Five brave souls completed the hike to Little Quirke Lake from Panel Mine Rd. Just as we were setting off from the parking area, an inquisitive fox stopped by to check us out. He seemed to know exactly what humans are all about and showed no fear whatsoever. He actually tried to follow us as we embarked on a steep climb that marked the start of the trail. Just past the top of the rise we turned off the main trail and followed a rugged route east to Peak Lake, where we paused for a break and took in a lovely view of the lake from the rock ledges. We clambered along the lakeshore, then turned west and reconnected with the main trail that took us the rest of the way to Little Quirke. We passed a couple of beaver ponds, one with a good size lodge, but didn’t see any beavers. Still feeling energized, we then decided to continue on to Brian’s camp where we stopped for lunch. On the way back we opted for a shorter return route via Duthorne Lake, figuring we’d had enough exercise for the day!
The weather was beautiful – sunny but not too warm, with just enough breeze to mostly keep the bugs at bay. Everyone enjoyed the hike and agreed we should explore the area some more.
