The Wuss' Guide to Hiking the Sunshine Coast

Now the Sunshine Coast is a great place to be if you're like my friend Tony - who can do the Grouse Grind, climb the Squamish Chief, outriggger canoe around the islands close to Gibsons and ski the Tetrahedron Plateau all in one weekend - but face it, 99% of the rest of us started yawning or plugging our ears and making loud noises early on in that rather impressive list.

No, if you're like me, you work at a job that largely keeps your bottom parked in a comfy chair, and your idea of strenuous exercise is running half a block for a bus. Well, there is hope!

The Wuss' Guide to Hiking the Sunshine Coast will introduce you to the various hikes on the lower Sunshine Coast in graduated fashion, after first-hand testing of each climb and after a couple of days of rest for a realistic assessment of the physical demands of the hike and the possible effects it will have upon your arrival home.

In order to grade my experiences against your own age and fitness level I will give you an accurate picture of me, The Wuss:

42 years of age, female
5'7", 150 lbs.
Employed in an office building, take the stairs approximately 3 days out of 5
Have a two storey home
Non-smoker
Exercise approximately once per week
Would rate my diet as fair to good
Atrocious temper on long steep climbs, for some reason I frequently find myself hiking alone - why is that?

Here's the hikes:

• Soames Hill - "The Knob"
• Mount Elphinstone Heritage Trails - Tramway Trail
• Triangle Lake, Halfmoon Bay
  

Discover the moon rings on Mount Daniel

There are hundreds of excellent hikes to be enjoyed from one end of the Coast to the other. Many of our hikes are connected to places of great meaning and historical significance, so please respect these special places by following hiker's etiquette at all times.

Mount Daniel is a sacred site for the Native shishalh people of the Sunshine Coast. When young girls reached the age of puberty, legend has it that they hiked to the top of Mount Daniel and spent several days on their own in meditation. There are several places on Mount Daniel where one can see the moon rings these young girls constructed - stones arranged in a circular pattern to symbolize the moon, mother of womanly passages. They slept in the shelter of these sacred stones and spoke to them as part of the coming of age ritual.

The hike to the top is steep but not too difficult, and the view is incredible! You can see the complexity of coves, inlets and islands that make up the community of Pender Harbour, as well as Garden Bay Lake, Katherine Lake and Mixal Lake.

Recommended: This is a public location, but we would ask as a sign of cultural respect that you please call the Sechelt Indian Band prior to visiting this site. They can help you plan your hike so you maintain the integrity of the location and its place in shishalh history. 604-885-2273.

To get there: Drive north along Highway 101 to Madeira Park. Continue through town and watch for Garden Bay Road, the first major intersection to the north. (There's a PetroCan gas station there.) Turn left and follow Garden Bay Road for 3.4 km (2 miles) to a wide opening and dirt road leading to the left. Park here.

To get to the top, walk up the dirt road and take the first left fork. Continue up this road (ignore the right fork) until the road becomes a trail which winds upward rather steeply. Allow 1.5 hours up to the summit, less coming down. It's about 3-4 km (1.8-2.2 miles) each way. Give yourself time to enjoy the view too!

And check out the biking page for a complete list of well-maintained bike trails complete with maps - which (naturally!) can also be hiked.

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