Yearly Archives: 2008

Johnstone Strait 09/08/08

Kayak and Canoe, Multi-day

Sandra kayaking in the Johnstone Strait and Broughton archipelago:
“Our group of 8 headed out for a great 6-days on the water around both the Johnstone Strait south of Telegraph Cove and north through the Broughton Archipelago (as far north as Insect Island and Echo Bay). We got a little of everything… Half the time there was beautiful sunshine but we also had a day of rain. The winds picked up for sections of our days (including one “exciting” crossing with waves from both current/wind, and also from the wake of a cruise ship!) but we also had wonderfully calm days. Campsites ranged from amazing island set ups with wooden structure outlines ready for tarps & tree swings to simple clearings in the woods. We had lazy easy days and a couple long paddle days.

Highlights from the trip included seeing porpoises everyday, orcas half the days, visiting First Nation reserves/abandoned communities, campfires every night, amazing food, freezing dips in the ocean (did I mention the WARM campfires?!?!), navigation practice during early morning fogged-in paddles & hunting down camping areas amongst the islands and the distance we got from the crowds of Johnstone Strait. Good times on and off the water!

Joffre Lakes 09/08/08

Backpacking, Overnighter

Chris at Joffre Lakes:
“Somehow, I picked the worst weekend weather-wise this summer for an intro-to-overnighting hike. Even before we left on the drive up, our group of 10 had been whittled down to 6 – Colleen, Ivy, Jana, Peter, Roy and me. The skies looked ominous but when we reached the trailhead, the sun was trying to make an appearance. The trail was in good condition as we made our way steadily up. We had an extended break at the second lake where the ubiquitous Dean stumbled upon us. Just before the 3rd lake, the rain started and quickly turned to a drenching hail (dunno how that worked but it was hail and 2 minutes later I was soaked). For the rest of the trip, the weather oscillated between rain and almost rain. The worst of the rain was reserved for when we set up the tents. Before supper, some of us went up to the edge of the Matier Glacier and listened to it creaking slowly forward. The next day dawned wetly but we all enjoyed a couple side trips before returning to camp at lunchtime and packing up. The trail on the way down was distinctly wetter than before which slowed some of us down. The weather only started looking up again when we drove back into Vancouver. Monday is, of course, beautifully sunny. Figures.”

Mt Webb 03/08/08

Day hike

Ahmad on Mt Webb:
“We started our hike at Chilliwack Lake campsite at 9:40am. It was sunny and the lake was so inviting to get on Mount Webb’s top by its reflection on the lake but the seven of us chose the hard way. The new trailhead adds an extra 3.5 km to the old trail. When we got to the first bridge, we found a warning sign about its safety. The main structure seemed old but fine to me. We crossed it one person at a time. The other two bridges were slippery but solid. It took 3:30 hours to get to Radium Lake. We didn’t stay very long at the lake because of the countless mosquitoes. The route to the col doesn’t have many markers but it is fairly easy to follow. I found the col offers better camping spots than Radium Lake at this time of the year: less mosquitoes, better views and there is still a creek running nearby but that may not last long. Getting to the summit was easier than I expected. It was mostly hiking with a couple of scrambling spots. The trail is not marked so it could be confusing where the trail is especially on the way back so it is a good idea to take your time. The summit was amazing – one view better than the other. The whole trip took 10:50 hours.”

Buntzen Lake 03/08/08

Day hike

Stas at Buntzen Lake:
“7 of us made it to the trail, and had a nice stroll through the woods and a great swim in the lake. Lots of berries were found on the way, identified and enjoyed by the group. A wonderful day out.”

Coliseum Mtn 03/08/08

Day hike

Alice on Coliseum Mountain:
“We changed to go on Sunday instead because of the weather. Thank God for the perfect weather, clear gorgeous view surround and most of all, no injuries and we’re all safely back although some of us arrived very late. The trail is clear for the most part, only patches of snow still towards the top but not dangerous at all. Roots are slippery as it soaked in the snow for so long, I doubt if they’d ever dry under the forest but it’s manageable. A little bit a scrambling but not much and not hard. Nice to be hiking mostly under the shade and varied different terrain. It’s difficult and strenuous in some parts but it’s not as bad as I heard. But it’s definitely worth to wait for a clear sunny day to go except if you just want a good workout. It’s VERY long, 25 km! It was a great hike, recommended!”

Eagle Bluffs 03/08/08

Day hike

Su-Laine on Eagle Bluffs:
“It was a splendid day for this underrated hike. The route is, as others have described, very steep in places and the descent was more strenuous than going up. Wayfinding was straightforward with Paul’s directions and the latest version of the ‘103 Hikes’ book; the 1994 version doesn’t describe the lower part of the trail. The lower trail could be a good low-elevation short hike too, amongst beautiful old trees.”

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North Coast Trail 02/08/08

Backpacking, Multi-day

Sandra on the North Coast Trail:
“What an amazing week our group of 11 had on the 1-way 80 km trip through the newly opened North Coast trail and tried-and-true Cape Scott trail. We lucked out with only a few hours of light rain on 1 of our 7 days on the trail (4½ days on the NCT, 2½ days on Cape Scott, 2 travel days). There was lots of wildlife, with everything from bears and gray whales to a couple of porpoises playing around the front of our boat for 10 minutes during the water taxi ride on day 1 (and don’t get me started on the “whale-bear”).

