Marriott: A Doohickey Campsite
We were looking for a scenic and relatively short and easy overnight hike to do with my dad. Marriott Basin came to mind. What I didn’t take into account was that our previous trip was in September. This time it was mid-summer and we were accompanied by a blood-sucking cloud of mosquitoes that hovered around us constantly. Shortly after leaving the dirt road The trail kept us on our toes The spiciest log on the trail We all made it across safely At the junction of the trails – go left Just another break In the subalpine the views started opening up We made it to Marriott Lake Arriving to…
Keith’s Hut: A Functional Coffee
Before this trip, Keith’s Hut was a distant memory. You see, this hut is popular in winter with backcountry skiers. That’s something we used to do most weekends in winter, but seldom do now that we have two young kids. So when we were planning a weekend fall trip with friends and they suggested Keith’s Hut, we were quite excited to revisit it. The log crossing near the start of the trail After the long drive we arrived to the trailhead to find just a couple of cars there. This meant we could happily leave our (backup) tent in the car – there would surely be space in the hut.…
Mt. Frosty: Definitely Not Frosty
We set out on a three day hike in Manning Park with the goal of getting to the summit of Mt. Frosty. We were looking for a doable hike with the kids, but also challenging enough and one where there was snow (the kids insisted). With an attractive name like Frosty we set high expectations. Not an early start for us… It was hot. Probably the first time it got really hot that summer. The drive to Manning was long so we weren’t exactly off to an early start. It was Thursday and the parking lot at Lightning Lake – the trailhead, was relatively empty. Up up we go! The…
Garibaldi Lake: An Unexpectedly Snowy Weekend
Locals (including us!) often complain about how you have to book campsites months in advance. This is the case for Garibaldi Lake, and it sure is annoying. So, when I saw a site come open due to a cancellation for the weekend I jumped on it. I realized well why the cancellation had happened – the forecast called for a cold and rainy weekend. But my mind was made up to finally try an overnight trip just me and the kids. Especially since I was going away the next week for work, so I wanted to give Maya some child-free time too. Happy campers, full of energy Still, I wasn’t…
Slhanay Peak: A Magical View of the Chief
We met up with friends in Squamish for an after-school hike. They suggested Slahanay Peak rather than the more standard and well-traveled Chief – which I’ve been up a few times. I’m always excited to try out a new trail, and in fact had been eyeing this one for a while (when it was still called the Squaw). The trailhead for Slhanay Peak is easy to miss – it’s on a nondescript section of the Mamquam River FSR. From there we started up the trail. Our friends led us off to the much adventurous and challenging scrambling route. It was a steep chimney that required using our hands to clamber…
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…
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…
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…
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).…
