Sunday, November 13, 2011

Mt. Strachan, South Peak

Richard had wanted to do Strachan for some time so it was decided that we'd finally tackle one, maybe two peaks. The day started out with decent weather. Some cloud with routine sunny breaks. This would change later in our hike, but at the start, it felt like a great day for a hike.

From 2011-11-13 - Mt. Strachan South


Friday, November 4, 2011

Goat Mountain via Grouse Grind

Goat mountain was a really fun hike. Richard and I woke up early one morning to tackle the Grouse Grind, rest a bit at the Chalet and then take on Goat Mountain. We arrived at the base of Grouse a little before 7am and it was still dark out. We had a head lamp so instead of waiting for the first morning light to penetrate the canopy, we just started grinding. I felt really winded for the first 15 minutes or so. I couldn't explain it. Each step seemed like it was the hardest thing for me to do. Luckily, that feel subsided and we were on our way to the top, excited to get past the snow makers and get to Goat.

From 2011-11-04 - Goat Mountain

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Eagle Bluff, Cypress Provincial Park

I can honestly say that this highly accessible and relatively easy hike has the best view from any hike I've ever done. This was only the 2nd time I had been out hiking since my return from Manitoba where I lost my summer. We were experiencing a lot of rain and fog so when the forecast said "Sun, no clouds!", Richard, Lindsey and I headed out early in the morning so Lindsey could be at work on time later that afternoon. There was no way we were going to miss the first nice day in weeks.

From 2011-10-25 - Eagle Bluff, Cypress Provincial Park

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Hollyburn Mountain on a Foggy Day

It was a cloudy morning in October when Richard and I headed out on what was my first hike since coming home from working out of province in Manitoba. It was such a nice familiar feeling on the highway, navigating towards the north shore mountains. Even though it was cloudy and I knew there would be no spectacular views to behold, I was excited to reconnect with the BC outdoors. When we arrived at the parking lot at the base of the trail, the sun actually started to burn off the thick cloud cover and blue sky was peeking through. Good start! We started off and it wasn't before too long the trail turned into a meandering stroll worthy meadow. The fall fauna was vibrant and enchanting as we made our way upwards.

From 2011-10-20 - Hollyburn Mountain, Cloudy Day

Friday, April 22, 2011

The 3 Peaks of the Stawamus Chief

Doing all three peaks of The Chief is absolutely worth the sore legs that will be waiting for you the very next day. The Chief is one of those quintessential hikes that are dotted in and around the great Vancouver area. Most people do just the first or second peaks, but trust me: you will get a tremendous sense of accomplishment by completing all three; and the views: tremendous.

From 2011-04-22 - Stawamus Chief

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

MEC Long Sleeved Midweight Crew Baselayer: The Art of Staying Warm

I run cold. I always have. While other people are comfortable and relaxed, I'm huddled into a shivering ball trying to keep warm. This is how it's always been and I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to let cold, tense nights ruin an otherwise perfectly good sleepover in the woods. Little did I know, this would be one of the purchases I would be most happy about.

MEC Long-Sleeved Mid-Weight Crew Base layer

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Hike to and Camp on Mt. Gardner.

After a few weeks of planning and preparation with my buddy Richard, we finally hit Bowen Island to hike Mt. Gardner with our girlfriends. The original plan was to hike the mountain in the morning and return to the base by the evening and setup camp by Killarny Lake. Plans changed once we saw how little privacy the lake offered due to its proximity to roads and houses. Not knowing exactly where we were going to sleep that night, we put it from our minds and headed up a service road that was the beginning of a great hike up Mt. Gardner.

From 2011-03-31 - Mt Gardner, Bowen Island, BC

Sunday, March 20, 2011

What's got two thumbs and a new tent?

This guy!

Still grinning from my factory sale find! North Face was having a factory sale and I've chosen the North Face Rock 22 as my tent of choice for backpacking. As luck would have it, I got the last one! All the merchandise at this factory sale was discounted by 50%. My $220 tent cost me only $110. Brand new!

The reviews for this particular tent were mostly quite positive. There are a few negative reviews, but as with most things, this is normal. I weighed the perceived pros and cons and I feel I've made a good choice.