Since we decided to hike the North Coast trail heading west, ending up on the Cape Scott trail, we did a 3 hour car shuffle at the end of day 0 to leave a couple vehicles in the Cape Scott parking lot (our end point). Our first day on the trail started with an hour-long water taxi ride from Port Hardy.

What was in store for us on the North Coast trail was apparent right away – straight off the rocks where the water taxi dropped us off, we had to haul ourselves up a steep embankment into the forest with the help of ropes. And – this was only the “moderate” section! The “very difficult” sections were great… ahh… for team building?!? Lots of muddy bluffs had to be scaled or descended with the use of ropes. The group did a fantastic job of yelling tips at people hanging from ropes on where to put their feet, passing backpacks along when sections were easier done as a pack-free scramble, hand-holding across sketchy sections, and of course taking pictures when people fell off the trail before helping them up (only after checking that it was just pride that was hurt, of course!).

I now have a new appreciation for the fact that a “minimal elevation gain” hike can be harder than summiting a peak! The NCT is a fantastic trail for anyone who wants to experience coastal hiking / loved the West Coast Trail, but wants a bit more challenge and no crowds. Kudos go to the folks that have punched this new trail through!!”

The ladies having a lunch break

Mt Strachan 02/08/08

Day hike

Pablo on Mt Strachan:
“Seven of us headed to Mount Strachan on Saturday, the forecast was cloudy with sunny breaks, don’t believe the forecast. We started from the back, there is still snow and were steep and slippery, and it started raining. We made it to the top of the North peak where we got a spectacular 360° view of the cloud. We had the chance to test our equipment and realized that the waterproofness of the allegedly waterproof gear is far from being waterproof, so I’m going back to my $2 plastic cover. When we came back to the city, just 10 km away, we founded lots of people enjoying the sun on the beach.”

Cape Scott 31/07/08

Backpacking, Multi-day

Carollyne at Cape Scott:
“Charlie, Curt, Lucy, Ribeka and I caught the 8:30 am ferry to Nanaimo for a rainy drive and dinner at The Scarlet Ibis in Holberg, before beginning the muddy trek to Eric Lake at 7:30 pm. It was hard to imagine what a `muddy trail’ meant before Cape Scott, but we were all glad we brought gaiters. Fortunately, Thursday night saw the last of the rain. Friday, we hiked out on the waterlogged, but lovely forest trail ­ giant spruce, stunted pines moss, ferns and the largest skunk cabbage I’ve ever seen – over boardwalks, bridges and mud to Nels Bight beach in bright sunshine, quickly throwing off our boots for a run into the ocean. Amy, another Wanderunger and a friend were there to greet us. That evening we sighted 3 grey whales blowing and fluking for several hours before having our first amazing 3-course dinner and sharing Amy’s campfire. We had heavy packs, but great food. Saturday, we day hiked to Experiment Bay, Guise Bay and the lighthouse, enjoying brilliant sunshine, stunning beaches, end of the earth views and interesting chats with the lighthouse keeper before another evening of whale sightings. Sunday, we were relieved to have a somewhat drier trail for the 18 km trek to San Josef Bay. While on the trail, the writer lept over a mudhole a little too recklessly, resulting in a full body and face plant in the mud with Curt at a full run in rescue. Luckily, a good laugh was the only consequence. Monday, some of us enjoyed San Josef Bay’s beaches, sea stacks and heat while others hiked to the cold chill and clouds of Mt. St. Patrick. Another starry sky, a great dinner and campfire filled our last night at Cape Scott. Everyone contributed cheer, great conversation and teamwork to make this a fantastic trip. Curt gets special thanks for helping get our packs on our backs and all the driving too. Sorry that Daniel was held up at work at the last minute so couldn’t make the trip.”

ExperimentBightLucy

Southern Chilcotins 29/07/08

Backpacking, Multi-day

Chris on Slim/Gun/Taseko in the Southern Chilcotins:
“Dean had to drop out so that left just Cara and I for a week in a quiet corner of the Southern Chilcotins. The Hurley road was in great condition earlier this year but is deteriorating – still drivable at speed but bumpy, pot-holey and washboardy. Slim Creek FSR was great until Jewel Bridge but only OK 2wd after that until the blocked bridge at 28.5km. An hour of walking took us to the end of the road and the start of the very wet trail (no way to keep your feet dry on this one). Soon we left the trail and spent the rest of the trip off-trail wandering the alpine or bushwhacking for days. Despite less-than-stellar weather (rain/hail/snow every alternate day), a scaled-back itinerary (20km of off-trail travel a day is insane) and a tent fly that was a sheet of ice on the last morning, we had an amazing time. No bears or wolves (there were plenty around given the number of prints we found) but we did have close encounters with a bull moose and a porcupine. We found 40 year old mineral claim posts and animal bones, gazed down on massive glaciers, glissaded snow slopes, forded icy streams, strolled meadows that extended forever and saw no-one (except the helicopter pilot who buzzed us one morning). Days of rain followed by a beautiful sunny day resulted in a hatch of mosquitoes of biblical proportions which turned our bushwhack back to the trail on the last day an epic of endurance. It’s a beautiful place and I’m already planning a trip (or 2) back.”