It’s been very rainy here in Vancouver this week, which doesn’t call off all activities but definitely requires intermittent hideouts at home between the inevitable chances you get absolutely soaked. They say May is the first month of summer but June is the last month of spring here. So far this year, the expression has held true.

Still, I think my body is thankful for the break while I write today too. Yesterday I tackled the “Grouse Grind”, which everyone tells you is challenging but they say it with such euphoria you think, “My, I want to do that too!”. Then you are there, heart rate maxed out, hauling your heavy self up, step by grudging step, over 800m of elevation on “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster”. You can’t talk to anyone. You find yourself stuck in your own mental madness while people, who you happily sung “Good morning!” to at the start, have now become the enemy that you must not only keep up with but pass and beat them to the top. It’s brutal. It feels like death, and yes, I’ll probably do it again next week.

Suffice to say, trails like the Grouse allow you to gain a whole new appreciation for hikes that have a very low effort to reward ratio – which Mount Douglas in Victoria absolutely offers. Just twenty minutes of light huffing and puffing and you’ll find yourself savoring panoramic views of the city, ocean and surrounding mountains.

There are several trails leading to Mount Douglas’ summit, all varying gradients. With this mountain, there’s even a road you can drive up if hiking isn’t for you.

I decided to go with the Irvine trail on the way up and take on the more challenging Glendenning trail on the way down, using Norn to get me back to my car parked just off Cordova Bay Road.

Having arrived just before 8am, the hike was incredibly peaceful with just a few runners out on the trails. To add to the serenity, a hummingbird for just a few seconds, hovered right in front of me, whilst I sat soaking up the expansive view. Paradise I tell you!

What a wonderful place to start the day and a totally opposite experience to my mountain climb yesterday. Should you find yourself visiting Victoria in future, I’d recommend catching the birds eye view from this beautiful mountain park.