.Joshua Tree, California is a pretty unique place. Located in the desert between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, it’s famous for gorgeous scenery, hiking, camping, and an eclectic arts scene. So it should be no surprise that you can find places to stay near Joshua Tree that incorporate each of those things (and sometimes a …
Camping
While Vancouver is a beautiful city with lots to offer, sometimes you just want to get out of town. Living here my whole life, I’ve been on more weekend getaways from Vancouver than I can count. I’ve put together a great list of over 20 weekend trips you can do from Vancouver. There’s something for …
A few years ago, I FINALLY made it to Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park. It’s such a gorgeous area that I actually struggle to describe it. Of course, there’s a brilliant blue-green alpine lake, with towering mountains reflected in its still waters. But there is also a truly fantastic trail system that leads away …
In June, I spent a week in Yellowstone National Park. OMG, what an incredible place! I did a bunch of research about what to see before I went, but what I forgot to do was figure out what to bring. Yellowstone presents some unique challenges for visitors. It is located in the Rocky Mountains and …
If you’re looking to explore some of Olympic National Park’s rugged coastline, I recommend hiking to Toleak Point from Third Beach. It’s a moderately challenging trail that travels along beaches and across steep headlands. The area around Toleak Point is dotted with dozens of offshore islands and sea stacks, making it really picturesque. Plus there …
As a Leave No Trace trainer, I’m pretty passionate about teaching people the importance of keeping the wilderness wild and minimizing our impact. While I’m pretty well-versed in the theory behind leaving no trace while hiking with a dog, I don’t own a dog. So I didn’t feel qualified to write a post about how …
If you head into the wilderness I’m sure you know to that if you pack it in, you should pack it out. But what else do you need to know to protect nature (and avoid being an a-hole)? Learn how to Leave No Trace when hiking and camping to keep the wilderness wild. What is …
You don’t have to go far in BC to really get out into the wilds and off the grid. One of my favourites is a road trip on the Pacific Marine Circle Route on Southern Vancouver Island. This road trip starts and ends in Victoria, one of BC’s biggest cities, but most of the route …
Recently I wrote a post called “You Killed A Bear” that ended up getting way more online attention than I had anticipated. My message in that post was that less experienced hikers should read up about bear safety before they head out for a hike or go backcountry camping. Lots of people asked questions about …
So you want to go winter camping… but you’re not sure how to stay warm, what gear you’ll need or how to pitch camp in the snow. No worries: I’ve got you covered in this guide to winter camping for beginners. Winter camping can be pretty daunting but it can be lots of fun. If …