Outdoor Solitude: Estonia Lake Loop

Not far from Gold River, BC lies the trailhead to Estonia Lake. There was a small parking area suitable for only two vehicles but it was empty when I arrived. I didn’t know anything about this trail or the area and I just happened to stumble upon the trailhead during my drive on the gravel road.

I headed down the trail into the forest and wondered if this was a long steep trail. The trail was nicely built, easy to follow and relatively level. There were even nice board walks with wire mess down the middle to add some traction. The forest is dark in places but open enough to see around me. This is your typical forest of dead trees, mossy forest floor and old moss covered log stumps from past logging. It wasn’t too long before the trail started heading downhill and soon I came upon a road which confused me but I saw the trail on the other side. A short downhill jaunt in the forest and I was at the boggy shoreline. The sun was dissipating the mist which obscured the mountain. I couldn’t get a good photo of the lake because of the debris and bush plus the marshy ground acting like a sponge which seeped out water when stepped upon.

There was a trail branching off to my left and right which caused my to contemplate on which path to follow; then I remembered that this was a Loop Trail, so I decided to head counterclockwise. The path led into the forest paralleling the lake which became hidden by bush. There were wet areas spanned by board walks and a few creeks running. A nice footbridge spanned a creek with a bench nearby; a nice quiet place to relax. Further up was an area dotted with boulders with the trail leading through them. One huge boulder provided a nice overhang under which were a couple of nice benches. It seems like people have camped out here; a rather dark spot but a nice protected place. The trail continued to parallel the lake but all I got was glimpses of the water through the trees. Above the trail through sparse trees was a logging slash. Further along, I came across two fallen trees across the trail. The board walk was crushed but it was possible to duck under the huge trunks and continue on. At the other end of the lake, logging has taken place which obscured the trail. The landscape was an ugly scar of debris. There were a few ribbons to follow and a faint path in places. A toppled tree caused me to make a detour but I had trouble finding the trail. I used my instinct on what appeared to be a path but it was hard to tell from last year’s fallen leaves blanketing the ground. I managed to spot one piece of wood spanning a small ditch so I went in the general direction that I thought the path would go. Once I left the logging slash behind, I picked up the path again. A board walk went up between a pair of hug tree trunks then down the other side and over a washout. Someone had gotten imaginative with the trail. I continued on paralleling a small marshy bay and wondered how long it would take to get back to my original point of departure. A long boardwalk spanned a wet shallow section of the lake before entering the forest. After 5 minutes, I suddenly spot my car and came out of the forest on the opposite side of the trailhead. I was pleasantly surprised as I thought I would need to retrace my steps the way I started out.