May 17th - Taylor Point Hike

Above, a view of Blunden Islet, off Teece Point on South Pender Island.

Taylor Point Hike (8 km)
Saturday, May 17
Rendez-vous at 11 am (earlier than usual)
At the gate, end of Trueworthy Road.

Bring water and a lunch.
Hiking shoes or good walking shoes are a must.
This is a three-hour hike (about 8 km return), picnic time included...
The weather looks very promising for Saturday, you might want to bring sunblock!

Above: Sword Fern, unfurling

The hike will start at the gate, next to the Campbell Farm. We will follow the trail in the Park reserve to Taylor Point, site of an old homestead and quarry. We have permission to return via the fields of the Campbell Farm, for which we thank the Campbell family. So our hike will have a coastal flavour on the way out, and on the return, a bucolic flavour.

Here is a description of the hike to Taylor Point, from the Parks Canada Gulf Islands website:

"This strip of virtually undisturbed old growth forest of Douglas fir, arbutus and Garry oak running north from Taylor Point to the vineyard is one of the longest uninterrupted stretches of protected shoreline in the southern Gulf Islands. The cliffs are part of the rare coastal bluffs ecosystem in the Gulf Islands."

While this hike has been described as challenging by some people, others tell me that people of all ages have enjoyed it. The bonus is discovering a little bit of island history at the Taylor homestead. And of course, the views are unmatched!

See you Saturday, at 11 am!