Thetis Lake Regional Park

Thetis Lake Regional Park is about a twenty minute drive west of Victoria on the very edge of the greater Victoria urban area near Langford. I posted a few photos of the beach area about 18 months ago but I didn't spend any time in the surrounding forest park during that visit. I regret that omission now since yesterday I had the pleasure of exploring this wonderland a little. There is a wealth of trails around the lakes (there are two - Upper Thetis and Lower Thetis) and several ecological zones, ranging from lush, rainforesty swamp to drier, sparser Garry Oak meadows. But at this time of year the overall element is water. Even though it wasn't raining during my visit, there was water dripping off most of the leaves and mosses and squelchy pathways underfoot. It's a fabulously rich environment. I was reminded again that one doesn't need to go to the bottom of the oceans or exotic tropic lands to stumble upon extraordinary and unique sights. I'll be happy to share some of what I encountered there over the next few days.