Trail Conditions as of June 21, 2022
Vancouver Island Trail Conditions – as of March 21
- Trail is in good condition between Victoria and Port Alberni at this time, with the possible exception of trail adjacent to recent logging near Parker Creek – have not yet checked here for edge blowdown as yet.
- June 1 snowpack was about double the normal (164% for VI) in the Beauforts. There finally has been some significant melt but snowpack should be expected in the Beauforts section into mid to late July this year (vs the mid to late June ‘normal’ – 1 full month late).
- Snowpack remains on much of the Strathcona Park trail system and north of the Park over and to the north of Mt. Jutland.
- Late snow melt means that Upper Quinsam Lake will remain full likely into early August this year. Consequently, the beach walk section of the Upper Quinsam Trail will be flooded. Detour via the logging road (Argonaut Main) between the informal campsite where you first hit the lake to the turn-off to Wokas Lake and campsite. Water levels at the Quinsam R ford remain similar to last year (for late June at about 1 cms), presumably because additional volume is being diverted by the dam (the ford is a short distance below the dam).
- The first 200 metres of the Gold River Highway Trail was recently logged. Consequently, when you reach Hwy 28, walk down the highway for about 200 m where you will see a highway sign post (with orange TRAIL flagging) – just head upslope (about 50 m) through the forest to intersect the trail (the first part of this trail is more or less parallel to the highway and avoids walking down the narrow road shoulders (potentially unsafe).
- Serious snowpress/wind damage was experienced west of Campbell River in the Salmon River and its Grilse Creek tributary last winter. To date, the Salmon R trail section (2 km), the road (Menzies Main) between the Salmon and Grilse trails (8 km) and the first half of the Grilse Cr. trail have been cleared. We plan on clearing the west half of Grilse in late June – early July. We have not accessed Glen’s Trail as yet – expect sporadic windfall in this section.
- White River Trail has sporadic windfalls (not serious) – clearing not yet complete. Kokummi Trail/pass not yet checked; expect sporadic windfall across the trail.
- Woss to N end of Nimpkish Lake (Branch NO-2100). The ‘Namgis First Nation does not have the capability/personnel available to consider the VI Trail at this time so there is no established trail or route marking in this section. Consequently, through-hikers have to determine their own route between Woss and Branch NO-2100 – a choice between following the old Englewood rail grade, Nimpkish Main logging road or Hwy 19. If you do hike some of the old rail grade, leave it and follow Branch NO-2100 which starts near to the junction of the rail grade and Nimpkish Main. Between NO-2100 and the KP-2000 road system that takes you to Highway 19 is a 300-metre section of second-growth forest (laid out for logging; timing not known) that leads onto 450 metres of a well-revegetated grade that intersects KP-2210. KP-2210 and KP-2000 that leads to the highway are mostly open through rocky limestone terrain apart from patches of red alder in wetter areas. Directly across the highway, an old road (brushy in places; substantial windfall was cleared last year) leads towards the Nimpkish River bridge where the river flows out of the Lake .
- Between Port McNeill and the turn-off to the Cluxewe R campsite/resort, follow Hwy 19. A future trail is in the planning stages.
- Note that the trail route now diverts around the community of Fort Rupert.
If you have questions regarding the above, or any other aspect of the Trail, e-mail