Next hike from Van Anda

The next hike will be on New Year's Day, Saturday, 1st January 2011.

We meet at the Royal Canadian Legion in Van Anda at 10:00am.

Last week our hike day was Christmas Day which turned out to be a cloudy and dull day, but fortunately quite dry after several days of severe gales with lots of rain. We visited Davie Bay and Stromberg Falls where we were rewarded with a great flow of water down the cliff face. Lunch was beside the sea at the secluded camping spot at the mouth of Stromberg Creek.

My photo this week was taken on a recent midweek hike when we scrambled down the steep valley of upper Mouat Creek not far from Bell Road. We sat for lunch beside a boulder strewn section of the creek that is swollen by the recent rains.

JD

Lunch beside the swollen upper Mouat Creek not far from Bell Road.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Christmas Day, Saturday 25th December.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we hiked from the Hydro East turnoff near Bell Farm along the road that runs north to Pocahontas Bay. It was a cool, windy day with some snow on the ground so we were thankful of the protection of the forest while we were walking and at lunchtime. My photo this week was taken on a recent midweek hike when we headed south past Favada Point on the northwest coast of Texada and had lunch near a large beaver swamp on the old logging road down to tiny Davis Bay. The sea lions have begun to gather again as they did last winter on the rocks and islands between Favada Point and Maple Bay. It was nice to be able to get extra close to them this time and I was able to get some closeup shots of a small group of males that seemed very relaxed about having us visiting with them.

JD.

Male sealions near Favada Point. The darker ones are the more common California and the light one a larger Steller's Sea Lion.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 18th December.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last Saturday was quite a dull day, overcast, but with no rain during the hike. We drove down past Davie Bay and turned up the hill past Stromberg Falls and parked under the power lines at the small gravel pit. It's a steady climb up the gravel road which only eases after a while at the turn of on the left onto a very pleasant grassy logging road. We found Stromberg Creek was flooding across the road not far along, but not badly enough to prevent us crossing and we resumed the steady uphill climb. We knew the side trail we were to take was overgrown to such an extent that two past attempts to find the original route had failed, but with saw and pruners we managed to make it through this time and reached the branch logging road that runs down from Thompson Road. This ended at a small creek on the edge of a hillside clearcut and we soon found a knoll with patches of white reindeer moss that was a nice place to have lunch.

JD.

Lunch spot at the edge of a hillside clearcut not far from Thompson Road.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday 11th December.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last week we had a shorter hike than usual, but a very lovely day and a great improvement from the dull and rainy days that came earlier. We drove part way to Davie Bay and then hiked from the highway down through a plantation of young pine and fir, a patch of alder wood with stinging nettles and into an area near the shoreline with evergreen huckleberry under some larger trees. It was too early for lunch when we reached the clifftop so we backtracked and then made our way slowly down an overgrown trail to the beach. My photo shows the spot where we had lunch and spent a pleasant time looking for the interesting water smoothed rocks that seem more colourful than usual just here.

JD.

Searching for interesting rocks on a beach not far south of the mouth of Eagle Creek.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 4th December.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last Saturday we were deterred from hiking on the higher ground over towards Russ Creek by snow still on the ground and very icy roads.
Dropping back down to the High Road we found the snow was gone at that elevation and even up on the south slope of Pocahontas. So we hiked the George Lechner Memorial Trail that winds up through the forest to a usually lovely grassy bluff with great views to to the west and the mountains of Vancouver Island. Not this time, however, as we faced a very dark cloud rapidly advancing from that direction and were soon enveloped in swirling mist. It was cool, and we missed the view, but the hike was pleasant enough and much safer than walking on slick ice and snow higher up.

My photo from a recent hike shows a roadside sapling pine that had been quite neatly cut into small pieces by a passing beaver. I've noticed in the past that some beavers travel from time to time between their lakes or swamps and snack along the way. They seem to be mainly after the bark on the younger branches, leaving the limb devoid of bark and almost white in this very distinct way.

JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 27th November.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last Saturday we decided to not go far from Gillies Bay as the snowline was low on the bluffs above the bay. A short drive to the Texada Airport and then hiking down to Cox's Lagoon and along the beach to Sandbanks was really quite nice, cool certainly, but with no wind blowing not at all unpleasant. We searched in vain for the tiny black dorsal fins of the Harbour Porpoise that were here every time we visited through from early spring to late summer. Lunch at the base of the sand slide then up the steep path and back to the start on the old logging roads.

My photo is one I took on the recent hike north from Hydro East. A small creek appears from the dark forest and plunges down a series of small steps in the unusually pale bedrock. The short vegetation on both sides and mossy rocks here and there make a strikingly attractive natural rock garden scene that I just had to capture.

JD.

A natural rock garden scene beside a logging road north of Hydro East.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 20th November.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

This year was remarkable for the extra rain we had towards the end of summer and the result has been a better year than usual for mushrooms. Another result has been the abundance, size and juicyness of the glossy black berries on our evergreen huckleberry. In recent years they have tended to be quite small and somewhat dry and lacking in flavour, perhaps because the rains started later in those years. I have often pointed out that this species of shrub, Vaccinium ovatum, and sometimes called black huckleberry is actually quite uncommon in most of coastal BC. It's rare around Powell River and on the Sunshine Coast, but extremely abundant over much of Texada. The fruit is eaten by many birds including grouse, and mammals such as racoons and humans who find it sweet and tasty when gathered along hiking trails in the fall. My photo shows some heavily laden branches near our lunch spot on a recent hike.