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Canada Urged to Protect Water in Boreal Forests

I just finished reading an interesting article in the Vancouver Sun describing how Canada's federal, provincial and aboriginal leaders are being urged to step up protection of the boreal forest, which a new report describes as the world's largest store of freshwater.


Read the full article here.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Sickness

I've been sick with Bronchitis for the past few days, but it's given me plenty of time to surf the Internet drooling over gear that I will eventually be stocking up on. I'll be doing a GIWAWIWI review on a pack and sleeping bag soon enough. For now, behold! My first camping adventure of the season will be in two weeks from now.

Camping on bowen island!


View Mt. Gardner in a larger map


We are planning for either the March 25th & 26th or April 1st & 2nd, whichever weekend has the most promising weather. We will be hiking Mount Gardner and then camping somewhere on Lake Killarney (Crippen Regional Park). I'll have a write up on the trek and will most certainly have GIWAWIWI updates in the coming days.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Snowshoeing Mt. Seymour, PT 1: Pump Peak

Sunday, March 6 was a gorgeous day as forecasted and I had only been snowshoeing once this season. I called up my sister, her boyfriend and my friend Richard to see if we could organize a last minute snowshoe adventure to the top of Mount Seymour's first peak, "Pump Peak". It took very little convincing before we were on our way to the rental section at MEC in North Vancouver. Equipped with snowshoes and Cliff bars, we headed for Mount Seymour to ascend some peak!

From 2011-03-06 - Mt. Seymour 1: Snowshoe to Pump Peak

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

GIWAWIWI: Westcomb Cruiser LT Hoody

Please consider this the very first edition of "Gear I Want and Why I Want It" or, "GIWAWIWI" for short. As I feel GIWAWIWI doesn't require any further explanation, I may as well jump right into it.

This is the Westcomb Cruiser LT Hoody and I want it.


From Gear I Want and Why I Want It

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Snowshoeing Dog Mountain

We had been meaning to check out Dog Mountain for some time but the weather just wouldn't cooperate. When the sun was shining and the air was clear, we rented some snowshoes from Mountain Equipment Coop and made our way up Seymour Mountain. It had to be one of the clearest days I had seen in a while. The edges of the mountains were so distinct and visible from Vancouver I couldn't wait to see the view Dog Mountain had waiting for us.

No one in the group had gone snowshoeing before. Just as soon as we were all equipped in our boots, I got a stranger to take our photo. The adventure had begun!

From 2011-02-18 - Snowshoe to Dog Mountain

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Oh yeah, an update: Lynn Peak!

So a couple of weeks ago, Richard and I did a hike up to Lynn Peak. It was a pretty tough hike. It wasn't so much the vertical as it was the loose rock which made it challenging. The other thing we noticed were the fake peaks. Every so often we'd see blue sky peaking through the trees and we'd think "hey, here it is! We made it!". But no, it was just a clearing on our way to the top.

We did finally make it to the peak, but it was so foggy we couldn't see anything but a white misty glaze. It was really disappointing. We'll return one day when the weather is nicer.

The first 100m or so down as a little sketchy. We didn't have any grips for our boots and we were above the snow line so it was a tricky as the snow was polished and slippery. Several times we had to slide down on our backsides to avoid slipping and butting heads with a rock.

A much nicer (and quieter) hike than the BCMC or Grouse Grind. Can't wait to see that view in the summer. Next time, I'll post with pictures!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Lighthouse Park, West Vancouver, BC

It's the slacker in me. I can't believe I haven't uploaded pictures to this blog in such a long time. Well, I'm finally buckling down and doing it.

A few weeks ago, my girlfriend Lindsey, my friend Richard and I decided to do a nice leisurely hike. We chose lighthouse park because it was supposed to be fairly easy. When we arrived and started our hike, we almost immediately decided to go off the beaten track. We knew it was the right decision when we first found the rocks on the shore of the Burrard Inlet. It was a beautiful day, the scenery couldn't be better so it was bouldering time for the rest of our day. So much for the easy, leisurely hike :)

From 2011-02-05 - Lighthouse Park

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Cleveland Dam, Capilano Lake, North Vancouver, BC - Feb 02, 2011

