"Popular Day Hikes of Vancouver Island" has been revised and updated

By Keith and Heather Nicol

Revised and updated

     If you like to explore on foot on Vancouver Island then this newly revised book by Theo Dombroski – Popular Day Hikes of Vancouver Island is worth having a look at. The author outlines 35 hikes – mostly on the south and east side of the Island – which typically range from just a few kilometers to over 20 kilometers in length.  They tackle a wide variety of landscapes from river trails to mountain summits. Since we live in the Comox Valley we have done some of the ones listed but look forward to lacing up the hiking boots this summer to try some of Theo’s other suggestions that are nearby. In particular we want to hike to Ripple Rock near Campbell River (hike 35 in the book) as well as to hike up Mount Arrowsmith (hikes 19 and 20). 

       Each hike has some basic info about the route like distance and vertical change that the trail follows, where to start and the trail’s difficulty. There are also many colour photos which highlight scenic views and other features of the trail. There is a map for every trail as well as a more detailed route description. The route descriptions and distances seem to be fairly easy to follow using the hikes we are familiar with as guide but GPS coordinates could have been used to help get you on the right trail in some cases where many trails criss cross or where there may be confusion. 

Walking along the Puntledge River is a popular hike in the Comox Valley

 The book focuses on the hikes but does have a short section that the beginning which deals with topics like wildlife encounters, weather, clothing and equipment, how to interpret the maps and how to get the most out of the rest of the book.  At 144 pages and measuring 14 cm by 21 cm it could be small enough to carry with you or you could simply make a copy of the hike of interest (or take a photo with your phone) and leave the book behind.  The book has also given us some great hiking ideas when we head to Victoria area to visit friends and family and should be on any hiker’s bookshelf. It is published by Rocky Mountain books and for more information see: https://rmbooks.com/.

There are several hikes listed in popular Strathcona Provincial Park