(+10 insets!) (bigger = better) :)

Trip Talk: Balancing Planned Itineraries with the Wonder of Unexpected Surprises

It was my job to come up with things for us to do on our trip to Vancouver Island…what a challenge! There seemed to be no end of things we could do, should do, and couldn't miss. We agreed that the best idea would be a list of 3-5 possibilities for each leg of our trip and that meant coming up with ideas for 9 places.

Almost every spot we stayed at had seemingly countless activities for us to do so it took a while to find out which ones would be the best choices for us. At the same time, we didn't want to set all of our ideas into stone. One of the best things that can happen on a trip is when you discover something really cool that you didn't know about. We definitely wanted some of that and happily, the balance of planned destinations vs. unplanned special discoveries was really good. I didn't dig too hard into exact details of a place because I wanted us to have these surprises, and we sure did have them! In fact, our hike at Goldstream Park featured a totally memorable surprise which turned out to be a really exciting and unforgettable adventure for us!

Today's Pictures

Goldstream Provincial Park is located in the southern end of Vancouver Island and is very popular due to its easy access and proximity to Victoria. There are lots of hiking trails, one of which ascends steeply to the top of nearby Mount Finlayson. We opted to go on the much shorter and more reasonable Gold Mine trail instead. The trail climbed quickly from the Niagara Falls creek bed and brought us to a feature we weren't aware of until a passing hiker pointed the way…a railroad trestle with access! Hot dog!!!

The trestle crossed over a very deep gorge and had many signs warning of the extreme danger for any who dared travel over the trestle. Did they think that would stop us? We would not be denied! No matter how terrified of heights that I can be, I refuse to let my fears stop me from certain activities. Such as walking on a trestle that spans an abyss!

There were plenty of others who braved the trestle walk and all of us took great care to watch our footing. There were no railings so the safest place to walk was directly down the center of the trestle. Passing one another meant stepping to the side to allow them to get by and everyone was careful as they went.

Naturally I had a battle of wills going on as I made my way across. The trestle was so unbelievably HIGH that I only peeked a couple of times through the tracks to see the tall trees underneath. Holy heebie-jeebies, what sort of insanity led me to cross this thing anyway?!! Seriously, I couldn't help thinking about the reality: if you tripped and went terribly wrong, you'd fall right off the side and plummet for what seems like forever! Insanity. Shaking my head in amazement as I slowly made my way along, I also reminded myself that the bridge was totally safe if one was careful. And after all, it could support entire TRAINS so one puny little person would probably be fine.

On either side of the trestle there were a couple of places where you could walk out to the very edge and stand on a platform complete with metal railings to cling to. When I first noticed these spots I was all, "Not Gonna Happen." But by the time I got to each of them, I was able to creep over to the platforms and appreciate the (terrifying) view beyond. I couldn't help but notice various people who were actually sitting at the edge with legs dangling over the side as they enjoyed a snack and some conversation. The thought of doing such a thing totally freaked me out! Even Steve agreed: CRAZY!

The trip across the entire length took about 10 minutes because I went slowly and stopped on the platforms along the way. When I got to the far side I was very pleased with myself for conquering my fears, but I was also very relieved to have solid ground under my feet again! :D

Standing from the safety of the ground, I enjoyed watching people crossing over and returning. It was comforting to see that I wasn't the only one who was obviously quite nervous but there were plenty who were so relaxed they almost seemed too incautious. They walked near the edges with calm indifference but all I could do was scream inside as my mind's eye saw them tripping and falling to their doom. Still, it was nice to see everyone enjoying this awesome place. The fact was that each of us made a conscious decision to walk on the trestle despite being strongly discouraged against it. I liked being in the Cool Club! :)

Steve had fun taking pictures through the tracks as he slowly went along. I watched him curiously while he studied the changing views, stopping now and again for another picture. I wondered how he managed to deal with seeing the dizzying sight below without freaking out. I can handle compartmentalizing my fears to a point but actively looking as Steve was doing…NO WAY JOSE!!!

My main picture today shows the trestle as we made our way up the hillside trail to the track above. What an awesome sight! I am such a fan of this type of bridge construction and I also love the way the trestle emerges from the forest before disappearing into it again on the other side of the chasm.

Inset 1: I couldn't resist taking a picture of Steve taking a picture of the trestle!

Inset 2: "RAIL BRIDGE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS" Yeah, yeah…we're still going!

Inset 3: The straight path across seemed safe enough when there weren't any people on it!

Inset 4: I forced myself to look down and take this picture…holy freakout Batman, that's HIGH!

Inset 5: The view of the trestle when standing on a platform near the edge. I actually liked the graffiti on the bridge. For some reason it seems to fit--what a switch…I usually detest graffiti!

Inset 6: An abstract view showing the edge and bottomless pit below…

Inset 7: A graffiti-adorned post with a lovely view beyond.

Inset 8: The tracks from where they came on the starting side.

Inset 9: The tracks heading away from the far side.

Inset 10: Lil' ol' me clinging to one of the platform's railings.

Pam, would you have been able to cross this trestle? I bet you would have done fine, especially since we'd do it together! :) I do appreciate working on my fear of heights because the rewards are always so huge and meaningful. I'll never ever forget this trestle because it was so potentially deadly but was just that much more cool because of the danger! I hope that your day is going well my dear, many hugs going your way! :)

Explored on 9/14/19; highest placement #2.