October 15, 2008 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Hiking
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This weekend my wife and I challenged ourselves to the Mt Finlayson trail in Goldstream Provincial Park. Caution: ditch the runners and don the hiking boots; this trail is not for the unprepared…think steep, think loose gravel, think rock face. What starts as an unforgiving vertical pathway under a rainforest canopy quickly morphs into slabs of rock where you find yourself on all fours trying to navigate your way to the summit. But alas, it’s all worth it as the panoramas of Victoria, the Olympic Mountains and surrounding waters come into view.
About half way down, we were both in desperate need of a reward so we took a side trail to Bear Mountain Resort where we found the new café, Mountain Bean Coffee. Wow, this place is over the top: leather chairs, stone fireplace, post-and-beam construction, naughty specialty coffees like Sticky Bun Latte and home brews like the Griz.
Bonus: it is peak salmon spawning season in Goldstream Creek – viewing from the bridge near the parking lot is excellent.
Goldstream Provincial Park is located approximately 20 minutes outside of downtown Victoria via Hwy 1.