Sunshine Coast Trail - Part Three

8) Scout Mountain Trail:
(4.9km) from Sutherland street (45.6 km)
to the Shinglemill/Powell Lake Bridge (50.5 km)
Difficulty: (2-3)
Elevations: 100m - 250m
Highlites:

1. Views from various bluffs (47 - 48 km)
2. Views from Scout Mountain Summit (30 minute loop off main trail @ 47.4 - 47.7 km) * At about 49.2 km, you will come onto a gravel road. Down and to the left, you see Powell Lake. Turn RIGHT and walk 40m uphill, then turn LEFT and pick up the trail leading uphill.
3. Kinsmen Park (50.0 km): picnic/swimming area on Powell Lake .
4. The Shinglemill (Pub & Restaurant) @ 50.2 km. * No sanitary facilities except at the Shinglemill. Section 2 Notes This 28.9 km section is often combined with Section 1 to make a 4-5 day hike.

There are several good swimming spots; notably Reiveleys Pond (33.4), Sliammon Lake (40.0 - 41.1), and Little Sliammon Lake (Short sidetrail @ 42.5) Campsites are somewhat limited as of summer 1997. The most useable are at Homestead (28.8), Appleton Creek (35.5), and Kokanee (40.0). * To make a good three day hike, starting at Malaspina Road (21.3) you might camp @ (35.5) on day 1, and (40.0) on day 2. Appleton Creek (35.5) has a splashing pool upstream of the bridge and an outhouse 200+m on the left sidetrail 60m past the picnic/campsite. Plan for swimming on days 2 & 3 of this hike. Section 3 (31 km) (From Powell Lake to Fiddlehead Farm) To find Mowat bay Trail, you must go south across the Powell Lake bridge and turn left immediately onto a dirt road some 15m above some unfinished float cabins along the lake. The trail proper starts 80+m past the bridge where the road ends (look a little to the right). This trail is an old roadbed. After about 700m on this trail, @ 51.3 km,

YOU MUST BEGIN TO LOOK RIGHT AND BACK UP A HILL for the trail continuation.

This continuation takes you 100m up onto an active logging road. (Caution - if you come to an active log dump, you’ve gone too far). Turn RIGHT for 70m on the logging road and cross the road. Look for the abandoned logging road going uphill and slightly left. The trail markers should start here. The trail goes uphill steeply over a rocky slope. 9) Mowat Bay Trail: (2.3 km) from Powell Lake Bridge (50.5 km) to Mowat Bay (52.8 km) Difficulty: (1-2) Elevations: 60m - 110m Highlights: 1. Swimming @ Mowat Bay (52.8) Washrooms, snack kiosk * Near the Mowat Bay end be sure to turn LEFT and downhill at 52. Km.

You will come down to a large parking area. Turn right and continue through the parking lot toward the swimming and picnicking area. Go past the volleyball court and look for the trail near the lake edge just past the court. After about 60m, the trail veers right (away from the lake) and soon (30 m) turns left and fairly steeply uphill. You should see a sign announcing TONY’S TRAIL up on a 2 foot diameter cedar tree.

10) Tony’s Trail:
(5.5km) from Mowat Bay (52.8km) to Hay wire Bay Regional park (58.3 km)
Difficulty: (2)
Elevations: 60m - 150m
Highlites:

1. Wednesday Point (55.4 km); swimming, potential campsite area.
2. Handmade bridge @ 57 km,
3. Haywire Bay park (58.3 km) Campsite, picnic gazebo, swimming, outhouses, showers.

*Caution: Wasps along ground. *No sanitary facilities yet; except in haywire bay regional park. *The end of the trail is tricky. Just after crossing the neat bridge @ 57 km, turn LEFT (downhill) on the logging road. Walk 150+m down to the boat ramp and look for the opening in the trees near the end of the road. Turn left onto the trail, which wanders along Powell Lake for 600+m and enters a gravel road heading into Haywire Bay Park. Walk past the campsite sign near (58 km) and past the road to the caretaker’s house. Here the road will curve to the left into the main camping area. About 150 m past this turn is the next trailhead (lost Lake Trail) look for the sign at the trail head.

