Men's Walking Group

Eleven of us took a chance on the weather and walked about 9 Km from the Mill Bay Off Ramp past Butterfield Rd up and around Rat (Muskrat) Lake and then drove back to Tim Hortons for coffee.  Map and photos below.  --  DeNNis.

We parked the cars along the Mill Bay Off Ramp (bottom right), then through the yellow gate onto the Bamberton-Haul Rd.  Walked up to and around Rat Lake, then back to the cars.  Then to Tim Hortons for a well deserved coffee. 

Were off once we get through the yellow gate.

Looks like preparations for a new development??

Off we go along the Bamberton-Haul road towards Rat Lake.

We are just about at Rat Lake.  Time for a rest.

The lake is pretty low - almost totally covered in Lily Pads.

Must admit they are attractive, though.

The viewing platform at the south end of Rat Lake.
Looks like it has been pushed back into place and leveled.

Looking north from the viewing platform.

There are still lots of
huge trees around the
lake.

Looking back across the lake from about halfway around to
where we started.

This is a couple we met at the start of the path around the lake.
They went around the opposite direction - so we meet again.

Some of the trees taken out by the big wind storm earlier in the year.
These were near the bridge on the north end of the lake.

Some of the windfall wrecked the entrance to the bridge.

However, they were removed and the bridge is still usable.

The trail along the east side of the lake.  Another large tree
down, but hard to see in the photo.

Back onto the Bamberton-Haul road after circling Rat Lake.

A huge excavator working near the yellow gate.

Back through the yellow gate.  Almost back at the cars.

This sign was so far up in the tree that we failed to see it on the way in.

Back at the vehicles and off to Tim Hortons for coffee.