The Longest Trail in the World

June 10, 2021

From coast to coast: The longest trail in the world

Oct. 17, 2013

My final day on the Trans Canada Trail for 2013; well, the final day for actual forward progress. The rest of the bike miles would be devoted to returning to Victoria and Seattle. My route on the TCT enters this map in the lowest right corner, and proceeds about 70 km to get to the sign which is indicated by the red circle on the map. My estimate of the distance from the low right corner to the red circle is 20 km, ‘as the crow flies’. So the distance devoted to the western jog of the TCT here is an extra 50 km; the first place in which following the TCT was going to add some serious mileage to the ride. I was faced with the fundamental decision on whether this was a ride of the Trans Canada Trail specifically, or whether this was a ride which might eventually cross all of Canada. The latter could be accomplished by taking short cuts, and would be the normal way to cross Canada by bike. But I decided that this was to be a ride of the TCT with the goal of seeing all of Canada along the way. So I slept on it at a hotel in Duncan, BC, and devoted the day to cover those 50 km. Duncan is a community of 5000, and served as home base for a couple days on the Trail, and also the launching point for my next trip (which turned out to be in 2015).

The following photos show some of the highlights along this section of the Trans Canada Trail which follows the Cowichan Valley Rail Trail in the Cowichan Valley region. There are many farms and wineries in this area. The moderate year around climate is beneficial for agriculture here. Also parts of the trail dipped into some areas with very lush moderate climate rain forest. Jungle is the term that comes to mind. Huge trees with trunks covered in moss.

The architectural highlight of this section of the TCT is the newly refurbished Koksilah River Trestle, also known as the Kinsol Trestle. I’ve seen photos of this trestle on some websites of the BC portion of the Trans Canada Trail. The original trestle carried trains of the Canadian National Railway over the river. Eventually the trestle was determined to be unsafe, and civic groups in the region supported the reconstruction. It is a wooden masterpiece, 187 meters long and 44 meters above the river. A couple of smaller trestles cross Holt Creek and Marie Canyon. Eventually, I arrived at the community of Lake Cowichan which is the westernmost point on the entire Trans Canada Trail. It’s all easterly from here! Another 25 km brought me back to Duncan and the trail sign seen in the first photo on this page. This sign marks the starting point for my next foray on the Trans Canada Trail.

Distance: 79 km

Total: 131 km. (2013 total TCT progress)

Oct. 18, 2013:

Today I completed the return trip to Victoria where I would take the ferry back to Seattle. This trip back was not without some excitement in its own regard. I needed to complete the trip back to Victoria in one day, regardless the weather. I took the most direct route by just riding on the shoulder of

the busy Trans Canada Highway. Up and over the Malahat Summit, in pouring rain. Thanks goodness the traffic stayed on the paved lanes, and I kept to the shoulder. Along this route I passed by the small community of Cobble Hill. This is the same Cobble Hill as the jigsaw manufacturer, several of which I’ve enjoyed assembly.