The Coast Trail in East Sooke Park
Welcome to a new series on What The Sooke?!: Sooke Parks In Profile. Sooke has some amazing parks – and I want to tell the world about it. From East Sooke to Port Renfrew, our region is dotted with pockets of green space and vast swaths of wilderness, and I’m sure there are even parks you never knew were there. This series is dedicated to profiling our region’s parks.
East Sooke Park will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s the first place I went hiking when I moved to the Island nearly six years ago and I can remember how it felt to drive 20 minutes from my house and be in complete wilderness. East Sooke Park is one of the largest regional parks in the Capital Regional District, with over 1400 hectares (nearly 3500 acres) of mountaintops, rainforest, coastline, and beaches. There are nearly 50 km of trails through and around the park.
There are three entrances to the park – Aylard Farm (eastern end of the park, near the Metchosin border), Anderson Cove (somewhat in the middle), and Pike Road (at the far west end and furthest from other communities). Aylard Farm is probably the most popular entrance due to its proximity to other communities and its large parking lot. It also features a huge, grassy meadow, an old orchard, and a short stroll to one of the best sandy beaches in the region.
Beach at Aylard Farm, East Sooke Park
When my family and I went out to East Sooke on Sunday, the sun was shining, and the parking lot was packed. Once again I was reminded of one of the reasons I love East Sooke Park so much – even if the parking lot is packed, the park is so huge you’ll feel like you’re all alone. We did a fairly familiar hike for us – the Coast Trail. The Coast trail is approximately 10km from end to end, and a popular day hike. The best way to do the Coast Trail is to take two cars, parking one at Aylard Farm, and the other at Pike Road. On Sunday, we did the most popular portion of the trail, which goes from Aylard Farm to Beechy Head. The terrain is varied, from forest paths to clambering over the rugged rocky shoreline. Overall, it’s not too challenging – we had our 7-month-old with us.
Many Arbutus Trees dot the shoreline on The Coast Trail
I’ve never hiked the Coast Trail very far past Beechy Head. As it is a popular turnaround, the trail is easy to lose past this point. We opted to turn inland and take the trail back to Aylard Farm. Our total distance was probably about 4km, and we hiked at a leisurely pace, spending about 3 hours in the park.
Besides the Coast Trail, there are many other sights to see in East Sooke Park. Remnants of the park’s resource-economy-based roots are evident in the park – areas like Iron Mine Bay, The Copper Mine Trail, and The Trap Shack at Cabin Point have many stories to tell. Babbington Hill and Mount Maguire have good views and are challenging inclined trails.
Ferns on an interior trail in East Sooke Park
There are pit toilets at each of the parking areas and at the end of the Pike Road Trail. East Sooke Park is considered a wilderness park, so please go prepared and let somebody know you’re gone and when you’ll be back. Cell phone service is sketchy in the park, but you may be able to pick up a U.S. tower (turn on roaming) in an emergency. If you find yourself stranded in the park, your best bet would be to get to the coastline as the Strait of Juan de Fuca is busy with fishing boats and whale watching just off shore, especially in the summer. There are also shelters at Cabin Point and Pike Point.
What’s your favourite part about East Sooke Park? Share your stories and pictures in the comments!
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The outdoor stage in the new Spirit Square
In addition to the stage, washrooms, lighting and drainage/erosion control are being installed. Ed Macgregor park is getting better and better – imagine the Sooke Philharmonic Fling concert being played on a nice new stage, and being able to walk from downtown along the waterfront boardwalk to enjoy it!
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Every day I drive past the site of the new Prestige Hotel being built along the waterfront in Sooke. As I’ve written before, this is an amazing development and will be a welcome asset to our town, for visitors and locals alike. Work has been progressing steadily since October on the project and it appears that the foundation is nearing completion:
The Foundation of the Prestige Hotel in Sooke near completion
I hope to take some more photos as construction on this project continues.
Sooke is definitely moving up in the world – with its stunning natural beauty, relatively affordable housing, and small-town charm, it’s no surprise.
-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional
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Bravo to whoever designed this - I like it!
One of the best things about moving to Sooke is the excellent system of parks and trails our district enjoys. From Ed MacGregor Park and the waterfront boardwalk to the Galloping Goose Trail, there’s always something to do in some beautiful park in Sooke.
Today when I went to grab the best cappuccino on the continent at Sooke’s renowned Stick in the Mud Cafe, I noticed the above brightly coloured flyer. Upon flipping it over, I read that the District of Sooke is holding a public open house to review a draft of the Parks and Trails Master Plan. Residents are invited to share their ideas and priorities for the future of parks and trails in Sooke.
The open house runs Wednesday, November 26th, 2008 from 4:00 until 8:00 in the foyer of the SEAPARC Arena, Philips Road. Light refreshments will be provided.
