Sheilds Lake
Summary
Distance: ~90km
Elevation: ~1400m
Summary: Enjoy surprisingly close yet remote and rugged terrain in a half-day gravel ride.
Caution: Contains significant sections of technical singletrack. For advanced gravel riders with a sense of humour.
The Pitch
A 90km loop for those on the adventurous side. Part cross country mounting biking, part gravel, and a dash of road to connect it all together. The main premise of the ride is to head out from Victoria to Sheilds Lake via smaller connecting trails (instead of the straightforward Galloping Goose Regional Trail) and return via the Veitch Creek Trail system.
Looking for a shorter ride in the region? Try Veitch and Ayum Creek.
Details
Let's divide the route into 3 sections: Victoria to Sea to Sea Regional Park, Exploring Sea to Sea Regional Park and Sheilds Lake, and returning to Victoria.
1) Johnson Street Bridge to Sea to Sea Regional Park
The route begins on the west side of the Johnson Street Bridge. West Bridge Plaza (Adirondack chairs) makes an excellent, centrally located meet-up place. From here, head west on the E&N Rail Trail. At the 5.5km mark, you'll have an opportunity to hop off the E&N and onto some singletrack that leads to a gravel path through Portage Park, then back on the E&N. Stay on the E&N until you cross Island Highway, then head west on the Galloping Goose Regional Trail.
At the 12.9km mark you'll find an unofficial trail head that crosses over a (broken down) chain link fence. This is the first of some fun single track. It's a narrow, fairly easy to follow trail but expect some technical roots and hike-a-bike on steeper sections before you pop out onto a paved road (Royal Roads hosts a multitude of loamy trails that are fun and challenging on gravel bikes). Across the road, find another trail and follow this until you get to University Drive and the waterfront. The suggested route is straightforward and sticks to a wide, mostly gravel trail that exits the campus at Cottonwood Lane.
At the end of Cottonwood Lane you'll find another trail that will lead you South through the new Royal Bay developments. The exact trail through Royal Bay changes while construction continues but the developers have been good about maintaining "something" to ride on. You'll eventually find your way to Latoria Boulevard and then into Latoria Creek Park.
Latoria Creek Park is a small wooded park with a wide gravel trail following the creek. Ride slow and be mindful of walkers and suddenly appearing sets of stairs.
Once you exit the park, you'll follow some small rural roads and trails to Metchosin Road and eventually turn off on Pears Road. Follow along the perimeter of the Metchosin Golf and Country Club and turn off onto the delightful Hillman Trail. This is a narrow, lightly used, fast flowing trail. Once you exit the trail, head down Happy Valley Rd. (halfway down the road, there is a fire department with a small pump track if you want to goof around), and then backtrack slightly on William Head Road to get to Wootton Road. Sea Bluff Trail is short but the terrain is open farmland with scenic views of the ocean. A great place to stop and refuel! Get back onto William Head Road for a while and then jump onto the Ron Weir Trail connecting to Pearson College Drive.
Pearson College is a picturesque campus riddled with narrow, technical singletrack (sometimes goat trails) that are mostly rideable except for a small ravine crossing you'll find just before exiting the campus and rejoining the Galloping Goose. There are many trail options to try out and even a gravel road leading up to an Observatory
Follow the Galloping Goose out past Matheson Lake into Roche Cove Regional Park. Although not permitted for cycling, the Cedar Grove trail (approx. 37.5km mark) is lightly used by walkers and after a brief steep section becomes a fun flowy trail back to the Goose (rider discretion is advised). Continue along the Goose (Cross Sooke Road very carefully! Although it is a controlled crossing, cars routinely do not stop!) to get to Harbourview Road.
Before following Harbourview Road into Sea to Sea Regional Park you can choose to ride West along Sooke Road for a pitstop and water refill at Tim Horton's (recommended) before the ride heads into remote territory.
Sooke Mountain Trail. Not all the trails are this deluxe!
2) Exploring Sea to Sea Regional Park
Sea to Sea Regional Park (or Harbourview as known on Trailforks) is a large, natural park used by both hikers and mountain bikers. The south end is well trafficked by cyclists with a large parking lot at the end of Harbourview Road. After a brief ride up Sooke Mountain Trail (access road) you can turn off onto Sword Fern Trail (a blue trail that is gravel bike friendly), and then rejoin Sooke Mountain Trail again. Further along, at Charter's Trail junction, you'll jump onto Kinnikinnick Trail (another blue trail) and then once again back to Sooke Mountain Trail. As you travel North, beyond the Quimper Summit Trailhead, the access road degrades and is much more rugged with chunky gravel and lots of blow down. Push on to get all the way to Sheilds Lake.
To get back into town, you'll have to backtrack along the Sooke Mountain Trail until you reach the Sea to Sea Connector, Shepherd Creek, and Veitch Creek Trails. These trails were collectively known as Terranova and constitute the most technical and challenging part of the ride (i.e. you'll wish you had a mountain bike). This is also one of the most remote areas and requires that you travel with care (mechanicals and wildlife!). Savor the ride, enjoy the forest, and eventually you will arrive at the Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park South Trailhead.
3) Return to Victoria
With the majority of the route complete, the remaining portion connects to the Great Trail (via Sooke Road, Humpback Road, and Irwin Road) and uses the E&N Rail - Humpback Connector to eventually rejoin the Galloping Goose and return to the Johnson Street Bridge. More embellishments could be made, but you will be undoubtedly tired at this point in the journey and longing for a rest and a beer!