- British Columbia (and nearby), Cycling & Cycle Touring, Outdoor Recreation, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids, Western USA
Edison-La Conner Loop: Small Town America
We drove into Edison, Washington, population 133. As we drove in to town, a blink of an eye later we were already outside “town” and had to make a quick u-turn before parking at the Elementary School. Maya went to a nearby cafe, where she tried to order an ice mocha, and they rolled their eyes at her – they had no idea what she was talking about. I guess the message was: “You’re not in Vancouver anymore” (she actually just wanted the WiFi password and to use the bathroom). While we were having lunch on the lush school lawn, no doubt sprayed with all pesticides imaginable, we watched several cars with…
Israel: Down the Rabbit Hole Again
Japan (Part 2): Cycling The Forgotten Islands
From the ferry window, I observed rocks that looked like mushrooms, surrounded by the most turquoise water I had ever seen. We had just arrived to Yoron Island via the overnight ferry from Kagoshima, a 20 hour journey, but luckily we stopped on other islands on the way to break the long journey. When we got off the ferry, we were greeted by the ferry terminal – two peeling shipping containers, where we obtained a map that was 100% Japanese. We cycled to Ohkaneku Beach, where we camped for three nights. The only nearby place to eat was a tiny take out sushi stand, in the place you’d least expect…
South Korea (Part 2): Cycling Jeju with Teddy Bears and Kimchi
Jeju Island is the Korean version of Hawaii. At least that’s what we read in the guidebook. I read this and thought: “oh oh, bad news”. You see, I like to travel to places with a minimum of expectations and preconceptions. That way, I can keep myself open and flexible to whatever ends up transpiring. It’s like a movie trailer that gives away the plot of the movie you are about to watch, spoiling the surprise. Regardless, once the word “Hawaii” had been uttered, it could not be taken back, and we were often tempted to compare our trip to Jeju with our two week cycling trip around the Big Island.…
Rainbow Lake: Two Lakes and a Peak
After trying and failing to get to Rainbow Lake earlier this summer, we decided to try again. This time we chose the rougher but shorter trail from Madeley Lake. As usual, we got a late start, Neil slept the whole way to the trail head and we started up the trail later than most people’s lunch time. The first section of the trail has been spruced up recently and has some very nice boardwalks and bridges, the upper part is a bit rougher. The hike in was short, but it felt very long to us, maybe just because we were a tired bunch. We arrived to Hanging Lake in the…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Carfree, Cycling & Cycle Touring, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
Galiano Island: Cycle Touring with an Infant – Impossible or Possible?
Cycle touring with an infant: possible or impossible? We decided we’d find out the only way that makes sense: by trying it ourselves. The weekend before this trip we bought a used trailer on Craigslist. “Would he like it?” – this was a bit of a question mark for us, due to Neil’s obvious dislike of the stroller. Over the next week we took Neil for short rides in the city, to the beach and so on, and he seemed to enjoy it. On the following weekend, we set out towards Dionisio Provincial Park on Galiano Island. The first ferry to Galiano leaves at 8:40am, which we deemed “impossible”, given…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Hiking & Scrambling, Metro Vancouver & North Shore, Outdoor Recreation, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
Mt. Strachan: From Failure to Success
Looking for an easy overnight hiking trip, we decided to head to Rainbow Lake. We started hiking at 2pm – lately, since Neil was born, we are having trouble getting out of the house early… What can I say, that kid likes to sleep late! 🙂 After taking an unintended but very nice detour to Rainbow Falls, and continuing on the main trail, it started raining hard, very hard. It has been a warm and dry spring and summer, and although the forecast showed a risk of thunderstorms and a possible rainfall of 1mm, the abrupt change in weather took us by surprise and suddenly it seemed like full on…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Hiking & Scrambling, Outdoor Recreation, Sea to Sky, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
Brew Hut: Neil’s First Overnighter
This trip was an adventure. Yes, we have been to Brew Hut a few times over the years. But this trip was different. Being Neil’s first backcountry overnighter, we really didn’t know how it would go and even whether we would make it to the hut, and in fact we almost didn’t. On the morning of the trip, before leaving, I suddenly realized that with the warm weather we would probably need snowshoes. After making a phone call or two, I dashed over to Ron and Dana to pick up their snowshoes, which in retrospect were very much essential. We were finally ready to leave, sometime after 11am, not exactly…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Chilliwack and Nearby, Hiking & Scrambling, Outdoor Recreation, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
Harrison Grind: Not That Kind of Grind
The Grouse Grind in Vancouver has become a popular tourist attraction, but for no apparent reason. After all, it’s a steep stair-master like trail, crawling with lycra clad racers with fanny packs busy trying to improve their “Grind time” while overtaking you without missing a heartbeat. It’s the kind of place where you can scan a card at the start and end to have your time recorded for posterity, and have a latte at the coffee shop at the top, not exactly a remote wilderness experience. Then there’s the odd issue of the trail name being trademarked… How often does that happen? With that in mind, we set off to…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Hiking & Scrambling, Metro Vancouver & North Shore, Outdoor Recreation, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
Diez Vistas: Even the Baby Did It
Diez Vistas (“ten views”) is a bit of a weird hike. For starters, it’s not really clear why this hike is named in Spanish. Then there’s the issue of the number of viewpoints on the hike: it is not even nearly close to ten, although we did forget to count them. The last time we did this hike was several years ago. It was a gray day, and the views were close to non-existent. This time we got luckier, or perhaps smarter, and hiked in full blown sun, enjoying beautiful views of Indian Arm. Two girls passed us on their way down. One of them pointed to me, carrying Neil…
