We have been blessed with some bluebird days lately.. blue skies and sunshine with warmer temperatures,. These moments are interspersed with some more unpredictable weather with some rain, clouds and wind.  So we pick the good times and enjoy them when we can.

Nicky and I enjoyed a 70km bike ride the other day, along a route that we have done before but there is always something different to see and enjoy.  I marvelled at the green farm fields in winter, snow capped mountains in the distance, calm waters and all the varied beauty we saw in those 70 km.  The sunshine and exercise created non-stop smiles. Ending with a hot tub soak make it a pretty perfect day.

Yesterday, even though it was windy and some rain predicted in later afternoon, we took advantage again of the clear skies and sunshine and headed back to Old Mt. Baldy by Shawnigan Lake.  It’s a steep climb of about 200 m in just over 1 km with some scrambling We had climbed this on December 28 on a day that promised sunshine in the afternoon, but the fog and low clouds did not move out in time, so they completely obscured our views. We knew we had to return on the perfect day.

And on the perfect day it’s a fantastic reward. The views from the ledges along the way were so worth the scrambling.  At the top, at only 431 m above sea level, we had almost 360˚ views.  We could see the hills and mountains to the north, and the Saanich Inlet and Peninsula and the San Juan Strait in the distance.  There were some clouds so Mt. Baker was not visible, but I’m sure it would be. Views were amazing!

We also had a chance to revisit our youth.  We enjoyed the swing with views of Shawnigan Lake. 

After we finished playing, we took the easy way down on a trail through the forest.  Aging knees don’t love steep downhill scrambles!

Getting there was a bit of a drive for us but it’s one off those ‘big bang for your buck’ hikes. Just 4 km overall, but so worth it. We were energized but the views, sunshine and exercise. Another great day in the sun!