JD.

The juicy ripe berries of Evergreen Huckleberry, Vaccinium ovatum, in November

Next hike from Van Anda

The next hike will be on Saturday, 13th November.

We meet at the Legion in Van Anda at 10:00am.

Last week we hiked north from Hydro East and found quite a few edible mushrooms in this area of fairly open mossy forest. Just before lunchtime we decided to explore a well used ATV trail that branched off to the right and headed steeply downhill, curious as to where it might end. I was hoping for a nice viewpoint from an open bluff, but instead it ended on a rocky beach where people had camped not too long ago.

My photo is one I took back in early September on a hike to Black Mountain. On Texada there is a small plant that has the common name Blue-eyed Grass. It likes damp areas such as ditches and the margins of swamps, but it's not a grass and has thin flat leaves that make it look rather like a miniature iris. Much less common is a close relative, Golden-eyed Grass or Sisyrhinchium californicum, with lovely buttercup yellow flowers.

JD.

Golden-eyed Grass, Sisyrhinchium californicum in a roadside ditch.

The Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 6th November.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

The mid-week hike this week visited Davie Bay and Stromberg Falls. The falls are still dry as there has not been enough rain to get them into action yet. However, the creek below the falls does have quite a lot of water as the two caves are pouring lots of underground water into it just now. And yes, there are two caves as there is a second one we don't usually visit quite close to the parking place. My photo was taken at Davie Bay shortly after our visit to the falls. A slight breeze was gently sweeping the morning mist away from the north end of the bay

JD.

Davie Bay as the morning mist was clearing.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 30th October.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Las week we hiked along Thompson Road for a while but instead of turning to go up onto Thompson Bluffs we continued to the next road juction on the left. This side road climbs up through some thick second growth forest and end on a ridge where my trail to Third Lake and the gasline starts. It needed some cleaning on the first part as the salal has grown in since the last time we worked on it. Lunch was on a wooded ridge with views to the west towards Vancouver Island. This area had a few good mushrooms including some fresh pines.

My photo this week was taken on a recent hike near the top of Twin Peaks. This caterpillar, one of the largest found in our area, becomes an adult after spending the winter in a chrysalis. The front end is the one with the four pairs of red bumps. The adult insect is a very large and beautiful brown moth with four distinct white marks on it's wings.

JD.

Hyalophora columbia catapillar near the top of Twin Peaks. The large adult moth looks as if it has strayed from the Amazon rainforests.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 23rd October.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

For the hike last Saturday we drove down the much improved road to Pocahontas Bay and parked near the start of the rough road up to the radio towers on Pocahontas. The day proved to be a good one for mushroom pickers and I even collected a few very large fresh Shaggy Manes. The hike took us off on the first side road to the south and then, climbing steadily up through an extensive and fairly recent clearcut, we eventually reached the lunchspot on a narrow ridge with fine views towards the mainland. In my photo Harwood Island is in the middle with Savary just visible beyond.

JD.

View looking north from above Pocahontas Bay with Grief Point on the mainland on the right. Harwood is the island in the middle.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 16th October.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last week we had a damp cloudy and windy day and hiked to the small lake on the high ground to the west of Hydro East Road. It was quite foggy there and eating lunch under the trees was a curious experience. The view out over the lake was cut short by the mist and the distance was shrouded in a white sheet that blended sky and water together. My photo was taken on the day of the mid-week hike which started and ended at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay. When we gathered there at the start, and when we returned in the afternoon the same small small flock of migrating geese were browsing the short green grass. We don't see this species, the Greater White-fronted Goose, very often, but they do seem to be visiting in larger numbers and more frequently than at any time in the last forty years or so. In my picture the adult is the bird on the left with the distinct white band across the front of the head and a juvenile is walking ahead of it on the right. The ones that come down our flyway in the fall would be breeding in Alaska probably and on their way to winter in the Lower Mainland or perhaps as far south as Mexico.

JD

Two Greater White-fronted Geese at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 9th October, 2010.

We meet in Gillies Bay at the Ballpark at 10:00am.

Last week we hiked on Pocahontas Bay road down the hill then past the bay and along the side road that leads to the secluded beach a little to the south along the coast. Curiously a short stretch of the beach had about three dozen of the mostly large Lion's Mane jellies [or jellyfish] stranded on the sand. In my experience they are usually pretty harmless by the time they reach our coastline as the long tentacles on the underside seem to have been lost somehow. In my photo the one on the right is upside down the other too having the smooth surface on top

JD.

