Back in the early 1990's Chris H. and myself did a bit of wandering in the woods for bottles etc.....
The original Malahat wagon road went into the hills behind Ma Millers Pub and over the top to the South End of Shawnigan Rd.....
The road still exists but the Water Reservoir and Dam people feel the
need to keep everything and everyone out of the area like they own the
place....I disregard that train of thought.... always have...if you do
no harm....what's the problem.............it's public land.
Anyway.....about 1 mile up is the first stage stop......there
was a dump behind it but the Victoria diggers got to it long before we
got there...I was more than happy to just poke around and admire the
beautiful cabin..........the photos of the overgrown section of the road
are on the flood plane to the North-east of the dam..............and
some decent bottles came out of this area...we decided it was likely a
good early campsite for the travelers and horses before the steep pull
up the hills.....
This road was abandoned shortly after 1912 because the first version of the Island HWY
we now use was built by prisoners from Wilkinson Rd Prison......it's too bad the original one isn't still available to the public, we should be allowed onto our own land for an nice day hike, and it is a nice quiet hike....it's not like it's untouched these days...in their wisdom they allowed the Natural gas company to use the right of way...so it can't even be used as an interior bypass highway in the future...idiots.
Here's the shots of the cabin. I have a few interior shots and will add them when I find them.....