onto Grandmothers Grove. Returning on the 3:50pm ferry to Quadra. Please bring your packed lunch and water. This trip is weather dependent. The Forest Trust for the children of Cortes has been formed to purchase these forestlands and hold them in trust for the children of Cortes Island in perpetuity. I always feel honoured by being there. Margot.
Meeting Place Cortes ferry line-up.
Departure Time 9:05 am ferry; Car-pooling will be encouraged. Designated drivers please be in line-up by 8:15a.m – this is a busy trades-person ferry.
Difficulty
 Easy
Costs Ferry travel costs; bring your experience card and ID
Trip limits 8
Dogs? no
Notes: This trip is for all who wish to hike in silence.

Hiking – Maud Island- 1 Apr 2020

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Activity Hiking
Destination Maud Island
Date 1 Apr 2020, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Sandra Burns
Contact Info sandraburns.ca@gmail.com or 3977.  Please do not call after 8:00pm.  Contact the coordinator in advance of the trip.
Description Hike to Maud Island through varied forest and terrain.  We will do a loop passing over the shoulder of  Mt. Lolo, crossing the causeway to Maud Island, enjoying views of Seymour Narrows, and returning by the salt water lagoon.  Allow 5 hours, including driving, for this walk of approximately 10km.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay Store for car pooling
Departure Time 9:30
Difficulty
 Moderate
Costs none
Trip limits 12
Dogs? no
Notes: Bring lunch, poles if you use them and gear for the weather.  We don’t usually do this trip in very poor weather.

Hiking – Reed Lake Loop – 11 Mar 2020

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Activity Hiking
Destination Reed Lake Loop
Date 11 Mar 2020, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Janis McLean
Contact Info 285-3614.  Please contact the coordinator prior to the trip departure.
Description We start at Reed Lake on Walcan Road, hike south on Straight-as-a-Dime, east on Backdoor Trail and north down Dick’s Ride to the large beaver-dammed lake (variously called Yellow Mud, Nighthawk, Hilda’s or Wood Duck Lake). Hiking along the lake, we follow Yellow Mud Trail northwest back to Reed Lake. If the weather is good and hikers are keen, we could expand this loop to include Silk Stockings and Little Black Dress.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay store parking lot for car pooling
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Easy but trail on bluffs could be slippery.
Costs None
Trip limits 10
Dogs? Yes, under owner’s control
Notes: Hiking stick(s) are useful on the rock bluffs, lunch and rain gear.  Time – 3 hours.

Hiking – Open Bay & Crikey Creeks – 12 Feb 2020

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Activity Hiking
Destination Open Bay and Crikey Creeks
Date 12 Feb 2020, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Janis McLean
Contact Info 285-3614.  Please contact the coordinator prior to the trip departure.
Description We plan to walk a figure-of-eight loop starting on the trail along the Open Bay Creek, then circling back on a logging road. After a short walk down Open Bay Main we will hike up the Rio mountain bike trail and down Crikey Creek. About 6km and two hours walking time.
Meeting Place Heriot Bay store parking lot for car pooling
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Open Bay Creek is easy, but can be wet. Crikey Creek is steep, but easy ground to walk
Costs None
Trip limits 10
Dogs? Yes, under owner’s control
Notes: Bring hiking stick(s), lunch/snack and rain gear.

Hiking – Homewood Trail Loop – 15 Jan 2020

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Change of destination to Hopespring-Thompson Trail Loop!

Activity Hiking
Destination Homewood Trail Loop
Date 15 Jan 2020, Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Janis McLean
Contact Info 285-3614.  Please contact the coordinator prior to the trip departure.
Description We hike the Hopespring Trail, then south on Gowlland Trail and climb up to Homewood Bluff. From here we loop back on High Bluff Trail and climb to the High Bluff viewpoint. We follow the high route north across South Heriot Ridge past the communication tower, and down Hopespring Trail to the vehicles.
Meeting Place Hopespring trailhead
Departure Time 10:00
Difficulty
 Easy with a little moderate scrambling up the two viewpoint bluffs
Costs None
Trip limits 10
Dogs? Yes, under owner’s control
Notes: Hiking stick(s) useful on the rock bluffs. Bring a lunch and rain gear.  Time – 2-3 hours.

Trip Report – South Morte Lake Loop – 6 Nov 2019

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Nine of us and two dogs enjoyed another beautiful fall day for this highly varied and scenic hike.  We started up the steep bike trail, Morning Beer, and continued on Upper Deadfish.  The path travels through open forest and rocky, mossy bluffs with dappled light in the sunshine and a few great viewpoints.  We had lunch at the Deadfish summit and then descended Seven Sins and Nirvana to the hiking trail around Morte Lake.  After stopping briefly at Morte Lake, we ascended the South Bluff trail and followed along Mud and Reed Lakes to the Walcan Road.  We crossed and hiked along Yellow Mud to Jack Rabbit trails, connecting back to the parking lot.  There were lots of great views, but perhaps the most photogenic were the myriad mushrooms. If you know what they are, please let us know. It’s been a great fall for mushrooms and there were lots of Chanterelles collected for dinner on this hike.  9.2 km;  4 hours.

Debbie

(click on photos to enlarge)

Hiking – South Morte Lake Loop – 6 Nov 2019

Hiking – Carrington Bay – 2 Dec 2019

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Change of date!

Activity Hiking
Destination Carrington Bay, Cortes Island
Date 2 4 December 2019, Monday Wednesday
Trip Coordinator Debbie Quigg
Contact Info 3710 or debbie.quigg@ualberta.ca.  Please contact the coordinator well in advance of the trip, so that car pools can be arranged.
Description After the ferry crossing we will drive to the Carrington trailhead and follow the trails to Carrington Bay and lagoon.  We will have lunch at Carrington Bay and continue on to Grandmother’s Grove following the stream.  We plan to return on the 3:50 pm ferry.
Meeting Place Cortes ferry line-up.
Departure Time 9:05 am ferry; vehicles need to be in the ferry line-up not later than 8:15 am for this  busy sailing.
Difficulty
 Easy to moderate.
Costs Ferry travel costs; bring your experience card and ID
Trip limits 12
Dogs? no
Notes: Bring lunch and gear for weather.