Directions for July 10, 2012
Getting there from Victoria
Follow the Trans-Canada Highway fromVictoria, and take Exit
14 south to Langford. Follow Veterans Memorial Parkway, then
turn right on Sooke Road. From Sooke Road, turn left on Gillespie
Road, which leads to the park entrance on the left. Allow
approximately 45 minutes driving time fromVictoria.
Directions Map
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Journey to park is about 30 mins. Car poolers should leave the centre at 9:15. Those meeting at the car park should be there at 9:45.
Description of July 10, 2012 hike
There were no hikers for Mt Wells last week.
Today was a beautiful day for a hike! Three hikers took the Roche Cove and Cedar Grove trail counter clockwise this time. Hiking distance was 5.8 km, including the viewpoint. The viewpoint vista is obscured by the trees, but there is a good view of the house across Roche Cove. ;-)
Last time there was quite lot of mud on the Cedar Grove Trail. There was only one mud hole left to retain the character of the trail.
Pics from July 10, 2012 (Thanks again, Dwayne)
Description of Cedar Grove Hike, August 16, 2011
This was universally acclaimed as a great hike. We followed the hike as indicated in the directions.
We were finally able to identify salal (Gaultheria shallon) conclusively.
My guide says that salal is among the most common forest under-storey shrubs in our region, so it's good that we've identified it. It also says that David Douglas (of Douglas fir fame) was quite taken by salal and introduced it to Britain in 1828. He was quite prolific, and is said to have introduced around 240 different plant species to the UK. Incidentally, Douglas is another of these explorer types who came to a sticky end, aged 35, in Hawaii. A small stand of Douglas fir was planted in Hawaii to commemorate him. The circumstances of Douglas' death are suspicious, and we may return to him another time.
We recognized skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanum). There are some beautiful photos of this plant with the less-than-flattering name. The Japanese make a big deal of the plant and even write haiku poetry about it.
And that's no....
although this clearly was - and quite fresh!
We found some fungi
and stonecrop (sedum spathulifolium) - aha - so that's what sedum is - growing on the road-cuts on the Galloping Goose.
We looped onto the Galloping Goose for the return to the car park, but turned off to visit the view point that no longer has much of a view because trees have grown up to obscure it. However, it was a nice place for a short break.
Getting back onto the Galloping Goose for the last few minutes did take us past some great views of Roche Cove. However, the best views were from the view point opposite the car park.
As the description indicates, we did see sea stars moving over the broken shells as well as the little-neck clams and barnacles. Overall, the hike was pretty well as described on the tin. We all agreed it was one of the best so far.
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Roche Cove Regional Park
Cedar Grove Hike
Trail Rating: Easy to Moderate
Approximate Hiking Time: 2 hours
Highlights
This hike will take you through classic temperate rainforest, with lush vegetation, oldgrowth cedar trees, and moss-covered big leaf maples. Enjoy spectacular views of Roche
Cove and look for huge banana slugs!
The Hike
Begin your hike in the Roche Cove parking lot. The trailhead for the Cedar Grove Trail is
on the north side of the parking lot, well before the pit toilets and picnic tables.
Follow the trail along dry, rocky outcrops and up a moderate incline into the lush
temperate rainforest. Continue on the well-established trail down through large big-leaf
maples. Make sure to look up into the canopy, where the limbs of these giants support a
microcosm of licorice ferns, mosses and lichens.
Once you start heading uphill again, the viewpoint sign may tempt you to follow a short
trail to the right. The end of this trail is a peaceful place to stop and have lunch, although
trees now obscure the view. Keep heading north and at the first fork in the trail, go right
(left will take you to Gillespie Road). In approximately 15 minutes you will encounter a
huge fallen cedar, one of several cedars in this grove that are well over 500 years old.
Continue past the Cedar Grove and you will find the trail less travelled. An alder forest
on your left is an excellent birding spot in the fall and spring. Keep following the trail
until you start to descend and you will come out onto the Galloping Goose Regional
Trail. To return to the Roche Cove parking lot, follow the Galloping Goose Trail to the
right. Take the time to look at the road-cuts that made this abandoned rail line possible.
You will find patches of stonecrop, a native succulent that blooms in late spring/early
summer.
If you have a few extra minutes and are craving more forest, turn right at the To
Viewpoint sign. This trail will take you up through the forest and eventually loops back
onto “the Goose.” This scenic route takes only an extra 10 minutes. Before you reach the
parking lot, turn to your left to enjoy the stunning view of Roche Cove.
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