How to get there...

TRAIL DIRECTIONS TO:

THE KOKSILAH RIVER ANCIENT FOREST.

Start at Masons Store at Renfrew/Shawnigan Lake Roads, North end of Shawnigan Lake.

Total distance 15.5km to the trailhead

0 km. Take the road west on Renfrew Rd (all the way).

5.5km Pass Kinsol Trestle entrance at 5.5km (a 2km walk on right, well worth the effort).

6.km Continue on excellent gravel road

9.5km Pass Koksilah River Provincial Park campground and “Burnt Bridge” crossing on right.

12km Active logging truck road comes in from the left. Be careful, give way to the trucks!!!

14.8km Yellow bridge/orange gate at base of Kapoor Hill (rough and steep)

15.5km Y in road, take right branch, immediately see orange gate on right. Park here.

Start from this gate, total walking distance 1.85km. Follow the road/motorbike trail. Look for blue “TRAIL” tape, especially at the trail intersections.

After 500metres along the motorbike trail take the right branch. Look for blue tape.

Just past tree marked 1+026 metres, take a right turn off the motorbike trail onto the walking trail (Blue tape). (If you go past the entrance you will go up a long hill, next # will be higher, you will have gone too far).

At Y on trail, (slash marks on trees), high side leads to main grove. Take a side trip to the right, down into the Ancient Forest (to be logged – notice logging boundary tape and painted trees). Return toY in the trail.

Take the trail above the old road and continue to the Ancient Forest. (Walk past the big butt log on the roadside, count the rings.) This goes down to the edge of the Koksilah River. ENJOY

Try not to impact the ground around the trees.

Immediately when returning home write letters to:-

The Editor, Times Colonist. letters@tc.canwest.com,

Minister of Environment; Hon.Barry Penner; barry.penner.mla@leg.bc.ca.

Minister of Agriculture and Lands, Hon. Pat Bell pat.bell.mla@leg.bc.ca.

Minister of Forests. Hon. Rich Coleman Rich.coleman@leg.bc.ca

Minister of Tourism; Hon. Stan Hagen. Stan.hagen.mla@leg.bc.ca

More info at this Website: Koksilah.blogspot.com

Proposed Boundaries of the Koksilah River Ancient Forest Reserve

The top of the map faces south.

Maps of Proposed Koksilah River Ancient Forest Reserve

Where can we see big trees?

When people visit Vancouver Island, one of their most common questions is "Where can we see big trees?". Wouldn't it be embarrassing to have to tell them that the last stand was cut down and exported as raw logs? I have been kayaking, hiking and mountaineering all over Vancouver Island for the past 15 years. I've seen a lot of forest and the "Grove" on the Koksilah is the best, perhaps the only, remaining stand of giant Douglas firs left south of Cathedral Grove near Port Alberni. What would you think if TimberWest planned to cut down Cathedral Grove? Please write the premier and tell him what you think.

Aldo Leopold said, "When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."

Gerhardt Lepp (250) 733-2577

OfficeofthePremier@gems9.gov.bc.ca

CVRD Parks 175 Ingram Street Duncan, B.C. Canada V9L 1N8 Phone (250) 746-2500 Fax (250) 746-2621. Email parks@cvrd.bc.ca

The Giant Firs