Mount Benson West Ridge

April 2, 2022

~ submitted by Greg Deabler

I always enjoy the west ridge of Benson.  Even on a busy Saturday we didn’t see another soul until the summit. 

We made excellent time, and were on the summit in 2.75 hours by 11:15 am for a quick snack and great views before heading down, taking a leisurely hour getting back down. 

Except for the descent off the summit block there was very little snow left, even in the hollows and drainages on the way up. 

An excellent day with excellent company.

Mount Wesley and Mount Horne

April 7, 2022

~ submitted by Greg Deabler

Trip was posted as both an IMR hike and AVOC hike. 

Snow level was approx 800m, with about 10-15 cm on Wesley Summit, less on Horne. Excellent weather and a good pace.

2.5 hrs to Wesley Summit.  1 hr back to Saddle.  1 hr. to Horne summit, 1.5 hrs back to cars.  6 hrs. travel time. 1050m, 11.2 km

Bald Mountain

March 30, 2022

~ submitted by Mary Hof

5 of us enjoyed a wonderful day hiking Bald Mountain. 11km, 650m elevation gain.

We started off hiking near the lake shore above the new housing on Marble Bay Rd. Oh, man – the scotch broom is 6 feet high and covers the whole trail for a section. I believe this part might be on private property, the only way to get around it would be by boat.

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Mount Benson North Ridge route

March 28, 2022

~ submitted by Ken Warren

When I posted this hike the forecast said sun … unfortunately that was not the case. However the rain was light and didn’t last too long.

The trail was mostly clear and we didn’t spike up until near the summit. The wind and fog kept us from lingering too long at the top.

We saw only five other people on the mountain making it the quietest day on Benson I’ve had in many years.

It was a good hike with good company and my first hike with Ravi. Welcome to the club and I hope to see more of you.

Christie Falls, Thistle Mine, Camas Ridge

—submitted John Robertson
February 6, we opted for a circuitous route to Christie Falls, via the old railway, and Arroyo Road. Conversation made the kilometres pass quickly, and we were at the old cabin  in three quarters of an hour. From there we continued to the falls. Several of the hikers had never seen them, and were suitably impressed.
We then continued to the abandoned Thistle mine. Those that wished to, entered and explored the mine. We had a snack, while idly searching the tailing pile for stray pieces of copper ore.
Next, we headed to the North end of Camas Ridge. The green of the moss was brilliant beyond words. As we continued along the ridge,the sun finally joined us, giving us bright warm sunbeams through the Arbutus trees.
On the way back to the cars, we diverted slightly, to the site of the old Regan resort, to explore what ruins remain.
Then we were back at the cars. We said our goodbyes and carried on with our Sunday.

Mount Manuel Quimper, Thunderbird Mountain, Ragged Mountain return on the flowline

On January 29, 2022, we finally caught a break. After what seemed like weeks of rain, it relented for a Saturday of hiking through the Sooke bumps. I relied heavily on the beta provided by a friend who frequents the area in planning the trip. I trusted he would provide us with some good routes to highlight some of the best features. He didn’t disappoint!

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