I encourage all those who love our town and the outdoor recreation opportunities it offers to come out and have your say in the future planning for those amenities. I’m planning on attending, hope to see you there!
-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional
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Today the Supreme Court of British Columbia handed down a ruling that declared that the City of Victoria’s bylaw against homeless tent cities in city parks was unconstitutional because it violates their Charter rights. This precedent setting ruling has some very interesting consequences for cities across the country, and it should be very interesting to see how it plays out in the months to come. Mayor Alan Lowe goes on record as saying that the city “Is not in the business of providing housing,” and I would have to agree with him when he points out that the senior levels of government (Provincial and Federal) should be responsible for housing the homeless. We need solutions to the homeless problem, and unfortunately, tent cities in city parks are not a viable option. What do you think?
Your comments below, please, anonymous/fake e-mail address is always OK on this blog.
-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional
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Photo Credit: Bobengr on Flickr
It seems that scarcely a day goes by without some news story about an encounter with humans and bears in British Columbia. Fortunately, injuries are rare, but unfortunately, the animals end up the victims, having to be killed in order to protect the public.
Last month saw the sensational account of a fisherman from Salt Spring Island who was on his boat, cleaning his catch in nearby Port Renfrew, when a black bear swam across the river, climbed into his boat and attacked him. It was only after several bystanders attacked and killed the bear with fishing gaffs and knives that the old, hungry animal relented.
This morning’s Times Colonist featured a story about a man beating to death a bear with a makeshift club after being attacked. Side note: Holy crap, get that guy the Manly-Man Of The Year Award!
As our urban development spreads further into forested and natural areas, these encounters become more common. Since living in Sooke, I’ve come across a couple of bears (from a distance, thankfully).
Here are a few safety tips to consider to keep you, your family, and the bears out of harm’s way:
- Consider storing your garbage cans and compost behind a fence to make it less tempting for wildlife.
- Stick to established, well-worn paths with good visibility. This will enable you to spot bears from a distance and you’ll be less likely to surprise one in dense foliage.
- Make some noise while hiking. Bears rarely want confrontation; most incidents are from surprising an animal.
- Be careful with food in the bush. Use food caches at Provincial parks, seal your garbage in plastic bags, and store food away from your tent
- Consider carrying bear spray, but don’t use it as a substitute for smart planning and avoidance techniques.
- Travel in groups – you’re safer in numbers. Don’t let kids or pets wander.
- If you come across dead wildlife, leave the area and report it to park staff; carcasses attract bears.
It’s our responsibility to protect bears from becoming food conditioned by being careful with our food supplies and our garbage. Most encounters occur with bears that become used to frequenting an area for an easy source of food. The only solution for a food conditioned bear is to destroy it, hence “A fed bear is a dead bear.”
For more safety tips and bear facts, the BC Parks website has an excellent bear safety page.
-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional
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The sun was high in the sky and a cool ocean breeze from the Strait of Juan De Fuca was keeping everyone refreshed on an absolutely crystal-clear summer day in Sooke. The three hour free concert is a fundraising and promotional event, in its seventh year, held by the Philharmonic.
Maestro Christopher Taber was animated and very entertaining to watch, as he led the orchestra through two sets of wonderful classics, Broadway tunes, and opera selections. Classical selections included Overture to the Barber of Seville by Rossini, The Blue Danube Waltz by Strauss, and the concert finished with Overture to William Tell by Rossini. Musical selections included Fiddler on the Roof and Oliver!
Soloists Allison Ward (soprano) and Stephen Barradell (bass/baritone) were nothing short of incredible. Again, I can’t profess to know the first thing about opera (or what the hell they are singing about, for that matter), but concert M.C. David Paulson prefaced each musical selection with a short history of the piece, including explaining what the opera selections were about – most helpful.
A special appearance by the Sooke Pipes and Drums band included highland dance, and a cross-composition of Amazing Grace with the orchestra – truly amazing!
Watch the video below to see what I mean. I’m going to make a point of going to as many Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra concerts as I can this upcoming season. You can get Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra ticket information here.
-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional
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I’m willing to bet that many readers out there didn’t know we even had an orchestra in Sooke, and I’m not surprised. A small community of less than 10,000, Sooke has enjoyed this cultural treat for 10 years now.
Led by conductor and musical director Norman Nelson (also the founder of the orchestra), the S.P.O. gets great reviews and has come a long way since its first concert in 1998. The orchestra plays 12 concerts per season in addition to the summer Fling show.
If you go:
- Concert starts at 2:30 – arrive early, as parking (next to the park entrance) is limited.
- Additional parking available behind Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty’s new office, just a few steps from the park
- There are bus stops along the way. Your best bet if coming from Victoria is to get off at Sooke Rd and Otter Point road. It’s a short walk from there.
- Ed Macgregor Park is wheelchair friendly.
-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional
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