Spring has arrived! The first hike of the year with no jacket and fantastic sunshine. From the first moment of sun streaming on your face while you lay in bed, you know its going to be one of those fantastic Sunshine Coast days. Everything looks better and springs to life in the sun. That amazing deep blue water was back. No gray, no fog, no rain…..just wonderful sunshine. After a morning full of appointments and errands, I hastily made my way to meet the girls for an afternoon on Mount Elphinstone. I haven’t made the group hike for about 2 weeks now, and the excitement of returning was evident. We chatted away the entire time…the sun giving everyone a burst of energy. We chose a familiar path today, Technical Ecstacy to Sidewinder and up to Gibsons Creek. Today wasn’t so much about taking in the wonderful scenery (although it was certainly there). 
Today was about catching up, being glad to see each other, and getting a good cardio workout. Before we knew it, we were up the the bridge that crosses Gibsons Creek. Two months ago there were huge icicles hanging on these falls. Today the snowmelt and recent rains made for a great show as the creek swells with water. One of these days, I’ll find out what is on the other side of that bridge. It is a landmark that makes for about a 1 hour roundtrip hike, so it is always our turnaround spot. As the days grow noticeably…sunset is almost 8pm already…I’ll just have to find time for a longer hike and see where this trail goes. 
Sometimes I look at the bridges and the bike ramps on the trails and wonder about the diehard volunteers who built them. Think about the effort that it takes to hike in with the equipment…let alone the effort and the vision that it takes to build something like this. How did they decide that this is the spot to cross the creek? The ridge leading up to it is quite steep and offers a great view of the valley below. I’ll just keep admiring their work and seeking out new trails on the mountain. Here is a THANK YOU and a hug to those who build great trails!
Category: Sunshine Coast
Dakota Ridge – March 23, 2011
I had the most incredible day…a perfect day of sunshine up on Dakota Ridge. Warm temperatures, clear skies, and views that you just can’t beat. Oh, and did I mention 285cm of snow? That’s almost 10 feet!
I know I’ve posted about Dakota before, but this was what it is all about. Clear skies, sunny and warm. My friend Kelly and I set out on the western snowshoe trail first. The live view is better than the pics, but this is looking west across the Salish Sea to Vancouver Island and its snow covered peaks in the distance.
We hiked for 2 hours and didn’t see a soul. Just incredible views and a completely peaceful forest. We headed back to the warming hut, but chose to enjoy the sun and have lunch out on the picnic table. It was a popular spot, suddenly there were people everywhere…even a bbq in the parking lot. So many families enjoying the last taste of winter during spring break.
Rested and fed (with sandwiches & wraps from Strait Coffee), we headed off on the eastern trail. This picture is part of 13km of groomed XC ski trails with the Salish Sea in the distance.
Along this trail, I soon found a familiar sight. I am lucky enough to look at the North Shore Mountains every day from my deck. Here in the distance, is the same view…just from a vantage point 1,200 meters higher. A bit further up the trail, you could see all the way to Mt Baker in Washington.
No time to waste if you want to see Dakota Ridge for yourself this year. The area is set to officially close for the season on April 3. Get out there and have some winter fun!
Dakota Ridge – March 23, 2011
I had the most incredible day….a perfect day of sunshine up on Dakota Ridge. Warm temperatures, lear skies, and a view that you just can’t beat. Oh, and did I mention 285cm of snow? That’s almost 10 feet!
I know I’ve posted about Dakota before, but this was what it is all about. Clear skies, sunny and warm. My friend Kelly and I set out on the western snowshoe trail first. The live view is better than the pics, but this is looking west across the Salish Sea to Vancouver island and its snow covered peaks in the distance.
We hiked for 2 hours and didn’t see a soul. Just incredible views and a completely peaceful forest. We headed back to the warming hut, but chose to enjoy the sun and have lunch out on the picnic table. It was a popular spot, suddenly there were people everywhere…even a bbq in the parking lot. So many families enjoying the last taste of winter during spring break.Rested and fed, we headed off on the eastern trail. This is part of the 13km of groomed XC ski trails with the Salish Sea in the distance.
Along this trail, I soon found a familiar sight. I am lucky enough to look at the North Shore Mountains everyday from my Arcturus Retreat B&B deck. Here in the distance, is the same view…just from a vantage point 1,200 meters higher.
Selma Park Road – Feb 20, 2011
Another sunny Sunday afternoon. A friend invited me to come along for a hike in an area I’ve never been, so I jumped at the opportunity. Selma Park Road is just outside of Sechelt near Davis Bay. We went to the very end of the road at the top of the hill and headed into the forest.
A few minutes of easy hiking and we could soon hear rushing water. Chapman Creek is one of the most important watersheds on the Sunshine Coast. It provides drinking water to about half of the population. It is also the site of the Chapman Creek Hatchery which releases millions of salmon and trout each year.
This trail spends most of its time in very young forest only meeting up with the creek in a few places. Soon we could really hear the water and came upon a wonderful opening with huge boulders and a waterfall. Apparently this is the site where steelhead salmon come to spawn.
