GPS Coordinates Waterflow Xing: N48°25.870', W123°42.162', 199 m Today I hiked 9km roundtrip from Sooke River Road (at Sooke Potholes) up to Peden Lake and return on the Harrison Trail. The operative word here is: UP. It's a 300m (1060ft.) gain up and over the ridge before dropping down to Peden Lake. Dustin guided us along the rough trail. It was Dustin's fourth hike into this remote lake. Thanks to Dustin for asking me to join him; he's 21-years-old and I'm 73-year-old so he's to be commended for his patience. He said it takes him 45-minutes inbound to the lake but it took me that plus an hour. We were about the same coming back out but we did take a circuitous route alongside the Other Peden Lake (yes, folks: there's two lakes). Other than the lake itself, the most redeeming feature of this journey is the cabin located overlooking Peden Lake. Most visitors to the site respect the integrity of the cabin but have raised havoc but chopping down many lakeside trees. some trees appear to have been felled for firewood but others have just been felled into the lake for no apparent reason. Vandalism, perhaps? It never ceases to amaze me the amount of enegy some people will invest in destroying whatever seems to be at hand. Idiots! Peden Lake(s) are a beautiful spot and wellworth the effort getting there -- and back. There's a fibreglass canoe at the cabin for anyone's use but I don't recall seeing any paddles for it. Perhaps someone burned them for firewood? Yes, I shall return. Perhaps next time I'll make this hike later in the season instead of my first hike-of-the-season as was case this day. A thousand feet up for 90-minutes is a bit of a grind for at least one old codger :-) If that isn't enough excitement for one day, we preceded it by attending the official opening ceremonies of the Capital Regional District's (CRD) Charters Creek Water treatment Facility. This is the culmination of several year's work -- which included laying the underground pipe beneath the Galloping Goose Trail -- to get good, treated, water from Sooke Lake to the residents of Sooke and beyond at a cost of $20M dollars. Nils Jensen, the chairman of CRD Water, hosted the event and Sooke's mayor spoke as well and a fantastic spread of food was provided for the approximately 20 persons in attendance. My old friend and work-associate, John Andrews, was there and I took this opertunity to introduce him to Dustin. John is probably the most-knowledgeable and most-prolific hiker/cyclist of all things relating to the modern-day, Sooke Hills. Anything anyone wants to know about any hill, lake of trail in Sooke, just ask John. He's binderdundat and probably even built the trail! <b<Again, special thanks to Dustin for guiding me on a hike I've been wanting to do for two-years.

3/12/09 - I mean seriously.... PHYSICS IS BORRING!!!! D: Auto is cool. Hurray for oil systems. Harrison's class is cool as hell! Did her test and her timed essay today. It was pretty easy. Then I wasn't able to go to the tennis game. I didn't go to yesterday's practice, so yah know... There were activities today for togetherness week. Water balloon toss and such. I had a pretty good talk with Haley today. It made me realize what I truly have. I really dont want that view to be distorted. Im really glad I can talk to her. She made me feel so much better when I was down. Im glad that we can talk to each other. Now edmond is really pissing me off. He asked me for help, and I gave him the answers. But what happens? He just takes those answers, throws them back at me, and says that they were worthless, and looked for his own. He asked me for help on something that I already did before, that he knows nothing about. -.- Soo damn frustrating. GRAHH!kjclakwnd. then he throws this whole 'I cant trust friends for help' crap'. im sorry... that really grinds my gears. GAGRHADb! Whatever,,,, Guess The Song! The color of your skin don't matter to me As long as we can live in harmony Why can't we be friends Why can't we be friends Why can't we be friends Why can't we be friends