Category: Backpacking

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Forbidden Plateau Exploration

August 16 – 19, 2025

~ submitted by Wendy L & Julianna W

Plan A was Augerpoint Traverse over 4 days, but when the forecast changed to rain and at least one -2C night, 3 of our 6 dropped out.  Our original plan was no longer viable, as the shuttle cost would be too high for 3 people. Julianna reached out to see if anyone still wanted to go into Strathcona for a few days so 3 of us headed in.  Plan B morphed slightly into Plan C to avoid potential heavier rain on the last day.

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Stowe Mountain, Mount H’kusam, Springer Peak Trifecta

July 18, 2025

~ submitted by Sarah Duncan

This trip was out plan B trip as our original trip to  Flower and Shepherds ridge was cancelled due to weather. 

Two of the four of us decided to check out these three mountains instead. 

We met in Nanaimo and drove up to Sayward Friday morning. I had been up Stowe last year but wasn’t able to summit due to weather so was excited to go back and to tap on Springer and Hkusam as well. 

We started up the logging road from the Hwy just south of Sayward gas station (which has great ice cream by the way) and started the ascent. I knew there was logging that was coming in the area and was hoping that it had not started yet… to our surprise, no logging (I heard that who ever is working in there is on strike right now) but the road which had previously ended 8.4 ish Km up from the hwy leaving just under 3KM to walk on an old grown in road before entering into the Beautiful Stowe valley now is punched through right to (and past) the trailhead buffing off almost an hour of walking. 

We were on the col between Stowe and Hkusam in no time, having also discovered the trail split off towards Hkusam for the next day (or so we thought was going to be our way up). 

We summited Stowe with a wee scramble to amazing views up there of the water and islands between van isl and mainland… 

Then back down to the col and the short (112M) decent to the lake where we set camp and had dinner and a swim before heading up the easy and fun scramble to Springer Peak. Also providing beautiful views of Victoria and Warden peak (and surrounding peaks) as well as open views of Sayward village, the dynamic water ways, islands and mainland. 

After spending some time up there admiring and chatting about other climbs we would like to do, we headed back down to one of the quietest sleeping spots I have ever experienced.  I have named the lake spot Silent Lake due to the lack of sound there. It was amazing. One lone thrush in the morning, that was it. 

We packed up and left Silent lake around 830 to ascend back to the col. The previous day we had decided to head up Hkusam Via Lyles trail instead of the bowl which we had originally planned (smart as the snow gully would not have been possible to go up due to the snow conditions)

This is a wonderful way to the top with some great scrambling, a wee bit of slight exposure spots where you wouldn’t want to slip and stunning views of the island mountain ranges. 

We summited and read through the summit book (neither Stowe nor Springer had summit books that we could find). It was fun to see so many familiar names. 

We descended the same way returning to the col where we had left our overnight stuff in about 4 hours and we rambled back down the Stowe Creek trail and drove out. Had a great cool down dip in the Salmon River, grabbed a very generous ice cream at the gas station and headed back down island. 

You could summit these three beauties in a day but it sure was nice to stay up there and take our time. 

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A terrific trip on the Tatchu Peninsula – June 13-17, 2025

–submitted by John Young

After a five-hour drive from Nanaimo on Friday, with the last two hours on a sometimes narrow, winding logging road, we embarked from Fair Harbour aboard the Voyager with Leo Jack at the helm.

Where is Fair Harbour anyway?

The turn-off is just past Woss on Hwy 19, through Zebalos, and it’s out on the coast near Kyuquot, where Leo Jack lives.

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June 13

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Rambling along the west coast

–originally published on John Young’s blog

Keeha and Talpatos Bay with the Island Mountain Ramblers – May 23-25, 2025

 
 

These gems are located a short distance from Bamfield, at the end of a now completely paved road, cutting off 1/2 hour of travel time.  Just north of the storied West Coast Trail, and part of the Pacific Rim National Park. 

 
 
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We certainly didn’t set any speed records on this hike, and when you see the photos you’ll see why!

 

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A beaut of a Beachcomb on the Tatchu Peninsula

July 8-13, 2024
Where is Tatchu Peninsula?
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On July 8th, the six of us in our group drove in two vehicles to Fair Harbour, the last two hours on logging roads, going through Zeballos before driving to Fair Harbour. The resort there provides safe parking, for a fee, of course. From there, it was a 25-minute boat ride with Voyageur Water Taxis to Rugged Point. From Rugged Point, we hiked as far as the bay just before Yellow Bluff, and back. Leo Jack, our captain, picked us up on schedule on the 12th. Yes, we had farther to drive than going from Tahsis (another option), but our boat ride was much shorter and more sheltered. Some people opt to take a float plane in, hike one way, and be picked up at the other end. I’d much rather avoid taking a float plane, and the trail is short (about 20 k , so you might as well do an out-and-back. And the direction we went is preferable, too, because the last section south of Tatchu Creek is rugged; best done without overnight packs. 

 

A smooth ride to Rugged Point on July 8th

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Juan De Fuca Trail — Multigenerational Hike

–originally published on John’s blog.

The trail’s east end is about 75 kilometres from Victoria and extends from Jordan River to Botanical Beach, near Port Renfrew.

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Our Itinerary

  • March 20 – China Creek to Bear Beach — 9 k, 6 hours
  • March 21 – Bear to Chin Beach – 11 k, almost 8 hours
  • Marh 22 – Chin to Sombrio Beach – 9 k, 6 hours
  • March 23 – Sombrio to Payzant  Beach – 10 k., 7 hours
  • March 24 – Payzant to Botanical Beach Parking Lot – 7 k, 5 hours

We certainly didn’t break any speed records hiking this trail, covering the 47 kilometers in five days, and a total of about  32  hours, including breaks. The mud, downed trees, and bushwhacking slowed us down.

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The Central Walbran Valley — August, 2023

This August, I made two trips to the Central Walbran Valley, on August 2-3 with Chica, and on August 22-24 with three friends, and Chica, naturally. I had been wanting to get into this area for a few years, ever since my friend Rishi raved about it, and I finally did it. And I plan to return! Wow!

The area is jam-packed with hundreds of monumental red cedars, especially in the spectacular “Castle Grove,” which is perhaps the most extensive stand of near record-sized cedars on Earth. (Ancient Forest Alliance)

The road going in, however, is a deterrent, and it degrades appreciably in the last ten kilometres. Slow going, so slow, that I only averaged 22 k an hour for the two hours on the return. 

 

Slow going or what!

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The reason for the slow progressThese photos were taken going in and returning on my first trip. 
 

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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.

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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.

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