The West Coast Trail is one of the best-known hiking trails in Canada. It covers 75km through some of the toughest and most beautiful terrain in British Columbia’s coastal rainforest. I first hiked the WCT 20 years ago. In fact, it was my first backpacking trip ever! I was SO unprepared! (But I still loved …
Canada
Getting to visit Lake O’Hara in Canada’s Yoho National Park is likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. (Mostly because reservations are SO hard to get!) And you definitely want to make sure you have the right gear on your once-in-a-lifetime trip so you can stay warm, dry and happy. I’ve been to Lake O’Hara twice: One more …
If you hike in Vancouver, chances are you’ve done the Grouse Grind or at least heard of it. It’s a super steep hike up to the top of Grouse Mountain. It’s considered a bit of a local bucket list hike or a fitness challenge. And it’s so popular that hikers are now tackling a bunch …
If you want an introduction to outdoor activities in Vancouver, pick up a copy of Active Vancouver by Roy Jantzen. It’s got local recommendations for hiking, trail running, paddling, snowshoeing, cycling and more. Each adventure has a really cool “Eco-Insight” section with fun info about some of the plants, animals, climate or geology you’ll see. …
No car? No problem! There are actually lots of hikes in Vancouver that you can get to on transit. In fact, some trails are actually better on transit since parking can be a problem. There are even a few hikes that are best done as a one-way trip, which is much easier to do when …
It might be cliche, but everyone loves to defy TLC and “go chasin’ waterfalls”. I think waterfall hikes are some of the best because they are still beautiful in the rain and snow, so you can hike to them all year. There are a few well known waterfalls near Vancouver you can hike to (ahem …
I’ve done a fair amount of backpacking, but I had some trouble deciding what to pack for my trip on the Berg Lake Trail in early September. The trail is at a high elevation in the Canadian Rockies, so I knew the weather would potentially be colder and wilder than I am used to. As …
Let me just start out by saying that any hike that gets you outside into nature is a good hike. But the reality is that most of us don’t have infinite time to spend hiking. So when we go outside, we want to hike a trail that doesn’t suck. I’ve hiked a LOT of trails …
Vancouver is blessed with tons of gorgeous trails a short drive from downtown. There are a lot of articles online claiming to list the best hikes in Vancouver or the top 10 hikes near Vancouver. I’ve looked at them all and realized that often… I just don’t agree with all of their picks. I’ve lived …
On the Canada Day long weekend I headed to Summerland in British Columbia’s Okanagan region to combine two things that the area is known for: wineries and biking. It’s a great way to spend a summer afternoon. You work up a bit of a sweat biking uphill, cool off in the shade at a winery …