Steven's Peak-bagging Journey

November 9, 2025

593m

Salt Spring Island, BC

This is the 2nd most prominent peak on Salt Spring Island and has two official names – Baynes Peak and Mt. Maxwell. The former is more commonly used among the peak-baggers whereas the locals prefer the latter. The summit offers excellent views on a clear day. Those with a capable 4×4 vehicle can attain the summit by driving all the way to the top from the NW whereas those without a said vehicle can choose one of the many starting points on the south and east slopes, depends on how much one’s willing to hike. I did believe that my Subaru had the potential of making the summit but I decided on the hiking option to get some exercise, albeit with the highest starting point.

This was on the second day of our Salt Spring Island trip and our local friend Stephanie decided to join. Clair and I were based on an Airbnb halfway up on the east slopes of Mt. Maxwell so we would simply meet at our place and drive up to the trail-head in two separate vehicles. Stephanie showed up at 9:30 am expectedly. The last kilometer or so to the trail-head was muddy with lots of puddles and the parking space was very limited. There was already a Jeep parked at the most convenient spot so I almost got the Subaru stuck in the ditch by trying not to block the traffic. I did eventually drive the Subaru out of the ditch but then we basically had to park on the road and deal with the turn-around later. Most hikers definitely access this trail from one of the lower starting points. We probably should have done the same but Clair preferred the minimal amount of hiking, whenever possible.

The elevation gain from our starting point was less than 200 m but there are lots of confusing and unsigned junctions. I had to consult with the GPS a few times to make sure we were on the correct path. There’s not much worth noting about the hike itself. We were completely in the forest until arriving at the summit bluffs. Stephanie told us that apparently some people had fallen off the bluff so it was now completely fenced off. The fences were rather ugly so we ventured southwards along the bluffs to get more views.

Stephanie had a meeting at 3 pm and I also planned to tag a few more peaks on the island, so we didn’t stay too long up there. The descent was mostly uneventful. I did manage to turn around the vehicle. After dropping Clair off at our Airbnb I resumed my peak-bagging mission. Clair wasn’t too keen on joining for the next few hours so my plan was to slam as many peaks as I could before dark. I reserved the fanciest restaurant for us at 5:45 pm so that’s the deadline.