Looking straight across from here, we could see the back of the Sechlet Airport. What a wonderful area to walk to navigate around Davis Bay…all the way from the edge of Sechelt to Wilson Creek. This stretch is one of our most dangerous sections of highway for walkers and bikers. There just isn’t much space on the shoulder. This trail could be a great connection…if only there was a bridge to cross Chapman Creek.
Maybe someday…..
Snow Day – Dakota Ridge, Feb 12, 2011
Today is the 1 year anniversary of the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in nearby Vancouver. I decided it was a day to find some snow. As you can see from my previous posts, we’ve had a very mild winter. Plenty of days to hike and enjoy the sun. I was ready for my snow and ski fix.
Boy did I find snow! At sea level, it was 8C, gray and raining all day. At 1,200 meters it was just below 0 and snowing like crazy! 13cm of fresh snow by this morning and it snowed all day long with huge wet snowflakes. Dakota Ridge Winter Recreation Area is our easily accessible snowpark at this end of the Sunshine Coast. Less than an hour from the house 13km of groomed cross country trails and 8km of marked snowshoe trails await.Today my good friends at Alpha Adventures held their annual Demo Day where you can try out all the newest equipment for free. After a quick ride up to Dakota Ridge in their 4×4 van, I checked into some cross country skis and had a 30 minute introductory lesson. 30 minutes of cardio…let me tell you. It was fun…I was gliding (a little)…but its a workout. I then got to go and explore a trail for a bit to try out my new skills.
Time for a little lunch and drying off in the warming hut. Picnic tables, changing rooms and a cozy wood burning stove make this a great place for hanging out and a short rest. I always meet the most interesting people.
Now it was time to try out the snowshoes. I headed out into the forest with my 2 new friends, Annie & Jenny. I am so sorry not to have pictures, but it was REALLY snowing. I just didn’t want to get the camera wet. If you haven’t tried snowshoes, I highly recommend. It is just like going for a hike in the forest. Anyone who can walk can snowshoe.
It is so quiet when you get into the forest. So many stately huge trees and today they were all covered with a white blanket of snow. We were walking through areas with multiple feet of snow, but we usually only sank in about 3 inches. The trail is very well marked. I was in the lead and had no trouble following the trail…even though the fresh snow was filling in the footsteps of whoever had been through last. You cross over a few alpine streams, and you realize just how much snow is on the mountains. Annie was telling us about her favourite viewpoints. On a clear sunny day you can see the North Shore Mountains, Mount Baker in Washington, and Vancouver Island. I’ll definitely be back this season to try it out.
How to treat yourself after a great day of playing in the snow? On our return to Wilson Creek (access point to Dakota Ridge), I stopped in at Strait Coffee for a delicious cup of ginger carrot soup with homemade bread and a big cup of hot chocolate. Yum! When I got home, I jumped in the Arcturus Retreat B&B hot tub to relax those well excercised muscles.
Mt Elphinstone – Feb 9, 2011
Another gorgeous warm winter day! I have been hiking these trails on Mt Elphinstone about twice a week for the last few weeks. I am starting to know my way around, but there is so much more to explore. It is a fabulous way to spend an afternoon with the sun streaming in.
It is hard to convey just how green the forest is. Moss, ferns, groundcover and so many trees. It is just green and full of life. How can you feel anything but hopeful and inspired in this landscape?
When my friend emailed this morning to suggest the hike, I looked outside at the sunny day and said “How can I not go?” It was just the two of us today (three counting Kono, her dog). We had been climbing a decently steep section for a while, when my friend said “look how far you’ve come! You’ve been talking the whole time!” Now those of you that know me aren’t suprised at all that I can talk a lot. What is special is that I could talk while climbing this terrain and not be completely out of breath. That is truly the accomplishment. This is infinitely better than any treadmill or road running workout you can ever have.
This wooden bridge on Sidewinder Trail is an example of a mountain bike feature in the trails. It makes the sharp corner much more fun.
This waterfall doesn’t look very big in the photo. However it is probably about 15 feet high and is in a series of falls that is quite loud. I am standing on the bridge that crosses Gibsons Creek. It is a nice turnaround point for a 1 hour hike.
Can’t wait for the next opportunity to explore more of these trails.
Cliff Gilker Park – Jan 14, 2011
Today was supposed to be my long awaited ladies snowshoe day on Dakota Ridge. Mother Nature thought otherwise. Temperatures of 10C/50F and rain do not fit with snowshoes…it was 3C already at 10am on the mountain and raining. So, we postponed our snowshoe plans and went for coffee.
By the time we finished chatting, the rain stopped and the sun came out. Fully dressed in outdoor gear, we decided we might as well get a workout, so we headed for nearby Cliff Gilker Park. What a great decision!
All the recent rain and warm temperatures have created amazing waterfall conditions. Unfortunately, I passed up the photo op at the large waterfall but these are pretty good. I have never seen so much water in the stream here.
