- British Columbia (and nearby), Coquihalla, Crosscountry Skiing, Downhill Skiing, Okanagan, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
SilverStar: The Ski Combo
Google Maps claimed the drive would take five hours. I disagree, in fact it took about hundreds of hours, or at least this is how it felt. We’ve done this trip before, when I was pregnant, but it didn’t feel so long back then. I guess having a baby does change a few things. To break the long drive we stopped at Othello Tunnels, a nice place we discovered on our first bike trip along the Kettle Valley Railway. The tunnels are always impressive, no matter how many times we visit the place. We took a nice walk and had a picnic before continuing east. After a few hours we stopped…
Point Roberts Loop: A Few Hours on the Other Side
Back in February, three days before Neil was born, Gili cycled around Point Roberts. He came back with an excellent impression and I was a bit sad that I couldn’t join. He promised that we’ll be back there riding as a family of three sooner rather than later. Then as we are getting ready for our trip to South Korea and Japan Gili ordered bicycle tires to be picked up from Point Roberts. Now that the opportunity presented itself we had to go back, so Neil and I could enjoy the ride as well. So we drove to Tsawwassen and parked the car at Diefenbaker Park, where Neil had his…
Kids on Wheels Rolls into East Van Daycares
In July, Kids on Wheels, the BC Cycling Coalition’s exciting new program, had two fabulous sessions in Eaglets and Grandview Terrace daycares in East Vancouver. In both daycares we found an enthusiastic group of children who were more than ready to jump on the balance bikes and start exploring. The teachers were very supportive and with the guidance of our wonderful instructors everyone had a great time. The children’s riding abilities varied and it was inspiring to see how in one week the children who were less confident on Monday gained confidence and mastered their balance abilities. The children rode in a basketball field connected to their daycare and we started with…
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), Hiking & Scrambling, Rockies & Kootenays, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
The Rockies: Happy Campers in the ‘Orange House’
Some people thought we were brave, others thought we were stupid or just plain crazy. At times I felt like all of the above. Making the long drive from Vancouver to the Rockies with a five month old baby wasn’t easy, but it was so worth it. We left on Friday afternoon after literally packing the whole house into our ’99 Subaru Legacy. Neil fell asleep before we even drove two blocks and slept until around Merritt, three hours away, while I tried to remember all the things that we might have forgotten. Eventually Gili got so tired from the drive that we had to stop at a rest area…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Hiking & Scrambling, Metro Vancouver & North Shore, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
Mt. Seymour: In Search for a Missing (Teddy) Bear
A few weekends ago we headed to Mt. Seymour. I think it’s the classic hike if you want to get the full outdoor experience but still stay close to the city. We just bought a new hiking carrier for Neil and we wanted to try it out before our big trip to the Rockies the weekend after. It had been sunny for a long time, but the rain decided to come back that weekend. We still decided to go out and when it looked like it was clearing we got into the car for the short drive, making yet another great alpine start at 2pm. The moment we put Neil…
- 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…
Olympic Peninsula: Savour the Moment (South Coast Hike)
This trip was long overdue. During our first summer in Canada back in 2007 we crossed the border to the US on Canada Day long weekend. Inexperienced and naive, we didn’t know what it means to cross the border on long weekends. We were stuck at the border for over three hours and by the time we were on the other side we realized that with the long drive ahead we wouldn’t have time to actually complete the hike. So we changed our plans and always kept this hike in mind. Now, eight years + one baby later it was finally time to hike along the coast of the Olympic…
- 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…
