Almost There … on the Galloping Goose : Langford to Victoria

Our goal for today was downtown Victoria, which was only 13 km from the hotel we stayed in last night, and only 18 km from Point Zero, at Clover Point.  When we walked our first Camino in Spain along the Camino Frances route, trekking 800 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, we noticed two types of reactions in our fellow pilgrims as we reached the end of The Way.  Some hikers dramatically picked up their pace, clearly driven by the excitement of reaching a destination that had previously seemed unattainable on foot. Alternatively, others slowed way down, wanting the journey to last as long as possible.  We definitely fell into the latter category, stopping every 5 km or less for a café con leche, tortilla, or slice of Santiago cake and a chat with our fellow hikers.  Today we find ourselves in a similar mood – now less than 20 km from the Point Zero marker at Clover Point, we are suddenly in no hurry to reach it, despite a long, hard, exhausting season on the trail and after 555 days spent on the Trans Canada Trail over the last 4 years.  

So, after enjoying the complimentary breakfast at the hotel, we set off around 8 am, and promptly deviated from the Great Trail for a morning of history and birding.  Our first stop was the Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada, which was about a half hour walk from the hotel towards the coast.

 

 

The Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site is a 19^th century west coast artillery fortress located on the Colwood side of the Esquimalt Harbour.  The British Royal Navy began using Esquimalt Harbour in the 1840's, mostly as a place to anchor, stock up on fresh water, and obtain lumber.  However, when three hospital stations were established there during the Crimean War (1854 -1856), it became an active naval base.

 

 

In 1862, the Royal British Navy relocated its Pacific Squadron from Chile north to Esquimalt, BC which meant some form of defence was needed for the fleet and its support buildings.  An influx of miners to the area during the Fraser River Gold Rush in 1858 exacerbated this need, as did the armed standoff between Britain and the US during the San Juan Islands Pig War of 1859 – 1871.  However, it wasn’t until after the Colony of Vancouver Island joined mainland British Columbia in 1866, and then the Colony of British Columbia joined Canada in 1870 that formal fortifications were constructed to defend the naval base.

 

 

Eventually, the British and Canadian governments reached an agreement, and between 1894 and 1897 two separate forts were constructed, one at Macauley Point, to defend Victoria harbour, and the other at Rodd Hill, a bluff overlooking the narrow entrance to Esquimalt Harbour.  Over the decades Fort Rodd Hill was considered an important part of North America’s defences even during WWII, having been upgraded to defend against air strikes and torpedo attacks.  Ultimately however none of its guns were ever fired on an enemy.  

 

 

Although it was an extremely blustery, damp, and cold morning, we enjoyed exploring the three gun batteries, underground magazines, command centres, guard houses, barracks, and searchlight emplacements.  Interestingly, history wasn’t the only thing that captured our attention – several white-tailed deer were hanging out among the grove of rare Garry Oaks that grows on the site.

 

 

We slowly made our way down to the shoreline, where the Fisgard Lighthouse stands on a small rocky island.  Built in 1860, it was the first lighthouse on the west coast of Canada.  Its job was to guide vessels safely into Esquimalt Harbour.  In 1897, shortly after construction of Fort Rodd Hill was completed, its light was fitted with metal shutters on the landward side, because concussions from the artillery guns cracked its glass.  In 1928 the lighthouse was automated, and its lamp was replaced with a battery powered electric light.

 

 

As we climbed over the rocky coast we were distracted by the antics of a Pacific Harbour Seal that was floating, twisting, and lazing about in the waves just off shore. It was joined by a small flock of Buffleheads that were bobbing up and down in the slate gray waters.  As we watched, they were joined by a group of Barrow’s Goldeneyes.  To our delight, closer inspection of the dark brown rocks at the base of the lighthouse revealed a group of Black Turnstones sheltering from the driving wind as well.

