Labour Day Weekend 2010 Sooke Potholes

The end of summer 2010 and camping seemed to have come this last weekend at the Sooke Potholes Regional Park. Not only was Labour Day weekend the closing date for camping at the Sooke Potholes it also seemed like the end of the summer weather as well.

Saturday started off with sunshine, but as we made the Seventeen Mile Pub on Hwy 14 the weather was starting to cloud over. Still in good spirits the campground was alive and well with campers and only 6 or so campsites left available around 2pm.

The night was very enjoyable especially with the company of two members of Club Mud coming over and sharing a fire along with a hot dog and refreshments complete with the tranquil sounds of the Sooke River flowing in the background.

During the next morning though things started to change with a number of campsites being vacated for that night and the temperature cooling off. This was very peculiar as in order to stay for the Labour Day long weekend payment for Saturday and Sunday night is required. So much for the recession.

Sunday was very enjoyable but starting to get quite cold especially felt during a swim in the local swimming hole. That night the campground seemed to be vacated with only a third full and yet everything was pleasant, especially with fires allowed.

That all changed this morning, with rain starting about 2 am and poring continuously all morning. The Sooke Potholes transformed instantly now looking like a typical fall day, dark, wet and miserable . As the scene changed dramatically the look on a number campers packing up was where did the summer of 2010 go.

Sooke Potholes Regional Park

Although to day was a bit rainy it proved to to be a good day for a walk along the Sooke River in the Sooke Potholes Regional Park.

The day started off by meeting the Club Mud gang in Langford at the Westshore Mall Serious Coffee location for a wake-up Americano coffee. From here it is about a 30 minute drive to the parking lot for the regional park located at the end of Sooke River Road.

The Sooke Potholes have been caved out of the Sandstone bedrock over the years by the cascading river creating some very unique geological rock formations. Although the area boasts some of the CRD's best swimmingholes during the summertime it was just as beautiful during one of Victoria's wet winter days.

Over the last few years since TLC has handed over stewardship of the area to the CRD many of the old trails have been upgraded with crushed gravel replacing some muddy sections. The trails meander next to the Sooke River intermixed with west coast rain forest offering fantastic views of this very special place.

More information can be found at OurBC.com and the CRD webpage.