Next Hike

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

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

Last week we thought we would have quite a nice day for hiking, and it was not too bad, but the sun was hidden behind clouds that became darker as the day progressed.  We headed for the high ground and did the Mt. Davies hike starting from the parking spot on the gas pipeline just south of the Vancouver Island Hydro lines on the Bobs Lake Rd.  The top of the mountain where we had lunch was not in the clouds, but the view was not quite as impressive as it might have been on a really clear day.  Just as we packed up to start down from the top a few large flakes of snow began to fall as a reminder winter is not quite over yet.

My photo was taken on a hike I did earlier this week on the slopes of Surprise Mountain on a day that was both warm and sunny.  I was lucky enough to get photos of an Aligator Lizard that was taking advantage of the bright sunshine and had chosen a patch of bare rock on a small mossy bluff to warm its body.  

I have a pair of soft odd style dark gloves that someone seems to have left behind in a vehicle on a recent hike.  The have an opening for the fingers instead of the usual five fingers, so quite unusual.  

JD.

  

An Aligator Lizard in the sun warming itself on a patch of bare rock near Favada Point.

Next Hike.

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

Last week we drove south only part way to Davie Bay and parked on the side of the road some distance before Eagle Creek. We then started walking south along the road before turning off a short distance after crossing Eagle Creek. This is the start of a logging road that runs down to Davie Bay, but we only used it to get to the start of a winding trail that runs through clearcut and forest to the top of the low cliffs at the shoreline. After lunch it was decided we should should explore the area to the north of the lunch spot to see if we could make the hike a circular one by crossing Eagle Creek near the sea and getting on to the road that starts at the old cabins. The going was a bit rough in places, but we did make it, crossed the creek OK and eventually reached the Davie Bay road again north of where we had parked the vehicles.

I'm giving advance notice of the annual Texada Trekkers hike and beach pot-luck barbecue at Raven Bay. This year it will be on Saturday, 9th April. I will provide more details next week.
JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 5th March.

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

Last week we had a dry day for hiking for a change, but while the rain held off and there was no wind at all there was low cloud or fog above us and no way of knowing how thick it might be.  On hike days like this we simply assume there is some sunshine somewhere high up and set of towards the high ground to find it.  It was fairly clear when we were driving past the Vancouver Island Hydro lines so parked at the next road junction.  Headed south from there along the gasline road we turned off into the forest at the bottom of the very steep hill and made our way to the Bobs Lake Rd,  Then it seemed a good idea to make for Flicker Mt. to get the best view and enjoy lunch at the top.  But we discovered quite soon that the mountain was shrouded in the low cloud so changed plans and headed to Bobs Lake campground instead. 

This proved to be a wonderful choice as the lake was looking so beautiful as the fog drifted here and there and sometimes opened up to the sky and allowed the sun to brighten the scene. It was a lovely spot to be for half an hour or so on a still and mild winter day.

JD.

Quiet solitude — Bobs Lake in winter.

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.