Less than a week until we hit the road! I'm beginning to suspect one month may not be enough time to effectively plan and make arrangements for an around the world journey...but check-in with me in a day or two and we'll see where things are at. Fingers crossed!
Keeping focused on the most important details at hand, we've been taking time as of late to bid a fond farewell (it's not goodbye) to friends and pay a visit to some of our favourite places on Vancouver Island. Of course, some of those places are too far afield to get to before we leave on Friday, so I'll have to make do with encouraging others to visit those places in our stead.
My 10 Favourite Outdoor Adventures on Vancouver Island
1. The North Coast Trail/Cape Scott Trail
A shoo-in for the number one spot on my list is our 6-day, 72km hike on the North Coast/Cape Scott Trails. When we did the trip in 2009, the North Coast Trail - a rugged and beautiful traverse of beaches and forest at the north end of Vancouver Island - had been in existence for less than a year and was somewhat of an undiscovered gem. The lack of trail traffic we encountered heightened that soul-satisfying sense of exploration and adventure - every long distance hiker's raison d'être. What more could you ask for?
2. Summiting Mount Albert Edward, Strathcona Provincial Park
The trail to the summit of Mount Albert Edward - one of Vancouver Island's 5 highest peaks - starts at Paradise Meadows and heads across the Forbidden Plateau in Strathcona Provincial Park. We set aside 3 full days to enjoy the 30km trail at a relatively laid-back pace but we did notice others doing the trip as an overnighter or even as a day hike. The views from this trail are breathtaking - both literally and figuratively - but while it's steep in spots, this isn't a technically difficult summit. Good times for the whole family!
3. Kayaking the Broken Group Islands, Pacific Rim National Park
Last year we spent 6 glorious days kayaking the Broken Group Islands - a collection of small islands and islets in Pacific Rim National Park. The sunsets were beautiful and the paddling was mostly calm (though things did get a bit choppy on the longer crossings). We also saw lots of wildlife, including a humpback whale that breached less than twenty metres ahead of us in the open water off Reeks Island.
Rounding Out My Top 10…
4. Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
5. Caving at Horne Lake Caves
6. Kayaking in the Gulf Islands
7. Tidal Pools at Botanical Beach
8. Winter Camping on the Forbidden Plateau
9. Coastal Trail, East Sooke Park
10. Cathedral Grove
What About the West Coast Trail?
Those familiar with hiking trails on Vancouver Island may notice one glaring omission from this list. Despite hiking just about every other long and short distance trail on the Island, I've managed to overlook doing the most famous hike in the region, and probably the country - the West Coast Trail in Pacific Rim National Park. I have a history of this sort of ridiculousness (during my only visit to France, I spent 5 days in Paris and didn't go see the Eiffel Tower). I don't know why I do these sorts of things, but it does provide me with a handy excuse to return in the future. For now, let's just say had I done the West Coast Trail I expect it would have appeared somewhere amongst the top 5 entries on this list.
More to Come...
That sums up my Vancouver Island top 10…for now. Though we'll soon be leaving the west coast, I very much hope to return one day. If you have any suggestions for trips I should add to my to-do list, I'd love to hear them!
Check out more posts about our hikes on Vancouver Island.
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