 

 

 

 

As we made our way back towards the shelter of the bluff, we passed an historic plaque for a Canadian Arctic Expedition that ran from 1913 – 1918.  At that time, the steamship Karluk carried the first major Canadian government scientific expedition to the Arctic.  Assisted by the Inuit, Canadian explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson managed to locate and map unoccupied islands in the High Arctic, and gather a wealth of botanical and geological samples before the ship and half its crew were lost.  This expedition also greatly advanced the outside world’s knowledge of the High Arctic.  As we complete our east-west trek, and look towards our own journey northward, it was interesting to read about those who were among the first Europeans to make that journey.

 

 

 

Under cloudy skies and through a biting wind we made our way back down to the road and out to our next stop – the Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary.  The Esquimalt Lagoon and Coburg Peninsula form a semi-enclosed tidal estuary where the mixing of fresh and salt water are influenced by the ocean tides.  Eelgrass, tidal marshes, and tidal meadows provide habitat for a wide range of species, and it is a very popular location for local birdwatchers.  The roadway divides the ocean from the lagoon, and the two environments offer opportunities to view different groups of birds at any given time.

 

 

 

 

In general, the Esquimalt Bird Sanctuary is a fantastic place to see waterfowl, gulls, shorebirds, and more.  It was a very cold and windy day when we visited, but we still managed to spot a few different species. Glaucous-winged Gulls perched on the mossy rocks and played overhead in the wind.  A large pile of seed was attracting a boisterous mixed flock of Mallards, Northern Pintails, Brewer’s Blackbirds, and gulls.  A pair of Golden-crowned Sparrows was hopping quietly among the bright red leaves and stems of the nearby bramble bushes, while a lone male Northern Shoveler sheltered from the wind behind a rock at the water’s edge.

 

 

Apparently the Shoveler was an unusual visitor in the lagoon, and as a result it was the object of much attention from locals.  We heard the rough, raucous calls of a Belted Kingfisher somewhere out over the lagoon, and overhead a Bald Eagle majestically soared.

 

 

We spent quite some time enjoying the lagoon, but eventually the cold wind prompted us to seek the relative shelter of the trail.  Rather fittingly fora #Hike4Birds, the final kilometres of the Trans Canada Trail into Victoria, BC were along the Galloping Goose Trail.  In reality, the rail trail wasn’t named after a bird. Instead, it was named after an unusual gasoline powered railway car that transported mail and passengers between Sooke and Victoria twice daily during the 1920s.

 

 

Today, the rail trail is a flat, paved, trail suitable for cycling, inline skating, jogging, walking, and hiking.  Apparently, it can become quite busy during peak commuting hours, when many people from the surrounding neighbourhoods make their way to school and work, but by late morning we encountered only a few other people cycling and walking.  Several fellow hikers stopped to chat and ask about our large packs, and many had just heard about Mel Vogel recently finishing the trail (just a few days ahead of us).  This prompted several to ask just how many people were out walking this trail, as three suddenly must have seemed like a crowd.  Although we've spoken with several people who have plans to head out in the coming year, we assured them that the only coast-to-coasters we know of on the trail this year were Mel, ourselves, and Bonnie Thornbury.  Not too crowded for a 28,000 km long trail!  Beyond this small group no one else is presently hiking the Great Trail from coast to coast to coast.

 

 

As we approached downtown Victoria, we made our way through green spaces, and along the edge of modern subdivisions.  Much of the time the trail roughly paralleled the Trans Canada Highway.  As the sun came out and began to warm the day we were very grateful to approach the city on such a nice trail, well separated from the traffic.

 

 

We made our way over wooden trestle bridges and between mossy and treed embankments, soon discovering that we were walking on part of a network of trails.  The Galloping Goose Trail mostly followed the old Canadian National Railway, while the E&N Rail Trail followed the abandoned line of the same name.  Together these two partially overlapping routes offer over 100 km of trails in the Greater Victoria Area.

 

 

As we began to approach the outskirts of Victoria we enjoyed some beautiful views across the harbour.  Treed neighbourhoods were reflected in the mirror-like water in front of a backdrop of snow covered mountain peaks.  To our delight, the sky was beginning to clear as well, with patches of blue promising a beautiful afternoon.

 

 

We paused for a few minutes to take in a colourful trail-side mural called ‘Ascension.’ It was created by a group of seven First Nations, Inuit, and Métis youth to reflect their relationship with reconciliation.  The images were representative of the artists’ ancestors, and interestingly included many different representations of birds.

