Marmot Ponds to Tyaughton Creek trailhead: 13.5 km, +200 m, -930 m, 5h I thought I would drift off to a blissful sleep as soon as I put my head down, but instead I laid awake for far longer than I felt I should have. Was it too quiet? Surely after a week in the … Continue reading Paradise Creek Day 7, 4 Jul 2020
Upper Paradise Creek to Marmot Ponds: 6.5 km, +385 m, -330 m, 2h 45m As expected, it was a cold night but I slept well, perhaps due to the accumulation of sleep deficits over the past few nights. I peeked out of the tent just before 4:30 am to see clear skies with only a … Continue reading Paradise Creek Day 6, 3 Jul 2020
Little Paradise Creek via Relay Col: 13.5 km, +835 m, -835 m, 8h After the excitement of last night's sounds I didn't sleep as well as I had hoped. We stirred a few minutes before 7 am as Brenda walked by and we unzipped the tent to be greeted by the sight of glorious blue … Continue reading Paradise Creek Day 5, 2 Jul 2020
From the tent to the tarp and back again, many times - who knows how far? The rain returned in the night but this time it wasn't bothering me and we enjoyed a relaxed, comfortable night. We peered out of the tent around 7 am between rain showers and could see fresh snow dusting the … Continue reading Paradise Creek Day 4, 1 Jul 2020
Paradise Creek Headwaters circuit via Grizzly Pass: 10.5 km, +615 m, -615 m, 7h I came round about 1:30 am with the expectation of seeing moonlight on the tent only to be greeted by darkness: the clouds had rolled in once again. When I peeked out of the tent around 4 am as the dark … Continue reading Paradise Creek Day 3, 30 Jun 2020
Marmot Ponds to Upper Paradise Creek: 6.5 km, +330 m, -385 m, 4h 30m As I shifted from one side to the other around first light, the gentle song of hermit thrushes drifted into my ears. I peeked out of the tent and could see the beginnings of alpenglow on the distant peaks, the sky … Continue reading Paradise Creek Day 2, 29 Jun 2020
Tyaughton Creek trailhead to Marmot Ponds: 13.5 km, +930 m, -200 m, 6h 30 m I must have drifted off again after my overnight awakenings as the next thing I knew my alarm went off at 6 am. The next sound to greet my ears was the rain still falling on the tent, so we … Continue reading Paradise Creek Day 1, 28 Jun 2020
The time had come: one last check of our lists confirmed that we had everything we needed for our seven-day backpacking trip in the South Chilcotins, which meant we were as ready as we were going to be! We had been looking forward to returning as soon as our 2018 visit had ended, and this … Continue reading Paradise Creek – Getting There, 27 Jun 2020
Opinion: What, Hollyburn again? What can I say? It's a nice little hike, not too long and not too tough, and easy to keep your distance from potential disease carriers. Parking is terrible unless you go early or late: there have been long line-ups to get up to the ski resort on recent fine days. … Continue reading Hollyburn Mountain, 24 Dec 2020
Opinion: While the direct (and quite steep) approach isn't as much as fun as the old trail (from over a decade ago now - am I stuck in the past or what?) the loop around the plateau is simply delightful in fresh snow. Easy snowshoeing and simple fun even without any views. Fact Of course, the downhill … Continue reading Black Mountain, 13 Dec 2020
Being. Outdoors. 