Bill Boham led a low-tide hike at Denman Island yesterday, over to Tree (Sandy) Island and the Seal Islets. Our route started at Morning Side Park, on the east side of northern Denman Island, where we descended a steep zig-zag staircase down to the shoreline. Turning north along the seashore, we hiked to Longbeak Point and then headed across the bared intertidal zone to Tree Island. Crossing to its NE side, we again tackled the intertidal area across to the Seal Islets. This section was a bit more daunting as we had to cross a few streams, bringing in our long-jump skills! Okay...so most of us ended up with wet boots - no first prizes handed out today! Our birding enthusiasts were thrilled to see a "swoop" of Sandhill Cranes flying past in the distance and a "committee" of vultures gathered at a pile of shells. After a walk around one of the Islets, we returned to Tree Island for our lunch break and then retraced our steps back to Denman and the trailhead. The weather was quite cooperative; despite cloudy skies, we had no rain and the strong breezes kept temperatures at a comfortable level. We were pleased with this outing, as it was the first time the intertidal area was exposed long enough for us to explore the Islets - a case of timing ferry schedules with daytime low-low tides.
|