Revised! VI Spine Map Overview – December 2012

It’s been a couple months since our last update and the map is starting to take shape with more existing and proposed trails plotted – less blue!  We have been in contact with some people who have kindly lent their GPS coordinates and tracks for existing trails, as well as some of the regional districts to get their feedback.  You will notice quite a few changes since our October overview.

Our goal of having a complete set of trails that extend from the northern to the southern tip of Vancouver Island is one step closer with the (almost completed) Tuck Lake Trail project.  For fun, we have created a Google Earth map which plots both existing and “dream” trails.  NOTICE: this is just a sketch and the final Trail route will likely look very different!

Orange – existing trails

• To date, existing trails consist of the North Coast Trail; some trails near Port Hardy; Nisnak Lake Trail; Circlet Lake Trail; the Strathcona Park trek; Cumberland Mountain Biking Trails; the Beauforts; the Alberni Valley Log Train Trail; the Alberni Runner’s Trail; the Alberni Canal Trail; the Cowichan Valley Trail; and the Galloping Goose Trail.

Yellow – trails “in progress”

• The Tuck Lake Trail project was started in early August. Click here to read more about it, or here for some photographs from the September 29/30 trail building.

Purple – proposed trails

• Currently there are four proposed trails for Vancouver Island, with two located Mid-Island near Strathcona Dam and in the Cumberland-Beauforts area.  The other two are located on the southern half of the Island, notably one between the Malahat and the Galloping Goose, as well as one running from Johnson Street Bridge along Victoria’s Inner Harbour to Mile Zero on Dallas Road.  Both of these proposed trails would become part of the Trans Canada Trail.

Blue – “dream” trails

• As it stands, we have several “dream” trails – those which we hope will connect to existing trails in the future.

Missing! – missing from this rough sketch are trails that will branch off the Spine Trail, such as the CRD Lochside Trail connection to the South Island ferrys at Swartz Bay, and a spur to the Nitinat Village.