January 31, 2026
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
While we originally had a grand plan to camp overnight and summit Adder Mountain, a terrible forecast forced a change. Then more rain caused another adjustment… and when snow entered the forecast, it was time for a complete rethink. In the end, the ambitious alpine objective gave way to something far less epic — but still well worth doing.
Five of us headed to East Sooke Park to take advantage of much more cooperative weather. We usually hike the coast first and return through the hills, but this time we climbed through the hills to start and finished along the coastline. It was a refreshing change — though, technically, I still managed to steer it in the same overall direction! Perhaps next time I’ll finally reverse it properly.
The day began with light drizzle, but by mid-afternoon we were treated to some welcome sunshine. We stretched the hike into twilight to complete the full loop, enjoying a calm and beautiful end to the day along the coast.
