Oak Haven Park January 24, 2010 4/48 weeks

Our weekend was busy with Fred's memorial so we decided to hike to the top of Oak Haven Park on Saturday. Oak Haven is a CRD park just north of our house; our trailhead is at the corner of Wallace and Benvenuto. A dirt and needle trail runs paralell to Benvenuto up to the park entrance. The majority of trail within the park itself was wide road that split into two directions. Smaller trails lead to the rocky outcroppings at the very top. The park protects a hill graced with Garry Oak habitat. As such it is an extremely fragile ecosystem so dogs are meant to remain on lease.

The reward is the view at the top. Mark would say that this trail is "No hill for a climber." It was a nice ascent at a relaxing pace. There is a bench at the top that I sat on to snap this picture of Mark so you can really get a sense of the panoramic viewpoint. He is looking out toward Dane's school and the Strait.

To the left is Brentwood Bay and the inlet.

On the right is a picture of Bear Hill taken from the top of Oak Haven Park. Bear Hill was our week 2 hike. To the left, nestled in a Garry Oak is Mi Ler Buddha. This is the Buddha who accompanied Hillary on her travels throughout the States and Mexico and features in a number of her photos. We have added him to our weekly hikes because we like being reminded that Buddha is all around.

I posted this picture of Mowgli to illustrate how closely a portion of trail runs along Benvenuto.

Here is Mark and his sidekick Mowgli. He's like a stuffy, eh?

Next week: John Dean Park

Francis/King Park January 17, 2010 3/49 weeks

On Friday we lost Fred, our good friend and Tao kin, to heart failure. We were all reeling from his sudden death so Mark and I didn't expect anyone to hike with us this week. All of the kids were to go but the phone calls came as they fell away one by one. Our daughter Hillary and her travel buddy Matthieu were the only people planning to hike with us. We imagined that we could take our time and not break our necks to get there right at 10:30. The phone rang at 10:45 and it was Jessica and Marlen. They had just
arrived at the park. When we got there, Alisa and Bernie got out of their car where they had been waiting and Wayne and Pauline showed up just as we were heading deeper into the forest. I suppose what we all needed was to get out into the fresh air and remember Fred for the great outdoorsmen he was.

Francis/King park is located just a couple of miles from our house. At the edge of Prospect Lake the road will either head to Langford or up further into the Highlands. We told the kids that if they felt like a more challenging hike they could take the trail that would link Francis King with Thetis Lake. I figured that, since you would have to cross the Highlands to get there, it would be an arduous leg to the journey.

At the park map we noticed that the lake trail sort of veered off of the main one with very little notice. Marlen and I laughed about the possibility of just looking up suddenly to see that we had taken a wrong turn and were at the lake.

Imagine our surprise when Marlen discovered this sign...

I was hoping that no one at the trailhead had overheard him say,

"You choose and we will all follow you."

Thats a pretty heavy responsibility for a chronically lost lefty with no internal compass. We had mutually agreed to start on the opposite side of Munn Road and go to the heritage forest.

This small grove is home to some of the oldest and largest trees in the area. Saved by the donation of land to the district for park use, they are amazing to stand in the shadow of. As these next photos can attest.

Marlen, Hillary and Alisa

The tree at the top of the article in the group shot is the one that we all

formed a ring around. It took 7 of us holding hands to encircle it.

Hillary and Matthieu

This last sign, seen in the parking lot on our way out is a good image to close with. We all marveled at the immense beauty of this park, the majesty of the trees that an act of generosity had saved for all of us.

As a CRD park this one is deep

forest and as such can be muddy and have standing water across the trail in some places. Be warned but dont let it stop you from enjoying this amazing space. An afternoon sheltered by these giant trees can be just the thing to remind us of how transcient our time here really is.



Next week: A memorial to our friend is scheduled. We will start the day with a quick early morning hike to the top of Oak Haven Park.

Bear Hill Jan. 10, 2010 2/50 weeks

Word is getting out and we had friends join us for a great Sunday hike to the top of Bear Hill. www.crd.bc.ca/parks/bearhill/index.htm Our morning began at Wayne and Pauline's house for breakfast. We were joined by Jessica, Marlen and Wayne's parents, Yu Jain and Lian Zhu. Lian Zhu has been suffering with a sore knee so we were all pretty proud of her making it to the summit.
Wayne's parents are both over 70 and are in great shape from years of Qi Gong Dance. Their movements are very strong and fluid. I admire and want to emulate them as I get older. 52weeks will be my start.



Bear Hill has a rough path, rocky and steep in some spots. There are plenty of beautiful places to stop and rest. The capital region district lists it as a moderate trail with the estimated time to the summit 30 minutes. The rock path is sometimes moss covered and this can be slippery. I would have to caution people to consider their footwear on this hike. Especially during the rainy season.
We were lucky to have a break in the weather so our Sunday, in a string of rainy days, was dry with low wind. We had a lot of fun and even did a few flying eagle qi gong movements at the top.
Our descent was slippery and filled with giggles from the near spills.














Next week: Francis/King Regional Park

Gowlland Tod Jan. 3, 2010 1/51 weeks

Our first hike was Jan. 3rd. We chose Gowlland Tod because we live less than a mile from the entrance but have only visited once. Yes. Its true. I'll admit that we have driven and walked by there multiple times in a day. I will also admit that we have thought about going. We just havent. In order to not offend Mark and thereby clear up any misconception that we are lazy people, we are just busy. Already my resolve to get out and visit places has paid off nicely.

As you can see, the main trail at Gowland Tod is wide and smooth. This felt like a walk rather than a hike but it was nice to experience a park that is so accessible. This trail leads to Tod Inlet which is the waterway that winds itself along the western portion of the peninsula. It is part of the larger Saanich Inlet. We were in the park for almost an hour. That is a relaxed pace with time to look around and take pictures.

Next week: Bear Hill

let's break in this blog 0/52 weeks

This is my first blog...My resolution for 2010 is to hike every Sunday for the year. Thats 52 hikes in 52 weeks. I like easy math.
Vancouver Island is one of the most beautiful places in the world. A Google search will reveal hundreds of things to do and notable places to go. There is something for everyone here but we are going to cover hikes and walks limited to the island itself. Our exception will be times when we are traveling in which case we will follow the 52 rule where ever we find ourselves. I like that last sentence. It made us sound like a vagabonds. Actually our son Tyler will be married in October so we know of at least one trip off the Island.
Part of our commitment is to get outside and enjoy the island more. Taste the fresh salty air. Stretch our legs out on unfamiliar terrain. It is rare that we make the time to get out and enjoy the local trails. I'm ashamed to admit that last part; the weather here is so mild one could easily hike year round. This being the second week in January I figured I had better get started. I am already 2 hikes in to the New Year.