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Day 3: McNair Lake Cabin to Mount Steele Cabin

I was awoken at 5:00 am by Andre nudging me and telling me to look out the window. Peering through the glass, it looked as though someone had hung an old, grey bedsheet over the outside of it! Not impressed, I willed myself back to sleep and away from thinking about hiking through thick fog and possibly heavy rain.
When we rose at 8:00 it was still foggy and a heavy mist drizzled in the air. We ate breakfast inside, dressed in our warm clothing and slowly began collecting and packing up all our gear. While Andre made some repairs to the doors accessing the wood storage below the cabin, I thoroughly swept and tidied up the inside.
Eating breakfast in the cabin - note the thick fog through the window!
10:00 am Dressed in our rain gear, not against rain but the soaking wet bush, we closed the door of McNair cabin behind us, stepped off the front porch and descended into the dense fog. The cheerful, fairy tale forest had overnight been transformed to a strange and mystical chapter of perhaps that same fairy tale. Trees disappeared before us and the stillness was almost haunting. Only a few steps below the cabin, it too seemed to disappear as though it had only been a dream.
Descending into the fog, the cabin disappears as though only a figment of a dream. (Notice the same tree in both photos, from two different sides)
Taking the trail this time around Chapman lake, we soon found our pants soaked and our feet squishing in water in our boots. Having thought the trail was wet and muddy on the hike it, it was nothing compared with the hike out!

At the bridge over Chapman Creek, we took off our jackets and climbed the long, gradual hill to the junction with the Mt. Steele trail - our next destination.

At the junction we removed the tent, boat, paddles and extra rope from our packs, placed them in a green garbage bag and hid the package in the bush. There was no way were we going to haul these up the mountain!
Our packs substantially lighter, we ascended at light speed and in less than an hour spotted the red roof of the Mt. Steele cabin perched on the side of the mountain, just below the peak (left). It was only 2:30, but we were ready to settle into the cozy cabin for the day.
Approaching the Mt. Steele cabin. Can you spot it on the hillside at the upper center of the photo (tucked behind a couple trees)??
We Awaken the Troll of Mt. Steele

As we approached the cabin, the fog rolled in thicker and upon entering we sensed something strange about this high mountain abode. We couldn't quite put our finger on exactly what might be stirring somewhere unseen, but we did most certainly awaken a sleeping deamon in the cabin's depths.

We went about settling ourselves into the cabin and made a roaring fire in the wood stove. It was very cold here up high, and we took advantage of the drying rack by the fire, as well as the ladder, to dry our wet boots, socks, pants, gloves, etc.

Just as we were getting comfortable we heard a rumbling noise from below and with a creak the trap door leading to the wood storage slowly began to open. The most grotesque troll we'd ever seen began to ooze from the depths and just before Andre slammed the lid shut on it and locked it I managed to snap a photo. Make sure you click on the link to see the creepy close up.
A grotesque mountain troll residing below the Mt. Steele cabin lurched up through the trap door
Day 4: Mount Steele Cabin to Peak and Return to Trail head

I awoke at 6:00 am to see a crystal clear blue sky through the loft windows. Not being able to fall asleep again, I got up, shortly followed by Andre. We ate the last of our dried fruit and granola on the front porch, then set out for a quick jaunt up to the peak of Mt. Steele carrying only camera and telescope.
The quaint Mt. Steele cabin with it's red roof standing in the morning sunlight.
The view looking east from the top. Tetrahedron Peak at far left, Panther Peak just right of center, Chapman Lake at right. The McNair cabin was visible through the telescope on the meadow-y ridge above the lake. If you look really close, you should be able to see the corner of Hind-Smith Lake just above and to the left of Chapman lake and just below and to the right of Panther Peak.
Looking north-east, Tetrahedrom Peak at far right
Looking down at Edward's Lake. The cabin is located directly under the green dot. It is just barely visible on the original photo.
The red roof of the Mt. Steele Cabin a mere boot-ski away!
Returning to the cabin in the warm mid-morning sunshine
We returned to the cabin at 10:00 am, packed our gear and departed. A quick descent to the junction where we recovered our hidden stash. Down from the mountain we could feel the thick heat intensifying - it was going to be another day well over 30 degrees.

We ate the remains of our lunch food at Edward's Cabin, then on the way by the lake hiked along the shoreline to a shallow bay where we went for a long swim (well, long for a mountain lake at the beginning of the season - 5 minutes). At 1:30 we took the overgrown trail to Mayne and Bachelor Lakes. Someone needs to do some serious clearing on this stretch. The trail between Edward's, Mayne and Bachelor Lakes is quite boring; no great scenery and any views you do get are of clear cuts. Bachelor Lake cabin was in rough shape - here we would have used the tent. Actually, we would have found a better place altogether. It was a bit on an anticlimactic hike out and we wished we hadn't taken this route. I won't even start about the bugs!

Sweaty, tired from the heat and the still-heavy packs we attempted to swim in Tannis Lake but this was cut short when Andre sank beyond his knees in the peat. Icky! (I know, I know, peat is good for your skin....)

A wonderful hike it was altogether, and before catching the ferry back to the mainland we had a bit of time to relax at Davis Bay.