Giant Lion's Mane jellies on the beach near Pocahontas Bay.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 2nd October.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week the Saturday turned out to be quite windy, dry, sunny and surprisingly warm. We hiked the Shingle Beach road and had lunch on the grassy bluffs where we sat and watched the strong southeasterly pushing white capped waves towards the north. On the way down we decided to check the situation at the tiny Yewtree Bay that I knew has been used by squatters for the last few years. We found the rustic cabin still there, but in quite a mess with quite a lot of rubbish scattered around the area and no one in residence. Checking out the trail from the cabin to the tiny cove not far to the north we found some new clearings in the forest and some newer side trails. One ended at the top of a low cliff with a nice view, nothing special, but close by we discovered one of the largest Arbutus trees I have seen on Texada and you can see the base of the trunk in my photo. Also quite a surprise was finding right next to the giant yet another Western Yew, a healthy specimen that may well be just as old as the much larger Arbutus.
JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 25th September.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last Saturday the rain meant a walk in the forest was a reasonable choice, saving the days with better weather for the hikes with wonderful viewpoints. First the short drive to the gravel pit turnoff just north of Gillies Bay and then a short way along to park at the sharp corner. Walking past the new iron gate at the entrance to the gravel pit then on to the old horse riding area and along the pleasant old logging road for a while then keeping right at the next road junction onto the long old road that eventually reaches the High Road. But this time not that far as we took the less well used side road to the old Cap Sheaf mine. It was rather wet pushing our way along the last part of the road that has become rather overgrown now. We finally found our way to the welcome opening in the forest and the old mine shaft and waste dumps. After the hike a quick Google search came up with the facts that the shaft had been sunk before 1900 by the Cap Sheaf Gold Mining Co. and had reached a depth of 90ft.

The photo [thanks Tom] shows the top of the shaft with some of the original timbers still visible in the dry section above the water level about 20ft below the surface.

JD.

The top of the 90ft deep Cap Sheaf mine shaft now well over 100 years old. Water fills it to about 25 ft below the surface.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 18th September.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we had a cool but dry day and hiked from Russ Creek Bridge down to the beach at Northeast Bay. The route is mainly along an old logging road that had become seriously overgrown until a few years ago when the hard working Texada Trail Breakers did a great job of clearing the obstructions. The bay, the small island and part of the area of mainly more mature forest adjacent to the bay is a provincial UREP [crown land designated for the Use, Recreation and Enjoyment of the Public]. Russ Creek that runs past the spot where we park reaches the sea here and has a lovely pair of rock pools and a small waterfall just a few steps into the forest. My photo shows the falls and splash pool with mossy rocks all around. What a lovely hidden treasure!

JD.

The splash pool and falls at Northeast Point.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 11th September.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last week we had wonderful weather again for the hike and headed up to the old Masck Farm turnoff where we parked. It was a nice change to have a recently graded road to drive on from the Hydro East junction, as this section of road has been badly rutted for quite a long time. For the hike we headed north on the road towards the White Pine test area and then, taking the first turn on the right eventually reached the top of Black Mountain. My photo was taken at the usual lunch spot overlooking Malaspina Strait with a clear view of the entrance to Jervis Inlet and the mountains beyond.

JD.

High above Malaspina Strait the view is to Jervis Inlet entrance with low Hardy Island centre, Nelson Island on the right.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 4th September.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week I think the well attended long hike up the Mt. Shepherd trail must have been enough exercise for that week as the turnout for Saturday was very much smaller than usual! I kept the hike quite easy with a stroll along part of the High Road past the fields and then up onto the lower slopes of Mt. Pocahontas. This has an extensive area of fairly recently logged forest which has been replanted but with the trees still very small the dominant ground cover is rough grass. The warm sunny weather had brought out a host of butterflies of several different species, but it was quite a challenge getting good photos of them. My photo shows the panoramic view towards Vancouver Island as we made our way down to the road after lunch.

JD.

Heading back down to the High Road from the lower slopes of the Pocahontas ridge.

The next hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 28th August.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

On Thursday we had a special day long hike to the upper part of the South Texada Provincial Park. The weather was excellent, not too hot, but quite dry and sunny and we were able to do some important trail maintenance on our way up to Cathedral Lake. We also did some branch trimming on the side trail to the viewpoint at Pentstemon Point, but we decided to save the Dome Rock and Mt. Shepherd trail maintenance for another day. For several of the hikers this was their first visit to this exceptionally rugged and beautiful part of Texada.

Last week we hiked along the gas line to the west of Bobs Lake and then around the south side of the lake and up to the top of Mt. Flicker on the east side of the lake. My photo this week is of a small fireweed plant growing beside the road not far from Bobs Lake. It's not often a fireweed plant in flower is seen on Texada as the local deer are so fond of it the seedlings seldom survive long enough to reach flowering size. When tall flowering fireweed plants are seen they are invariably on top of old tree stumps or on cliffs where the deer are unable to browse them.

JD.

A young fireweed in flower beside a road near Bobs Lake.

Special Hike to Mt. Shepherd & South Texada Provincial Park.

There was a good response for the special hike to Anderson Bay last week and I'm hoping to do a second one this week. The destination is Mt. Shepherd including Dome Rock, Pentstemon viewpoint and Cathedral Lake. The highest sections of trail are within the upper part of the South Texada Provincial Park.

Along the trail there may be a few problem sections with fresh windfalls and it would be nice to take some time on the way up to clear these as much as time allows. Light hand tools and gloves should be fine for this. The driving time from Gillies Bay to the trailhead is just over 1 hour.

I need to plan the vehicles and seating ahead of time. Only 4x4 vehicles are suitable and we need to be prepared for possible mechanical problems - so jumper cables, air pumps and perhaps puncture repair cans. Last week we had to change a tire on one vehicle.

Please let me know who wants to go, if you have a suitable vehicle and how many passengers you can take.

The day is Thursday, 26th but I will postpone till the following week if rain is likely. We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 9:00am with return time probably between 5:00 and 6:00pm. The trail rises 1,000ft in elevation to the Dome Rock viewpoint and another 500ft above that to the top of the mountain.

