As a casual day hiker, starting off on a steep incline can feel like I am going uphill for the very first time. Step by step by step, lesser-used muscles wake up and my lungs expand. Depending on the day, or the mood, turning around is a fleeting thought. There is a destination with a panoramic view, so I plod on. And, most of the time, there are friends and dogs to keep up to.
Soon enough I always catch my stride and the feel-good cocktail of hormones gives me the push and pull needed to keep climbing. Then, inching closer to the top, I humbly question my choices and dig deep to get to the high point for that hard-won view. It’s always worth the climb, every time.
Our local CPR Trail has delivered this and more many times over. Located along Highway 4, just across from Cameron Lake, the CPR Trail (or the Old Arrowsmith Trail) is believed to be the oldest intact hiking trail on Vancouver Island. It was built in 1912 by the Canadian Pacific Railway to provide access to the alpine for tourists staying at Cameron Lake Resort, which closed in the late 1960s. Now on private forest lands, the CPR Trail is a popular and well-maintained “butt-buster” of a trail.
The CPR Trail starts off on gravel roads with a few informative signs installed by the forestry company. The trail then breaks off on a steep grade; it takes a few hours to reach the lookout. Although the well-worn switchbacks are relentless, the north-facing slope is shaded by old and second-growth trees, cultivating a mossy forest floor of ferns and fungi.
There is a sturdy wooden bridge crossing the churning McBey Creek that always offers a cool, misty pause. Further up, you can also enjoy a set of waterfalls by taking an offshoot from the trail.
The grueling switchbacks continue up and up before opening to an area heavily impacted by a wind storm, with fallen trees criss-crossing in all directions. Soon you can branch off to a rewarding view over Oceanside and the water beyond from a rocky outcrop.
This is often the turnaround point for day hikers and is a great place to rest, refuel, and take it all in. Curious and confident whiskey jacks often swoop down for a visit, knowing hikers to carry good snacks. I’ve been blessed with both expansive views and dense fog at this lookout.
“I am all about the sweeping mountain-top views, but river trails soothe my soul and fill me with an appreciation for this island life”
If you have a few more hours, you can take the loop around the top where the trail flattens out through areas of sub-alpine forest. From here, you will reach Mount Arrowsmith Regional Park, with trails to the base and peaks of Mount Cokely from the old Arrowsmith ski hill, which operated from the 1940s to the late 1990s. Be prepared for snow along the trail from fall to spring. Whichever direction you take, you’ll eventually return to follow the same trail back down, greeted by a new set of muscles who’ve shown up for the descent.
If this, or any number of other beautiful, vertical hikes in the area (Lantzville Lookout, The Notch, or the Horne Lake Hustle to name a few) aren’t appealing, the creeks and rivers of Oceanside deliver another world of wonder. I am all about the sweeping mountain-top views, but river trails soothe my soul and fill me with an appreciation for this island life.
I treasure the many trail networks along Nile Creek, Englishman River, and both the Little and Big Qualicum Rivers. Many of these trails are easily accessed from provincial and regional parks and fish hatcheries, and allow you to walk as little or as long as you like.
These waterways highlight the changing seasons, as subtle as those changes sometimes feel in our temperate climate. Checking for the first leaves of nettles that poke through the damp earth when the mountain peaks are still so snowy, I patiently wait for the fawn lilies of March and April, with their animal print leaves and fairy hat flowers. Summer is for swimming in the cold, clear currents and fall brings mushroom hunting and spawning salmon. I’m never disappointed by this fishy marvel of nature in our streams and rivers, preferably before they reach the pungent stage.
So whether you are after the elevated mountain views, or prefer the seasonal delights along a river, our local trails are a gift for the senses. Always worth the time and effort, step by step by step.
