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Your Guide to Trails on the North Island 2015/2016 NORTH ISLAND G FREE 1 2 Table of Contents 4 Description of Trail Guide Coal Harbour Sointula/Malcolm 5 Travelling Logging Roads 20 Colony Lake Trail Island 6 Trail Etiquette Port Alice 37 Beautiful Bay 21 Beaver Lake Forest Trail 38 Mateoja Trail Port Hardy 22 Marble River Trail 39 Pulteney Point Lighthouse 7 Quatse Loop & Estuary 23 Alice Lake Loop Telegraph Cove Trail 40 Dave Farrant/Blinkhorn 24-25 Map 8 Tex Lyon Trail Trail 9 North Coast Trail Port McNeill 41 Bauza Cove Trail 11 Cape Scott 26 Cluxewe Salt Marsh Trail Woss 12 Ronning Garden 27 Port McNeill Rotary Trail 42 Mount Cain 13 Grant Bay 29 Schoolhouse Creek Trail 43 Woss Lake/Grease Trail 14 San Josef Bay 30 Merry Widow 44 Hoomak Lake 15 Raft Cove Trail 31 Lady Ellen/Ledge Point 17 Fort Rupert Trail 32 Haddington Trail Zeballos 18 Georgie Lake Trail 33 Shephards’ Garden 45 Little Huson Winter Harbour Alert Bay Sayward 19 Botel Park Trail 35 Alert Bay Ecological Park 47 Kusam Klimb A publication of the North Island Gazette 7305 Market Street, Port Hardy, BC V0N 2P0 • Copyright North Island Gazette 2015 Come in and get everything you need for your hike t#PUUMFE8BUFSt4VOTDSFFOt/VUTt#VHTQSBZ t4OBDLGPPETt'SVJUTt7FHFUBCMFT and so much more to choose from to get you prepared We Deliver! 250-956-2881 #2-311 Hemlock St. Port McNeill 3 Welcome to the North Island Gazette’s 1st Annual OFF THE BEATEN PATH GUIDE TO TRAILS ON THE NORTH ISLAND. North Vancouver Island encompasses the communities of Port Hardy, Port Alice, Port McNeill, Alert Bay, Sointula, Winter Harbour, Holberg, Hyde Creek, Quatsino, Zeballos, Woss and Sayward as well as numerous First Nations communities. There are at least 49 trails in the area, but full details are not available for all. The 1st Annual Off the Beaten Path - Guide to Trails on the North Island features information on 30 trails as well as two local gardens that are Must Sees and the Port Alice Loop which is a driving tour. This is going to be a living document. Each year, the North Island Gazette hopes to add new trails and information to our Trail Guide. If you have information, or photos, you would like included in next year's issue, please email them to [email protected] If you would like to advertise in next year's addition please email [email protected] We did our best to get all information correct in this guide with the much-appreciated help of our staff members who love to hike, as well as Western Forest Products, Vancouver Island North Tourism and the Regional District of Mount Waddington. Sincerely, Kathy O’Reilly-Taylor, publisher Active Wear for Men, Women & Children Shirts | Pants | Jackets | Footware | Accessories 3-7053 Market St, Port Hardy, BC V0N 2P0 Phone/Fax 250-902-0501 ǁǁǁ͘ŶϰϵŽƵƞŝƩĞƌƐ͘ĐŽŵ 4 Travelling On Logging Roads The network of gravel roads that connect us with the backcountry has been constructed primarily for forest industry use. t&YQFDUUPOBWJHBUFJOEFQFOEFOUMZ UIFSFNBZOPUCFEJSFDUJPOBMTJHOT t&YQFDUUPCFTIBSJOHUIFSPBEXJUIJOEVTUSJBMWFIJDMFT BMXBZTTUBZBMFSUBOEVTF DBVUJPO t:JFMEUPJOEVTUSJBMUSBGåD QVMMPWFSJNNFEJBUFMZBOEMFUUIFPODPNJOHWFIJDMF QBTT VTFQVMMPVUTXIFSFQPTTJCMF CBDLVQJGOFDFTTBSZ t&YQFDUSPVHITVSGBDFTBOEQPUIPMFT TMPXEPXO BOEESJWFUPSPBEDPOEJUJPOT t#FGPSFIFBEJOHPVU FOTVSFZPVSWFIJDMFIBTBGVMM UBOLPGGVFM BXPSLJOHTQBSFUJSFBOEUIFUPPMTUP DIBOHFJU t*GUIFSPBEJTEVTUZBOEZPVIBWFMJNJUFEWJTJCJMJUZ XBJUGPSEVTUUPTFUUMFCFGPSFDPOUJOVJOH t#VDLMFVQBOEBMXBZTESJWFXJUIZPVSIFBEMJHIUT PO FWFOEVSJOHUIFEBZUJNF'PSFTU4BGFUZ$PVODJM JOEVTUSJBMSPBEJOGPSNBUJPO www.bcforestsafe.org/forestry_trucksafe/safe_driving_info.html Scarlet Ibis Restaurant & Pub 250.288.3386 Downtown Holberg Good food, good friends & Good times for the entire family OPEN: Tuesday through Saturday 12pm - 10pm Sunday & Monday 12pm - 9pm Last stop going in ... fi rst stop coming out for Cape Scott Provincial Park. 5 Trail Etiquette DO Yield to logging trucks and faster moving vehicles on logging roads Drive with your lights on even during the day on logging roads Respect campground and backcountry camping fees and pay accordingly Pack out everything you bring in Bring enough water and research trail accessible water sources before you leave for your trip Leave a note on your windshield if you are a solo hiker saying when you expect to be back at your vehicle Use designated fire pits, and if none are available dismantle ones