Mt Manuel Quimper, Sooke, BC
Posted by: 
arby101ca
N 48° 25.175 W 123° 39.544
10U E 451236 N 5363146
Mt Manuel Quimper is one of the best summits in the Sooke Hills, a great hike on a clear day.
Waymark Code: WM8Q25
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 04/30/2010
Views: 15
Mt Manuel Quimper is named for the Spanish explorer who surveyed the Straits of Juan De Fuca in 1791. He was the first European to climb the mountain.
On the summit is an fire lookout tower, built in 1951 by the BC Forest Service. It is now abandoned but is open to allow emergency shelter for hikers. The elevation is 546 meters, about 1800 ft. The views over the Sooke Basin and across the straits to the Olympic Mountains are spectacular.
There are several optional routes up the mountain, some from Harbourview Road, others from the Thunderbird Y Camp at Glintz Lake. Our favourite is the traverse, starting from the gate on Harbourview Road, along the Sooke Mountain Road to an old logging road off to the right, Follow this up and around until you see a trail on the left going up steeply up to the summit. To descent follow the rocky ridge past the fire tower and circle around the top of the mountain to descend on the old BC Forest Service trail back down to the Sooke Mountain/Harbourview Road. The route as a Google earth klm file available on request from arby101ca@yahoo.ca.
Mt Quimper is just south of Sooke Mountain Park, an undeveloped park area since 1928. The land is probably privately owned but there were no private or no tresspassing signs. The gate on Harbourview road is posted "No Motorized Vehicles" but there has been some damage particularily on the descent route by ATVs illegally trashing the area.
Be aware. There are black bears in this area.
Altitude in Feet: 1800
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