 

 

As we got closer to Victoria trail traffic began to pick up, with many people out walking, jogging, and making their way along the paved and accessible trail in electric wheelchairs.  Trail art became more prevalent, and we passed under a rounded bridge with a large mural painted on the underside which was clearly inspired by Michelangelo’s ‘Hands of God and Adam.'

 

 

Our excitement began to grow as we crossed the Selkirk Trestle, a long, curving, wooden pedestrian bridge that spanned the inner Victoria Harbour.  We could see the homes, condos, and buildings of downtown Victoria lining the waterway on all sides. It felt and sounded like we had finally reached the last city on our westward trek.  We took a few moments to stop and scan for birds on the water, but didn't spot any.  Perhaps it was the growing excitement of finally, finally reaching our destination that robbed us of the patience to look for birds, and instead made us quicken our pace.

 

 

When we reached the end of the long curving trestle bridge we came to the final Trans Canada Trail pavilion we will encounter on this east-west trek.  We have stopped at every single one of these we’ve come to, and watched as slowly, so very slowly, the yellow circle marking our current location has moved from one side of the continent to the other.  It seemed like a lifetime ago that we stood at the ‘Mile Zero’ marker in St. John’s, Newfoundland, with the entire adventure still ahead, and the story as yet unwritten.

 

 

We often take a moment to read the inscriptions that the generous trail donors and supporters have contributed to these pavilions.  One of these stood out to us today, which was left in loving memory of Wialong Dukszta. 

 

“May those who walk this path,

follow in the footsteps of Witold’s wonder

and love for life and his respect for nature.

May we forever hear his voice in the wind,

see his beauty in the trees and flowers

and feel his spirit deep within our hearts.

 

Thank you, Witold, for our living, loving memories.

Bless you forever.  Shine on bright star.”

 

Thank you indeed to Witold, his family, and the thousands of others across Canada who helped build this trail.  Thank you for the living, loving, memories!

 

 

 

From the pavilion, the trail took us along the shoreline of the harbour, which was bordered by colourful, high end condo buildings.  As we walked, we noticed small wooden boardwalks along the shoreline that served as stops for the Victoria Harbour Ferry. A small fleet of pickle boats was zipping back and forth across the harbour, some painted with the distinctive yellow and black checks of New York City cabs.  It seems the harbour ferry system functions as a water taxi and bus system, as well as offering tours of varying lengths to visitors.  Although it looked intriguing, we continued down our land trail.

 

 

As our path rounded the waterfront another point of interest was the Point Hope Shipyard.  An historic plaque indicated that it was the longest active shipyard site in the province.  It was established in 1873, and in 1875 the owners launched their first ship – the Royal City.  Through the tall chain link fences we could see several large boats sitting up on platforms, awaiting repairs, refitting, or repainting.  Knowing nothing about ships or marine culture, our attention was captured by the marine railway turntable and complex looking system to pull large ships out of the water.

 

 

Just as interesting as the historic shipyard was the sign on its fence for the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary.  Covering 30 km of Victoria’s coastline, the sanctuary is home to around 270 bird species, including seabirds, waterbirds, and shorebirds, which are present in especially high numbers in winter.  This site also supports around 75 species of plants and animals that are of provincial and/or federal conservation concern.  When it was established in 1923 to control the over hunting of Brant and other waterfowl, it became the first bird sanctuary in Pacific Canada.

 

 

As we rounded the bend we got our first glimpse of the imposing Legislative Assembly of British Columbia buildings that dominate the Victoria waterfront.  Our pace quickened as we crossed the busy Johnson Street Bridge into downtown Victoria.  The bridge carried several lanes of traffic, as well as pedestrian walkways on either side. There, waving to us from the other walkway was my father!  We felt so incredibly lucky to have a welcoming committee waiting for us at the end of this incredible journey!

