Jackie’s solo run of the Juan de Fuca Trail (47 km along the SW coast of Vancouver Island)

This is a run I have been thinking of doing since last October, when April and I ran 30 km of the Juan de Fuca Trail. I’d always thought of the Juan de Fuca as the “ugly sister” of the world-famous West Coast Trail – but I was surprised when April and I went by how beautiful it is! And it’s much more doable as a one-day run than the West Coast Trail – at 47 km compared to the WCT’s 78 km. The terrain is still challenging: technical trails with lots of roots and mud, some pretty steep hilly parts, and coastal sections where you are hopping long boulder beach for a kilometre or two. But it doesn’t have the

Our last big hurrah: April and Jackie run the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail

Well, it won’t be our last big trip forever – but it will be our last big trip together for a while. I am very sad to say that April moved away from Vancouver Island today, to pursue new and exciting things in and around Toronto. But April does not do things in a small way. She and I had talked for about two years about running the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. So, a few weeks ago, she said “Let’s do it before I go.”

We set aside a window of three days, October 2nd, 3rd and 4th, since the weather is iffy this time of year, with the idea of