The hike tonight was another good one, come to think of it, I don’t really know what would have to happen to make a hike a bad one. I suppose if I really try I could come up with something, but let’s keep things positive. The view of the city lights from Mt. Tolmie was great as usual, the rabbits at UVic provide some brief entertainment, and though it was a bit muddy, Mystic Vale was all good too.

GPS Data: 5.9km – 1h27m – GPS Route

A Wednesday night hike at Mt. Tolmie, UVic, Mystic Vale, and Henderson Park. Click on the map to see detailed GPS data on the Garmin website.

Three of us headed out this week to the University of Victoria area and hiked about 6km through Mt. Tolmie and Mystic Vale. It was dark and rainy, but you know what, I thought it was a pretty fun outing. I suspect we humans might have some instinctual tendency to stay inside in inclement weather, and I was certainly feeling some of its influence before the hike; I’m glad we got out.

For those who are interested, we saw rabbits, moths, and deer, as well as a raging river in Mystic Vale (exaggeration perhaps?) Since it was a night outing the aforementioned beasts, save the moths, exhibited the famous red-eye as we observed them with our headlamps.

You can click on the following map image to see our route and GPS data on the Garmin website. Additionally, and in the absence of real photos, I have prepared an artist’s interpretation (oh wait, I’m not an artist) of our view of some deer in Henderson Park near the end of our hike.

Wednesday hike route at Mt. Tolmie and Mystic Vale near the University of Victoria. Click the image to view GPS data and a map on the Garmin website.

Forgot camera, which probably wouldn't have worked so hot in the dark anyway. In lieu of a photo, I have painstakingly reconstructed this scene of some deer we were looking at with our headlamps in Henderson Park near UVic. I may have added a few tree-dwelling beast eyes for added effect.

Some might be interested to know that there is a bunch of equipment set up around the chip trail at Henderson golf course that at first looks like playground equipment, but is actually exercise equipment (plyometric, stretching, etc.). Strange, but true.

GPS Data: Hike – Victoria, BC – Mt. Tolmie / UVic

Map of the hike route at Mt. Tolmie and UVic.

Top of Mt. Tolmie looking north-west.

A rock at the top of Mt. Tolmie hanging out with some cigarette butts.

Token UVic rabbit shot with some fabulous washed-out white sky.

My hiking cohorts approaching rabbit central at UVic.

The fog... along the top of Mystic Vale.

The fog... at the bottom of Mystic Vale.

The creek at the bottom of Mystic Vale with a bit more vigor than usual.

More creek action from the bottom of Mystic Vale.

The sky did eventually clear a bit as we were almost through Mystic Vale.

One final Mystic Vale creek shot.

Chip trail around Henderson golf course.