All the elements were in our favor: fog, mist, drizzle. There was a magic about Sombrio the day we visited.
View from the car.
As the car approached closer to Sombrio the fog thickened. It was a somewhat clear day in Victoria which is about an hour and fifty minute drive away. This is the best part about not knowing how to drive as a passenger, I always get to enjoy the views.
Sombrio Beach is along the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. The beach is about a ten minute walk on a pebble path. You’ll have lots of friends, banana slugs going about doing their thing so watch those feet. We are in their home and we have to respect them. I was mortified to step on one and it didn’t happen but there were a few close calls.
Remnants of an old surfing village.
There are three wilderness camping sights; East Sombrio, Main Sombrio and West Sombrio. When the tide is high you’ll see surfers riding the the waves.
We were pretty sore after hiking to Mystic Beach the day before so it was nice to take it easy. After our catered lunch (Toni provides a hearty lunch of sandwiches, quinoa salad, and scones) we walked along the beach in search of the waterfall only accessible during low tide.
We walked along big, giant pebbly shaped rocks the size the size of lemons and apples. I’m not the most balanced person so I was nervous at the thought of slipping and ending up in the water (west coast water is cold!) but I made it to the the little stream. We followed that stream to the waterfall with Toni encouraging me each step of the way. She could tell I wasn’t exactly loving climbing on logs and rocks to the waterfall. She kept saying it’ll be worth it.
It was beyond worth it.
Standing in the crevasse of earth looking at the sky from below was incredible. I expected to find some pirate treasure buried somewhere. The Pacific Northwest has a way of doing that to you, would have loved to find me that Goonies pirate ship.
For a while we had the area to ourselves until some campers came by to bathe. We left a little while after and again I wasn’t loving climbing back down the logs and rocks. I have bad knees and flat feet so jumping or anything with landing on my feet isn’t comfortable and usually hurts. So I slid down the log on my ass which was much easier than me hopping down. What made it easier for me to hike is the fact that a lot of bugs for them is a little compared to what I’ve seen.
Baby banana slug.
Keep an eye out for brown birds with white tails. Walking back to the car we spotted a bald eagle.
Crazy looking root system.
The icing on our cake was ending our time with Toni with one last bald eagle sighting along the coast as we drove back to town.
If you wanna book a tour with Toni, here’s her info: http://www.victoria-hiking-guides.com
We’ll be back walking the forests with her in the future.
Jebus Mews & Andrea 
Wow, what beautiful photography. ❤
Thanks! My favorite is the one with all the fog. At a quick glance I keep thinking it’s snow.
I see what you mean, it could look like a blanketing snow storm.
Great pictures of your hiking. The banana slug color is vivid. I can understand that you do not want to step on one. You are right that is their home. Love the eagle landing , picture.
Thanks! Was so scared I’d step on a slug. I was walking really funny to avoid them. The eagle was a bonus at the end.
Great shot of bald eagle!
We wish we got the whole bird but still a great shot 🙂
These are gorgeous photos! The one of the eagle at the top is awesome, like in awe-filling. It may have hurt to climb over all those logs and rocks (I know the feeling: I’ve slipped and fallen on more rocky beaches than I care to remember), but it was well worth it if you got to spend the day at such a beautiful beach. (No camping out?)
The waters of the Pacific are indeed cold, especially as far north as you were. I got into an argument with an East Coast friend about which coast had the better beaches, and the friend pointed out that in the Northeast, you can actually swim in the ocean because the current comes up from the West Indies and the much warmer south. On the West Coast, the current is coming down from Alaska and the sub-Arctic, so the water is bitter cold, even when it gets down to Los Angeles. It’s why the surfers here have to wear wetsuits, so they don’t get hypothermia from the cold, cold waves. 🙂
I’m debating camping out in Sombrio next time. I can do one night, just one night. I can’t live without showering but I can skip 1 night. I take 2-3 showers a day. I hate sweating. Caribbean. We’ve stopped going to beaches in the Northeast because of the Caribbean. We love Montauk by us but the rooms are so expensive and the weather is a hit and miss. We never have bad luck when we go to the islands. It may rain but it’s still warm. West Coast has prettier beaches and on average the water looks rougher compared to the East. Another friend who has traveled to the islands doesn’t like the NE beaches that much either. We fell in love with the islands, their beaches are incredible. BC, I can’t wait to go back! It was a very different experience for me. So worth trashing my knees.
Breathtaking photos and I love the Goonies! Cheers
Had to rewatch the movie before we went to the Pacific Northwest. Now we have to get to Oregon some day 🙂
You definitely make a very passionate traveler. Loved the details and the pictures. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite 🙂
Thanks! My fav is the one with the thick fog. At a quick glance it makes me think of snow.
Thank you so much for following me. I do hope that I can make you laugh occasionally exposing the silliness of some sign writing and bizarre translations. It;’s my hobby when I am not being amazing!
I feel as though I have been on an adventure after looking at some of your photographs and quite worn out! They are very nice pictures of the great outdoors and some rather narrow bits. I think I would like caves if they had electric lights and sofas spread around in them.
Purrs,
The Cat
Thank you! Glad you are tired and got to enjoy our journey too.
Gorgeous pictures of a hike that must have been breathtakingly beautiful. The weather is excellent for photography.
Weather was so perfect. Sometimes we go to the garden when it rains. We love the contrasting colors. Sombrio is a very special place.
Beautiful photos! Somehow the greens always seem so much more vivid when its drizzly and overcast. So special to see the bald eagles as well – what great photos!
We love grey and drizzle days for pictures. Thanks!