Cowichan Valley 8 - Bikepacking

Day 1

43.65mi ~3500ft+

Last week, after having to cancel my original bikepacking trip due to fires in Oregon, I decided to bike the Cowichan Valley 8 route on Vancouver Island featured on Bikepacking.com. I started bright and early with a ride down to the Seattle waterfront, where I boarded the Victoria Clipper ferry. From Victoria, I took the gently rolling Galloping Goose Regional Trail, which then dumped me into the Sooke Hills Regional Park. The Sooke Hills are no joke, and they ended up eating up a good chunk of my day. Because of the grade, I got stuck shoving my loaded bike up the loose gravel hills. It was hot, and all of the water sources were dry, so I quickly ran out of water. Once I finally exited the regional park, I stopped at the first house I saw and knocked on the door. I must have looked terrible, because the kind man invited me in for cold water. Gotta love Canadian hospitality!

Once I was hydrated and felt good enough to ride again, I finished the last little bit of climbing before whipping downhill, back into the cool forest. At the bottom of the hill, the Yos Pole welcomed me to the Malahat Territory, and I crossed the first of many gorgeous trestle bridges. I was still feeling terrible, so when I saw West Shawnigan Lake Park, I stopped in to make dinner and to filter water for the night. After a quick break, I crossed the Kinsol Trestle Bridge and then found a stealth spot to tent for the night. I was worried about prickers killing my pad, and I was dead tired, so I ended up just sleeping on the ground in my tent. As I was falling asleep, the first cyclists I had seen all day stopped by to chat and told me how much nicer the rest of the trail was. This definitely gave me some encouragement, but I should have trained harder for hills and carried more water.

Day 2

77mi +2270ft

Day 2 started slowly after my night spent sleeping on the ground. To make the most of the morning temperature, I was on the bike by 6 am, with legs stiff as boards. I was dragging, so I decided to slam down extra calories and listen to an audiobook in an effort to find a little speed. I zoned out, and before I knew it, I had arrived in the town of Lake Cowichan, roughly the halfway mark, at around 9:30 am. I was shocked that I had just cranked out 25 miles, even more so when I realized that it had been uphill! I grabbed a much needed Gatorade and some calories from the gas station, and then checked out the Western Terminus of the Trans Canada Trail.

After my long break, I was delighted to find that the northern section of the Cowichan Valley Trail was incredibly smooth and mostly downhill! Riding on a sugar high, I quickly ripped across the top part, again beating my pace goals. I finished the top of the figure 8 before noon, and I passed the Kinsol Trestle Bridge again around 1 pm. I had originally planned to stop for lunch there, but it was swarming with people, and the noon sun meant that all of the tables were unshaded. I could feel myself flagging again, and I needed water, so I stopped off at a random lakeside park next to Lake Shawnigan. While I was stopped and filtering water, some locals informed me that it was a holiday and that there was a McDonald's 5 miles up the road! Rehydrated, I motored on, motivated by the promise of a McDouble.

At McD’s, I rewarded myself with a McDouble and a cookie, then checked up on my mileage. 55 miles down, and only a flat 23 miles to go, with only one small climb. So instead of stopping for the night at the Bamberton Provincial Park, I hopped on the Mill Bay Ferry and headed back towards Victoria. At the ferry, I ran into Ethan again, the guy who had checked up on me last night, so I chatted with him and his friend on the ride across the bay. Once we docked, He and his buddy ripped up the hill, taking a more direct route to Victoria, while I walked my loaded bike up the hill, taking a more roundabout route. The rest of the ride into town was gorgeous, as I wound through various farm roads before hopping on the Lochside Regional Trail. I was flagging hard, but I made it to Victoria in a day and a half!

Day 3

Day trip in Victoria, BC.

Since I had finished my ride a day early, I now had a whole day to explore Victoria! After checking out of my hotel, I took advantage of the city’s free “bike valet” service at city hall, which works like a coat check. Bike theft is my main concern when going on solo outings, so I was stoked when I learned that this existed! Why don’t more cities have this?

With my bike and gear safely stored, I was free to roam. I toured Chinatown, historic Government Street, and the gorgeous waterfront. From there, I made my way over to Beacon Hill Park, where I ended up spending most of the day. My academic background is in geography, so I love checking out the landscape architecture of older parks where more effort was made to protect the native trees and plant species. As I was leaving the park, my previous day began to catch up with me, so I headed to an Irish Pub for a cold drink while I waited for my ferry ride home.

This was an awesome trip, made even more amazing by the fact that I didn’t have to ride in a plane, car, or bus. I had expected Vancouver Island and Victoria to look like the rest of the PNW, so I was shocked to discover how different and varied the landscape, scenery, and buildings are. Knowing how easy it is to get there, I’ll definitely be coming back!