Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 26th March.
We meet at the Ballpark at Gillies Bay at 10:00am

The weather is beginning to warm up a bit now and some of our native reptiles are starting to come out of hibernation to take advantage of the warm sun when it shines. I have a report of a Western Painted Turtle being spotted on a log in Priest Lake and I've seen my first Garter Snake already. Our one native species of lizard is usually quite late to appear, but they do show on sunny days at the end of March. My photo is of an adult Northern Alligator Lizard on a pile of fine gravel at Blubber Bay. Please handle with care as their tails are quite fragile and will break off if you try to pick up this agile lizard.

Next Hike,

The next hike will be on Saturday, 19th March.

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

My photo this week was taken when we recently visited Stromberg Falls near Davie Bay.

This photo shows the strong flow of water as it emerges from the underground cave system very close to the large plunge pool at the base of the falls.

Underground stream as it emerges from the dark cave mouth close to Stromberg Falls.

The Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 12th March.

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

Last week we again felt we needed to avoid the higher ground on the island as the weather had not warmed up all that much, certainly not enough to melt the good amount of snow that has fallen on high ground in the last few weeks. We paid a quick visit to Stromberg Falls to see if any water was coming and were pleased to see enough to make for some good photos especially as rays of sunshine were making the watre sparkle as it tumbled down the rock face. After that we hiked up towards Thompson Road and shortly before it was time to stop for lunch we ran into a stretch of road with plenty of snow. For lunch we sat in warm sun in the middle of the Vancouver Island Hydro line right of way and enjoyed the view out over the water to the snow covered mountains.

JD.

Stromberg Falls in early March before the ferns and columbines leaf out on the cliff face.

Next Hike

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

Last Saturday was cool and cloudy and I decided to take the small group of hikers along a trail I had cleaned up and reflagged just a few days earlier. Starting out from the ballpark on foot we headed up School Road and climbed the steep hill on the old logging road that leads to Cap Sheaf Lake. Not far past the third fork in the road fresh pink flagging marks the start of an old trail that runs north along the mostly forest covered bluffs. The trail is uneven in places where the sheet of moss covering the ground is hiding some loose angular boulders. The trail ends where it comes out of the forest onto a fairly open grassy bluff overlooking Gillies Bay.
Near the start of the trail we crossed a tiny stream running from pool to pool with attractive miniature waterfalls and lined with small moss covered boulders. At one of these the splashing water had frozen onto some twigs and gave me a rather attractive picture.

JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 26th February.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last Saturday we had a lovely day for hiking and kept to the low ground of Texada as snow had been falling on the higher parts of the island a few days earlier. We drove towards Davie Bay and parked just past Eagle Creek. Following the usual route we headed over towards the part of Mouat Bluffs where the cactus grow. For lunch we sat on the warm black rocks that slope quite steeply down to the sea. When we arrived a small group of seals, surprised by our unexpected arrival, reluctantly slid quietly from their secluded sunning place and down into the cool water.

JD.

Next Hike

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

Last week we were unlucky with the weather which was not really the best for hiking. With low cloud, steady rain and quite a strong blustery wind in more open areas we decided a walk in the forest might offer the least discomfort. The hike was quite long and followed a well maintained logging road that climbs from the high point of Davie Bay Road east through the forest to the start of Thompson Road.

On our hikes its not unusual for someone to spot some oddity of nature, and ask questions about it. Recently a hiker noticed an Arbutus leaf with curious markings and wondered what might have happened to the leaf to produce the odd pattern. I knew the answer and was pleased to see the culprit clearly visible and still alive. There are many hundreds of different leaf miner species, and a member of one these was the flattened caterpillar that was feeding inside the leaf. This one has a black head and yellow body and will probably mature into a tiny moth.

JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 12th February.

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

Last Saturday we drove to Bob's Lake along roads quite clear of snow and parked at the gas pipeline crossing. We hiked south on the right of way and eventually arrived at the usual lunch spot on the lake shore. The lake was certainly still frozen, but the ice was thin and had melted completely around the edges.

I've been asked by Paula and Maurice Brunelle to mention that they are inviting the hikers to drop by their house in Gillies Bay after the hike for a chat and refreshments. You can find them at the far end of Pine Street on the right.

JD.

A cool lunch spot — a frozen Angel Lake in mid February.