My photo was taken last week and shows the rugged coastline at the south end of Texada not far from Point Upwood. This small cove is in the larger of the two provincial parks and the distant shoreline beyond is the south end of Lasqueti Island.

JD.

The rocky coastline of the southern part of Texada Island near Point Upwood.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 21st August.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last week we hiked up the hill behind Gillies Bay to a lunch spot overlooking the tiny Cap Sheaf Lake. It was a very warm, sunny day but there was no sign of the resident Western Painted Turtle basking beside the open water, but there were quite a few recently dug egg holes in the usual area.

On Thursday this week a group of Trekkers headed right down to the southern tip of Texada to explore parts of our two provincial parks. Parking at the end of the public forest road about five kilometres beyond Anderson Bay we hiked the winding trail through open forest to the old Dougan homestead at the head of a tiny cove. We ate lunch on the open grassy bluff above the beach and enjoyed the panoramic view from Thormanby Island on the left to the south tip of Lasqueti on the right with Vancouver Island in the haze beyond. This stretch of rugged coastline is now part of the South Texada Provincial Park. Then we headed back up the main trail to the side trail that took us up a sturday ladder and over low bluffs to the Cox homestead where we chatted for a while with Jim Dougan and his son. After a quick visit to see the pink crinoidal marble quarry the next stop was the head of the narrow bay that is now the Anderson Bay Provincial Park.

My photo is of the rustic Dougan homestead that is so close to the beach I think the spray from the waves must sometimes wash the windows.

JD.

The rustic Dougan cottage at the head of a tiny cove not far from Point Upwood, South Texada Provincial Park.

Extra Hikes to south end of Texada.

I'm trying to find out if there is enough interest in hiking to Mt.
Shepherd and the Anderson Bay area to plan a couple of middle of the
week hikes. There are two options:—

A) Anderson Bay and the shoreline of the park near Point Upwood.
This includes the lower part of the South Texada Provincial Park and the separate Anderson Bay Provincial Park.

B) Mt. Shepherd including Dome Rock and Cathedral Lake. This is in the upper part of South Texada Provincial Park.

Option A is an easy hike but a very long drive. I don't know what the last section of road is like so we need to be prepared with a chain saw and hand tools. The trail is short and a few windfalls will not be a problem as we can likely get around them.

Option B is a very different matter. I understand there are a few problem sections with fresh windfalls and it would be nice to take some time on the way up to clear these as much as time allows. Light hand tools and gloves should be fine for this. The driving time from Gillies Bay to the trailhead is just over 1 hour.

For both trips I need to plan the vehicles and seating ahead of time.
Only 4x4 vehicles are suitable and we need to be prepared for possible mechanical problems - so jumper cables and perhaps puncture repair cans. I would like to do option A this Thursday and then schedule option B for next week or later.

My photo shows the view north towards Mt. Davies and Mt. Grant from the Shepherd ridge. Cathedral Lake is great for swimming and Dome Rock has spectacular views if the weather is clear.

JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 14th August, 2010.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we had a smaller group of hikers than usual, perhaps because the weather forecast had been a bit depressing. It It had rained during the night, the first significant precipitation for many days, but for the hike it was dry. We decided to just visit the Sand Banks near Gillies Bay as the tide was quite low and there was no point in doing a hike with a view as the hills were still shrouded in cloud after the rain. My photo I call "Patterns in the sand at Sand Banks" has a nice blend of bright green sea lettuce with a cluster of sea anemones closed up and waiting for the tide to come in again so they can resume feeding. How curious the way they use fragments of shells as camouflage!

JD.

Seaweed and sea anemones at the Sand Banks near Gillies Bay.

Next Hike

The next hike is on Saturday, 7th Auguast.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we hiked along Thompson Road and then up onto the bluffs for lunch. This area seems to be a good one for butterflies and there were quite a lot active with the sunshine and the multitude of flowers keeping them happy. One species that is often seen in August is the Common Wood Nymph and I did manage to get a nice photo of one, but only the underside of the wings. They tend to keep their wings closed when they land to feed or rest unlike the fritillaries that always seem to love showing off the intricate patterns on the upper surface of their wings.
JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 31st July.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we hiked in to the lovely secluded lake to the northwest of Masck Farm. On the way there is a stretch of logging road that always seems to have more than the usual numbers of butterflies and more different species as well.

There is one group of these insects, the Fritillaries, that I find very elusive when it comes to getting good photos of them. This time I was lucky and the result is attached to this message. I'm still not sure which species this one might be as there is so much variation in the markings of this group. It's a lucky individual as it just missed being caught and eaten by a bird, instead sporting a space where part of the left hind-wing should be.
JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 24th July.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we had quite a large group on the hike including some visitors from off island who greatly enjoyed the Mt. Grant trail.

My photo is a recent one that I took while guiding our biologist visitors who have spent a number of days this summer doing research on the resident Western Painted Turtle. I spotted this bright and interesting flower beside the trail that leads in to Cap Sheaf Lake from the High Road. The flower stems of Pinesap are the only part of the plant which ever appears above ground. It's a parasite on fungus which lives in the soil and derives nutrients from the roots of pine trees, so it has no need for leaves with chlorophyll like most other flowering plants.

