LINKING TRAILS IN LIGHTHOUSE COUNTRY THROUGH WALKING, HIKING, BIKING & EXPLORING.

"Summer time & the livin is easy, fish are jumpin & the cotton is high". (George Gershwin)

It's been a while since my last post, summer has hit here with a bang. It has been busy in my home with visitors, travelling & babysitting my grand-dog, Kaya who has had to have surgery on her paw & so is now out of commission & is not very happy about this. Needless to say we are not doing much in the way of walking, hiking, biking or exploring & my guess is we will be in this state for the next week or so. 

Poor Kaya, out of commission

Before we ended up in this situation we did manage to get in a couple of walking, hiking, biking & exploring adventures. The last trek we did is one of the longest trails in the area lasting roughly 2 hours. It consists of 5 different trails & completes a loop, so there is no back tracking. 
This is a popular biking trail for those folk who are comfortable with mountain biking. 
To begin this walk, hike, bike & exploring trek one can start on the northern end of Lighthouse Country Regional Trail South Loop which is off Linx Rd. You head south on the  Regional Trail walking towards Qualicum Bay. Or you can start the walk, hike, bike trek from Lioness Boulevard in Qualicum Bay. 

Map of Lighthouse Country South Loop Trail

Whether you start north from Linx Rd or south from Lioness Blvd you will want to head up the red dotted line (connector trail - Black Brook Trail) down by Lioness Blvd. (See map opposite or check out http://www.rdn.bc.ca/cms.asp?wpID=2584). This section is called Black Brook Trail & it roams through the forest up to a logging road, turn left & head down back into the forest to Black Brook Creek keeping to your right. You will see a log across the creek, take your time & be careful while crossing it. Once over enjoy the trek through the forest until you come out into a new growth forest & then an old logging road.

Black Brook Creek

 Here you will turn right & walk, hike, bike down the logging track for about 5 mins or so. Just before you come out to a clearing, there is a trail on your left, DNA Trail, take that & follow that until you eventually come out to another old unused track & just across the way you will see the trail continue back into the forest, this is Holly Trail. 

Black Brook Trail

By this time you will be hearing the traffic from the inland highway as you are walking, hiking, biking & exploring parallel to the highway.

DNA Trail

 Holly Trail will come out to another old & unused track & lots of blooming alders. Walk the track for about 5-10 mins, you will come to another logging track & hydro lines, turn right & follow the track for another 3-5 mins watching out for Dales Trail which is on your left side. There is a sign on the trunk of a tree, so just head into the forest following the trail. You will now be walking parallel to Nile Creek where you will hear the creek rumbling along down below in the valley. There are times when Dales Trail wines in & out of the forest, you will come out to a logged area, just follow the trail around & back into the forest, from there you will come out to the hydro lines. Again follow the track until it joins another track, turn left & follow this track back towards the forest. Watch out for the trail here, it can be a little difficult to follow,just keep more or less going to your right & you will see the trail heading back into the forest. 
Walk, hike, bike & explore through the forest enjoying the sounds of Nile Creek & the beauty & majestic trees of Dales Trail where you will come out to another trail, turn right & follow that until you come to another logging road. 

Dales Trail

Turn left & you will be at the north end of Lighthouse Country Regional Trail South Loop, Linx Rd. If you started at this point, you have completed the loop, if you started at Lioness Blvd, then you still need to walk, hike, bike & explore the regional trail back to Lioness Blvd.

Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, heading south

To find this loop if you are coming through Bowser from the north you want to look for Charlton Drive & then turn up Linx Rd. 
If coming from the south down Horne Lake Rd towards Qualicum Bay, you want to turn left on Lions Way which is in Qualicum Bay & then turn right on Lioness Blvd.

So after this walk, hike, bike & exploring adventure you have a choice of places to go for refreshments whether you fancy a coffee & treat or maybe a lunch or dinner or maybe you fancy an ice cream, both Bowser & Qualicum Bay have great cafes, restaurants, an ice cream parlour & even a pub. Come on in & meet some locals.

Remember before heading out on your walk, hike, bike exploring adventure to take a water bottle, cell phone, sturdy hiking boots, a strong walking stick, bear bells/bear spray, this is bear country & they are definitely out & about. 
Please remember you are responsible for yourselves, so take care & watch out for everyone in your party.

HAPPY WALKING, HIKING, BIKING & EXPLORING

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