Elk Lake Loop

September 20, 2008 - We tried to hike the Elk Lake Loop. We drove up the road to Granite Lake and stopped at the giant ditches.
Then we hiked up the road to Granite Lake and past it taking the left fork which is a quad road and has a skookum bridge over the stream that feeds Granite Lake.
We followed the quad road , missing the right turnoff for the old SCT, and continued to Elk Lake which is beautiful. There is only 1 muddy spot near the lake.
Had lunch at a picnic table near the Lake and wanted to hike back on the eastern spur of the loop BUT....the trail is heavily overgrown and one would get soaked by the dew on the berry bushes and alders. Then I remembered that even a couple of years ago this was a really hard trail pushing throug the brush growing on an old logging road. So we turned back and took the quad road. It's too bad because I like loops better that going in and out on the same trail. As well when the conditions are right it used to be a wonderful loop to cross country ski in winter as it only has a couple of steep places (after the climb to Granite Lake).
(I know of only a few good cross country ski places around here; the Green Road, the Bunsters, E branch to cabin, and A branch cabin)
Of course I have no right to complain as I am not one of the hardworking people that makes and clears these trails.
But I do suggest that on the next map and SCT book it no longer be called the Elk Lake Loop and the eastern trail be dropped off the maps as bush wacking would be easier in places than the eastern Elk Lake Loop trail.

Peter Behr

Knuckleheads: A and E Branch

The bridges at E Branch are going to be replaced, the lower bridge by the gate will be with a rail car. The upper one that is falling into the creek will be a ford. We will need to build a foot bridge this fall.
We plan to start brushing of trails in September so stay tuned and come out and help.
The project started on August 28th. The old bridge has been removed and they are working on cribbing next. The railcar is at the gate parking lot and they have the lock blocks at the bottom of E Branch.
E-100 has been brushed up to the old gravel pit, needs a lot of brushing to get to the Beta Lake Trail. Will talk to Western FP about including this into next years FIA budget, as to do this by hand would be horrific!!!

Ron Diprose

Freda Mountain

Jervis Inlet

Today 4 of us went up to the top of Freda Mountain. The road is ok. A couple actually drove a 2 wheel drive car to the trailhead!
For the first time I tried the trail which starts at the right fork at the stream. This trail cut about 1 hour off my usual time but it is not marked all the way and one must look fro footprints in moss to find it. It is very steep and not for beginners. We did not get lost however.
There is no snow to walk on at all on either trail.
There is no water after the stream which is maybe 10 minutes from the trailhead. Bring water, I did not have enough to hike in this heat. The view is grand.On the way down we took the usual path as the other is so steep it would be slippery. The old trail is in good shape and very obvious, being well trodden.
Watch for Kiewett trucks and equipment on the roads, they work weekends.

Triple Peaks

2 weeks ago I went up to Triple Peaks. Goat Lake 2 road is in great shape as Kiewett is working there and they have fixed up the road. They were working there on the weekend but let us pass. The first couple of kms of the trail is a bit overgrown with alder but walkable. After that the trail is pretty obvious and good. I did some flagging at intersections and then when the trail breaks out to open rock. Not much snow left up here either. Lots of ripe blueberries.

The knuckeheads

Back in July I drove up E 100 to the Knucklehead mountains above Alpha, Gamma Lakes. The road was thick with alders and scraped the vehicle. I have heard they brushed it up to the gravel pit but the rest is rough. This is too bad as I consider this the easiest mountain hike in the district and one of the prettiest. Still I drove to the trail head and had a great day. There is a circle route one can walk taking a right fork to hike uphill to the right of Beta Lake and go to the saddle. We went to the smaller Knuckle Peak as there was snow and ice there which makes the higher peak difficult. Then we came down on the diagonal cut above Beta Lake, on crapons. By now this should be all cleared of snow. The lake colour is beautiful.

Centre Lakes is another beautiful hike. The road has a couple of slides on it that are not drivable so that adds another 45 minutes or so. When there is no snow a nice circle walk is possible. Nice alpine country here too.

The road to Emma and trail are in good shape last time I went which was July.

Peter Behr

Tinhat West

Keep your eyes open for elk. They've got the right of way.

During August and early September we have been working on cleaning out the West Tinhat Trail up from Fiddlehead. This trail with a serious vertical attitude snakes its way up the side of the mountain by way of sidehill runs and series of switchbacks that allow you to gain altitude on a gentle incline. This of course lengthens the trail but makes it relatively easy to make the necessary elevation gains.

Beautiful, but little known West Tinhat Trail is well worth making your way out to Fiddlehead via Goat Main, Spring Lake Main and Giovanni Main. The roads are good at the time of this posting, and there is signage. See earlier posting re getting through Fiddlehead onto the trail up to Tinhat.

At various times during the latter part of summer we've had Ron, John, Scott, Bruce and myself clearing this remote and amazing trail. We weedwhacked the salal, ferns, and various berry bushes that had encroached onto the track, and cut out and removed blowdowns that had fallen across the trail. For long stretches the track travels through oomphy mature fir forest growing on the steep mountainside. There are breathtaking views of the islands at the north end of Haslam Lake and the Giovanno Valley. There are lots of flags all along and the trail is now easy to follow.

We have reached the apex of West Tinhat Trail where it comes out onto the old Tinhat road which goes up the front of the mountain from the vicinity of Spring Lake. From where West Tinhat Trail emerges onto the old road it turns left for the last kilometer to the end of that rocky road. There it resumes on the well-trod foot path up to the summit. This short stretch has also been clipped again with a few years' annual growth cut well back with loppers. The immature trees are beginning to close in overhead to provide that welcome closed-in canopy that cuts down on the pesky undergrowth. It's well marked too. The hike takes about three hours from Fiddlehead to summit.


