Originally published at: Hail Satin 1000!
Hail Satin 1000!
A full exploration of the eastern end of the Sooke Hills, all while paying homage to satinflowers galore — what’s not to love!
Sat, March 28
9:15am – 4:45pm
Last weekend’s Satinflower Showtime hike was a teaser for what should be even more wildflowers this weekend! We thought it would be fun to get out again, and maybe put a bit of conditioning in for those bigger mountain hikes that will soon be here.
The route will take us up Mt Wells from the parking lot. We’ll go over the summit to the southern plateaus and head westward down the trail between the climbing walls. We will cross Humpback Road and head up Mt McDonald via a south-east route: tag the summit and visit the flower fields on the western slopes. Then on to explore the northern end of McDonald before making our way to John/Stick Bump. From here we’ll start the turn back via Neil and the south aspects of McDonald. New variations are possible in this section – we will decide on the day – but never fear, the return trip to the cars will feature lots more of Mt McDonald!
Our hike will be approx 12.5km long with about 1000m of elevation gain. We will be on trail for much of the day, but there will be some route-finding and bushwhacking, slippery sections, and some scrambling on steeper slopes. We will stop for elevenses, lunch, and good flowers — trees and boulders may be climbed!
Meet at 9:15am at the Mt Well Trailhead Main Parking Lot below the Humpback Reservoir – https://maps.app.goo.gl/JwVLNFNgibvYYupHA
Participants will need the 10 essentials including sturdy boots, layers for cooler and possibly wet weather; hiking poles are recommended and please bring your own lunch.
No dogs please.
Co-lead by Mary Sanseverino and Mike Whitney
Contact: Mary (drop a line if you’d like to come or have questions) – msanseve@gmail.com