John Guilford's Hikes

Date: 2014-04-17

Location: Haslam Creek / Timberland Lake, B.C.

People: (including myself): Pam

			  	Alt.	Miles
Trailhead:		2:15	450	0
Suspension Bridge:	2:30	340	0.5	
Timberland Lake:	3:15	740	2
Leave Lake:		3:45	740	3.5
Suspension Bridge:	4:30	340	5	
Trailhead:		4:30	450	5.6

To get to the "trailhead" take highway 1 one exit north of Cedar Rd to Timberlands Rd.  This is just across from the Nanaimo Airport.  Follow the road past the Rondalyn Resort.  The road becomes unpaved.  The road enters a cleared out area where they teach students to use earth moving equipment.  The "road" splits into three. Take the middle road.  You see little markers for the Trans Canada Trail.  At the end of the fence there will be a larger sign marking the trailhead.  There wasn't really any parking area, just a wide spot in the road. 

The day was a typical April day, cloudy with intermittent showers.  We definitely wanted our waterproof jackets. 

For the first half mile, the trail follows the fenceline of the earth moving school.  It then drops down and crosses Haslam Creek on a steel suspension bridge.  There are some nice views down into the gorge at the river cascading over the rocks. 

The trail follows the north bank of the river, climbing in a series of three hills before emerging onto the flatter land above.  Here the trail picks up a logging road which takes you to Timberland Lake (and much further if you want to keep going all the way to the Colliery Dam Trail near Nanaimo). 

We followed the road to the north side of the lake where a trail crosses to the logging road on the other side of the lake.  The lake was pretty, but it was apparent that people came up there in 4WDs to party.  We continued around the lake to the west side before turning around and retracing our route. 

Shortly before the lake there is a short trail that extends to a little peninsula that pokes out into the middle of the lake. 

Trailhead (and Pam). 

Suspension bridge over Haslam Creek. 

Pam crossing the bridge. 

View down into the gorge of Haslam Creek. 

Timberland Lake.