A West Coast January Hike

 

While much of North America has suffered from intense cold and lots of snow, it's been sunny on the west coast of Canada. Frosty in the mornings, but pure sunshine in the afternoons. Tim and I decided to take advantage of these beautiful days by going hiking. 

One of the most scenic places we've found is the Coast Trail at East Sooke Park. Forest, sea, and sky combine in stunning vistas. The route follows alongside the Strait of Georgia. Rocks and inlets form a jagged coastline that can be challenging to hike with lots of scrambling up steep rocks, crossing streams, and rough terrain.

At one point along the trail my water bottle slipped out of my backpack pouch and we watched it bounce down the cliff, wondering if it would disappear forever. Fortunately it stopped and Tim rescued it for me. 

We stop often on our hikes, finding much to admire. For quite some time we observed three hummingbirds flitting from branch to branch in front of us. 

Reindeer Moss Lichen grows profusely in places and its pale and fluffy appearance looks faintly like snow from a distance. I love how it catches the light. 

When hiking in this park we generally travel five to six kilometres. This time we challenged ourselves to go further, to Cabin Point where a Fish Shack built in the 1930s stands as testament to the people who fished along the coast. The trail is more rugged and we felt it. Steeper climbs, longer descents. The going was slower, but the scenery more magnificent. In all, we hiked 10 kilometres. 

The sun has some real warmth in it while being in the shade was chilly. Little succulents grow in rocky crevices and on the sunny side of rocks.

We ate our lunch perched on rocks overlooking the water that changed from blue to turquoise to cobalt. The only sound for much of the day was birds chattering in the trees, the occasional cry of a gull, and the constant waves lapping or crashing onto the shore. 

To say we were tired when we arrived home was an understatement. Dinner was a simple meal and we spent the evening reading until we could no longer keep our eyes open. Sleep was sweet. I'm pleased that I'm still able to do these longer hikes. We hope to do more such hikes in the future. 

Today was spent more quietly, occupied with home tasks and writing. The weather will change in a few days and our sunny weather may end abruptly.