Next Hike

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

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

Last Saturday we had great weather for hiking and I felt it was a wonderful opportunity to visit the small stand of old growth forest on Texada Island Forest Reserve, TIFR land, that lies just to the north of the head of Gillies Bay.  It's separated from the Ballpark by an area of swamp and so partly flooded in winter so the best access is from the old logging road called School Road. This area has some of the largest specimens of both common and less common tree species that grow on Texada, including a couple of very large old Douglas Fir one of which is featured in my photo this week.  My guess is that this tree is at least 500 years old judging by the diameter and perhaps a sapling when King Henry VIII was on the throne of England. Other species of extra old large trees in the stand are Western Red Cedar and Sitka Spruce.  After taking our time exploring this potential parkland forest we speeded up and headed north along new cycle trails towards the bluffs where we would find a sunny spot with a view and to sit and have lunch.  

JD. 

The base of an ancient Douglas Fir tree in the stand of old growth forest close to the Ballpark in Gillies Bay. The black patches 

are the result of a forest fire that burned just the outer part of the thick bark several decades ago.  

Next Hike

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

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

Last week it was yet another day when umbrellas were being put to good use.  We chose a hike that takes us through forest and clearcut to a secluded lake that sometimes has a pair of loons nesting there, hence the name Loon Lake.  This winter has been quite mild so far, which is not all that unusual in recent years, but it does seem to have been  wetter than usual.  In the last eight days the water in my rain gauge in Gillies Bay has amounted to 122 mm, nearly five inches, of precipitation.  On our last hike we saw water falls and flowing water in places where there would normally be very little or none.

JD.

On the way to Loon Lake on a rainy hike day in February.  

Next Hike

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

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

Last week we drove north along the HIgh Road, turned off onto the Pocahontas Bay Rd. and drove the short distance to the start of the Fire Lookout Trail.  Here the hikers decided to split into two groups and do two different hikes for a change.  The smaller group walked down to Pocahontas Bay where they sat in the sun at the waterside for lunch.  The second group took the uphill trail and headed for the lunchspot and viewpoint on the bluff some distance to the east of the Fire Lookout peak.  After lunch this group decided to investigate a lower viewpoint at the end of a short trail that I had flagged several years ago before the higher one was discoved. In exploring around the lower viewpoint we discoved that the highpoint where Hydro have a large metal microwave reflector offered a much better viewpoint than the one we had been using for many years!  My photo this week shows the view east from that newly discovered bluff.

JD,

  

The view of the entrance to Jervis Inlet looking east from Pocahontas.  The distant ferry is approaching Saltery Bay on it's way from Earls Cove. 

Next Hike

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

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

Last week the weather was not that great, but even so a good number of hikers were keen to head off somewhere interesting.  We drove up to a parking place on the gas pipeline near First Lake and headed off walking on the old logging road that runs east through the forest towards Hydro East Road.  With no wind and no rain either it was quite pleasant for walking although there seemed to be a few more fallen tress to get past along the way. Reaching the well maintained Hydro East road we made good speed going south until the side road we needed to take to reach the lunch spot slowed us down.  At one time this short logging side road was easy walking right to the lovely forest lake, but then it was dug up and planted over with sapling trees by forestry.  Years later its totally overgrown with bushy firs and pines and could do with a little trail clearing. 

The lake is shaped like a horseshoe with dry land in the middle that makes a comfortable spot for lunch. The bark on the lower part of each of the trees close to the water was long ago eaten off by beaver and are unlikely to remain standing for many years more.

JD. 

The still beauty of a forest lake in winter — Horseshoe Lake a short distance off Hydro East Road.