There seems to be some disagreement over the scientific name so I don't know if it should be Monotropa hypopitys or Hypopitys monotropa, but I do know it is found all around the Northern Hemisphere including Asia as well as Europe and North America. This specimen is unusually bright red for this species which is more often pink, pale yellow or even white.
JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 17th July.
We meet in at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last weekend it was Sandcastle and so a very small group came along to the hike. We decided to hike on Lafarge property as the company is keen to establish its credentials as a 'green' organization and is very interested in knowing about our hikes and hoping we will use their lands as much as possible. The hike started from the main road not far south of the Log Inn and meandered south along old logging roads with a multitude of flowers until we reached the edge of the area of the Whiterock Pit. It was hot in the sun and we found a shady spot with a view for eating lunch.

My photo was taken nearby and shows the secluded north end of Paxton Lake with the high ridge of Pocahontas in the distance.
JD.

Next Hike - we meet at the Community Hall in Gillies Bay

The next hike will be on Saturday, 10th July.

To avoid a conflict with Sandcastle activities we will meet at the Community Hall parking lot in Gillies Bay at the usual time, 10:00am

Last Saturday we hiked to the Mouat Bluffs between Gillies Bay and Davie Bay to view the wild cactus. I was not sure just when they would be in full flower this year as the weather has been so unusual. As it turned out there were not all that many clumps with flowers this time and most of the flowers were over anyway. However, there were just a few that provided nice photos for the photographers among us as a few late blooms with clear yellow petals were still open. The flowers that are pink and twisted are the ones that finished flowering probably a few days earlier.

JD.

Some of the many large clumps of the native Opuntia sp. Prickly Pear cactus at Mouat Bluffs.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 3rd July.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

My photo this time is from the mid-week hike last Wednesday when we visited the north end of Davie Bay and stopped for lunch on the long beach that runs north from the UREP [designated area for the Use, Recreation and Enjoyment of the public]. The sea was quiet and it was quite a surprise to suddenly have a small pod of marine mammals not far out from the beach and right in front of us. They were swimming north quite slowly and I was not too sure what species we were seeing. I took some still photos and a short piece of movie of the them and It was only when I got home that I identified them as Pacific White-sided Dolphin. It's somewhat unusual for this species to be so slow moving, quiet and in such a small group. At least one may be a different species as the colour and shape of the dorsal fin looks quite different from the others, and I do know there is often a mix of species in a pod. How lucky we are to be having so many different
kinds of marine mammals so frequently present along the shores of Texada this year.
JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 26th June.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

My photo this week is one I took last Tuesday when visiting biologists were doing a survey of the turtle population of Turtle Lake. Most of the turtles that live in some of our lakes are the native Western Painted Turtle, but there are a few others that are non-native and probably were store bought specimens. Now that the native species have been declared to be at risk due to habitat loss or other factors there is a need to determine how large or small the population is and what if any measures might be taken to conserve this reptile. I have a few photos of turtles on Texada, but this was a chance to photograph some being hand held and worked on by experts. Close up and out of the water they are much more interesting and certainly quite handsome. It would be a great shame if this animal were to be lost from our island through neglect. However, there are some things that are fairly easy to do that can do much to improve the survival chances of wild turtles and the biologists already have some ideas for habitat improvements on Texada.

JD.

A female Western Painted Turtle from Turtle Lake. She now has a couple of nicks in the edge of her shell so that she can be identified in the future.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 19th June.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we had quite a nice day for our hike which started from the gravel pit part way down the hill on the road to Hydro East. The route climbed up through the welcome shade of the forest for much of the time until we eventually came out onto the open Hydro right of way not far below the highest point. Lunch was in a narrow cleared strip just above a pretty beaver pond.
JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 12th June.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last week we had a lovely sunny day for hiking and headed up to the high ground south of Bobs Lake. Walking along the gasline, old logging roads and the Anderson Bay road for a while took us to the Angel Lake picnic spot for lunch.

My photo is of a neat bush of bog laurel in bloom in the middle of a shallow beaver pond. This Kalmia species is fairly common from Alaska south to California often giving the margins of swamps a lovely splash of bright pink colour in June.

JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 5th June.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.


Last Saturday turned out cool, rainy, misty and dull and we hiked along some wet logging roads past dripping trees and sat down for lunch on wet logs in a forest clearing without a view. Lets hope the weather is a good deal better this Saturday.
JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 29th May.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we hiked from the old Post Office in Blubber Bay around
through the quarry and out to Grilse Point the headland on the east
side of the bay. My photo shows some curious rocks, actually
limestone shaped by the action of the sea, with sleeping seals out a
little farther.
JD.

Next Hike from Van Anda

The next hike is on Saturday, 22nd May.
We meet at the Legion parking in Van Anda at 10:00am.

My photo this week is from the hike two weeks ago when we had lunch
on a bluff high above the sea not far south of Favada Point. This
spot with a great panoramic view is at the end of a short new side
trail from the main trail in this area whcich now has a network of
trails that link such points of interest as Cabin Cove, Favada Point,
Arbutus Arch and Big Beach.
JD.

Next Hike.

The next hike will be on Saturday, 16th May.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we had perfect weather for a hike to the south of Favada Point on the west coast of Texada. With an unusually large turnout of 32 hikers, some of whom were visitors from off-island, progress was slow along the winding trails down to Cabin Cove. Lots of early flowers putting on a good show, a special interest the bright yellow buttercups, and the creamy spikes of the Poison Camas. Beyond the cove we headed up the hill to join the old logging road and then easier walking south until just before the turnoff to Big Beach where we scrambled up a steep gully and out onto open bluffs. Lunch was on a high point with a sweeping vista of Vancouver Island to the west and around to Surprise Mountain not far away to the southeast.

