• Hiking & Scrambling,  Kayaking and Canoeing,  Sea to Sky,  Trip Reports,  Trips with Kids

    Echo Lake: It’s a Kind of Magic

    This hiking trip started with a canoe trip across the Squamish River. At least, for most of us – one of us chose to swim across, braving the frigid water. This was a rare weekend on which Neil and I had the opportunity of doing a more strenuous trip. I had been eyeing a hike to Echo Lake for a while, but wasn’t sure of the logistics. Going with friends who know the way made this easy. Either way, hiking trips that start with a canoe trip have always captivated me. The canoe trip adds an element of excitement and adventure, and drives the crowds away. Crossing the Squamish River…

  • Hiking & Scrambling,  Trip Reports,  Trips with Kids,  Western USA

    Lake Ann: Escape from the Tent City

    After our very scenic trip to Chain Lakes last year, we were easily tempted to do another trip to that area. We drove up the Mt. Baker road, parking just below Artist Point, at the Lake Ann trailhead. We had gotten a late start as usual (border delays didn’t help), so we weren’t fazed by the overfull parking lot and long line of cars parked up and down the road. Sure enough, while we had our lunch and geared up, a parking space opened up (“late bird gets the worm?!”). The views soon after we started, Mt. Shuksan This trail is a bit weird, because it starts out by going…

  • Duffey Lake Road,  Hiking & Scrambling,  Trip Reports,  Trips with Kids

    Marriott Basin: A Failing Memory is a Good Thing

    My memory is not as good as it used to be. Probably that’s the way it is for most people. Thinking about Marriott Basin as a possible destination for this weekend, I had the fleeting thought – “weren’t we just there?!” Luckily we have the blog as an electronic replacement for my clearly failing long term memory. It turns out that we visited Marriott Basin three times, always in winter, with the last time being in 2014! So, clearly a re-visit was not a crazy idea. Not that there’s anything wrong with going back to places more frequently. The Wendy Thompson Hut & our tent The drive was long, as…

  • Hiking & Scrambling,  Trip Reports,  Trips with Kids,  Western USA

    Chain Lakes Loop: The Perfect Trip

    For years I’ve had this trail, the Chain Lakes Loop, at the back of my mind. It’s been there for so long that I don’t even remember how it got there. I’ve even recommended it to other people! This trail has so much going for it – easy access to the alpine, a well maintained trail, sweeping views of tall glaciated mountains, a bunch of lakes, great camping, it’s a loop hike, and in September – no bugs and lots of berries. In my head at least, I labelled it as the “Perfect Trip”. It doesn’t get much better than this! The only downside is that the above has been…

  • Camping,  Hiking & Scrambling,  Kayaking and Canoeing,  Metro Vancouver & North Shore,  Trip Reports,  Trips with Kids

    Widgeon Creek: The Opening Trip of Canoe Season

    It was canoe season once again. Last year we did our first ever overnight canoe trip to Widgeon Creek and decided it would be good as a first time this year as well. The evening before the trip we decided to check some information online and we discovered that the campground was actually marked as closed. Oops. We decided to still go and hope for the best. On the way – photo by Nick M. It was a cool June morning and we met up with friends in the parking lot. Like last year they still hadn’t installed a bathroom in the parking lot which I found very odd (and disgusting).…

  • Camping,  Duffey Lake Road,  Hiking & Scrambling,  Sea to Sky,  Trip Reports,  Trips with Kids

    Joffre Lakes: Glaciers and Lakes Up Close

    British Columbia is mostly covered with beautiful mountains and lakes. But still, there are few places nearby that have easy access to the mountains, with a well maintained trail and rewarding views. Joffre Lakes is a rare example, and as a result it tends to be extremely busy. This year BC Parks introduced a day pass system for this trail. Without getting into the question of whether it’s good or bad, it does limit the number of people. Not that the trail was empty or anything. Even in early October there were still lots of people out, but since we haven’t been there since I was pregnant with Neil seven years ago…

  • Birkenhead,  Camping,  Hiking & Scrambling,  Kayaking and Canoeing,  Trip Reports,  Trips with Kids

    Birkenhead Lake: The Winds of Change

    During the summer Canada was slowly opening up, for the first time since COVID started. We hadn’t seen our family in over two years, so it was about time to change that. Gili’s dad came on a very last minute visit, and the boys were very excited to have their grandpa around. Usually we don’t plan car camping trips, but we did book this one to Birkenhead Lake as we thought it would be a good destination to explore with our canoe. We also heard it was beautiful there and quite remote, and although we were both sure we’ve been there before we couldn’t quite picture it. So it was definitely time to…

  • Hiking & Scrambling,  Kayaking and Canoeing,  Sea to Sky,  Trip Reports,  Trips with Kids

    Callaghan Lake: The Broken Sandal

    I was looking for neat places to go with our canoe. We decided on Callaghan Lake, intending to camp at the supposedly nice camping spot on the opposite end of the lake. I even recruited a friend and his two kids. However, when we arrived to Callaghan Lake, and looked at the park map, we discovered that camping at the other end isn’t allowed. It turned out I had looked at some blog posts and a guidebook, but hadn’t thought to check the park website… We were also warned about it being grizzly territory. Luckily there is a free campground right where we were going to put in, and there…

  • Hiking & Scrambling,  Kayaking and Canoeing,  Metro Vancouver & North Shore,  Trip Reports,  Trips with Kids

    Widgeon Creek: Trying Something New

    The first time I took out our new canoe, I flipped it. The two kids who were on it with me, Neil and a friend, were shrieking with excitement. Or was it the shock of the cold water? Either way, they just kept on shouting and laughing for at least a half hour afterwards. I admit to wondering previously – how would we get back into the canoe if we capsized? I might have even made a mental note to look this up and practice it. There was no time for that, I had to make some snap decisions – how to get the kids back into the canoe? After…

  • Hiking & Scrambling,  Metro Vancouver & North Shore,  Trip Reports,  Trips with Kids

    Viewpoint Beach: The Same Trip Again?

    After doing a trip to a certain place, how do you feel about doing that same trip again? On the one hand, there are so many other places to go, that it might seem like a waste to revisit a spot you’ve been to. On the other hand, as Heraclitus apparently once put it, so beautifully: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” So, it’s not really the same trip again, is it? and the debate goes on… We don’t usually plan much in advance, but nevertheless we had planned a camping trip to the Okanagan…