July 5 – Matthews Head Trail

It was another great sunny, not too hot day.

We decided to do a trail that had been recommended by the park ranger as having the best coastal views in the park. It was a nice trail and in pretty good shape but the views would not have been there unless we ignored the “DANGER: Do not pass this fence” signs.

The 5 km trail starts up high at the parking lot, drops to Matthew’s Head, goes along the coast for a while and them climbs back to the car. None of the hills had us puffing so they must have been easy because we are not getting in better shape.

You start out on this mowed path through a field.

Then start down in the forest.

We went by this beautiful little stream that was trickling over a couple of ledges.

Another field full of yellow flowers (which the picture just doesn’t capture)

This is the view at Matthew’s Head. In the picture below you can just barely see some people sitting at the far right. The fence was about 10 feet behind them. From there about all you could see was this rock and the water. Everybody ignored the fence.

To the east.

To the west. OK but nothing spectacular.

It was lunch time but we decided to move on the the next viewpoint. A few times I snuck out on small trails other people had made, to get close to the edge.

Jennie stayed just back from the edge.

But even she tried to get some shots.

As I said the trail was mostly dry and in pretty good shape.

There are always a few wet spots in the shade that take a bit of manoeuvring to get around.

And a few streams to hop across.

This is our lunch spot called “Squaws Cap Look Off”. If you sat on the bench you didn’t see much. They could have cut the tress down a little lower.

I had to stand up on the fence to get this.

Heading back up we passed this weird stand of trees. Very tall ones and then a layer of short ones all the same height with no other vegetation. I assume there was a fire but it was such a small area that didn’t make sense.

Then we went by this large field of very prickly berry bushes. We think they were bakeapples.

Once at the top we went through a long mowed path back to the car.

We decided to drive down to the end of the branch road we were on, to Herring Cove. There was a set of stairs down to the beach from the parking lot.

Jennie did her thing.

And I looked around.

 

The stairs were a lot harder on the way back up.