The last Sunshine hikers hike of August was along the trail referred to as Maplehurst. It is an easy hike in the shape of a figure 8 plus a few cross trails. 22 people came out for this hike including a few newcomers to the group. We stopped for a water break and then again, beside the creek, for lunch. One of the hikers show that it is possible to balance rocks on each other where it looks as if they can't possible stand on their own. The creek water level is very low so everyone who is interested in "pond life" had a great chance to see the salmon fry and crayfish. After the hike several people met again at Batstar for a coffee.

In August the Alternate Hikers did two hikes. The most recent hike was on the ever popular Rogers Creek Nature Trails. Frank had a new route starting from Coombs Country Candy. It was a one way route so the cars were split between the start and finish. Unfortunately there was no GPS track this time as Bill didn't wear his antenna hat but the route included Stokes Creek and ended at the Redford Extension entrance to the trails. This is an easy hike on familiar trails. 9 hikers took the leisurely hike this time.

Earlier in the month some of the group wanted to go up Cobalt Lake while the weather was good. The rest of the group was not interested in the hard uphill hike and opted for what has become known as the "low hike". The "high hike" group met and drove off to the trail head only to encounter poor weather. Since it looked to be quite miserable they returned to Batstar for coffee while they considered their next move. They decided to to the Export Lookout, otherwise known as the Alberni Lookout. Uphill but not a real tough hike. At least they got some of the uphill they were looking for without getting drenched. The "low hikers" went to Underwood cove to enjoy the view while having their lunch.

The Greenmax Trail was done by the group late in July. It is an excellent hike with a bit of up and down as you follow the Stamp River. The day was oppressively hot but since it was along the river we stopped occasionally to refresh ourselves. This is a new trail sporting some nice bridges. Unfortunately this time it had something else - wasps. We encountered 4 nests along the way which was a first for our group. Several people were stung but we all survived thanks to Frank's quick application of something for stings. There are two routes to the end of the trail, one up and one down. This time we took the up trail which requires a very steep descent to the end by the river. As everyone knows when you go down you must come up. So, some of us opted to enjoy a nice log at the top of what seemed to be a cliff while we ate lunch. The others descended to the river for their lunch. While they were relaxing they were entertained by the tubers floating down the river enjoying the fabulous weather. After lunch we met at the top for the return hike. That meant passing by the wasps again which we did successfully, well with only one new sting.

July's first hike was a tough one. Wesley Ridge. It fools you by being level for about 100 metres before going straight up, or so it seems. The day was hot so we took it slow and easy with several rest stops. As we neared the top the trail levels out for a while before heading to the peak. This time we decided to take a diversion looking for a lookout further along the ridge. After 20 minutes, and growing complaints, the group turned around to have lunch on the top overlooking Qualicum Beach and the water. It is a beautiful view from the top where you can see Spider Lake and many other landmarks. After lunch two of the group were looking toward Qualicum Beach when they noticed some unusual activity. It was hard to make out initially but we finally realized that it was an air show! None of us had ever seen an air show from above so it was a unique experience. The return trip was taken very slowly as it is very easy to slip. The extremely steep parts are best done as a group assisting each other down. Wesley Ridge is always a great hike but difficult for this group. There were no problems however and everyone enjoyed the hike.