We depend on boxes. Our home box, car box, work box, school box, our storage box, P.O. box, “oh you missed a box” and while you’re at it, take the pizza box out to the recycle box and put it next to our parking box.
Have you heard this before, ”Oh you’re living in a new house, how many square little boxes is it?” For me, square footage shouldn’t be the question nor metric in dictating anyones success but for some reason it is. Wouldn’t it be nice if the conversation would dovetail to questions about where you live, and why you live there? Is it close to nature? Does your monthly payment allow you to live with less stress, to enjoy your life? After all the only true currency we all share is time and health. If you live in Sooke you have some wonderful options to explore outside the box.
The Broomhill hike, about 2 to 2.5 hours round trip from the parking lot of the William Simmons Memorial Park. The parking lot is just off Otter Point at the Industrial Park entrance. From there, take the Wieland trail that runs parallel to the chain link fence and that will scoot you into the treeline. Immediately on crossing into the treeline there is a sense of adventure and excitement because of the striking contrast of the trail leading up. It’s beautiful and quiet in here but as your senses adjust you can hear the creeks trickle, it’s a bit darker in here but as you travel onwards and upward the sun breaks through, if it’s that sort of day.
The trail is well marked and well flagged, soon you will notice a sign post that says: Broomhill trail, Summit Loop and Butler Road. I take the Summit Loop.
This Broomhill ecosystem grows at leisurely pace, Mother Nature took her time rolling out the carpet of moss that stretches through these hills. The trail, in contrast looks like spilled coffee grounds, the sky opens and the trees are content here. There are some steep sections of the Broomhill hike but they don’t last for long. This time of year there are slippery roots so be careful to step over those.
There were a couple of boxes that I have hauled around with me from apartment to house and from house to house. They must have be pretty important to me even though I couldn’t tell you what was inside until I opened them up. Rick from Pawn Stars would have been considerably disappointed had I brought it to him first, these boxes were filled with seduction and ego. Old love letters, tapes of old radio shows, some gifts. My DNA which stands for design, nature and art was in a box, I threw it a way so I could unbridle my growth pattern.
What matters is to live wisely and have fun, as that famous quote goes, “at the end of the chess game the King and Pawn go into the same box.”
Ron Larson
The Outdoor Guy