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.
Porcelain Crab
There are two species of Porcelain Crab that can be found on the shores of Vancouver Island and they are very similar in appearance. Porcelain Crabs are quite small and very flat which is an adaptation for living in rock crevices. They differ from other crabs in that rather than having 5 pairs of legs Porcelain Crabs only have 4 pairs. But be careful if you find one as if you grab the crab by a leg, it will shed that leg in an attempt to get away. In time the leg will grow back. Although they are called crabs, they are not true crabs. Porcelain Crabs are actually a relative of a squat lobster.