Survival

I’ve been to Gros Morne National Park three times, and I know I’ll be making another trip someday. When you think of Newfoundland, people picture St. John’s. But while I appreciate the charm of that city’s brightly painted buildings, the rugged and verdant landscapes of Gros Morne have my heart. I planned my first visit …

With a population of about 30,000, Corner Brook is the largest city in Western Newfoundland and the second largest city in the province. It’s an important regional centre, but before I visited, I didn’t really think of it as a tourist destination. To the people of Corner Brook… I apologize. I was wrong. In a …

Whistler might be best known for skiing, but it has great snowshoeing too. (And it’s waaaay less expensive than skiing!) In this guide to snowshoeing in Whistler I’ll give you info and directions for 10 different trails ranging from super-flat beginner trails to all-day epics treks in the backcountry. This guide covers every trail in …

In Vancouver, we don’t stop hiking in the winter… we just switch to snowshoes. In this guide to Vancouver snowshoeing, you’ll get info and directions for 10 different snowshoe trails ranging from super-flat beginner trails to epic treks to mountain summits. They are easy to follow with winter markings and most are accessible by bus. …

I’ve been to the Gros Morne area of Newfoundland three times: in June, August, and most recently, in late September and early October. Before my fall visit, it hadn’t occurred to me to visit at that time of year. I was missing out! Fall in Western Newfoundland is gorgeous. Unlike many other areas of Newfoundland, …

Snowshoeing is a fun and easy winter sport. All you need to get started are some snowshoes and some warm clothing. But one of the questions I get asked all the time is: What are the best boots for snowshoeing? What type of boots should you buy? Which features should snowshoeing boots have? What brands …

Ever since I discovered backpacking nearly 20 years ago, it’s been my favourite outdoor activity. Some of my most memorable backpacking trips have been close to home in British Columbia. So I put together a list of the best backpacking trips in BC. I’ve done all of these trips, some of them multiple times. I’ve …

I live in Squamish, so I hike in the Sea to Sky area a lot. And one of my favourite trails is Russet Lake in Garibaldi Provincial Park near Whistler. There are three different routes to get there (two of which are gorgeous), and you can camp or stay in a pretty luxurious backcountry hut …

The Fraser River is the lifeblood of BC, slicing through the heart of the province. But the best part is the Fraser Canyon, along Highway 1 between Hope and Lytton. This sparsely populated section has churning rapids, high cliffs, and towering peaks. For decades, the Fraser Canyon was the main travel corridor through BC for …

Backcountry huts give hikers, climbers, and skiers a warm and dry place to sleep, eat, and chill out between adventures. Thankfully there are dozens of backcountry huts in British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies. In this post, I’ve got basic info for over 80 backcountry cabins in BC and Alberta. The listing for each hut …