11) Lost Lake Trail:
(4.5 km) form Haywire Bay (58.3 km) to Loon (Inland) lake @ 62.8 km.
Difficulty: (2)
Elevation: 60m - 100m
Highlites:

1. Old growth along ridge (60+km),
2. Lost Lake (62.0 km); wetlands vegetation, carnivorous plants (sundew).

* No sanitary facilities yet. * Finding your way through the newly logged area just past 59km can be a bit tricky, since the new brush is quite thick and prickly. 500m past Lost Lake, you will come to an old logging road. Turn RIGHT and look for the overgrown opening in the salmonberries some 20 - 30 m down the road. This trail branches at 170 m and either branch leads to Inland Lake.

THE LEFT BRANCH IS THE DRIEST. Turn right when you reach the Inland Lake trail (well maintained gravel bed).

12) Inland Lake Trail: (4.0 km) (circles Inland Lake) : (62.8 - 66.8km)
Difficulty: (1)
Elevations: 65m (no change)
Highlites:

1. Picnic sites along trail; outhouses
2. Swimming, fishing, camping. A very good campsite is at Antony Island (Continue on the Inland Lake trail past the Confederation Lake Tail turnoff @ (66.8) Exit the main trail after 500+m and cross the large wooden bridge to Antony Island. Be prepared to boil your drinking water from this lake.

13) Confederation Lake Trail:
(7.3 km) from Inland lake (66.8 km) to Confederation lake Cabin (74.1 km)
Difficulty: (4-5) up; (3) down
Elevation: 70m - 630m *There are two ways to get to Confederation Lake:
(1) From lost Lake, continue counter-clockwise past the main boatramp and follow the gravel road up the hill until you reach a main logging road. Turn LEFT and walk along this road. At about 2km, you will pass a spur road going into a recent clear-cut. One km past this cut the road ends at a parking area, and the trail begins.
At the fork go up to the right. THIS ROUTE IS 1+Km SHORTER THAN THE 2ND ROUTE (BELOW), BUT USES 3Km OF GRAVEL ROADS.

(2) At the main boatramp continue along the lake trail for 2.8 km. There you will see a sign for Confederation Lake going off to the right. This trail will take you 500m past the parking lot described in route 1. This route is all on trails and is more scenic, with several opportunities for swimming in Loon Lake, but about 1.5+km longer than the 1st route. THIS ROUTE WILL ADD ABOUT 30 - 40 MINUTES.

Highlites:

1. Old growth along trail (70 - 72km)
2. Swimming/fishing @ Confederation Lake (72.0, 74.1),
3. Cabin (Sleeps 6) and picnic area at far end of lake (74.1 km); outhouse.

* Winter and spring blowdowns can make hiking along the trail a bit tricky. It is not always possible to find volunteers to cut out some of the larger danger trees.

14) Fiddlehead Trail:
( 7.3 km) from Confederation Lake ( 74.1 km ) to Fiddlehead Farm ( 81.4 km)
Difficulty: ( 2+ down : 4 up )
Elevation: 630m - 70m
Highlites:

1) View bluffs ( 74.9 km, 76.5km, 78.5 km)
2) Fiddlehead Farm ( 81.5km): International wilderness hostel ; Bed & Breakfast, sauna.

* Water MAY be a problem in the dry season; it’s best to carry the day’s supply.
* No sanitary facilities yet, past Confederation Lake.
* At approximately 80.5 km, you will come to an old logging road. Turn right and walk about 800m up the road to Fiddlehead Farm, an international wilderness hostel. There you can relax, have a sauna, rent a room and have a home cooked meal.

Make arrangements beforehand to get a boat ride back to Powell River.

The boat will take you to the SHINGLEMILL, a local restaurant & pub. Section 3 notes This is, by far, the most developed part of the Sunshine Coast Trail. There are civilized campsites, with showers available, at Haywire Bay ( 58 km ), Inland/Loon Lake ( from 63 km to 67 km ), and a log cabin at confederation lake ( 74.1 km) A good 3 day hike is from Powell Lake to Fiddlehead Farm and would use a campsite at either Haywire Bay OR Loon /Inland Lake, and one at Confederation Lake cabin.

New Protected Area Confederation Lake is now a protected area; thanks to successful negotiations between PRPAWS and McMillan Bloedel. Several new trails are being considered which will take in special spots within the protected area. Good luck and have fun. PS: you CAN hike the trail in the opposite direction to Sarah Point ( beginning at Fiddlehead Farm ), but the logistics of connecting with the water taxi at Sarah Point make it a less desirable hike. * You can also hike another 65 km past Fiddlehead Farm on the Sunshine Coast Trail; but the trail has almost no campsites or signage. This is a much more demanding hike - if interested, ask the PR Visitors’ Bureau.

Introduction | Part One | Part Two | Part Three