Desolation Trip Report by Thains on Windshear

Hi,

I have put together some thoughts from our summer trip per the attached report.

I enjoyed reading Bob’s reports on his blog. Nicely done.

Joan and I have been infrequent contributors over the years. We hope that you carry on the wonderful Waggoner which has become one of our mainstays during our many decades of cruising. Bob Hale has left you big shoes to fill!

We just returned from our Desolation Sound trip and offer the following updates (based on the 2010 edition of the Waggoner):

Powell River/Westview has completed their breakwater project and moorage addition. You probably have already gotten this information so we'll leave it at that.

We hiked one trail at Roscoe Bay (the one that heads to the south overlooking Mink Island) and here are our notes:

• The trail starts just inside the drying entrance of Roscoe Bay on the south shore by a large, conspicuous boulder. Pink surveyor tape hangs from a tree.
• The trail is well-flagged all the way. It is passable in dry weather but not recommended after rains due to slippery moss-covered rocks.
• The trail is shaded but bring water.
• It is moderately strenuous and requires good runners to avoid sprained ankles.
• There are two short climbing ropes to assist on short, steep sections (15-feet).
• About 80-minutes one-way.
• A nice view overlooking Mink Island from about 1,000 feet elevation. No bugs and no evidence of wildlife (bears).
• The other trail to the north in Roscoe Bay starts from a Parks Branch bulletin board. This is located about midway on the north shoreline and has two skid logs marking the end of the abandoned logging road. This trail looks a bit overgrown, and we didn't try it due to an intense overnight thundershower. The hanging buoy from the trees is gone.


Sunshine Coast Trail

• There is a wonderful anchorage in Cochrane Bay that we have enjoyed for many years and is slowly getting discovered by others. It is well-sheltered but missed by many in their hurry to Grace Harbour. The Desolation Sound Marine Park boundary includes this gem in its south-west corner as shown in the centre of this map. This anchorage connects with the Sunshine Coast trail ( www.sunshinecoast-trail.com") which extends from Saltery Bay to Sarah Point. It is a well-used trail that is very passable and has distance markers and signage. It connects from a campsite in the north-west corner of Cochrane Bay which has a picnic table visible from the anchorage. There is a gravel section of foreshore that is good for hauling out a dinghy. From there it is a 2.8Km (1-hour) hike to Wednesday Lake which offers warm, leech-free swimming. Only a few bugs on the trail and sandals work fine. We have seen a couple of black bears on the far shore of the lake.

Well that wraps our report for this year.

Cheers!
Don & Joan Thain
S/V Windshear