Ever had one of those days where you head out with one destination in mind only to end up at another? Our original plan was a nice steady day hike to Garibaldi Lake, but the appearance of blue sky had us pondering alternatives. We hadn't been up to Wedgemount Lake in a couple of years … Continue reading Wedgemount Lake, 8 Oct 2011
Back in January we bought an annual pass for Grouse Mountain, and we figured it was about time we used it. We took one of the first gondolas up in the morning and set off for our favourite North Shore peak, Goat Mountain. We had a lovely clear sunny day and a great view of … Continue reading Goat Ridge, 24 Sep 2011
Not much to say about this hike other than that the Copelands are right: it's only worth doing on a rainy day when no other option presents itself. For me, though, there was handful of little things about the hike which I enjoyed. The first was seeing the larches as we gained elevation, the second … Continue reading Lake Agnes, 31 Aug 2011
Woohoo! A (guided) hike to the world-famous Burgess Shale! To say I was excited about this hike is an understatement :-) Given our 7.30 am meeting time, I was very glad to have got a campsite in the Takakkaw Falls campground last night. I felt that we were a little behind and when we turned … Continue reading Burgess Shale, 30 Aug 2011
Sunday: the Iceline The Iceline. A dramatic name for a trail if ever there was one. And one of the top backpacking trips in the Rockies, according to the ever-opinionated Copelands. We had originally planned to spend a few days in the Lake O'Hara region but with two months to go we found that it … Continue reading The Iceline, 28-29 Aug 2011
Saturday: what views! A free weekend, a fine weather forecast and the realization that there are some alpine areas that have shed their winter coat - finally! Five of us piled into our car for its first backcountry test. Well, not so much, the test was more about making sure we could fit 5 people … Continue reading The Flatiron, 13-14 Aug 2011
Maria was in Portland for the weekend, and I had a good day to get out on a hike. Company failed to materialize and so I was left scratching my head, wondering what hike I could safely do on my own. I opted for Elfin Lakes, as it's usually a busy trail, and after another … Continue reading Elfin Lakes, 9 Jul 2011
Our first trip with the new car :-) We picked up Andrew and his sister, Erica, before collecting Merewyn and speeding our way east along Highway 1 to Chilliwack. We turned off the highway, and wound our way up to the Elk trailhead. As we rounded one sharp corner, a couple of deer leaped over … Continue reading Elk Mountain, 26 Jun 2011
Another weekend, and another gentle hike. Blame all that snow at high elevations, and the crummy weather. So after last week's sunny excursion we opted for a hike in the trees under heavy clouds. Setting off, we paused briefly by Lynn Creek to watch a dipper feeding its youngster, before crossing the bridge and turning … Continue reading Lynn Headwaters, 11 Jun 2011
A gentle amble in the sunshine, with forest flowers for company. The park was much nicer than I had remembered, though that could have been the sunshine talking. Seeing all the fresh flowers was great: buttercup, lots of False Lily-of-the-Valley, piggy-back plant, fringecup. The horsetails were growing tall. I was doubly surprised by the forest … Continue reading Minnekhada Park, 5 Jun 2011
Being. Outdoors. 