MANZANITA FROM THE EDGE OF MALASPINA PARK.

Manzanita Bluffs, location of the very first SCT hut and pretty much a flagship location on the SCT, deserves it's own post.  

Well actually, in truth, I have a heck of a lot of pictures from there, so I can saturate this post.  No point in lying about it.  

The hike in from the north meanders through a stand of old growth and there are some interesting granite geological formations (the majority of the underlying rock here is from batholith or plutonic rock formation from millions of years ago, exposed by the last Ice Age) along the trail. Manzanita itself is a great rock face that is literally a "Window on the West".

Manzanita has NO potable water source.  If you want to have morning coffee or walking water, you better plan ahead at Wednesday Lake.  Keep in mind that the next water source is found at a sad little seasonal creek down in the valley south of the bluffs. If it is not there, the next potable water will be at Fern Gully on the Thunder Ridge section of the SCT and I KNOW that runs dry for large portions of the year.  Those that prefer beer will just have to bring a 6 pack in your backpack (how many kilograms is that?)

The majority of the trail across the Gwendoline Hills follows the old logging trails: wide and gentle and not terribly challenging.

Hummingbird Bluffs.  There might have been a view here at one time, but now all one sees is frustrating temptation.  There is also one tiny window somewhere around here that has cell service. It's frustrating when you are intentionally trying to avoid cell phone contact.

Just prior to Hummingbird Bluffs is where the trail diverts off the old logging trails and heads west to wind across the western face of the Gwendoline Hills.  The forest changes from a mixture of relatively young conifers and deciduous scrub to a very attractive mature forest of evergreen giants punctuated with the very peculiar Arbutus trees.

For some reason Arbutus trees appear to a be a favorite hang-out for our resident blood-sucking tick, the Canadian politician.....oh, no, the Ixodes Pacifica, the Western Black-legged Tick. It is a potential carrier of Lyme disease but please don't panic: less than 1 % of the ticks actually carry the bacteria and you won't contract the disease if the tick is removed within 24 hours.  And NO their head will not burrow into your body.  Canadian politicians are more dangerous.

Winding across the western face of the hills, slowly gaining elevation through a series of steps.

The same picture as above...I just liked the effect

Giants in the mist.  I had hiked a long way and the increasing fog meant it was going to be fruitless for a view.

As you traverse the last 2 or so kilometers, you will note a couple of narrow, parallel draws between some peculiar looking gumdrop hillocks. I left the trail here and stumbled up the edge of the hill, almost sliding down the steep grade when I found wet moss over slippery rock and then spotted these swampy and likely moderately toxic puddles.  I then had the great joy of stumbling around for another 30 minutes trying to find my way back to the trail. I eventually just followed the old adage of "Go West young man".

Manzanita Hut: an open concept building with a enclosed sleeping loft. There is a nice fire pit in the lee of the building and another right out on the bluffs so the intrepid hiker can sit, digest dinner and enjoy watching the sunset in the evening and the starry night after dark.  There is  new composting outhouse but NO POTABLE WATER....  and leave the mushrooms alone too.

Savary in the foreground, Vancouver Island in the background....and a wee bit of ocean in between.

In summer, Savary is a parking lot of boats.

As I said, Manzanita is a "Window on the West"....and south and a little north-west and almost due north.  Since I am a day-hiker, I never get the golden light of the golden hour (sunrise and sunset), but a veteran hiker with some photography skills and equipment could make this vista magical.  I put that out as a challenge to anyone.

And once in a while, you walk a really long way and get skunked on a view.  I shared the bluffs with a peculiar hiker that was collecting random mushrooms, hoping for something edible.  The one thing I know about mushrooms is that the food value will never outweigh the danger of eating wild mushrooms of unknown species.  One of the first things I learned from my texts on wilderness survival.

I would call this wildlife, but he was at my feet begging for food like a pet.  Hardly wild.

I'm actually proud of this shot: I caught something out of the corner of my eye swooping overhead and just  blindly fired a burst of shots.  It's a vulture.  Bugger was probably scoping out my carcass for tasty parts.

The last giant as one leaves Manzanita heading south. I photograph this tree every time I see it, hoping I will someday get across how big and majestic it really is.  I fail every time.  What is that about the definition of insanity?

The SCT heads sharply downhill heading south, towards the next trail-head at Malaspina Road.  Near the foot of the hill (not quite the bottom) there is a branch heading west, the Spire Exit. 

The Spire Exit can be a bit of a maze: old logging roads crisscross the area and the trail markers are not always visible. It meanders a little west, then a little south, west a little bit more as it skirts a swamp replete with ghost trees, then cuts sharply north, eventually passing through a logged out area as it leads out to the south end of Sarah Point Road.  The road is of little interest unless you yearn for dead trucks and cars with trees growing through them, but the logging cut has a small frog pond that seasonally has thousands of big frogs living in it.  I always stop and take frog portraits: they expect me I think.

You start by seeing just one or two...then you realize there are hundreds of eyes watching you. Then bizarre story lines for B-grade horror movies drift through your head.

When I was a kid we used to have a large toad that lived on our property "Ted the Toad".  He used to urinate on anyone that picked him up, so we would always dare our naïve friends to catch him. It was funny then and it's still a little funny now.

. Prynawn Da and Hwyl to you. On to the next stage of the trail.

Araf deg maemynd ymhell; Go slowly and go far.