Category: Backpacking

Posted on

Hiking the South Brooks Peninsula

–SUBMITTED BY MICHAEL PASKEVICIUS; ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON HIS TRAVEL BLOG

This report recounts a story from a less-visited location, although it is not about a club trip.

I have been fascinated by the Brooks Peninsula for some time. Geographically it is significant as it sticks out quite prominently on the west side of the island near the northern tip. It is rumoured to have its own weather system and significant hazards for boaters and kayakers rounding its western point. There are some very hard to reach mountains on the peninsula as well, one called Mount Doom that has a great mystique by name and remoteness. Up in those mountains contain some interesting flora and fauna as this part of the island may have not been covered by snow and ice during the ice age, resulting in some prehistoric plants still living to this day.

Continue reading “Hiking the South Brooks Peninsula”

Posted on

Flower Ridge to Central Craigs

–SUBMITTED BY MICHAEL PASKEVICIUS; ORIGINALLY POSTED ON HIS TRAVEL BLOG

I met the Ramblers group for 9am at the Flower Ridge trailhead. Our group of six set out just after 9am. We got to the ridge in about four hours and continued along for another hour or so to camp. It was windy on the ridge but the sun was out, so my gear finally had a chance to dry.

After a solid night’s sleep, we had a casual start to the day departing camp at 9am. Our goal for the day was Central Crags, the summit of this mountain is just over 1650 metres. We made our way along Flower Ridge gaining and losing elevation as we went. The ridge is wide and open offerings lots of different paths and perspectives along their way. The Septimus Rosseau massif started to come into view topped by a thick layer of cloud, but we caught great views of the hanging glacier and snow fields.

Continue reading “Flower Ridge to Central Craigs”

Posted on

Wrangling on Nootka Island with the Island Mountain Ramblers

–submitted by John Young; originally published on his blog

Untitled photo
This was billed as a work party, clipping salal, cutting some smaller deadfall, and, most importantly, replacing some of the decrepit ropes on the steeper slopes. A total of about 350′ of rope, in fact! However, we didn’t let this stop us from having fun!

Continue reading “Wrangling on Nootka Island with the Island Mountain Ramblers”

Posted on

Nootka Island Trail Maintenance Trip

–SUBMITTED BY MICHAEL PASKEVICIUS; ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON HIS BLOG

[The below report is for the club trip done in June 2023]

The Nootka trail is a remote and rugged 40km through hike on Nootka Island. We accessed the trail via water taxi from Tahsis, starting from Yuqout with a pickup at Tongue Point. The trail passes through the Mowachaht/Muchalat First Nations territory. We planned a south to north hike with intention to conduct trail maintenance along the way. We brought clippers for clearing the trail, ropes for helping with steep sections, and planned to mark headland trails as well with buoys that could be found on the beach.

Day One: Travel to Nootka

After a long drive from Victoria with a pick up in South Nanaimo we arrived in Tahsis in the early afternoon. We learned a small plane had crashed in the area just the day before, so there was a fair bit of activity in town with first responders, reporters, and fire crews dealing with the incident. We were still able to board our water taxi and travel to Yuquot to begin the Nootka Trail from the south end. It was a short walk to our first camp where we spent the first night.

Continue reading “Nootka Island Trail Maintenance Trip”

Posted on

The Elk River Trail– A Great Plan B!

–SUBMITTED BY JOHN YOUNG; ORIGINALLY POSTED ON HIS BLOG

We had originally planned a trip to Flores Island, but with Highway 4 being closed we came up with a Plan B–hike up the Elk River Trail to the second gravel bar camp on Wednesday, Thursday a hike up to Burg Lake and back, and Friday hike out. And what a great alternate hike it turned out to be! Perfect weather, great company, and some beautiful forest and mountain scenery.

Wednesday–A beautiful trail to the second gravel bar camp

Untitled photo

Continue reading “The Elk River Trail– A Great Plan B!”

Posted on

Augerpoint Traverse

July 26 – 29, 2021

~ submitted by Greg Deabler

The forecast for our Monday to Thursday Augerpoint Traverse was superb, and this time the mountain forecast was right on.  We had decided to do the traditional Raven Lodge to Buttle Lake direction, with the standard first day to Circlet Lake, 2nd day over Albert Edward and on to Ruth Masters Lake, with a third day to the tarns at the base of Jack’s Fell with side trips to be determined; both Augerpoint and Sid Watts were on the table.  A leisurely 4th day from the tarns down to the lake to pick up the vehicle left for the return trip to Raven Lodge.

Continue reading “Augerpoint Traverse”
Posted on

Augerpoint Traverse

September 10 – 13, 2020

~ submitted by Greg Deabler

John Young led the August rendition of the Augerpoint traverse, but as there were so many people interested, Greg Deabler, a very experienced mountaineer and fairly new Rambler member, was recruited to put on another trip in September.  After cancellations and injuries, the group was down to six, but what a fine mix of six were we!

Continue reading “Augerpoint Traverse”
Posted on

Paradise Meadows to Wood Mountain: A Family Traversing

–submitted by Matthew Lettington; originally published on explorington.com

Call it our wedding anniversary, the final weekend before school, an early celebration of Octavia’s birthday, or just Labour Day; on September long weekend, I led a group of families on a traverse of Strathcona Park.

It starts with trying to hold them back

I’ve hiked the route between Raven Lodge and the Old Forbidden Plateau ski lodge on two previous occasions. Each time, I vowed to return to do it as an overnighter. Though a bit of a longer route, it meanders Forbidden Plateau with very few steep climbs; a fit group can complete it in about nine hours. In terms of a hiking route, there are very few like it on Vancouver Island. So when the question, “what to do as a family trip for our various celebrations in the face of COVID 19?” arose, I proposed doing the traverse as a family trip.

Continue reading “Paradise Meadows to Wood Mountain: A Family Traversing”

Posted on

King’s Peak

August 22, 2020

~ submitted by Bil Derby

Planned as a do-over of an unsuccessful trip in 2018 this trip filled up quickly when posted on the schedule. By the time the week of the trip arrived the group reduced to just Gord and I.  Leaving Nanaimo at 06.30 on Saturday we arrived at the trailhead at 09.00 and were set up in the lower meadows 3-1/2 hours later. 

Continue reading “King’s Peak”
Posted on

The Golden Hinde(less) Traverse – July 18-24, 2020

Why the Hinde(less) you ask? Because we didn’t summit the Golden Hinde, which, for most people, would be the primary objective of this trek. For me, and for most of my group, it wasn’t a big disappointment, because for us it was about the journey, not just about bagging the highest peak on Vancouver Island.

 

We were two groups of four, with the other group canoeing over Buttle Lake before traversing across Marble Meadows and then to the Hinde, attempting it on the 21st. Aftrer coming within 200 meters of the top, they turned back due to hazardous snow conditions. My group hiked up the Elk River Trail to Elk Pass and then across to the Golden Hinde, making it to the South Tarn at the base of the mountain on July 21. Our hopes of a summit attempt on the 22nd, however, were dashed when we heard from the other group (via our inReach satellite communication) of their aborted attempt. To be honest, though, I’m not disappointed. I was tired, and climbing the mountain (which I had bagged in 1998) and then having an arduous 3-day hike to Buttle Lake before the short canoe back to my truck wasn’t appealing. And frankly, I don’t have the confidence on steep pitches, especially snow, that I once had.

Continue reading “The Golden Hinde(less) Traverse – July 18-24, 2020”