In early January my friend and I hiked Lone Tree Hill. We’re from the mainland so the idea of “hiking” a hill seemed laughable. However, because of the season, this hike came with a surprise: snow. We knew it was supposed to rain but on the drive up snowflakes began to fall and the further we drove, the stickier the snow felt beneath our tires. By the time we got to the hill there were two centimeters on the ground. This was quite the turn of events but it brings me to an important aspect of hiking: safety.
In my hiking backpack, I always carry a single person emergency medical kit equipped with bandages and wound cleaning materials. If you’re going for an easier hike like Mount Tolmie, extensive safety equipment isn’t usually necessary. However, for longer, more difficult hikes, you should always bring extra water and snacks with you. Tell someone where and when you’re going and how long you plan on being gone, and let them know when you’ve finished your excursion. If you’re hiking solo, text someone when you start, when you arrive at the top, (if you still have service), and when you’re back at the base.
Now, the hike! There are signs along the drive that tell you how far away the parking lot is, but for us, the turn for the parking lot on the right jumped out of nowhere. The parking lot isn’t very big and could probably only hold around four cars, so I’d avoid going in the mid-afternoon during peak hours. The trailhead is located on the right looking back at the road. The hike begins with a fairly flat, well-groomed trail, which quickly inclines, making you work for your reward. However, along the trail are some nice ponds (which were completely frozen over when I went) to stop at and admire the view.
The hike up didn’t take very long (20-25 minutes) even though it had some steeper sections. It will get your heart rate up, but I would say it’s still a good beginners hike. Since it was was quite windy and snowy at the top, there was no view of the scenery below. It was a different kind of beautiful being surrounded by snow.
Supposedly on a clear day, you can see the Haro Strait as well as the Strait of Juan de Fuca. As you can see, that was not the case this time around.
The snow made (carefully) exploring a lot of fun. Since it was snowing pretty hard by the time we made it to the top, we didn’t spend too much time up there for fear of the conditions on the drive home. As we headed back down we noticed that our footprints going up had been almost completely covered by snow. Only losing the trail once because of the snow on the way down, we made it to the base/to our car in around 30 minutes.
Overall, this hike wasn’t all too difficult but it had some steep sections. We made lots of fun memories in the snow and I mean I may have been freezing but at least my risk of melanoma was at a seasonal low, right?
Here are my ratings for this hike on a scale of five! (with the ranking guide below):
Transportation accessibility: 0 – no public transportation available for this hike
Distance from UVic: 30-minute drive by car
Difficulty: Intermediate
Views: 3 – Difficult to rate as we really couldn’t see anything down below, however, the snow on the rocks looked very nice.
Time: 1 hour
Comments: I would like to do this hike on a sunny, clear day to see the views this hike has to offer.
Ranking guide:
1-5, 5 being best
1/2: Easy (you’re here for the good insta pics, not the workout)
3/4 : Intermediate (you’ll break a sweat, but you won’t die)
5: Difficult (bring the extra water and your best protein bar; will most likely be rewarded with stunning views and pictures to make all of your insta followers jealous and wonder how you found out about such a cool hike)
If you hiked Lone Tree Hill or would like to impart other wisdom to fellow hikers, please comment below!