Luckily we had picked a date and actually made it work! My friend Christina and I decided to just hike into one direction not a loop trail. And what an amazing hike that was!
We took 2 cars and left one at the Mt. Work parking lot which was easier said than done. It being a weekend all the parking spots were taking and cars parked on both sides of the road. Major congestion but we found a spot real quick and off we went to get to our starting point: Caleb Pike Road in the Highlands.
Not much different here. Both parking lots were completely full which we also witnessed by the amount of people on the trail.
We left around 11:00am and boy was it busy. A gorgeous day, blue skies, wildflowers everywhere.
Shooting Stars White Fawn Lily Sea Blush
Probably way too early we had our lunch break but it was such a private spot overlooking Finlayson Arm we just needed to sit, admire, chat, and have lunch.
So many stunning Arbutus trees (Arbutus menziesii) called Madrona tree in the US from the Spanish name madrono (strawberry tree) and believe it or not it is the largest member of the heather family. In BC the tree is restricted to a narrow band along the south coast stretching inland no more than 8km.
Often framed by manzanitas ( Arctostaphylos) which are ground hugging shrubs along the coast and can grow up to 6m tall. It’s name is also of Spanish origin from the word manzana, meaning apple, so manzanita could be translated as little apple. Both the arbutus and the manzanita grow in many Mediterranean climates in Europe, the Canary Island and along the west coast of North America from Southern BC to Mexico. The manzanita can also be found further inland.
Finally we reached the top of Jocelyn Hill with gorgeous views down Finlayson Arm where at its end we have Goldstream Park, across the southern tip of Vancouver Island with the Olympic Mountains in the background.
Pretty busy up here still but after we continued North from here we were finally hiking alone. Beautiful views and absolute silence.
More wildflowers and also the rare Calypso Orchid, such a delicate beauty.
Wonderful views with Mt. Baker in Washington State clearly in the far distance.
We had a lovely hike back through quiet coastal forests, hardly and hikers, a few more views of the Malahat over to Saltspring Island with turkey vultures circling above.
Eventually we descended into deep dark rainforest making our way back to Tod Inlet and our first car.
A fantastic 12km hike especially enchanting in April and early May when the wildflowers are in bloom but always a fantastic view with a good chance of spotting turkey vultures and eagles effortlessly gliding through the air and ravens playing in the wind.
And if you are lucky you might spot one of those!