Richard and I hiked along the Capilano Canyon to the Cleveland Dam. It was a fairly uneventful and only one truly beautiful lookout (which photos are unavailable because I botched the shots, sorry!). I did manage to get shots of the view from the top of the dam, however. Behold, the only picture - A panorama stitched from 3 separate photographs:
From 2011-02-02 - Cleveland Dam

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Gold Creek Falls, Golden Ears Provincial Park, Jan 23, 2011

Not knowing how long it would take to get to the park and with the Lower Mainland's unpredictable traffic, we left Vancouver for Golden Ears Provincial Park at about 10am to hike the Gold Creek Falls trail. It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would and before we knew it, we were passing the parking lot access for Alouette Lake. We had to make a couple of stops at information boards to find the right lot, but what felt like no time, we were parked and making our way to the trail head.
From Gold Creek Falls


Thursday, January 27, 2011

Eagle Bluff Trail, Jan 22, 2011

Our original goal was to explore the west side trails at Buntzen lake. Unfortunately, we left home a little too late to make it a worth while venture. Instead, we chose to hike the Eagle Bluff Trail. It runs east along the lake to an elevation of about 360m. A beautiful view of Buntzen Lake, I assume, when the weather is clear and sunny. However, we trekked on a day that was rather foggy and dismal so much of our view was obstructed.

The trail is mostly wooded without much in the way of lookout points. We did discover a beautiful little creek just east of it's crossing. We sat here for a few moments enjoying the sounds and the fresh air.
From 2011-01-22 - Buntzen Lake, Eagle Bluff Trail


The Bad News

Wouldn't you know it. I scored an info session (which generally leads to an interview) with CPRail on the 25th of January. As luck would have it, for whatever reason, I started being violently ill in the wee hours of the the 25th. Worst case scenario. I vomited several times .. toilet, bathroom sink, shower, bed. Yip, it was awful. Around 8am, after a sleepness night, the nausea subsided and I drove the the info session that started at 8am. I pleaded with the folks to let me in as I told them my horrible sob story. Unfortunately, they have strict hiring practices and told me I was disqualified because I was late... no matter the reasons. BLAST!

Unbelievable. I can't honestly remember the last time I was so sick. I must have been a little kid. Luck is a funny thing sometimes. Looks like I'm going to have to pack even more BC into my life before I leave to run trains in somewhere without mountains. :(

By the way, I'm applying to work at Mountain Equipment Co-Op. I can't imagine a better place to learn about outdoorsy things and meet outdoorsy people.

Until next time, Internet.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Jug Island Beach Trail, Jan 17, 2011

Hastily planned, my friend Richard and I headed out via public transit to check out Jug Island Beach and the trail that leads there. After losing over an hour with meeting place mix ups and then taking the wrong bus, we finally reached the picnic grounds for Belcarra Provincial Park. It was a mild day for mid January and the sun was intense, low on the horizon casting long shadows.

We found the trail and started our hike. Most of the trail is in fairly ordinary forest with few spots stroking the creative photo nerve. I did find a stump I particularly enjoyed that happened to be at the beginning of the more difficult part of the trail. Imagine the Grouse Grind that was only a few meters long. After about a 30 seconds of steep climbing, it was back the normal rolling trail.
From 2011-01-17 - Jug Island Beach Trail

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Buntzen Lake, Jan 15, 2011

My girlfriend, Lindsey, and I went for a short hike to Buntzen Lake. We were hoping to do the whole Buntzen Lake Loop, but we were short on time and only managed to get to the suspension bridge before deciding to turn back along Powerhouse Rd.

We parked at the south beach and noticed right away how high the water was. Apparently, BC Hydro is in the process of replacing a turbine in the power house. As a result, the amount of water passing through has declined and sits, waiting in the lake.
From Buntzen Lake, Jan 15, 2011

Hi there.

Welcome to my blog. I am new to this so the look and feel of this blog will undoubtedly changed until I find something that feels like a good fit. I'm not sure what one should say in their very first blog post! What I *will* be posting, as time goes by, are my trip reports of trails and hikes that I accomplish (I'll probably even talk about the ones that I don't), info on gear that I buy myself and one day.. just maybe, you'll see a picture of me on top of a mountain. Hey, you never know. After all - and as cliche as it might be, we were all told to "dream big" at one point or another. If you want to know my motivations behind this blog, click on "about me" there at the top.

Thanks for stopping by!