Destinations
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Trekking to Annapurna Base Camp
In early September of 2016, I went to Nepal to go trekking to Annapurna Base Camp with my husband and two friends. Here’s the story (and tons of photos) from my ten-day trek. Our guide Chandra, of Pokhara-based Friendly Trekkers Adventures, put together an itinerary for us that had us…
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Hike to Crooked Falls in Squamish
When you think of waterfalls in Squamish, you think of Shannon Falls or maybe Brandywine Falls. Those are both amazingly tall waterfalls with easy tourist-in-flipflops-friendly walks to a viewing platform, overflowing parking lots and tons of people with selfie sticks.. But what if I told you there were other awesome…
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Backpacking Manzanita Bluff and Rievely’s Pond on the Sunshine Coast Trail
Over the Easter long weekend I spent three days backpacking a section of the Sunshine Coast Trail with a group of friends. We hiked from Manzanita Bluff to Rievely’s Pond, then finished near Powell River. Never heard of the Sunshine Coast Trail? The whole trail is 180 kilometers long and…
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Hiking the Big Tree Trail on Meares Island
The Big Tree Trail is just 10 minutes by water taxi from the small town of Tofino, but it’s a world away. While most of the rainforest near Tofino in Pacific Rim National Park is second growth, on the Big Tree Trail on nearby Meares Island you can find spectacular…
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Four Outdoor Adventures on Galiano Island
A couple years ago my sister moved to Galiano Island, one of the Gulf Islands that lie between Vancouver Island and the mainland. The Gulf Islands are a short ferry ride away but have a totally different climate zone (think warmer and drier) than Vancouver thanks to the rain shadow…
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Photo Essay: Garibaldi Lake in Early Winter
For the past two years I’ve hiked to Garibaldi Lake in late November. It’s become a fun tradition. It’s a great time of year to go since it’s a winter wonderland at the lake but the trail on the way up is not so snowy that you have to break…
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Sunshine on the Edge of the World: Nootka Trail Trip Report
Ever since we did the West Coast Trail in 2004, my husband Greg and I had wanted to hike the Nootka Trail as it was rumoured to be like the West Coast Trail “used to be”: no permits, no boardwalks, no crowds. If you aren’t familiar, the Nootka trail is…
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Yosemite’s Mist Trail: The World’s Best Day Hike
Recently I took a quick trip to Yosemite National Park with my husband and a couple of friends. The highlight of the trip was hiking the Mist Trail which I have to say is the World’s Best Day Hike. Ok, I haven’t hiked everywhere in the world (yet!) but I…
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The East Bank Trail for Easter
On Easter weekend we headed to the East Bank trail on Ross Lake in North Cascades National Park in Washington. Apparently Good Friday isn’t a statutory holiday in America so we hoped it wouldn’t be crowded. (Spoiler alert: it wasn’t!) Our group of seven hikers drove down in a convoy…
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Coastal Hiking in Vancouver
It’s likely you’ve heard of the West Coast Trail – a multi-day trek on the West Coast of Vancouver Island that weaves its way along 75 kilometres of towering rainforests, slick sandstone shelfs, and pebbled beaches, with numerous ladders and boardwalks. Coastal hiking is something that BC is known for, but…
