The Sunshine Coast Trail Illustrated Atlas

Tin Hat: The Big Kahuna When it comes to the SCT, I'm pretty sure that this one section generates more anxiety and more questions than any other section. The two answers: yes (it's challenging) and no (water that is) I kind of think of Tin Hat as a real life version of Erebor, the Lonely Mountain (from Tolkien). The massive pluton stands alone, not really part of any mountain chain, a great round gumdrop standing sentinel at the end of Haslam Lake AND the chain of lakes that comprise the Canoe Route. Two valleys flank Tin Hat, but no other mountains stand near. On a clear day the hiker is guaranteed to have views in every direction.  Too bad a person usually has to deal with "relatively clear". When I first thought about documenting the entire length of the SCT in photographs, I kind of envisioned carrying all my cameras and gear as I hiked the trail end to end.  I researched getting a back-pack with a solar array to charge all my many batteries as I labored from hut ...

Confederation Lake through to Fiddlehead Farm How can you not love a trail with a lookout called "The Vomit Vista"?   I know this section of trail quite well (okay, about as well as my swiss-cheese memory allows) since I have been up it twice, down it once and have meandered out to the "Vomit Vista" twice while visiting Confederation Lake from the Inland side.   Not so long ago a fellow hiker commented on how he had been disappointed on his hike up to Confederation Lake because he expected a spectacular view after such an arduous climb.  He obviously had visited the lake on a cloudy day, so he missed the treasured view of the Rainbow Range rising above the low ridge that rings Confederation Lake. He also had not thought to walk the easy 800 meters beyond the cabin to enjoy the "Vomit Vista".  That view is the big payoff for all the sweat. I'm not sure why it's called the Vomit Vista.  It's really not so vertiginous that one would get sick sitti...

Inland Lake and up to Confederation Hut  This week: both the absolute easiest section of the trail paired with one of the major challenges. Inland Lake and the Confederation Hut trail introduced me to the Sunshine Coast Trail AND taught me true humility.  They also taught me to look at a topographical map before I nonchalantly plan a day hike up a bloody mountain. Astute observers will note that the Inland Lake Trail is essentially a 14 km loop around the shores of the lake.  The trail is wide, smooth and flat. In fact, the trail could be considered wheel chair accessible if the person had a really skookum all terrain wheeler.  I'm told they exist.  The Haywire Bay-Lost Lake trail enters the loop at a point about equidistant from the Confederation Lake trail no matter which direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) the hiker chooses to go. If you are using Inland Lake campground as a restocking point, then I suggest you go counter-clockwise toward the south end ...