Timberline Tales

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Mount Arrowsmith via Brugger’s Gully

March 21, 2026

~ submitted by Evan Martin

This was suppose to be a report on a ski trip of the Forbidden Plateau Traverse.  However, after a week of heavy rain and cooling temperatures nobody was excited about the potential for boot packing, icy ski conditions, and washed out stream beds.  So what could I get people excited about?  Sunny weather; low-low-low avalanche conditions; sounds like a day for gully climbing.  I had been curious about Brugger’s Gully on Arrowsmith ever since we accidentally started it instead of the Main Gully a few years ago.  So the plans switched and off we went.

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Mount Bluff

March 15, 2026

~ submitted by Su Castle

After a short drive up Butler Main, we chose a little scamper up the side of the logging road to gain the Mt Bluff Ridge Trail.

Photo of a member clearing off the moss from the very old spray painted trail directions!

The ridge trail is less used, so we did a bit of route finding, made more challenging due to the amount of leftover snow. Great viewpoints along the way to the summit.

Disinclined to hike with the impending forecasted atmospheric river, we decided to forgo the idea of Trap and returned via the Speed Bumps trail.

The Scouts use this trail- it was much easier to follow!



Total distance- 9.5kms
Total elevation gain- 468m

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Maple Mountain – The Long Way

March 14, 2026

~ submitted by Ken Warren


A great day in good weather.

We followed Chilco to blue, yellow, blue to the end, Mill Bay pink, Summit, Maple Syrup, Story Connector, Xylem, Tony’s Arbutus, Mary’s Lookout, nnamed trails to m710, to Chilco.

16+ km, 1000+ m.

Good company. Thanks.
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East Sooke Park – Anderson Cove to Aylard Farm

March 1, 2026

~ submitted by Julianna Wells

East Sooke Park is one of my favourite hikes in the South Island area. There are many different trail options for traveling through the park, and if you have great weather, it can have some of the best coastal views around.

On Sunday, March 1 our group of 8 hikers met at Aylard Farm parking area for 8:50am to start our car shuttle to the Anderson Cove trailhead parking area. With a perfect weather forecast, we were all excited to hit the trail.

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Gowlland Tod Park – Jocelyn Hill hike

February 22, 2026

~ submitted by Julianna Wells

Gowlland Tod Park is a beautiful South Island area with a myriad of trails.  The green moss, beautiful arbutus trees, view-point hills and bluffs make it a favorite place to explore, get lost, and find your way back in.

Our plan was to start at the Emma Dickson trailhead along Millstream road, then make our way out to Jocelyn Hill and back along various trails in a leisurely loop hike around 8kms long.  Although rain gear and pack covers were in the forecast, the warm February temperatures had everyone out in smiles for the day. 

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Green Mountain — On Being That Guy

March 7, 2026

~ submitted by Matthew Lettington

I was lucky enough to join the fun on the club’s March 7 ski tour to Green Mountain. While this winter has fizzled more than it has popped, the lack of snow has given us unusually good opportunities to drive high into the mountains and start our recreation much farther up than we typically can. Earlier this year we attempted the same trip but had to start skiing around 400 m. This time we were able to drive to nearly 800 m before stepping out of the vehicles.

But I don’t want to start this story on the mountain. This is really a story about how I dropped the ball.

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Winter Ski Series – Overnight Ski Tour

February 21, 2026

~ submitted by Evan Martin

This was the second trip in the ski series that I’m organized this year.  In preparation for upcoming overnight tours, the intention of this trip was to test out our winter camping setups and learn what it feels like to ski with a heavy pack. This trip definitely served both purposes!  With over 30cm of snow leading up to this trip and a heavy snowfall warning the conditions were ideal.

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Winter kilometres on Mount Benson now, coastal kilometres later

February 15, 2026

~ submitted by Matthew Lettington

Getting the family outdoors can be a real challenge. Between busy schedules and competing priorities, it’s often a matter of simply deciding to make it happen. This summer we have big ambitions: hiking the North Coast Trail together as a family. After my experience hiking the West Coast Trail with my son last year, I learned that success comes from putting in the hours ahead of time. Time on our feet matters. That’s what inspired this recent trip up Mount Benson.

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