JD.

Hikers pause to look at the remains of an old clinker built inboard powered skiff at Cabin Cove.

Next Hike from Van Anda

The next hike will be on Saturday, 8th May.
We meet in Van Anda at the Canadian Legion parking place at 10:00am

Last Saturday we hiked along the beach from the camp ground down past the old abandoned cabins and on to where the beach starts to get too rocky for comfortable hiking.
Lunch was at the base of a small cliff with masses of bright yellow Monkey Flower, Mimulus guttatus, which in this particular location were unusual in having a single large red spot on the lower lip of each flower.

JD.

Next Hike — advance notice for next week.

For our hike next week we will be meeting in Van Anda and Leona has asked me to give out this notice of an after the hike event.

JD.

Hello Everyone,
Everyone is invited to my 60th birthday celebration which will be on Saturday May 8 after the hike. I live at 323 Crescent Bay Road, which is soon after Tyler Road. Bring food and something to drink and maybe a few chairs will be needed.
Please do not spend money on cards or presents. Instead a donation to my son James' "Ride to Conquer Cancer" would be appreciated, but not necessary. It is a bicycle ride from Vancouver to Seattle to raise money for cancer research.
See you then,
Leona

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 1st May.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last week we decided to take the long drive down island past Bobs Lake parking finally where the gas pipeline rejoins the road not far past the south end of Angel Lake. It was dull and quite windy and cool until we were in the forest on the trail up Twin Peaks. On the peaks it even snowed for a while, but visibility was not so bad and most felt it was a good hike even if a bit too cool for comfort. My photo shows the view from the northern viewpoint with snow falling from the grey clouds above. The low island not too far away is the northern part of Lasqueti, and the coastline of Vancouver Island can just be seen as a dark line at the top of the picture.
JD.

Next Hike

The next hike is on Saturday, 24th April.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

A couple of weeks ago on the bluffs south of Mouat Point where the cactus grow we came across some small patches of a curious cushion moss. It was striking for it's neat compact shape and also for the colour. Some of the larger colonies were dark reddish brown, but lower down the slope I photographed some small mounds that were the most vivid red. The scientific name is Bryum miniatum and my moss book tells me this species is found in BC only along the coast and then most often in rocky spots with water seeps. It adds that no other moss in our area produces such brilliant red cushions.

Bryum miniatum, a vivid red moss on rocks south of Mouat Point.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 17th April.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last week we had a larger than usual group out for a hike on a very lovely spring day. We parked just past Eagle Creek on the road to Davie Bay and hiked to the seaside bluffs where the cactus grow. On the way down to the rocks close to the waves where we had lunch and watched the seals watching us there were a great variety of spring flowers and some unusually dark mosses. Particularly vivid yellow daisy type flowers were quite eye catching, but they were not a plant I knew or even remembered seeing before. It took me a while to track it down to the name Gold Stars, Crocidium multicaule. It's an annual with short thin stems and tiny fleshy red leaves, that ranges down the west coast from Georgia Strait to California and is locally fairly common it seems.

JD.

Gold Stars in bloom on Mouat Bluffs.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 10th April.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

This week I am still working with the Brant geese on the beaches of Vancouver Island.  I had a very good day today as I was able to read nearly 50 leg band codes with my telescope, and all on just one beach, at Rathtrevor Provincial Park, Parksville.
    My photo for this week is of a juvenile bald eagle that was hanging around all day on the beach where I was working. It was easy to approach and seems to be unafraid of people, so I should think it must have spent some time in capitivity as bald eagles are usually quite timid.
JD.

---

All new Yahoo! Mail - Get a sneak peak at messages with a handy reading pane.

Next Hike - Beach BBQ update

I am still birdwatching on Vancouver Island. Here is Pam's note to everyone interested in taking in part or all of the activities this Saturday.

The Spring Raven Bay BBQ and Oyster Bake is coming up!

Date: Saturday, April 3, 2010

Place: Raven Bay

Bring: Chairs (There are some logs to sit on) and BYOB

Food: There will be oysters or clams. If you don't like oysters or clams, bring hot dogs or veggie dogs to roast over the fire or whatever you wish to eat or share with friends.

How we get there: Hikers meet at the Legion in Van Anda and walk to Raven Bay (2 1/2 hours). There are several shortcuts, if you don't want to do the full hike

We have permission to hike through the Imperial and the LaFarge Quarry on April 3rd.

If you are unable to hike right now, used to hike or are spouses/partners/visitors of Trekkers, you are welcomel You can park at the junction to the Raven Bay turnoff on the High Road. If you need a lift, please contact David Taylor. Hikers are expected at Raven Bay between 12:00 noon and 12:30 pm. Raven Bay road is only suitable for 4 wheel drive vehicles.

If you want to go early and collect oysters, bring rubber boots and your current Saltwater Licenses.

After the BBQ/Oyster Bake, those who drove down to the Bay will take the drivers and those who are unable to walk back to their vehicles in Van Anda or on the High Road.

Please contact: David Taylor, (604) 486-7659, if you are going to the BBQ or if you require more information. David needs numbers to estimate the number of oysters and clams to collect.

