Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 31st March.

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

Last week we hiked along part of the High Road below Pocahontas, turned off onto the Pocahontas Bay Road and then right again not far down the road.  Climbing  part way up the old logging road that passes by the peak where the fire lookout was at one time we again took a right again  at the top of the first steep section. This is an old logging road we had explored for the first time just a few weeks ago that eventually took us up to a nice bluff with a view northwest to Vancouver Island.

My photo this week is the view from the top of Plateau Mountain not far from First and Second Lakes.

JD. 

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 24th March.

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

Last week we tried to do a hike on the high ground near the Hydro Station but found when we got close to the intended starting point that the road was snow covered at that elevation. So we turned back and parked at the gravel pit near Second Lake where the road was quite clear of snow.  From there we hiked back towards First Lake and then up through the forest to Plateau Mountain.  The wind was cool, but at the lunch spot on the mountain top we were out of the wind and basking in the welcome sunshine.  

There was more snow falling on the high ground during the next few days and on our midweek hike we found ourselves hiking in a white wonderland even though we were hiking at much the same elevation than on the previous Saturday.  My photo this week was taken on that hike.

Advanced Notice:— On Saturday, 7th April there will be a Beach Barbecue for hikers and guests at Raven Bay.  This is an annual springtime event and it involves a fair amount of advance planning including special arrangements for transporting items and people to and from the beach.  The hike is one way only, starting from Van Anda at the usual time of 10:00am and ending at Raven Bay about 1:00pm

 

I will be off island for a couple of weeks doing my annual Black Brant goose counting stint on the beaches of Vancouver Island. 

JD.

Hiking in late March on a snowy forest trail close to the high point of Hydro East Road.

Next hike.

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

Last week we drove right down the long hill to Hydro East station, parking in the usual place just up the hill from the gate. The weather was cloudy with a thick damp mist covering the higher ground and blocking any possibility of a view. We started the hike by dropping down to the beach to cross the creek and then past the site of an old logging camp and booming ground. From there it's a steep up hill route to join the main logging road that runs south and parallel to the coastline for a very long way. Sometimes we hike that way to a view point, but today it made sense to take the right turn and get warmed up gaining nearly a thousand feet of elevation to the point where it branches off from the main road down to the hydro station. The lunch spot here has a good view out across the water towards the mainland, Nelson Island and the entrance to Jervis Inlet.
My photo was taken on the midweek hike and shows the curious Golden Jelly Fungus sprouting from a section of dead wood. It has the texture of jello, but probably not the same taste.
JD.

Next Hike

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

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

Last week we had very pleasant spring weather for our hike which started from a junction on the road from Pocahontas Bay up to the radio towers on Mt. Pocahontas.  Mostly hiking through forest we eventually reached Bladderwort Lake just beyond the watershed divide where the creeks flowing north run down to the east coast of Texada, and the outflow from the lake flows south and west to Mouat Bay.  An old Trekkers trail took us to a viewpoint high above the lake where we could look west towards Hornby Island.  On the return along the same route after lunch Tom Scott took a photo of the creek splashing down through the forest over moss covered rocks and that is our photo of the week.  Thanks Tom.

JD.

      

     A tiny creek flowing over mossy rocks not far from Bladderwort Lake. [Tom Scott photo].

Next Hike.

The next hike will be on Saturday, 3rd March.

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

Last week we had a lovely dry sunny day for the hike, and a very strong north-west wind.  There was some fresh snow on the high ground so it was decided we should stay near the sea so off we went on the Davie Bay road.  Not far, as we just needed to park at the Mouat Creek Bridge to keep the hike from being too short.  Heading south and then through the first red gate on the right we found the old logging road had a good deal of mud in places, but it was mostly in good shape.  Eventually it was time to take a right turn onto a side road that becomes more and more overgrown as it heads downhill towards the sea. After a short diversion to see if there were signs of life at the rustic squatters cabin we soon reached the small secluded beach, a pocket beach we call it, our destination for lunch.  This is the subject of my photo this week and you can see the sea was quite rough.  In fact not far offshore were lots of white caps on the quite impressive waves. But in the shelter of the higher ground behind us we enjoyed our lunches sitting on the logs in the warm sunshine, and were in no hurry afterwards to head back facing into the cool wind.

JD.

A small pocket beach not far north of the mouth of Eagle Creek on a very windy day in February.