New Hike: Kw'as Park - Cortes Island

This is a spectacular new addition to my hiking trail repertoire, here at Coastal Trek.

Cortes Island is a beautiful gem, hidden amongst the many other aptly named Discovery Islands. It lays across the Georgia Strait, 50 kilometers northeast of our lodge (as the eagle flies) and is reached via regularly scheduled BC Ferries sailings (two boats - a 10 minute cruise from Campbell River to Quadra Island then onto a second ship for a 45 minute journey across to Cortes). Or, if you are lucky enough to know the right Captain with his own private vessel (like we do!) , a cruise from the Comox Valley direct to a government wharf on Cortes, then a mere 1.5km stroll along a country road would bring us to the trail head.

This trail network has it all! Kw'as Park (pronounced "koass"), a protected 173 acre forested area located in the middle of Cortes Island, hosts an incredible variety of ecosystems and varied terrain for the moderate hiker. From dense stands of massive old growth Douglas firs and large red cedars to rocky open bluffs full of shore pines, arbutus and manzanita bushes, the paths wind their way around two of Cortes' biggest lakes. Hague Lake (the First Nations Coast Salish name means "hot water" lake), becomes warm rapidly in the summer heat, due to a shallow depth and a flat bottom, making it perfect for swimming after a few hours on the trail (remember "warm" here in BC, is not "warm" like in the tropics! - the dip at Swim Rock will be refreshing). The other is Gunflint Lake (it used to be called Little Hague Lake) and they are both connected by a short narrow channel, which is crossed by an old bridge on route (very carefully!) These lakes are home to an ancient strain of coastal cutthroat trout, that were landlocked some 10,000 years ago (I'll tell you more about them when I see you!)

A camera on this trip is a must. Several viewpoints along the higher sections of trail, offer stunning panoramas toward the surrounding islands, including Vancouver Island to the west (you can even see our lodge with the right pair of binoculars!), as well as the rugged and glaciated peaks of the Coast Mountain Range on the BC mainland to the east (which seem like only a stones throw away!) And if that is not enough to suit your fancy for a day, then there is the wildlife; birds of prey including eagles and hawks, sea mammals like porpoises and whales, and of course the friendly locals (Cortes is a haven for artists, craftspeople, self sustaining farmers and those seeking an alternative lifestyle far from it all!)

Along with the historic logging operations of yester-century, geological evidence of rock being pushed from the tropics 100's of million years ago and all the ups and downs (literally, this is one good work out!), the remote and remarkably uninhabited (I did not run into any other parties during my reconnaissance hike, and it was a Sunday!), Kw'as Park and its network of lovely, meandering and sometimes challenging trails, is truly a special place to be.

I really could blog on and on about this favourite of mine, but then there would be less to share with you, when joining me on my next expedition to the magical and gorgeous Cortes Island.