A “Freezing” February Sunrise — Mount Tolmie to Cadboro Bay
Let me be clear before the rest of Canada revokes my citizenship.
It was not actually cold.
It was Victoria cold.
Which means the temperature technically required a jacket and I dramatically considered gloves while the Prairies were probably measuring snowfall in metres and laughing at us.
But standing on Mount Tolmie at sunrise with a drone controller in your hands? That little coastal breeze suddenly feels personal.
I drove up early with a coffee, telling myself I grew up on the Prairies and therefore “know cold.”
Turns out, coastal living has softened me. Completely.
There’s a special kind of humility that comes from realizing teenage-you used to scrape frost off a windshield at -30, and present-day-you is grumbling at +4 because your fingers are chilly while flying a flying robot for fun.
That said — the sky showed up.
Mount Tolmie lit up in deep oranges over the Strait, light stretching toward the Gulf Islands, the city still half asleep below. That moment where you forget about your frozen fingers because the horizon is doing something ridiculous.
I’ve been coming up here since I was a teenager. Back then it was just a place to hang out, talk nonsense, and look at the lights. Now I come back with better coffee and more expensive hobbies.
Same view. Slightly more responsible human.
After grabbing a few shots up top (and regaining partial feeling in my hands), I drove down to Cadboro Bay — another place that’s been part of my orbit since my teens.
From the air, Cadboro in winter is calm and honest. Long reflections. Soft light over the water. Quiet neighbourhoods tucked along the shoreline. No drama. Just West Coast doing what it does.
There’s something about revisiting places you’ve known for decades and seeing them from a new angle. Same coast. Same memories. Different perspective.
Also — I need to learn to fly with gloves. That’s the takeaway here.
The Prairies version of me would be embarrassed by this entire paragraph. But February sunrises on Vancouver Island? Still worth “suffering” for.
And yes — before anyone asks — I survived.
Barely.
Related Blog Posts
A Drone, a Four-Year-Old, and a Lot of Curiosity
A real-world look at the DJI Neo 2 through the eyes of a four-year-old. No specs, no hype — just hand gestures, active tracking, bike rides, boardwalk runs, and a little drone that’s become part of everyday family life.
Flying a Drone in Victoria, BC: What You Should Know Before You Go
A practical, local-first guide to flying in Greater Victoria — from floatplanes and military traffic to early-morning timing and common-sense etiquette. Whether you’re flying a micro-drone or something larger, here’s what actually matters.
The DJI Drones & Accessories We Actually Recommend (and Why)
A curated list of the drones and gear we genuinely use — from the DJI Air 3S workhorse to the surprisingly capable Neo 2. No “top 10” nonsense, just tools that earn their place in real-world flying.
