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Dogs on Vacation in Victoria – Top Five Places to Go

November 14, 2008 | Tips from Us > Victoria, Hiking
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#5 East Sooke Regional Park’s coast trail – so rugged and enough ups and downs to tire even the most manic Jack Russell. Believe me; it works.

#4 Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park's beach trail – start in the rainforest, end up on the beach. When tide is out, compact, flat sand as far as your dog can run. Caution: may have to carry your dog back to the car if severe fatigue sets in.

#3 Matheson Lake Regional Park: does your dog have an in-and-out-of-the-water kind of persona? Do Matheson – water access around the entire lake while hiking through a fern-laden rainforest.

#2 Island View Regional Park: A super long stretch of sand halfway between Victoria and the BC Ferries terminal – great place to poop out the pooch before/after a long travel day.

And the #1 place to go for you and your furry friend(s)….

Galloping Goose Regional Trail: We’ve covered every last metre of this 55km (34mi) multi-user trail many times over. There are places near downtown Victoria where you’ll meet lots of people/dogs/bikes and other spots further towards Sooke where you probably won’t see anyone. Hook up with the Lochside Regional Trail and you have a total of 84km (52mi) to explore. Are your dogs tired yet?

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Posted by Christian, Vancouver at 08:45 AM

Storm Watching in Victoria

November 13, 2008 | Tips from Us > Victoria, Hiking
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Tofino seems to get all the attention when it comes to storm watching and yet Victoria and southern Vancouver Island has some spectacular winter weather too.

I love to head to the beach right after a blast of windy weather – enormous drift logs have been tossed up onto the shore, some as long as 15m (50ft). Hiking trails along the jagged coastline are ideal for watching big waves crash onto the rocks, shooting salt spray high into the air.

Some of my favourite storm watching spots are: the city’s breakwater and Esquimalt Beach in Victoria, East Sooke Regional Park near Sooke and China Beach on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail.

Have fun and always view from a safe distance.

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Posted by Christian, Vancouver at 04:13 PM

Rugged Hiking with Mountain Java as Reward

October 15, 2008 | Tips from Us > Victoria, Hiking
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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.

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Posted by Christian, Vancouver at 11:08 AM

Witty’s Lagoon – waterfowl & waterfalls, sand & seals

March 5, 2008 | Tips from Us > Victoria, Hiking
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This oasis is one of 60 or so parks in the Greater Victoria area and if you are into waterfalls and bird watching, it is a great discovery. I like to visit soon after a rainfall as Sitting Lady Falls is at its best, cascading over the dark rock face into the lagoon below. Moss and ferns cover much of the cliff so you get dramatic contrasts between greens, whitewater and black rock.

The Lagoon trail meanders through the forest and along the waterfront with various viewpoints and benches ideal for watching the variety of birds that seemingly make this their all-inclusive holiday.

If you opt to take the Beach trail and time your visit at low tide, you’ll be rewarded with sand that stretches almost ½ km (1/3 mi) wide along with amazing views of the Olympic Mountains and Juan de Fuca Strait. As well, seals love to play in the waters just off the beach and I’ve seen as many as 30 or so flip-flopping around.

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Posted by Christian, Vancouver at 08:19 AM

Running not Galloping in Victoria

February 28, 2008 | Tips from Us > Victoria, Hiking
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January has come and gone and I have to admit that, not unlike other years, most all my New Year’s resolutions have failed miserably. That is, except my determination to conquer all 55 km (34 mi) of Victoria's Galloping Goose Regional Trail with my own two legs.

Perhaps you can relate, but to get up the motivation to start running, I needed something to entice me: some good company, scenery etc...this is where the Goose comes in. So together with my two Jack Russell Terriers, we are hitting a different segment of the trail each week. The goal: shrink my love handles while taking in some spectacular surroundings.

Now, during my “getting back into shape” phase, I try to avoid other fit runners as much as possible so I start my jaunt safely outside of the downtown core near the km 15 marker, close to Hatley Park. One of the first things I noticed was the flora along the Goose: the thousands, no, millions of ferns that line this trail. If you are into ferns, welcome to your own personal grotto heaven. In Victoria, not only do we have the evergreen deer and sword ferns that line the sides of trails but also a unique seasonal fern that pops up in autumn and sprouts a much welcomed bright green foliage over the winter months. The Goose is a converted railbed so many parts of the trail cut through towering rock slabs which are now home to these delicate hanging beauties. Complementing these is the thick, green, fluffy moss, rounding off the sharp edges of the rock’s surface (kind of like how my love handles look when I stare in the mirror).  It is hard to believe it is winter in Victoria when I am surrounded by such lush greenery.

I think the stupendous scenery is working….I hardly noticed the pain. Stay tuned…as soon as I can walk again, I’ll be out for more.

P.S. The Goose is a great place to take your dogs.

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Posted by Christian, Vancouver at 05:29 PM