you create Bring a bear hang rope or use provided bear caches to store food overnight Bring a garbage bag to dispose of packages and uneaten food Plan meals meticulously to avoid excessive waste Leave your camping spots the same or better than when you arrived Use provided toilet facilities or dig a hole to go to the bathroom, bury it, and pack out used toilet paper Check with the band offices in the area to see if there are any traditional or sacred areas that you need permission to enter DON’T Don’t Leave food at your campsite overnight Don’t Forget to check if you need permits for your desired hiking/ camping area Don’t Sleep on fragile parts of our ecosystem like an area with many plants or a bed of moss Don’t Rinse or wash dishes in a water source Don’t Dump garbage down composting toilets Don’t Bring dogs into areas where they are prohibited-park and trail sites in the area can tell you what the rules are on this Don’t Forget the importance of excellent preparation, including meal planning including emergency meals, map and route planning, a well-stocked first aid kit, and an evacuation plan for each day in the backcountry Reminder cell phone service is not available in many areas 6 Quatse Loop & Estuary Trail PORT HARDY Length - 2.5 km loop Total Hiking Time - 1.5 hours Trail Difficulty Classification - Easy How From the Island Highway (Hwy 19), turn onto to Get the Coal Harbour Road just south of Port Hardy; Turn left onto Byng Road; Turn left There into the Quatse Campground. t Take in the scenery as you enjoy an easy 2.5 km riverside loop or take a side trail to a wildlife-viewing platform in the estuary. t5IFSFJTBOPQUJPOIBMGXBZ through the loop to head into Port Hardy on a well-main- tained community trail along the Quatse River and shoreline of Hardy Bay. 7 Tex Lyon Trail PORT HARDY/STOREY’S BEACH Length - 4.5 km Total Hiking Time - 8 hours round trip Trail Difficulty Classification - Difficult From the Island Highway (Hwy 19), turn onto Byng Road towards the Port Hardy Airport; How Turn left on Beaver Harbour Road; Turn right to Get on Storey’s Beach Road and park in the lot near the boat launch and baseball diamonds; Walk There along Storey’s Beach or Storey’s Beach Road to the trailhead at the end of Chatham Ave,. There is also parking here. t)JTUPSJDBMIJLJOHSPVUFEBUJOHCBDLUPUIFT t5SBJMCFHJOTBU4UPSFZT#FBDI t $IBMMFOHJOH LJMPNFUSF USFL UP %JMMPO 1PJOU PGGFST B XPOEFSGVM BEWFOUVSF CVUZPVOFFEUPCFQSFQBSFECFGPSFFYQFSJFODJOHJU t5FMMTPNFPOFXIFSFZPVSFHPJOH BOEXIFOZPVFYQFDUUPCFCBDL DIFDLUIFUJEFTDIFEVMF BMMPX FJHIUIPVSTGPSUIFSPVOEUSJQ XFBSHPPEIJLJOHCPPUT OP TOFBLFST BOECFBXBSFPGXJME MJGF#MBDL#FBSTBOE$PVHBSTMJWF JOUIFBSFB t$IBMMFOHJOHåWFIPVSUSFLTUBSUT BU4UPSFZT#FBDIBOEGPMMPXTUIF SPDLZDPBTUMJOFTVSSPVOEJOHUIF CBZ t5SBJMQSPWJEFTUIFBEWFOUVSPVT IJLFSXJUIBQBOPSBNJDWJFXPG 2VFFO$IBSMPUUF4USBJUBOEUIF IJTUPSJDWJMMBHFPG'PSU3VQFSU t1BDLBQJDOJDMVODIBOETUPQPO UIFQSFDJQJDFPG%JMMPO1PJOU BMMPXJOHUIFDPPM TBMUZCSFF[FUP SFGSFTIZPV 8 North Coast Trail CAPE SCOTT Length - 59.5 km Total Hiking Time - 6 to 8 days one way Trail Difficulty Classification - Difficult How From the Island Highway (Hwy 19) drive north past Port Alice turnoff and turn left on the to Get Cape Scott/Holberg road, which is just south There of Port Hardy. Follow the active logging gravel road about 64km to the brand new trailhead. t The North Coast Trail is a 43.1-km extension to the original Cape Scott Trail. The total hiking distance is approximately 59.5km. The minimum recommend- ed one way hiking time is 5 days; although, it is more commonly completed in 6 to 8 days. Hiking times are estimated for the average hiker in good physical condition in optimal weather conditions. t5IJTJTBWFSZDIBMMFOHJOHSPVUFBOEJTOPUSFDPNNFOEFEGPS inexperienced hikers. t.BOZTFDUJPOTSFRVJSFIJLFSTUPDMJNCPWFSPSBMPOHGBMMFOUSFFT UPDSPTT UISPVHIEFFQNVE BOEUPVTFåYFESPQFTUPDMJNCVQBOEPWFSTUFFQTFD- tions. t5IF/PSUI$PBTU5SBJMJTOPU recommended for dogs. t*UJTTUSPOHMZSFDPNNFOEFE that ALL hikers carry a satellite phone or VHF radio in case of emergency. Cell phones do not work in the park, and BTTJTUBODFNBZCFEBZTBXBZ in case of an accident. t$BQF4DPUU1SPWJODJBM1BSLJT rich with First Nations history. .BOZTJHOTPGUIFJSIJTUPSJD presence are evident in the QBSL1MFBTFSFTQFDUBMMDVM- tural sites and leave them in BOVOEJTUVSCFETUBUF%POPU touch or remove any cultural items. 9 Things happen when you least expect it... 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