Photos by Andrew and Bill.
We had perfect weather for our hike to Maple Lake. As usual we saw nobody on our way to or from the lake. At our usual lunch spot we found a group settled in with chairs and coolers enjoying the beach. Not surprising for a holiday weekend. So we went back up the trail and down to a small bay that looked inviting on the map. There we found a fisher taking a shore break. After a short chat he paddled off, leaving us with a beautiful, private spot for our lunch break. Photos by Andrew and Bill.
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Each time we have done the Enos Lake and Notch Hill hike we have refined the route. This was no exception. We managed to make the hike beside the lake and along the ridge above a complete loop, including the viewpoint overlooking the Strait of Georgia. On Notch Hill we tried the outer trail for a change, which reduced our climb while still providing great views of Nanoose Bay and beyond. Photos by Marina, Andrew, Lindsay and Bill. Royston Seaside trail from the picnic area at Marine Drive was our walk today. Happy the Royston Coffee Shop is open again where we could sit outside and enjoy afterwards.
The short 4 kilometre hike each way to the Ripple Rock viewpoint isn't easy, with some steep bits, stairs, roots and rocks. The viewpoints along the way and the vista from our lunch spot at the end of the trail are great rewards for our effort. This time we were also rewarded with happy hour at the Riptide Pub after the hike. Photos by Steve, Lindsay, Brenda, Mike, Nereza and Bill. On Saturday Michele led us on a hike to Nile Creek Falls from McColl Road in Bowser. We walked through the woods down to Nile Creek and then followed the trail along the creek, under the highway and up to the falls. There is some awesome graffiti on the walls under the bridge. The mud was not too bad. A few mucky sections. We did have one hiker take a step that proved unstable and resulted in a bit of a mud bath. Fortunately there were no injures and very good humour. The woods were beautiful as the sun shone through the leafing maples and the hanging moss. The sound of the various water streams was always with us. Part of the group headed up the steep bank at the end of the trail and enjoyed more views of the falls. On the way back we stopped and ate lunch on a rock overlooking smaller but very lovely falls. The walk on the ridge back to the cars was a clear flat trail on soft ground through the woods. 14 km in just over 5 hours. Debrief was st Roy’s Pub. Our group had no winners in the Meat Draw. It was a good day with a fun group of hikers. Photos by Lindsay, Cathy, Michele, Tannis and Bill.
Continuing our spring of exploration, a small brave group checked out mountain bike trails upstream from Englishman River Falls. We found single track trails winding through mature forest running parallel to the river. The trails were not well maintained for cycling, but were excellent for hiking. For dessert we hiked the loop around the upper and lower falls in the Provincial Park. Another route to be added to our rotation for sure. Photos by Steve and Bill.
Walk was at Seal Bay starting from Bates Road. We headed to the other side and did a loop to the marsh. Then, we walked the trail to the road leading down to Bates Beach. Stunning views and weather! We continued to the trails on the Bates Beach side. Debrief was at Milanos where we enjoyed good company, coffee and goodies. Photo credit: Deb and Karen
What a beautiful day for an outing! Our group headed to Sandwick Park (off Courtenay's Muir Rd) this morning to see what birds were out and about. Lots of sounds around us, but they were showing themselves to be experts at hiding behind all the leaves. In the end, we sighted most birds we were hearing, but a few listed below were just heard and identified by the Merlin bird sound app (verifying our best guess on the bird). Total bird species count was 17: American Robin, American Crow, Spotted Towhee, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Bewick's Wren, House Finch, Bald Eagle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Song Sparrow, Anna's Hummingbird, Mallard and Belted Kingfisher Photos by Rob and Dawn For our morning hike in Cumberland Forest we put familiar mountain bike trails and connectors together to make a new 10 kilometre loop through the Space Nugget and Eastern Block areas. Photos by Steve, Beverley and Bill. What a morning for a walk! It was at the Airpark and thanks to Karen B. for photos.
Today's walk took us around Melda's Marsh where we enjoyed the quiet and serene scene at the trail's main viewpoint.
Click on photo to enlarge. As the forecast deteriorated we changed our destination from the Englishman River to the east side of the Puntledge. As luck would have it we had a nice brisk hike with only 26 drops of rain. We hiked the River Trail out and back for a 9 kilometre jaunt, then we all retired to Big Foot for a sweet debrief. Photos by Cathy & Bill. Another beautiful morning for a walk! From the Millard Lookout and along the extension, Beachwood and the greenway to the Ridge along pathways and sidewalks, was our walk today. Debrief with coffee and goodies was enjoyed sitting outside at Bean Around the World. Photo credit: Deb and Karen
Carefully walking over roots, rocks, and through many trails, the Intermediate Walking group enjoyed a sunny stroll in the Northeast Woods. |