Yesterday, while checking out the Brant geese at Deep Bay, I was surprised to find a very handsome european swan [called the Mute Swan in UK even though they do make a noise sometimes when flying] hanging out with them for a while.
JD.

Next Hike, and the two after that.

The next hike will be on Saturday, 27th March.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

I will be away for two weeks and the guide for this hike is Diana Vaughn.

The hike after that will be on Saturday, 3rd April.

We meet at the Legion parking in Van Anda at 10:00am

This will be the annual oyster and clam bake on the beach at Raven Bay and is a one way hike from Van Anda to the bay. Volunteers will be making preparations for this event and all former hikers and guests are welcome to come along as well. Please contact Russ Sparks or David Taylor if you wish to help or would like to know more about what to bring and the transport arrangements.

I hope to be back again in time for the second hike in April which will be Saturday, 10th April. For this we will meet again in Gillies Bay.

Last week we hiked along an old logging road to a large lake that I have been wanting to reach for many years. I think I might call it "Hard to Reach Lake" although other names have been suggested, and I believe the ATV users had a name for it quite a few years ago. It's about the size of Bobs Lake and forested on all sides. There is a small clearing for camping and picnics and someone seems to have started a trail around the south end, but we did not have time to explore it. It's quite easy to reach, now we know how to find the old logging road, and it lies not far to the east of Mt. Pocahontas.

JD.

A quiet secluded lake in need of a name.

Mid-Week Hike Update

Hello! Everyone,
John is unavailable to guide the mid-week hike this Tuesday, March 23^rd. 
Mark your calendars.  John will be away on Wednesday, March 31^st and Tuesday, April 6^th counting the Brant Geese on Vancouver Island. 

The mid-week hikes will be cancelled.

Pam

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 20th March.

We meet in Gillies Bay at the Ballpark at 10:00am

Last week my plan for the hike started out as a drive part way down the hill to Cook Bay and then a walk on a spur road to a nice lunch spot beside a small creek. That did not happen as we ran into a layer of snow on the road not far past the Vancouver Island Hydro line. So turning back we drove a short way back down the hill and parked near the side road that goes to the Hydro reactor station. There was just a small patch of snow in a couple of places as we hiked west under the wires and then north along Thompson Road stopping for lunch at a spot with a view towards Vancouver Island. The return to the starting point was along winding logging roads and then up the gasline road, all with no sign of snow anywhere.

My photo of the week is one I took earlier in the month just as the morning mist was rising above the trees around Gillies Bay. Sometimes a rare combination of conditions can make a very ordinary scene transform into one with unusually attractive features and in this shot the sun highlights the houses and logs while the mist lays a veil over the tree tops and the forest beyond the shoreline.

JD.

Gillies Bay on a misty winter morning.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 13th March
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last week we hiked on a lovely mild sunny day from the start of Hydro East Road north along the back road to Pocahontas Bay, turning off into the recent forest cutblocks that overlook Malaspina Strait.
Earlier in the week a small group of mid-week hikers parked on Bell Road not far from the end of the black top and set off south through the alder woods which were filled with the sounds of birds singing.
It was dry and sunny and not too cool although a very strong wind was roaring through the treetops. The spindly alders were certainly swaying in the wind, but we decided the chances of being hit by one falling were still pretty remote. The trail follows very old logging roads and eventually reaches the top of the steep sided valley of Mouat Creek. We carefully headed down the steep trail through masses of tender young nettles and near the bottom and not much above the roaring water took a more level flagged trail on a wide bench between the creek bank and the foot of the steep valley side. For lunch we picked a bright spot not far past a section of creek that forms a water slide over smooth shale bedrock. The photo illustrates just how beautiful this creek valley is in winter with moss covered rocks and a multitude of tiny falls and rapids and here and there stretches of smooth water where pools remain and fish survive the dry summer months.

Thanks for the photo Leona.
JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 6th March.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we had an unpleasant mix of fog and rain for our hike which started from the Pocahontas Bay junction on the High Road. The lunch stop was on the east side of the mountain just below the top of the fire lookout peak. The view varied as the fog thinned and thickened, but never let us see more than a few of the trees and some small grassy bluffs.

With nothing of interest to photograph last Saturday I instead decided to share with you another of the many photos taken of the sea lions near Favada Point back in January. This one is of a group of male California Sea Lions with their oddly bulbous heads doing what sea lions seem to spend a lot of time doing, just sleeping. Thanks James!

JD.

Sleeping beauties. [James Mack photo]

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 27th February.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we hiked up the steep way to the top of Mt. Pocahontas. It was sunny and mild, but for most of the day Gillies Bay remained in the marine fog which extended across to Vancouver Island, and both north and south as far as we could see.

My photo this week is a follow up on the the hike we did on the 6th of February. This was the time we hiked up towards Eagle Mountain and Thompson Road and came upon a couple of sink holes close to the old logging road we were following. In both cases there were small creeks flowing down into them and soaking into the ground and I explained that this happens to be a curious feature of areas of limestone outcrops. Since then I have been back to the sink holes with a couple of cavers and at one of them we discovered a small cave. My photo shows a caver from Hornby Island emerging from this cave which seems to be quite a small one.

