The Sunshine Coast Trail Illustrated Atlas

SCOUT MOUNTAIN THROUGH TO MOWAT BAY  Before the Zombie Apocalypse (COVID) I would have dangled the carrot of a cold beer and a tasty burger served on a sun-drenched deck at the Shingle Mill Pub, but these days the burger will be "take-out" eaten from a foil wrapper as the hiker contemplates where to stop for the night. Scout Mountain will afford the hiker a great view of the city of Powell River, perched atop a stone knoll that overhangs the southwest corner of Powell Lake. The trail itself is a very nice, almost urban stroll with a few steep parts.  There are a couple of spots on the descent down the south side of the mountain that the hiker will want to watch their step...or have a parachute ready for deployment from their pack.  It's not really dangerous, but perhaps it's a good thing that the promised beer is a ways ahead down at the bottom. Having visited 3-Mile Bay (or not), the hiker will start ascending the North side of the mountain from one of the many, many...

THE SLIAMMON LAKES  The hiker will exit the Appleton Creek trail into a small parking area and hang a left, heading out the short driveway coming off of Tomkinson Road.  Track across the road and look south.  It's hard to miss the trail head.  You can try, but really: getting lost here does not bode well for the rest of the trail. Sliammon Lakes is all trail: not old logging roads, no logging rail grades with their gentle grades: just a wonderful winding trail through rolling hills and bordering four lakes, each with their own character.  While it's important to respect the land everywhere, this section cuts through the heart of the Sliammon Tribal Lands. The hiker is a guest on First Nations homelands here: be a gracious visitor. From the first step, the Sliammon Lakes Trail is appealing: it arcs down into a shallow draw, crosses a bridge over a seasonal creek and then cuts westward across the opposite hillside, eventually curling over the crest and wandering s...