Semaphore Lakes near Pemberton is a special place. It’s a short and easy hike to three gorgeous alpine lakes with incredible glacier views. And the logging road to get there is 2WD accessible (most of the time). I first hiked to Semaphore Lakes back in 2014. (In fact, an earlier version of this trail guide …
Backpacking
These days, Elfin Lakes in Garibaldi Provincial Park is the closest backcountry camping to my house in Squamish – it’s literally just up the street. But I’ve been going to Elfin Lakes for two decades – it was my first winter backpacking trip back in 2003! I’ve hiked the Elfin Lakes Trail more times than …
After a long winter, I’m usually in a rush for summer to start so I can go backpacking. But it can be frustrating since most trails are snow-covered well into June and July. However, if you know where to look, there are lots of places to go on spring backpacking trips in British Columbia. While …
It can be frustrating to be out for a hike in wet weather and have your jacket fail, which is called wetting out. But why do rain jackets wet out? And what can you do about it? I’ve been hiking and backpacking for two decades, mostly in the wet Pacific Northwest weather of British Columbia. …
Note: I’ve updated my Mount Assiniboine hiking guide to include updated info for 2024 including the new requirement for reservations at Porcupine Campground. With its prominent Matterhorn shape, Mount Assiniboine is one of the most photographed peaks in the Canadian Rockies. And that makes hiking to Mount Assiniboine one of the most spectacular backpacking trips …
Despite being a meticulous planner, sometimes I don’t end up making camping reservations as early as I should. And that means the dates I want are often sold out. Recently I’ve been testing out some camping cancellation apps, and have been pleasantly surprised with the results. If you haven’t heard, these camping reservation notifiers send …
The Skyline Trail is one of the most popular backpacking trips in Jasper National Park. And it’s easy to see why – it’s 44 km of spectacular mountain scenery including 25 km above the treeline. I hiked the trail over 3 days in late August and was amazed by its beauty. I’m a hiking guidebook …
If you’re like me, the first part of each year is all about planning where I’ll go backpacking in the summer. One of my favourite places to go backpacking is Washington state. And many of the most spectacular backpacking trips in Washington require reservations. So I’ve put together a complete list of the 2024 Washington …
The Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park has been on my list for a LONG time. I had seen photos online of a trail stretching for kilometres beside towering cliffs and I knew I had to hike it. This August, I spent 5 days on the Rockwall Trail and it was insanely beautiful – easily …
British Columbia has hundreds of options for gorgeous backpacking trips. Most are free or require a permit, but for a few special trips, you need to make reservations in advance. If you’re planning ahead of time, these are the BC backpacking reservation dates you need to know for 2024. The most spectacular trips are often …