Hiked up above Niagara trestle the other day, looking for the headwaters of the creek, that is a crescent of small lakes, the largest called Ark Lake. It was a 7 1/2 mile hike so I was hoping it was mostly on old logging roads in the Sooke Hills Wilderness Park Reserve. The trail that heads up past the trestle quickly dwindled to nothing and so I had to bushwack though about a kilometer of tall salal and alot of windfall . After finally finding the access road, I thought I would cross it and head onto the logging road I could see through the woods. Mistake, I stepped on a wasp nest and got 5 or 6 stings on my lower legs... ouch man. from there I stayed on the roadways up to the lakes.
some very large Firs in the area, with lots of limbs down the size
of trees to climb over on the way through. A Pine White butterfly, dead on the trail, I suppose they are dying of old age since I found two that way.
Chantrelles, the first of the season.
And the lake, Ark Lake , pretty little lake but hard to get to. bushwacked through the pines and salal, alders and skunk cabbage to get to this vantage point.
A few Ruffed Grouse were on the roads around the lakes, 8 in all. At the far end of the lake there is a roadway leading down to the lake where there is fire water access. but the view from there is not as nice as the bushwacking lookout.
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On the way back I ran into a black bear that was crossing the road in front of me.. I made my presence known to him and he took off faster than I did from the wasp nest.
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| Finally back on the rail line next to the trestle |
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