Stepping Into Adventure
Trail Runner|October 2017, #123

Exploring Vancouver Island’s Juan de Fuca Trail

Mara Johnson-groh
Stepping Into Adventure

It’s a brisk May morning and I stand at the southern terminus of the Juan de Fuca Trail on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, double-checking the contents of my hydration pack. Everything is in place, so I stride off into the forest.

Ten feet in front of me, the trail disappears under a slick of mud. I pick my way across, jumping from log to log. One log twists and suddenly I find myself ankle deep in rich, black muck.

Traversing along the east coast of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, the 29-mile Juan de Fuca Trail is known for both its stunning scenery and challenging terrain. Luckily, today the sun is shining steadily down through the forest canopy.

A History of Adventure

The mountainous, 285-mile-long Vancouver Island casts a tall, green silhouette over the Pacific waters, with hulking, tree-covered peaks rising up from the shoreline.

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