Hike this undulating coastal trail built in typical West Coast style. Winding along the shoulder of Maple Mountain, an old logging road gives way to a footpath, following the land, bridging creeks with fallen logs and zigzagging between the trees. The forest slowly gives way to the bluffs of Sansum Narrows. Cowichan legend has it that a ferocious sea monster called “Shuh-shu-cum" used to lie in wait in the narrows and suck down canoes until a legendary warrior named “Sum-al-quatz” hurled a stone that hit the monster's snout. He could no longer suck down canoes, but he still lives in the deep waters and whenever you see swirls in the narrows you know that he is nearby.
All the Island Spirit Legacy Caches are within a 2 steps of the trail, unless otherwise noted. There is no need to bushwack or trample the vegetation.
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the Salmonidae family. Typically, salmon are anadromous: they are born in fresh water, migrate to the ocean, then return to fresh water to reproduce. Folklore has it that the fish return to the exact spot where they were born to spawn; tracking studies have shown this to be true, and this homing behavior has been shown to depend on olfactory memory.