Inspired by a blog post on The Hiking Life I found myself sifting through the list of hikes from the past decade and pondering which would make my own top ten. In that time, we have been on about 370 hikes to around 230 different destinations. It sounds like a big task to whittle 230 … Continue reading Top 10 of the ’10s
Opinion An excellent scenic hike with great (albeit distant) views of familiar peaks that requires relatively little effort – except when breaking trail in fresh snow. The downside is that it's expensive. Still, it's well worth doing as part of a summer of hiking the Whistler and Blackcomb trails to make full use of a … Continue reading Decker Tarn, 28 Sep 2019
It's that time of year again where we look back at the trips we enjoyed over the past 12 months. We had a pretty good year, setting a couple of records that will be hard to beat: finding glacier lilies on 7 hikes, and getting out hiking every weekend between the beginning of June and … Continue reading 2019 in review
Opinion A stunning area of endless views and superb ridge walking, this area is simply sublime hiking terrain. And remarkably easy to reach, provided the road is open. July is a great time to visit with all the wildflowers in bloom, but I imagine autumn is at least as good. Fact Canyon Creek Road was … Continue reading Excelsior Pass, 20-21 Jul 2019
Opinion Long but not difficult, Elfin Lakes is a much better hike in the winter since the tedious rocks and gravel are covered, plus it's a superb way to get some alpine sunshine and epic views on those shorter days. Fact The road to the parking lot had quite a few potholes but none were … Continue reading Elfin Lakes, 9 Dec 2019
For the third (and probably final) instalment of my reflections on 2019's adventures I thought I'd mention my favourite wildlife sighting of the year. Unlike the hundreds (and maybe thousands) of flowers admired over the past 12 months, our wildlife sightings have been much rarer. (Provided the mosquito encounters are excluded...!) While we had nothing … Continue reading Reflecting on 2019: an encounter with wildlife
Opinion A great little hike when you're short of time, Hollyburn remains one of my favourite hikes with a well-graded ascent, a decent trail (by North Shore standards), and some great views. The main downside is the incessant and ravenous flock of Canada jays that will barely leave you alone. Thanks for nothing all of … Continue reading Hollyburn Peak, 2 Nov 2019
To relive a moment A different take on our year's hiking, rather than a straight factual summary I wanted to write about a few different kinds of highlights. The first was a question I posed to myself one evening. If I could return to any moment during the year, which would I choose? I thought … Continue reading Reflecting on 2019: to relive a moment
Opinion A long but rewarding hike on a great trail, with the added benefit of being so much quieter in the winter. Not my favourite style of hike as all the payoff is at the end, but it's such an easy trail to hike that I don't mind as much, plus I know it well … Continue reading Garibaldi Lake, 30 Nov 2019
Opinion While not worth the price of admission to Grouse on its own, Thunderbird Ridge is a superb destination with a great viewpoint at the end of the ridge. Buy an annual pass, and then hike all of the Grouse peaks over the summer, especially this one which can be combined with Dam and Little … Continue reading Thunderbird Ridge, 10 Nov 2019
Being. Outdoors. 