The forest is lush and full and green everywhere you look. The sun was just peeking in through the trees with a few lingering drops falling onto our heads. This is one of many bridges in the park. I am always amazed at the work that goes into creating such wonderful trails.
Cliff Gilker park is part of the Sunshine Coast Regional District Park System. As such, the trails are wide and well maintained with good signage. You can’t get lost in this park. There were muddy spots, but we have had a lot of rain lately.
With more experienced hikers than myself in the group, I got to see a whole new area of the park. We hiked for over an hour with fairly small elevation changes. We peeked into the neighboring Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club course a few times, but no players due to the heavy early morning rain. This is a hike that any mobile person can handle. The best feature of the park is that the front large waterfall is wheelchair accessible, too. A short wide trail leads to a wooden viewing deck that literally everyone can enjoy.
Fingers crossed that my next post will be photos of Dakota Ridge and our snowshoe trek.
Soames Hill – Jan 8, 2011
Another gorgeous sunny day on BC’s Sunshine Coast. I just had to get outside to make up for missing yesterday’s group hike. So I headed to one of my favourite sunny day spots…Soames Hill.
Now if you came across these stairs in the middle of the forest, wouldn’t you head upward? Of course! 65 steps to the first bridge and rest point gets you ready. A little heavy breathing and your heart starts beating. 206 total winding stairs in addition to a bit of natural slope gets you to the first mini-summit. It’s those last 35 steps that really get the heart rate up.
But so worth it! The views here are just amazing. Soames Hill is the highest point around Gibsons without climbing Mt Elphinstone. It is 200m to the first viewpoint and 250m to the highest viewpoint.
This shot is looking eastnortheast over Howe Sound to the Coast Mountains. The edge of Keats Island is on the right.
This is the second viewpoint…standing on solid rock. Keats Island is in the front and the Paisley Islands on the far side. There was a single sailboat out in the harbour today…gorgeous day for a sail.
It is hard to see from the picture, but there is a solid rockface behind these trees. This is the otherside of the hilltop…south of the stairs. I was just standing up on top of those rocks a few minutes earlier. Taking this shot, I am on fairly level ground in thick forest.
If you follow this particular trail, you decend all the way down to Marine Drive. Someday I’ll make that part of the hike. The trick is…not wanting to hike up from there. It’s a serious uphill climb. So you park at Shirley Macy to access the main trails and stairs to the summit. If you hike down to Marine Drive and the water….how do you get your car back? Some day…
Day at the Beach – September 5, 2010
Today was a beautiful sunny day. One of those last days of summer where the sun is shining but there is a cool nip in the air that lets you know that fall is just around the corner. I decided to take advantage of a quiet afternoon to venture out to a nearby beach…Roberts Creek Provincial Park.
I’ve posted pics from here before, but in winter. Summer is usually lively here with picnic tables and plenty of room for kids to run, play catch, or just have fun.
Today, I had the beach to myself. What a special time to have complete peace with the waves softly crashing into the shore. I found a spot on a large log (about 1 meter in diameter) and soaked in the moment. It was high tide, so there was only about 5 meters between me and the water. You can see Vancouver Island in the distance looking both west and south.
There were a few boats out today, but all in the distance so all the sounds were of birds and waves. A perfectly peaceful afternoon!
This is a tree that has washed up on the shore. The rootball is at least 4-5 meters high. It’s not as clear in the picture, but the roots are all curled up and gnarly. Shells and rocks have been lodged in some of the openings. The wood on the trunk is smooth…sanded down by the waves.
This is the open beach to the north….not a sole to be seen.
And the same to the south. Just me and the birds today. I was hoping to see our grey whale that has been spotted in the area for the last 2 months. I kept watching the horizon, but no luck today. Oh well, another time. Today was for relaxing, slowing down and enjoying the moment. Have to remember to do this more often.
Soames Hill – Aug 10, 2010
I can’t believe 6 months went by since my last hike up Soames Hill. I love this place. From 0 to 250m elevation in about 20 minutes and what an amazing trip.
The trails that wind around the base of the hill are similar to other rainforest trails. Amazingly tall trees, huge ferns, boulders…the sounds of the forest and protection of the trees keep out the busy sounds of the outside world.
206 steps take you straight up and really get your heart beating and blood flowing. It brings you alive as you work your way up.
Then just as soon as you’re a bit winded, you’re at the top and the view takes your breath away. This photo is looking south over Gibsons Harbour with Vancouver Island in the background. There are 3 vantage points at the summit, so be sure to take them all in.
The best part about the quick workout on the ascent is that you are more than happy to sit and relax at the summit. At first it is to get your breath back, but then you just soak in the view and sit in the sun. Linger for a while and just enjoy.
This is looking east at Keats Island with the Paisley islands just behind. Straight on would be the city of Vancouver. It would be interesting to see this at night…you should be able to see all the city lights.
See the huge boat in the harbour? Two tugs took it out into Howe Sound while I rested. So interesting to sit and watch it make the trek.
Forget all your cares. No better way to excercise and de-stress. I won’t let another 6 months go by before I return.