Soames Hill
Friday, August 04, 2006
Soames Hill is the large dome you see as the ferry arrives at Langdale. It is the site of a Sunshine Coast Regional District Park and its traild are colour-coded, graded and where necessary (often) provided with steps and handrails. Doris and I decided to make this the destination for a short hike. We set off on the 9:35 a.m. Langdale Ferry, had coffee on board and walked off on arrival. We took the footpath up the left hand side of the landing area, turned left at the main road and left again at the first road, going down to Hopkins Landing. Children and holiday- makers were enjoying the beach and the water.
A pleasant path wandered along the foot of the waterfront homes facing onto Point Road above. The path was marked Private Property but a resident once told us that public use is accepted and we always enjoy taking this route, respecting the residents’ privacy. About a block from the end a grassy fire access strip allowed access to Point Road where we turned left to the road’s end. Again we had reached private property but a sign on the right said "Bob Bennie’s Nature Trail". We met three local walkers coming down as the trail took us up to a driveway and left to the highway.
Across the highway a sign said No Access to Soames Hill Park but this was clearly aimed at vehicles since the sign noted alternative accesses far away rather than closer pedestrian options. We went up the No Access path and, at its end, turned right and then left onto a footpath on a retaining dike which seems to have been built to keep back falling rocks from the cliff face behind. The path was lined with broom and butterfly-bush and soon reached a forest path connecting into the Soames Hill trail system. Turning uphill, we came to a sign welcoming us to the park. A yellow-marked trail led left on a level grade but we followed red tapes upward which soon led to a green-markered trail. This was the summit route.
The trail climbed steeply up, provided with steps and often handrails, until it reached a flatter area with another trail joining from the left. This was to be our route down. We continued upward and when the trail offered options, we took the right-hand routes which followed closer to the edge and offered more views. We stopped to enjoy the view over Gibsons and Grantham’s Landing at one of the openings and then carried on to the broader view from the summit. This was to be our long lunch stop. 
We enjoyed the view, with Keats Island directly ahead, Plumper Cove Marine Park and the Shelter Islets in front and islands of the Pasley Group behind. After we had eaten, a party of four people from Kamloops arrived; we chatted and took their photos on their camera for them. They offered to do the same for us and we accepted.
Coming down, we took the Inside Passage as being easier, safer and faster although lacking views. This brought us to the trail we had met coming up and we followed its green markers to the flat yellow trail at the bottom. We walked left, turning right at the blue trail and right again onto the red trail to cross the Soames Creek bridge and come out onto Esperanza Road. (Soames Hill Park is not for the colour blind.) One block to Chamberlin Road and a left turn led us into Shirley Macy Playing Field. We walked across to Eric Cardinall Hall, visible opposite, and took the opportunity to use the clean, new facilities.
Continuing down Chamberlin Road, we crossed Reed Road and, hugging the left wall below, passed a house with plaques indicating heritage dates from Ontario and Manitoba. Another left turn onto Central Avenue brought us down to the highway and a bus stop. We normally continue on to the beach at Grantham's Landing and, if the tide is not high, walk along it into Gibsons. However, we wanted a short hike today; it was 2:30, and a call to Sunshine Coast Transit told us that a bus would be arriving in about five minutes. This was good news as it got us to Langdale in plenty of time for the 3:05 ferry. 
Return to Further Walks.
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