Bruce and Ron are checking out the area for the future shelter location. Lewis Lake lies immediately below while the rest of Horseshoe Valley with the Canoe Route stretches on beyond in the distance.

Near the summit you will find three orange flags at a trail junction. The spur continuing uphill takes you to the summit inside of five minutes, while the branch heading off to the east makes its way over a large flat and fairly open alpine shelf, then descends toward Lac Godeau, Sofia Pond and Cranberry Pond, and on down and around Lewis Lake. East Tinhat Trail takes about 3 hours also and is a scheduled September destination for the Weekend Hiking Club.

Whether you ascend Tinhat Mountain by way of East, West, or Old Tinhat trails going to the summit provides you with panoramic 360 degree views, provided of course that you pick a sunny day. There are no ropes required to do this hike from either direction. This pre-eminent of Powell River mountain trails is usually hiked best in the fall, as the flies have disappeared by then. Drink in the views.

Confederation Cabin

View of Confederation Lake from Confederation Cabin back towards Pearson Pass where the Sunshine Coast Trail comes up from Inland Lake and Powell River.


About Confederation Cabin: the cabin itself is structurally sound and attractive from the outside.


But once you enter be prepared to wade through garbage.

An entrepreneurial recycler could make a fortune returning the wine and whiskey bottles that have arrived there and stayed there with the advent of an ATV trail that has been pushed down into the proximity of Confederation Lake down from Mahony Main. This lake and its cabin are part of Inland Lake Provincial Park.



It's not likely that the folks who created this mess will clean it up, as they appear to be in the business of making it grow. So to make this wonderful cabin and potentially valuable recreation/tourism resource useable again will take some effort. We have contacted BC Parks and now that they have become aware of the conditions they have committed to clean it up in the next couple of weeks. A missing stove pipe needs replacing as well.

This coming Sunday, a group of hikers have made this cabin their destination, but they will not be impressed favourably. We look forward to tidy conditions once again.

March Lake and Fiddlehead Trails

View of East Tinhat Ridge seen from Lewis Lake campsite

After two seriously rainy days the fabulous summer weather we've been experiencing during July has returned in full force for the BC Day long weekend, with more of it being forecast into the foreseeable future. We celebrated our third annual BC Day Camp Out at Lewis Lake by cleaning out the first two km of the March Lake (SCT). Scott, John, Ron, Carol and I re-established this level trail that allows you to walk side by side, a conducive configeration to conversation.

Last year after the trail buffer protections we had negotiated in the Stillwater Pilot had been nullified by government, we were once again negotiating. The March Lake Trail buffer beyond the two km of variable retention we had just cleared was on the operating table. Western Forest Products consulted with us as to how much of the buffer they would leave if they would leave one at all. We had a handful of meetings and a field trip to try to limit the damage. Finally we agreed that the historic railroad grade would continue to be the location of the March Lake Trail, but that some small sections of it were going to get logged, while other sections would get a 30 m buffer on either side, and that about 500 m of it would get covered over by the new "narrow" logging road, which afterwards would be re-established as the trail. After a visit in the field on the weekend it appears that far more logging along and on top of the trail is being contemplated than what we had agreed to.

A Tale of Two Treatments: The loggers for Western were to heed the tourism/recreation values inherent in the trail. However, once again we witness the recurring inability of industry to implement agreements in the field. The men on the machines obliterated two entrances of the trail where it intersects with the new logging road. A root the size of a small house was dumped on one of the entrances, and felled trees were decked all along the road five to ten feet high. Someone new to the trail would be turned back in frustration. And the volunteers once again are forced to spend hours to relocate the trail around this man made obstacle. Or else just forget about it and let the trail die. We object to these destructive acts. This is not right.


Scott's feet are on the trail, and behind him are roots, logs and debris piled ten feet high.

At two other crossings consideration was given to tourism where the trail is easily accessed and the disturbed ground was leveled out and even hydroseeded making it a breeze to get back onto the trail on the other side of the road. Included in this post you will see the difference between the two treatments.


A gentle transition from road surface to trail surface - hydroseeded green patch on the right. Now that's more like it.

On Sunday we ascended Fiddlehead Trail from the valley up the ridge toward Confederation Lake. We cleared three kilometers of this trail climbing, sawing and snipping up to the 400 m level to the Goat Island viewpoint. Though many trees were down, most were smallish and no real problem stepping over them, or in some cases around. On Tuesday Bruce, Ron and I returned to clear and remark the remainder of the Fiddlehead Trail up to Confederation Lake. Although we got an early start, the heat followed us up the mountain as we removed debris, cut through logs and hung more ribbons. We finished after a late lunch at the cabin and now the SCT is cleared through from Sarah Point to Fiddlehead Farm. Now the entire section through Inland Lake Provincial Park is cleared all the way to Fiddlehead, a lovely hike through a vibrant forest with occasional views, a high elevation lake, and significant old growth.

Many other sections through the mid-section (Fiddlehead to Eagle River) are cleared as well but we haven't revisited all of them yet. The March Lake Trail of course is not navigable. Hikers must use the alternate route which is accessed 200 m farther south on Spring Lake Main down from the March Lake trailhead. This shorter temporary reroute uses the old Alaska Pine Road where it heads south off Spring Lake Main just short of KM 6. It is intersected by a logging road, and requires walking on a few hundred meter long section of another new logging road which eventually veers off up the mountainside while the old packed dirt Alaska Pine Road continues at elevation for another two km and then splits. Just at that point you will notice signage on both sides of the old road indicating March Lake Trail and SCT signage. Turn left to get off the reroute and onto the trail. It will take you through an impressive old growth Douglas fir stand near March Creek, and then on to March Lake and up the hill to Elk Lake and points south.