The Rainiest Fairview Bay Hike
Last Sunday I went on the Fairview Bay hike for the first time. I have been hiking with the local group for just over 2 years now and every time this hike came up on the calendar, I wasn’t able to make it. I was really looking forward to doing this hike as it is a favourite of some of the experienced hikers in the group. This is the most southern part of the Sunshine Coast Trail, and you begin from Saltery Bay. Turn left just before the toll booth at the ferry and you will find a parking lot and a little hut with a map of the trail.
Twelve brave souls turned up on Sunday in the rain to do the hike together. The hike begins with a nice steep climb, affectionately called “The Escalator”. There was a lot of water running down the trail, so I recommend wearing waterproof boots and wool socks to keep your feet warm.
After climbing up the escalator, there is a long downhill back to the water, so as you might have guessed, the hike back is just as challenging!
There is a very nice little view point on the water called “Pirate’s Cove”. Leaving there, we climbed up under the power lines–these are the orange and white balls you see from the ferry.
From there, we crossed several bridges, passing lots of creeks and some waterfalls.
Ahlstrom Point is another nice viewpoint at the water’s edge for a short rest and a drink of water. It’s about another 30 minutes from there to reach Fairview Bay.
The hut there was a cozy and welcoming spot to have our lunch. There are some rocks by the water where it is nice to sit in balmier weather, but the tide was too high and the weather too gloomy on Sunday.
From Fairview Bay, you can hike on to Rainy Day Lake, which takes about another hour and is a nice challenge. I would recommend doing this in the summer, because it is a really nice place for a swim. It would probably be a bit long to do at this time of the year because you don’t want to run out of daylight. Some parts of the trail were quite dark with the cloudy skies.
After lunch, we hiked back the same route, pausing to pick mushrooms and enjoy the scenery.
All photos by Phil Kemp
Barbara Behan
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