Mt. Sloan: Another Stormy Labour Day Weekend
On the September long weekend we set out in the direction of Mt. Sloan, despite a weather forecast that caused the plans for the traditional VOC Mountaineering Camp to go to the wind. Faced with a forecast like that, after so much sun, perhaps we wouldn’t have gone hiking either, but we had made plans in advance to go hiking…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Hiking & Scrambling, Sea to Sky, Trip Reports, Varsity Outdoor Club (VOC)
Garibaldi Neve Traverse: Just Jump! (A Summer Crossing)
Last weekend we went on a two day trip with the Varsity Outdoor Club, organized by Christian Veenstra, the head of the club. The plan was to cross the Garibaldi Glacier, making a horseshoe traverse around Mt. Garibaldi. This trip is usually done in winter, when the crevasses are covered by huge amounts of snow, making route finding much easier.…
Coquihalla Mtn: and Jim Kelly Peak Too
Two weekends ago we drove up the Coquihalla highway, past the old toll booth (deactivated last year), and up a wide and good gravel road (Tulameen FSR). At the junction with Illal FSR I for some reason thought to try and drive the last 3km despite the cross ditches. After going about 300m and maybe 5 ditches we decided this…
Downton Creek: Hot Weekend and Fires Close By
On the August long weekend (yes, three weeks ago!) we went to the Downton Creek area for three days. We were there at the end of August last year and got chased down by a freak snow storm and very low temperatures. This time it was sunny with blue skies until we got into the alpine and it started pouring…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Cycling & Cycle Touring, Hiking & Scrambling, Hot Springs, Rockies & Kootenays, Trip Reports
West Kootenays: Adventures in the Kootenays
About two weeks ago we returned from three weeks in the Kootenays. The days before we left were a flurry of activity – we subletted our apartment, so we had to tidy and clean up, dehydrate food for the trip, pack and tie up all sorts of loose ends (such as doing our taxes three months late…). Finally we managed…
Tricouni: A Great Day Trip
Two weeks ago we had planned to go to Tricouni, but the drizzle and grey clouds on the way made us change destinations last minute, and we ended up on Mt. Gardner on Bowen Island – we figured it would be good to keep Tricouni for a nice day. Last Sunday we drove up to Squamish and on to the…
Squamish to Indian Arm and Back: First Dead Cougar
This trip started with a drama at the Chief parking lot as there was a lot of commotion and a few rangers around. We weren’t sure what was happening till a group of rangers showed up dragging a dead Cougar behind them. Apparently this cougar killed a dog the day before, and the solution was to kill it…We left the…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Cycling & Cycle Touring, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Trip Reports
Galiano Island: Discovering a Secret Beach
On an early morning in June we caught the ferry from Tsawassen to Galiano Island. Our plan was to ride to Dionisio Point, the northern point of the Island. The rumor was that this area was only accessible by boat, and that it was not possible to go by land, because the roads to get there are closed to the…
Centre Creek and Chilliwak Lake: When Skiing Becomes Cycling
May Long Weekend actually started as a skiing trip, or at least as the desire to do a skiing trip. We aimed for Mt. Jimmy Jimmy, but long parts of the trail were bushwhacking and carrying our skis on our backs didn’t make it any easier. It took us a while to reach snow, and even when we did it…
Harrison Lake (East): First Live Cougar
On a sunny weekend in early May we left Vancouver with the bikes in the car, going east towards Harrison Lake. We had never been to the Harrison Lake area before, so we were excited to explore a new region. We left our car at the beginning of a logging road and hopped on our bikes. It was a scenic…
