I’ve spent a lot of time on British Columbia’s coast… but not a lot of time actually on the water. You could say I’m more of a terrestrial mammal. But a few summers ago I wanted to see what I had been missing so I went on a kayaking trip in the Johnstone Strait and …
Trail Guides
If you want to get off-the-beaten-path in Whistler, try hiking to Parkhurst Ghost Town. This former logging settlement on the shores of Green Lake is littered with historical artefacts including collapsed buildings, abandoned cars, old stoves, and even an intact cabin. The town has been uninhabited since the 1960s and is slowly being reclaimed by …
Cape Scott Provincial Park is at the very northern tip of Vancouver Island. It’s a remote but beautiful place: old-growth rainforest, coastal bog, gorgeous white sand beaches, and lots of historical sites. It’s a 23.6km hike from the trailhead to the lighthouse at Cape Scott, so most visitors do it as a backpacking trip, staying …
I grew up in Vancouver and now I live in Squamish, so I’ve been to Whistler more times than I can count. Since I’m not a skier, hiking in Whistler is my favourite thing to do when I visit. I’ve hiked most of the trails near Whistler and put together a list of the best …
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I love Tasmania’s wilderness. I spent 6 days exploring it on the Overland Track on my first visit in 2019, so when I returned to Tasmania in 2020, I pretty much went right from the airport directly to Walls of Jerusalem National Park to go backpacking. Unlike …
The hike to the Big Cedar and Kennedy Falls in North Vancouver is one of my favourite local hikes. Since it’s at a fairly low elevation, it’s a great hike almost all year since it doesn’t get much snow. And it’s entirely in the trees, making it a great hike for a rainy or cloudy …
Organizing transportation to the West Coast Trail can be one of the most complicated parts of the hike. There are a few different options for getting to the start and getting back from the finish, and it can be hard to figure out which one makes the most sense for you. I have also talked …
The West Coast Trail is a wilderness experience: each night you’ll pitch your tent on a remote beach and listen to the waves crash as you fall asleep. I’ve hiked the West Coast Trail twice and visited all of the campgrounds. And I can tell you… some of them are definitely nicer than others. (And …
Packing for the West Coast Trail can be a little bit confusing. Your pack needs to be light, but it also needs to contain everything you need, including lots of food and waterproof gear. The first time I hiked the West Coast Trail in 2004 I was really inexperienced and used mostly borrowed gear. My …
Due to the way the campgrounds are spaced out, and the placement of the difficult trail sections, most people use a 6 or 7 day West Coast Trail itinerary. When I first hiked the trail in 2004, we just winged it. But when I was planning my 2019 trip I worked out tons of options. …