Today’s hike took myself and my 9-year old twins along the Lochside Trail, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
The Lochside trail stretches all the way from Victoria to the BC Ferries Terminal at Schwartz Bay. These are the ferries you would take, if you were coming to Vancouver Island from Vancouver on the mainland.
The entire trail is 29 km (18 miles), but we hiked a 5 km stretch—making today’s hike a nice 10 km. We’ve been working on extending our distance, as well as how much weight we carry in our backpacks, because we are training to complete the Cape Scott Trail this summer (Covid 19 dependent 😉) which is 36 km round trip, plus a 12 km day hike!
The trail follows the path of an old rail line, so it is fairly flat, making it a popular trail with bikers, hikers, and runners. The trail is so picturesque, winding through wetlands, farmlands, and along the ocean, that it’s easy to forget that the trail is in the city.
Lochside Trail 
Blenkinsop Lake Trestle 
Blenkinsop Lake
It was the perfect day for a hike. It was a little overcast, so it wasn’t too hot, and our hike was accompanied by singing birds. It was bliss, and I feel like my creativity has been recharged—although my legs are a little angry, even though my backpack was only 9.5 kg (21 lbs).
We stopped at a school to play in the playground, and while my kids played, I took a few moments to work on draft 2 of the 3rd book in the West Coast Romance Series—the book is currently untitled, but it is the love story of Spencer White and Claire Evans.
If you’re looking for a book to read, and can’t wait for Spencer and Claire’s romance, then you might like to check out Saving Shelby, West Coast Romance Book 1.
While the Lochside Trail hasn’t made it into one of my books yet, I know that it will, because I spend a lot of time hiking, biking, or running on this trail.
Stay tuned to find out where I wander next!
This adventure took place on 30 June 2020!