 

 

Together, the three of us made our way to a coffee shop for a cold drink and a muffin.  We had made it!  What an incredible feeling!!  Given that it took us less than 2 hours to cover the short 13 km route it was still a little early to check into our motel, so after our short break the three of us wandered the section of the Trans Canada Trail that traces the highly developed waterfront.  It took everything in our power not to simply power on, continuing the last 5 km to the end of the trail.  However, we have decided to leave those final kilometres until tomorrow, possibly sharing them with members of the Victoria Natural History Society and others we've invited from the area.  

 

 

As we were enjoying our break and catching up with family we received an email from a TCT Trail Builder and member the provincial trail association who had driven to Victoria to meet us.  He emailed letting us know that he had informed the board of the Trans Canada Trail that we were about to complete our trek in Victoria.   He hoped that the TCT board members now in Victoria after flying out to personally congratulate Mel Vogel would be also join Come Walk With Us as the first duo to complete the Great Trail, the first to photograph and document the entire pathway from the Atlantic to Pacific, and the first to hike it for a cause. While he had not gotten a response from them yet the possibility seems to be that they too might join us for our last 5 km on the Great Trail tomorrow.

 

 

As the day proceeded we received hundreds of emails of congratulations of our impending achievement.  So much kindness and support for our #Hike4Birds from regular Canadians from coast to coast to coast still amazes us even after 4 years of exploring this incredible country! Kindness and kind words in this busy world are such wonderful gifts to receive.  We have been blessed by so many people and so many communities throughout our time on the Trans Canada Trail that we are both often left speechless. 

 

 

As we wandered through downtown we spotted an historic plaque for Fort Victoria.  Apparently, all that is left of the Hudson’s Bay Company Fort that was built in 1843 are the metal docking rings fastened to the rocky shoreline.  When the Oregon boundary was drawn along the 49^th Parallel in 1846, Fort Victoria became the HBC’s Pacific fur trade headquarters.  Ships brought goods from a wide network of forts across the continent, and loaded up with exports principally bound for Alaska, California, and Hawaii. In 1849 the first Legislative Assembly of the Colony of Vancouver Island met in Fort Victoria, but by 1864 the last building had already been removed. 

 

 

We also passed the Old Victoria Customs House, an unprepossessing looking two story red brick building in the Second Empire Style.  It was built in 1875 by the new Federal Government after Confederation to regulate trade in the West Coast’s busiest port.  It also helped establish Victoria as a major commercial centre, especially during the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898, when thousands of miners had to stop there to obtain licenses before continuing north in search of their fortunes.  

 

 

Another historic plaque informed us that Old Downtown Victoria took shape during the mid-19^th century when it developed into an important port and major commercial centre linking the Interior of British Columbia to the Pacific Rim.  It was established on land originally occupied by the Lekwungen and WSÁNEĆ First Nations.  The HBC built Fort Victoria in 1843, and from there it became a major commercial centre, growing to encompass what is now the oldest surviving Chinatown in Canada and the second oldest in North America (after the Chinatown in San Francisco).  Named after Queen Victoria, it is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest. 

 

 

Today, Victoria is the capital of British Columbia, and it has a population of just over 90,000 people.  It has been nicknamed the ‘Garden City’ and is frequently ranked in the top 20 cities in the world for best quality-of-life.  Its main industries are technology, tourism, and federal and provincial government services.  As we made our way along its streets in the late afternoon sunshine, it was easy to see why so many people enjoy living here.

 

 

After checking into our motel and eating a hurried dinner we went out for another walk to see the city at the night.  With the end so near in sight, there were simply too many thoughts circling around in our heads to sit still.  Questions keep arising that we have no answers for.  Did you achieve what we set out to do?  How have our goals shifted as we've hiked the last 14,000 km? Was it 'worth it'? Have our efforts made a difference?  This isn't the end of trek, just the completion of the east-west portion, so why does it feel like an ending? And the question that has been plaguing us for many months now - what's next?  As we made our way through the cool night air it was hard to believe that tomorrow we will walk the final 5 km to Point Zero at Clover Point, finally reaching the western end of the trail.    Four years ago when we set out I couldn’t even conceive of reaching this goal, tomorrow tie the Atlantic and Pacific together!  With time, patience, and determination anything is possible.

 

Almost there...

See you on the trail!

Remember to follow our entire adventure here : www.comewalkwithus.online