Living the best adventure life, since 1958
March 22, 2026
~ submitted by Julianna Wells
Our group met at the Sooke Potholes Parking Lot #2 for greetings, info gathering, and route planning. It was decided then that we would head for Mount Empress first, then down and over to Emperor Mountain before heading back to the cars. We were on our way just after 9am and the forecast was perfect for a great day of hiking.
April 12, 2026
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
This workshop was one that refused to sit still on the calendar. With spring weather and snowpack in constant negotiation, we shifted dates a few times before finally landing on a window that looked promising—and in the end, it paid off.
Continue reading “Crampon Self Arrest Workshop”
April 5, 2026
~ submitted by Nick Fisch
Snowshoes on, then off, then on, then off again…. and again.. and again. It was one of those days.
Four of us set out on Easter Sunday to tackle Heather Mountain from the little Shaw gate. It was a bluebird 20 degree spring day. We began at around 9:30am from the locked gate for a very long slog of an approach up the logging road. We hit snow at around 3100ft and dawned the snowshoes. The going was slow.
March 22, 2026
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
It’s been a strange winter. Every time I plan a day out, the weather seems to turn, and my hopes for skiing have been repeatedly dashed. I’ll admit, there’s also a growing unease about what this lack of snow might mean for the summer ahead.
But if there’s a silver lining, it’s this: the poor snowshoe and ski conditions have opened the door to some incredible early spring travel—conditions we usually don’t see until much later in the season.
Our recent trip to Mount Adder was a perfect example. We left the snowshoes at home.
Continue reading “Mount Adder – A Different Kind of Winter Day”
March 21, 2026
~ submitted by Su Castle
A fine day in the Sooke Hills with 5 humans, one Dog (Huxley) and innumerable ticks. We tackled the Larkspur to Empress Ridge Ramble and a moderate pace.
Typical terrain- Slippery spots, logs for “under over”, bogs to detour, lake and peak vistas to admire.
17 kms, almost 1000m elevation gain and a short car shuffle from Charters to Parking Lot #2 to avoid 2 kms of Goose walking. Total time: 7 hours on the trails.
Photo credits: Adam Bowman
Group Selfie: Su Castle
March 21, 2026
~ submitted by Evan Martin
This was suppose to be a report on a ski trip of the Forbidden Plateau Traverse. However, after a week of heavy rain and cooling temperatures nobody was excited about the potential for boot packing, icy ski conditions, and washed out stream beds. So what could I get people excited about? Sunny weather; low-low-low avalanche conditions; sounds like a day for gully climbing. I had been curious about Brugger’s Gully on Arrowsmith ever since we accidentally started it instead of the Main Gully a few years ago. So the plans switched and off we went.
Continue reading “Mount Arrowsmith via Brugger’s Gully”
March 15, 2026
~ submitted by Su Castle
After a short drive up Butler Main, we chose a little scamper up the side of the logging road to gain the Mt Bluff Ridge Trail.
Photo of a member clearing off the moss from the very old spray painted trail directions!
The ridge trail is less used, so we did a bit of route finding, made more challenging due to the amount of leftover snow. Great viewpoints along the way to the summit.
Disinclined to hike with the impending forecasted atmospheric river, we decided to forgo the idea of Trap and returned via the Speed Bumps trail.
The Scouts use this trail- it was much easier to follow!
Total distance- 9.5kms
Total elevation gain- 468m
March 14, 2026
~ submitted by Ken Warren
A great day in good weather. We followed Chilco to blue, yellow, blue to the end, Mill Bay pink, Summit, Maple Syrup, Story Connector, Xylem, Tony’s Arbutus, Mary’s Lookout, nnamed trails to m710, to Chilco. 16+ km, 1000+ m. Good company. Thanks. |
March 1, 2026
~ submitted by Julianna Wells
East Sooke Park is one of my favourite hikes in the South Island area. There are many different trail options for traveling through the park, and if you have great weather, it can have some of the best coastal views around.
On Sunday, March 1 our group of 8 hikers met at Aylard Farm parking area for 8:50am to start our car shuttle to the Anderson Cove trailhead parking area. With a perfect weather forecast, we were all excited to hit the trail.
Continue reading “East Sooke Park – Anderson Cove to Aylard Farm”
February 22, 2026
~ submitted by Julianna Wells
Gowlland Tod Park is a beautiful South Island area with a myriad of trails. The green moss, beautiful arbutus trees, view-point hills and bluffs make it a favorite place to explore, get lost, and find your way back in.
Our plan was to start at the Emma Dickson trailhead along Millstream road, then make our way out to Jocelyn Hill and back along various trails in a leisurely loop hike around 8kms long. Although rain gear and pack covers were in the forecast, the warm February temperatures had everyone out in smiles for the day.
Continue reading “Gowlland Tod Park – Jocelyn Hill hike”