Adventure Daily #1: Mount Work via Munn Rd

One of the best parts about living on southern Vancouver Island is how ridiculously easy it is to adventure in the outdoors. You can walk to parks or beaches, bus to mountains and remote reserves, or drive a couple hours to the trail heads of challenging multi-day treks. To live in Victoria and not explore the area is like going to Mexico and not having a taco. You're simply missing out. Big time!

So, I adventure often. Like almost daily.

For today's adventure I took the dogs to Mount Work, a large regional park and popular hike spot in the Highlands (Greater Victoria). 

The drive was easy (thanks to GoogleMaps and AllTrails apps) and beautiful (oh how I would love to live the highlands some day!). My first impression of the excessively groomed trail was "this summit trail to Mount Work isn't much work...", but soon enough it turned from a flat, wide, compact gravel trail to a steep, muddy, rocky, windy switchback trail that just keeps climbing. A bit of a leg burner but nothing extreme (230 m elevation gain in ~2 km).

Viewpoint panorama

The skies were blue and the air was crisp. The perfect hiking weather! When I reached the summit I was hot, sweaty and ready for my snack break. Over the hills beyond the skies were becoming increasingly moody. Your classic 'scattered showers' report. Within minutes of sitting with my summit smoothie I was retreating to the woods for cover from a hail downpour. It must be spring.

Hiding from the hail

All-in-all, for a quick day hike, the dogs and I had a blast! What's an adventure without a little unpredictable weather? 

The best part: I didn't see a single other soul on that mountain. No traffic jams, congested viewpoint crowds, dog haters, or yell-talkers. Just me and the dogs, free to roam in the wilderness. (Just kidding, I love meeting other hikers but sometimes the peace and quiet is a real treat!)

Skarlett at the summit