CDMC
Morte Lake, Quadra Island; Wed Aug 25, 2010; hiking; leader: William Wright      return to Reports

The beginnings of this trip go back several months and are too long to mention here but it was quite the surprise when a fellow member mentioned that I was leading this trip... I had no recollection of this and had I not received this tip, the participants may've still been waiting at the church. As luck would have it, I did arise to the challenge with the wonderful support of Tim, who stood in as co-leader and photographer along with Phil's superb navigation as he led the crew around Morte Lake... Being successful, in this club, is just surrounding yourself with good people!

We seamlessly made it to the trailhead and the weather was perfect for a tree-shaded trek. The 10 km hike wends it's way thru mossy forests and ponds, backdropped by the Chinese Mountains... We enjoyed a morning coffee on a rocky outcropping overlooking Morte Lake and Strathcona's highest peaks, the Hinde, Elkhorn & Victoria Peak. These were wonderful views and we basked in their shadows.

After our break, we headed to the beach for a swim and lunch... The leisurely pace of this trip allowed for a refreshing dip and a relaxed lunch while we remarked on how fortunate we are to not only have this but to be out here enjoying it!

We returned to our vehicles via the south shore of the lake and discovered other swimming beaches that were noted for next time... I will look forward to further trips to Quadra Island, now realizing what they have to offer.

The crew acquired much deserved ice-cream at the Quathiaski Cove Ferry Terminal and participated in a casual debrief of the most enjoyed day... Again, an enormous pat on the back to Phil who helped the co-leaders, Tim and William, manage this surprise outing!

A foot-note to this outing was that it was nice to have John's sister Julie along who was visiting from the UK... also, we bumped into 2 of our members returning from a bike trip on Cortes. It was nice to see Frank and Krista taking advantage of our incredible good fortune as we were.

Tim Penney photo: GPS Map
GPS Map
[Tim Penney photo]
Tim Penney photo: Trip statistics
Trip statistics
[Tim Penney photo]

Tim Penney photo: Victoria Peak seen from our first coffee break spot
Victoria Peak seen from our first coffee break spot
[Tim Penney photo]
Tim Penney photo: Elkhorn Mountain
Elkhorn Mountain
[Tim Penney photo]

Tim Penney photo: Ruffed Grouse lurking in the tree
Ruffed Grouse lurking in the tree
[Tim Penney photo]
Tim Penney photo: Great spot for our first coffee break
Great spot for our first coffee break
[Tim Penney photo]

Tim Penney photo: The water babies
The water babies
[Tim Penney photo]
Tim Penney photo: Lunchtime break
Lunchtime break
[Tim Penney photo]

Tim Penney photo: Morte Lake from the East end of the lake
Morte Lake from the East end of the lake
[Tim Penney photo]
Tim Penney photo: Great beach for swimming at the East end of the lake
Great beach for swimming at the East end of the lake
[Tim Penney photo]


Report contributors: William W, Tim P,

Participant list: Stella B, Jackie G, John G, Tim P, Otto W, William W, Philip Z,

(G) = public guest     (L) = lapsed member

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