Reconnaissance bike trip to Sooke

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  • May 9, 2022 at 4:59 pm #17404
    Ye Chu
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    Even though I was really disappointed my 3-day bike trip didn’t work out (8 members bailed due to a rainy forecast), I decided to go and do a short reconnaissance with my husband on Saturday. We had planned to bike 60+ km to Victoria and back for a leisure day of exploring. One of Donna’s friends mailed me an official bike trail map and gave me loads of current information as she lead the same trip two weeks earlier on e-bikes.

    While on the ferry, I phoned a NSH who wanted to participate in this trip and lived in Victoria. Elaine was excited that I was coming and offered to meet us in Sooke if I wanted to bike both Lockside and Galloping Goose trails. Wow, such a generous offer – how could I refuse? And if that wasn’t generous enough, she offered to show us her favourite view points/hikes in east sooke regional park and the famous potholes!

    We biked 14 km/hour into a furious and an unrelenting northwest headwind the entire day. I rode my  old 10-speed road bike and I had no difficulty on the mostly flat terrain. Any gravel was hard packed and on the two steep hills down to the trestle bridges, I went slowly down with my screeching brakes.

    The trail is beautifully maintained with bike repair stands, water stations and washrooms. My favourite part was the Galloping Goose trail as there were some old growth sections (plus no headwind!).

    The potholes are unique geological formations of deep pools in the river – offering excellent freshwater swimming. The nearby spring salmon place campground is closed as it was washed out in recent storms. The final trestle bridge is also closed too for repairs.

    There is so much to see and do along this trail and through the kindness of this NSH member, Elaine, I got a glimpse of it for 12 hours. Biggest thanks Elaine! We had a wonderful time.

    (A word of caution to female hikers/bikers, I google Vancouver Island Chek news and there are articles of women being attacked on both trails. Since I have already been attacked on a Whistler bike trail, I would not recommend going out alone).

     

    • This topic was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Ye Chu.
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