Next Hike

The next hike is on Saturday, 20th February.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we wandered around in the forest at Blubber Bay, not entirely sure where we were going to end up, and cut the hike short to have plenty of time to visit the museum there and in Van Anda, both open specially to mark Heritage Day As we were close by we decided to have lunch in the warmth and comfort of the ferry waiting room. To offer a suitable contribution to celebrate Heritage Day, better late than never, I thought for my photo this week I should use an old photo I took back in 1969. I must have stood not very far from where the waiting room stands now facing across the bay to the company houses of BC Cement. All that is left of that row of very smart buildings are the concrete foundations partially covered by bushes and trees. That year the old government dock was being replaced as the ferry berth by a new one that could handle the brand new "Texada Queen". You can find a good photo and a full history of this 30 car ferry, which has sailed under the new name "Tachek" since 1980, at this web site:—

http://westcoastferries.ca/ferries/bcferries/tachek.html

JD.

Blubber Bay in 1969 with the ferry dock under construction. The old ferry "Atrevida" on the old government float at the left.

Hike Notice extra - after hike event.

The hikers on Saturday will meet in Van Anda.  This is the event:— 

The Texada Heritage Society invites the Texada Trekkers to an Open House:

 

Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Date: Saturday, February 13, 2010

 

New Exhibit of clothes and uniforms at Blubber Bay Museum ONLY

 

Tea & Sweets at Van Anda Museum ONLY (No admission, by donation)

JD.

Next hike from Van Anda

The next hike will be on Saturday, 13th February.

We meet at the Legion parking at 10:00am

Last week we decided to check out an old logging road up from the Davie Bay road almost as high as Thompson Road. I had seen it on Google Earth and it looked interesting because it ran between a series of rocky bluffs. It turned out that there were actually two old logging roads running parallel to each other, and one of them was hidden by alders on the images I had looked at. Naturally I lead everyone up the wrong one which ended near a tiny mossy clearing in the forest. So no views, but we did discover a couple of quite impressive sink holes where surface streams simply disappeared into large depressions in the ground.

JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 6th February.
We meet at Gillies Bay Ballpark at 10:00am

Last week we met in Gillies Bay in quite dense fog and decided to
head up to the high ground in search of some sunshine. With no snow
on even the highest parts of Texada we knew we would have no problem
going as high as we wanted so off we went. Up, up and up some more
and past the Reactor Station turnoff and it did seem to be a bit
brighter. but still no sunshine. We parked at the next road junction
after driving under the power lines and set off up towards Bob's
Lake. Even there it was still foggy so on up the Flicker Mountain
trail we headed, but to no avail. We ran out of time and of mountain
to climb and sat down to eat lunch on the damp rocky mountain top over
2,000ft above the sea as a light rain began. Good exercise though,
and with mild temperature and no wind not at all uncomfortable. Pity
we missed the view!

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 30th January.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we hiked from near Second Lake up along the gas line right of way and then round past the Reactor Station on the road that runs down towards Thompson Road. Lunch proved to be quite an exciting time as a rather upset male grouse took exception to having so many uninvited guests on his personal property. He bravely tried hard to drive me away, no doubt realising that I was the leader of the group, and attacked anyone who tried to make friends with him. More than once he even flew up to bite the offered hand!

We all felt he was a very handsome bird when seen close up, and we all had a chance to get a good look at him as he maneuvered into a close enough position to launch a surprise attack. Only the males

have that jaunty bright orange eyebrow. The Blue Grouse is not a native of Texada

having been introduced to the island in the early forties since when it seems to have done well, without

becoming a problem for the environment.

I always think one of the nicest bird sounds one hears in the forest in

summer is the deep booming sound of the male grouse as they compete to

attract females to their territory.

JD.

The handsome male Blue Grouse that did it's best to disrupt our lunch break.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 23rd January.

We meet at Gillies Bay Ballpark at 10:00am.

Last week we hiked south along the Davie Bay road and down a short side road to the lovely picnic spot at the mouth of Stromberg Creek. On the way down the hill the sound of the creek could be heard as it roared down rapids and waterfalls, one about 30 feet high and quite spectacular, close by in the forest. Just before entering the sea the creek plunges down the last of many falls and passes under a sturdy but rustic footbridge. On the far side we sat on the beach logs and ate lunch. About a hundred years ago the Stromberg family of Van Anda had a summer cabin on the small patch of flat land just behind us and would spend time hiking and fishing and sometimes entertain visitors travelling by small boat up and down this quiet stretch of coastline. I know this because one of the two children, Edith Poock, told me of her pleasant memories of summers spent here.

JD.

Lunch on the beach at this most attractive spot at the mouth of Stromberg Creek.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 14th January.

We meet at the Ball Park in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Sometime last week a large number of sea lions began to gather around the rocks and small islands between Favada Point and Maple Bay on the north-west coast of Texada. For quite a few years now some sea lions have been quite frequent visitors to this area, but this time the numbers have far exceeded earlier totals. Last Saturday we had a wonderful chance to hike along the shoreline and through the forest on some new trails after spending a long time watching these quite amazing marine mammals.

My photo shows part of one group of sea lions resting on the smooth rocks of one of the islands. There are about 90 individuals in my photo while this particular group numbered more than 120 in total. Elsewhere there were smaller groups both in and out of the water, and several hundred all together. Tom has posted many great photos to his Picasa web site:—
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/texadatom/FavadaPoint#

Many thanks to James Mack for inviting us to visit, and to John and Susan who guided us along the new trails.

Sea lions on rocks near Favada Point. Both the smaller California and the much larger Steller's sea lion were present.