Return to East Sooke Regional Park

Ragnar awaits!

I decided it was time to get back out on the trails, what a brilliant weekend to do it. A long weekend here, BC Day so thought that Sunday might be a bit busy in all the parks. Glad to see it was not the case. Only a few Cars in the Pike Road Parking lot at the Westernmost entrance to the park. The last time I had been here was with my Lab - Andre. Great memories of a fantastic dog. I wore his bear bell on my pack and it reminded me of him crashing through the bush, getting almost out of visual range, then coming to a complete stop looking back and waiting for me.

This hike was more than just for pleasure though, was also a bit of a proving ground. I was not carrying the full-on pack but a slightly heavier version of a day pack running about 15 pounds, with my Gerber LMF 2 strapped to my leg, emergency pouch on my belt, 2 litres of water and a flask of Sweet tea. I wanted to see also how my body handled and recovered from the various elevation changes, uneven surfaces and pulling myself up rock faces. I also wanted to see how long it would take me to complete, and what I would feel like near the end. It is great for finding out what needs tweaking with the gear - for instance, better to have access to 1 bottle of water rather than them both on the pack. Had to stop every time I wanted a drink. Little things but worthwhile ones. Bring glass case - pain wearing them.

Here's the route I took - total time just about 4.5 hours

It's so near by yet throughout the entire hike I only met 7 other trail users including a woman who was running the Coast Trail. If you had ever hiked this trail with its massive elevation changes, rocky paths that are on the edge of cliffs dropping 50 - 75 feet onto the rocks of the ocean, you'd know what an intense thing it is to run. Impressed.

Facing West towards Pike Point

So here it is two days after the hike - my upper thighs feel bruised, so must have been a great workout. Shows how far I have to go to get back into shape, I will! I also have to ensure that I do this much more frequently, there are just so many options around here to take advantage of getting out there. Weather or time of year should not be the limitation instead it should be what encourages me to continue to improve, learn and experience.

Looking for the next trail to explore.

EOF -- LC